Springer has nasty habit

[cjthomps]

My 11 month old Springer has developed a nasty affinity for eating dead animals. At first she would encounter something dead and just sniff at it and maybe try to roll in it until I caught her. Lately, whenever she encounters a dead bird, squirrel, gopher... she checks to see if I'm watching and in that sneaky Springer style, moves to block me from view. She then picks it up in her mouth to move away with it and when I call her name to come, she hunkers down and starts chewing.

This usually isn't a problem when she is on a leash, as I can get to her before she swallows the darn thing. Last week, she got ahold of a dead bird and I could only rip part of it out of her mouth, her eating the rest. She ended up getting diarrhea that lasted for about a day and a half following this episode. She's on Heartguard and her movements have returned to normal, but is there any further health risk? Should I buy a seperate de-wormer to use? And, more importantly, what other corrective actions can I take other than noticing when she encounters a dead animal and walking up with direct eye contact with a firm "NO, Bad dog" and other forms of verbal/minor physical discipline?

[tealitup]

If its a dead bird could there be a risk of the nile virus?

[LABS4ME]

dead rodents..... poison?

Good Luck!

Ken

[SportFishin']

If you don't have one already. I would pick-up an E-collar & correct the pup that way. Then you can react with better timing for verbal/e-collar corrections when she encounters undesireable dead animals.

You will run the risk of her getting Tape worms by eating dead stuff & not to mention other gastro intestinal diseases.

Good luck,

Chris

[BLACKJACK]

All dogs are interested in dead things and poop, its just that some are more animate. One of my labs will do the shoulder roll on anything that she finds that smells while the other one just sniffs it. Ever had one of your buddies sneak off and take a dump without telling you? Twice I've had my labs come back after rolling in it - not fun but thats just a fact of a dogs life. If you're out in the field and are going to shock them everytime they sniff something dead or smelly, you'll have a cringing mutt at heel. When there is a dead critter around my place, I try to dispose of it, throwing it in the weeds is not an option - maggot time is prime shoulder roll time - and also when we're out walking/hunting, by the time I catch up to them in there sniffing and rolling routine, they need to move along, I don't worry about it, they're just being dogs.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Yup, fish gotta swim, bird gotta fly, wife gotta nag, and doggie gotta roll around in poop.