| snakes - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| culprit |
i read somewhere that most mammals are born with an instinctive fear of
snakes. i had a chance to test this theory in the back yard yesterday.
there was a black garter snake in the grass near my deck. Lola was nearby,
so i picked up the snake and put it down closer to her, so she'd see its
movement. she was terrified. she jumped back, tail tucked, and would inch
closer to it, only to jump back even further every time it moved.
i wound up having to pick the snake up and put it under the deck so she'd
come back inside, and even then, she kept looking back to where it had been.
does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
-kelly
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| Suja |
culprit wrote:
>
> does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
Well, like is not exactly the word for it. I've known lots of dogs in
India that killed snakes on a routine basis. My dad had one growing up
that lived for it - used to go snake hunting. The black lab that we had
would hunt snakes given half a chance. We learned to tell by his
reaction what he was hunting, and he absolutely hated being called off.
FWIW, I don't remember ever being afraid of snakes, and I know that I've
handled snakes as a young child. I happen to like most snakes (vipers
are an exception). DH is the exact opposite.
Suja
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| Cate |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhtf1g$2vfjb$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> i read somewhere that most mammals are born with an instinctive fear of
> snakes. i had a chance to test this theory in the back yard yesterday.
> there was a black garter snake in the grass near my deck. Lola was
nearby,
> so i picked up the snake and put it down closer to her, so she'd see its
> movement. she was terrified. she jumped back, tail tucked, and would
inch
> closer to it, only to jump back even further every time it moved.
> i wound up having to pick the snake up and put it under the deck so she'd
> come back inside, and even then, she kept looking back to where it had
been.
>
> does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
Orson doesn't like them per se, but he always takes a couple of seconds to
register what they are before he freaks out. I'm not sure if he sees them
and doesn't get it for a second, or if he just doesn't see them yet.
For that reason, our latest stay in the country, where moccasins had been
spotted days before (real ones this time, Suja!), was a bit more restricted
than usual. I took Orson down to the pond for a swim and saw several
telltale areas of rustling leaves on the shore. I decided I'd rather have a
bored, dry dog than a slow-to-see-a-snake one that ended up bitten.
Picking up snakes, eh? Better you than me.
Cate
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| Tricia9999 |
>does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
>
>-kelly
My dogs have all shown curiousity. I live in CA where there are lots of
rattlers. When I was a kid out walking with my GSD, he heard the rattle in the
grass and wanted to investigate. I took off in the opposite direction, calling
him like crazy and he came thankfully. More recently, while walking in a
regional park, my dogs heard the rattle and wanted to investigate. Thankfully,
I have good recalls on them.When I lived in the country in NJ, we had a family
of snakes right outside our house. The dogs were neither frightened or
particularly interested. I guess that's why people spend time and money doing
snake avoidance training.
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| Walter & Company |
If you live in rattlesnake (or other viper) country and have a dog
with intense curiousity like mine, a yellow lab, that occasionally
runs off trail, IMO rattlesnake avoidance training is a must. It's
not 100% protection but it sure helps. For the dog to be recalled
you have to see/hear the snake, and by then it may be too late.
On 19 Aug 2003 21:38:05 GMT, tricia9999@aol.com (Tricia9999) wrote:
>I guess that's why people spend time and money doing
>snake avoidance training.
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| culprit |
"Cate" <orson14850@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bhtfoj$32aom$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> Picking up snakes, eh? Better you than me.
luckily, we don't have real snakes up here. just little garden snakes that
eat insects and such. they're kind of cute. and they don't bite hard
enough to puncture the skin.
-kelly
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| Cate |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhucco$3ba1t$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> luckily, we don't have real snakes up here. just little garden snakes
that
> eat insects and such. they're kind of cute. and they don't bite hard
> enough to puncture the skin.
Where I was staying this weekend, there was an old Life magazine pull-out of
'Poisonous snakes and their lookalikes' that I found very useful but
frightening (I saw nothing but kept imagining I would) while strolling
around the property. I was surprised to learn there are 3 kinds of rattlers
found in southeastern Virginia, along with several other poisonous
varieties.
Luckily, I avoided the 'big, thick' moccasin (aka cottonmouth) my
stepbrother had seen earlier in the week.
I'm not one to pick up snakes, and Orson can't be trusted to see them in
time. I carried a hoe with me on our walks--a remnant of the time I was
lunged at by a moccasin. I'm *terrified* of snakes.
Cate
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| culprit |
"Cate" <orson14850@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bhuet0$398tk$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> I'm not one to pick up snakes, and Orson can't be trusted to see them in
> time. I carried a hoe with me on our walks--a remnant of the time I was
> lunged at by a moccasin. I'm *terrified* of snakes.
i would be too if we had big scary snakes out here!
i read a story about an APBT that saved a child's life by charging a rattler
that was laying near the kid. the dog was bit pretty badly, but the kid was
fine.
i have a feeling Lola would let me take the bites.
-kelly
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| Cate |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhuf9m$3ep04$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> i read a story about an APBT that saved a child's life by charging a
rattler
> that was laying near the kid. the dog was bit pretty badly, but the kid
was
> fine.
Wow. I wonder if it was actively trying to protect the child.
> i have a feeling Lola would let me take the bites.
I don't think Orson would, but I'm not sure his motives would be out of
protection for me. I think his prey drive would kick in and he'd be in there
biting it, even though he's pretty skittish about things that move
unpredictably.
Then again, maybe not. He saw one up close a few weeks ago--thought it was a
stick. He leaned over to pick it up and its head rose out of the water to
check him out. He jumped back about 3 feet.
Cate
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| Shelly & The Boys |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhtf1g$2vfjb$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> i read somewhere that most mammals are born with an instinctive fear of
> snakes. i had a chance to test this theory in the back yard yesterday.
> there was a black garter snake in the grass near my deck. Lola was
nearby,
> so i picked up the snake and put it down closer to her, so she'd see its
> movement. she was terrified. she jumped back, tail tucked, and would
inch
> closer to it, only to jump back even further every time it moved.
> i wound up having to pick the snake up and put it under the deck so she'd
> come back inside, and even then, she kept looking back to where it had
been.
>
> does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
Hmmm...I don't think either of my boys have seen a snake before.
Come to think of it, surprisingly enough, I don't think that I've seen
a snake since I've lived her (6 yrs), and before that I lived in an apt.
in the city, so it's been many years.
Shelly (Who doesn't really mind snakes all that much) & The Boys
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| Shelly & The Boys |
"Tricia9999" <tricia9999@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030819173805.21542.00000269@mb-m01.aol.com...
> The dogs were neither frightened or
> particularly interested. I guess that's why people spend time and money
doing
> snake avoidance training.
I've seen those classes before. I keep thinking that one of these
days while tracking we might run across some, but so far we've been
pretty lucky.
Shelly & The Boys
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| Andrea |
"culprit" wrote
> does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
Yep. My dogs think snakes are great. On rye with mustard. Shane is an
inveterate snake hunter. And his method is hilarious:
Put front feet together.
Keep front legs stiff
Bounce front end around until it lands on the snake.
FOOD!
--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com
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| Cate |
"Andrea" <andrea.stone2@NOSPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:IzB0b.13621$_P1.8564@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> Put front feet together.
> Keep front legs stiff
> Bounce front end around until it lands on the snake.
> FOOD!
The image this conjures up is hysterical. Do all your dogs hunt small prey
like this? I'm wondering if it's a breed thing.
Cate
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| Rocky |
Cate said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:
> I don't think Orson would, but I'm not sure his motives
> would be out of protection for me. I think his prey drive
> would kick in and he'd be in there biting it, even though
> he's pretty skittish about things that move unpredictably.
Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
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| Cate |
"Rocky" <2pups@rocky-dog.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93DCD8AF1C031australianshepherdca@IP...
> Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
> doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits.
How useful! I hope he's never been stung. Orson got mad at some pretty big
wasps this weekend. I was afraid he'd catch one. I don't think he'd have the
finesse to do it and not be stung.
Moths are a
> different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
> very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
Do you have lunar moths out your way? I seriously hope he leaves those
bat-sized things alone. They'd be messy to eat, I think.
Cate
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| The Puppy Wizard |
You're a IDIOT to let your dog bite wasps.
"Rocky" <2pups@rocky-dog.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93DCD8AF1C031australianshepherdca@IP...
> Cate said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:
>
> > I don't think Orson would, but I'm not sure his motives
> > would be out of protection for me. I think his prey drive
> > would kick in and he'd be in there biting it, even though
> > he's pretty skittish about things that move unpredictably.
>
> Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
> doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
> different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
> very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
>
> --
> --Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
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| FurPaw |
Rocky wrote:
> Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
> doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
> different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
> very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
>
Dylan likes to catch and eat the carpenter bees that hang our
around our deck (and drill into the wood). They're big,
slow-moving bumble-bee types; hard to believe they can fly. I
don't think these bees sting - they have other insidious ways of
doing damage.
FurPaw
--
There's no reason to give credence to anything spoken above 90
decibels.
To reply, unleash the dog.
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| Melanie L Chang |
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Xref: 127.0.0.1 rec.pets.dogs.behavior:484511
Rocky (2pups@rocky-dog.com) wrote:
: Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
: doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
: different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
: very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
Solo will chase flies, but he is terrified of wasps. The other day at
the park I noticed him staring in horror at a nearby tree. After
thinking to myself, "Oh no, he's really gone nuts, he's seeing things," I
finally realized he was staring at a huge wasp with its stinger embedded
in a huge cicada that it was dragging up the tree.
It -was- pretty horrifying.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melanie Lee Chang | Form ever follows function.
Departments of Anthropology and Biology |
University of Pennsylvania | -- Louis Sullivan
mlchang@sas.upenn.edu |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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| Rocky |
Cate said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:
>> Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer.
>> He doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits.
>
> How useful! I hope he's never been stung. Orson got mad at
> some pretty big wasps this weekend. I was afraid he'd catch
> one. I don't think he'd have the finesse to do it and not
> be stung.
I'd always been after a friend to not let his dog crunch wasps,
fearing for the worst. Kayla would wait nearby a nest and
crunch hundreds. I've learned that some dogs are good at this,
though I'm not keen on making it a regular game.
Friday does his work inside, so his numbers are somewhat less,
and I didn't even know it was happening until I found wasp
(luckily, not WASP) corpses in my living room. As it turns out,
even Rocky won't eat a wasp husk, and this is the ultimately
hungry dog.
I've only seen Friday crunch a wasp twice. It's hard to
describe such a delicate operation.
>> Moths are a
>> different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing,
>> but he's very selective as to which moths are meant for
>> eradication.
>
> Do you have lunar moths out your way? I seriously hope he
> leaves those bat-sized things alone. They'd be messy to
> eat, I think.
With this heat, I'm leaving doors open, unfortunately attracting
dozens of small moths, the largest being about an inch across.
How big is a lunar moth? I hate it when I find a moth in my
bedside glass of water. After.
--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
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| Robin Nuttall |
>
> Luckily, I avoided the 'big, thick' moccasin (aka cottonmouth) my
> stepbrother had seen earlier in the week.
>
> I'm not one to pick up snakes, and Orson can't be trusted to see them in
> time. I carried a hoe with me on our walks--a remnant of the time I was
> lunged at by a moccasin. I'm *terrified* of snakes.
>
The chances of you actually encountering a poisonous snake are slim to none.
Most of them hear you and your dog coming, and none of them like dogs, so
they're far more likely to slink off than anything else.
I wonder if you were actually "lunged at" by a water moccasin, since they're
a) not that common and b) live in and near water, so unless you walk in
creeks you aren't likely to see one. Common blacksnakes might easily be
mistaken for a water moccasin.
The most common Eastern/Southern venomous snake is probably the copperhead.
I've seen several of those and actually encountered a baby one the other
day.
If you are worried about your dog and poisonous snakes, find a snake
proofing clinic. :)
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| Rocky |
Melanie L Chang said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:
> Solo will chase flies, but he is terrified of wasps. The
> other day at the park I noticed him staring in horror at a
> nearby tree. After thinking to myself, "Oh no, he's really
> gone nuts, he's seeing things," I finally realized he was
> staring at a huge wasp with its stinger embedded in a huge
> cicada that it was dragging up the tree.
All I can say is that Solo has a healthy concept of self
preservation. Friday still has a youngster's sense of
invulnerability.
> It -was- pretty horrifying.
I've never seen such a thing. Still, if it was me, I'd eat a
wasp before I'd eat a fly. Fear Factor: Don't feed me flies.
--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
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| Andrea |
"Cate" wrote
<snip>
> The image this conjures up is hysterical. Do all your dogs hunt small prey
> like this? I'm wondering if it's a breed thing.
No, just Shane the goon. He's "special". *grin* The others are highly
efficient murders of small animals, for better or worse. That said, Shane
actually has used this method successfully. And yes, it's hysterical to
watch.
--
-Andrea Stone
Saorsa Basenjis
http://home1.gte.net/res0s12z/
The Trolls Nest - greenmen, goblins & gargoyle wall art
www.trollsnest.com
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| culprit |
"Rocky" <2pups@rocky-dog.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93DCD8AF1C031australianshepherdca@IP...
> Cate said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:
>
> > I don't think Orson would, but I'm not sure his motives
> > would be out of protection for me. I think his prey drive
> > would kick in and he'd be in there biting it, even though
> > he's pretty skittish about things that move unpredictably.
>
> Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
> doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
> different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
> very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
my dogs practically fight over moths and spiders that make it into the
house. they don't eat them, just paw at them, lick them, and then leave
them half dead for me to pick up.
they're as bad as cats.
-kelly
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| Charlie Wilkes |
On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 03:53:04 +0000 (UTC), mlchang@mail1.sas.upenn.edu
(Melanie L Chang) wrote:
>Rocky (2pups@rocky-dog.com) wrote:
>
>: Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
>: doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
>: different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
>: very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
>
>Solo will chase flies, but he is terrified of wasps. The other day at
>the park I noticed him staring in horror at a nearby tree. After
>thinking to myself, "Oh no, he's really gone nuts, he's seeing things," I
>finally realized he was staring at a huge wasp with its stinger embedded
>in a huge cicada that it was dragging up the tree.
>
>It -was- pretty horrifying.
What if insects were as big as dogs, Melanie? Imagine disturbing a
nest of ground wasps and being attacked by 60 pound insects with
umbrella-sized stingers. First you hear a low, rumbling sound
underfoot, and then you look behind you and see this black, bulbous
head emerging from the ground, about the size of a bowling ball... all
pissed off and ready to fill your guts with toxic liquid fire that
will stop your heart after 30 agonizing seconds. And there's no
escape because it can fly 60mph.
That would be a bummer, eh? Not something you'd want to think about
if you were trying to fall asleep.
Charlie
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| Chris Jung |
"FurPaw" <furpawnewsdog@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:3F42EF4C.30500@comcast.net...
> Rocky wrote:
>
> > Friday's turning out to be a pretty effective wasp killer. He
> > doesn't eat them, just crunches and spits. Moths are a
> > different matter. Maybe the fluttering is mesmerizing, but he's
> > very selective as to which moths are meant for eradication.
> >
>
> Dylan likes to catch and eat the carpenter bees that hang our
> around our deck (and drill into the wood). They're big,
> slow-moving bumble-bee types; hard to believe they can fly. I
> don't think these bees sting - they have other insidious ways of
> doing damage.
>
Zeffie also just loves to snack on carpenter bees. They are pretty much
harmless. You usually see the males, which are the big fat guys, hovering
around and they don't have stingers. The females tend to stay very close to
the holes. They have stingers but will only sting if roughly handled. It
takes some effort to get a carpenter bee female to sting. Anyway, Zeffie
eats carpenter bees like popcorn. She'll also eat wasps and any other bees.
I've only seen her get stung once when she was a pup (of course it was the
morning of a dog show. Her muzzle swelled up and she looked deformed but
fortunately her ring time wasn't until the afternoon. By then she was back
to normal and IIRC took WB that day). Since then if she's been stung, we've
never seen it. In her prime she was quite good at killing flies. Her
technique was to chase them to a window and then give them a fast poke with
her nose. Zeffie believes that all flying insects must die but from her
actions I suspect that flies don't taste good but OTOH wasps and bees are a
tasty treat.
Chris and her smoothies,
Zeffie & Pablo
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| shelly |
On Tue, 19 Aug 2003, culprit wrote:
>luckily, we don't have real snakes up here. just little
>garden snakes that eat insects and such. they're kind of
>cute. and they don't bite hard enough to puncture the skin.
last weekend i saw the cuuutest itty bitty garter snake. it
was just a wee baby, not much bigger than a worm. i'd never
seen one that small before. naturally, the rest of the day i
had Frank Zappa stuck in my brane <G>. ('cept this particular
baby snake wasn't pink n' wet.)
--
shelly (perfectly foul wench) and elliott and harriet
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette
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| shelly |
On Tue, 19 Aug 2003, Cate wrote:
>Do you have lunar moths out your way? I seriously hope he
>leaves those bat-sized things alone. They'd be messy to eat,
>I think.
Lunas are beautiful! we get them around my house (it's too
late for them now). the cats and dogs don't bother them or Io
moths, though they'll all stalk and eat other types.
my house is a moth magnet. if i flip the outside light on for
even five seconds, i get a swarm of them. i use it to my
advantage. when the cats (IOW rory-cat) are being a PITA, i
turn on the outside light and open the front door. et voila,
instant Kitty TeeVee!
--
shelly (perfectly foul wench) and elliott and harriet
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette
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| Cate |
"Rocky" <2pups@rocky-dog.com> wrote in message
news:Xns93DCE005CAA58australianshepherdca@IP...
> With this heat, I'm leaving doors open, unfortunately attracting
> dozens of small moths, the largest being about an inch across.
> How big is a lunar moth? I hate it when I find a moth in my
> bedside glass of water. After.
Yech. Me too.
No danger of accidentally drinking a lunar moth. I'd say their wingspan is
about 4-6 inches. The ones I've seen, anyway.
http://groups.msn.com/RichmondME/ph...hoto&PhotoID=36
They're prone to 'The Birds'-like moments if you're out in the woods at
night and suddenly turn on your flashlight.
Cate
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| Shelly & The Boys |
"Chris Jung" <cjung@twcny.rr.com> wrote in message
news:DLH0b.1675$gx1.892@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> never seen it. In her prime she was quite good at killing flies. Her
> technique was to chase them to a window and then give them a fast poke
with
> her nose. Zeffie believes that all flying insects must die but from her
> actions I suspect that flies don't taste good but OTOH wasps and bees are
a
> tasty treat.
Coda uses the Zeffe technique on large flies (which he's been
known to eat), those big low flying bees (I guess they are of the
carpenter variety, I've never seen him get stung), and other various
large flying insects (of which we out West tend to have *way* less
of than people out east do!).
However, with moths, both he & Bodhi do the paw-smack & muzzle
jab. Coda will eat moths, Bodhi doesn't. Bodhi really gets into
the whole hunt aspect of it though, and one day I found him nearly
perched on the back of my husband's recliner as he's reaching into
the upper corner of a window sill.
As gross as it is, Coda would go behind my husband w/ a fly-swatter
eating the dead ones off the lineoleum. I have told him not to
let him do it, it just seems too gross. But, I know he does it when
I'm not home.
Shelly & The Boys
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| Shelly & The Boys |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhv3c4$3emvd$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> my dogs practically fight over moths and spiders that make it into the
> house. they don't eat them, just paw at them, lick them, and then leave
> them half dead for me to pick up.
>
<laugh> That is how Coda & Bodhi are, except Coda will eat them.
To the best of my knowledge, Bodhi isn't a dead (or alive) insect eater.
They'll do it outside to, but I usually stop them, since I've always got
a ton of bumblebees in the flowerbeds.
> they're as bad as cats.
In our house, in this aspect, they are much more useful! My cats
only lift a paw to do evil when it is a "real" critter (ie. mouse, mole,
shrew or vole). And, I'm okay with that.
Shelly & The Boys
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| culprit |
"Shelly & The Boys" <snjb@BADBOYSpacifier.com> wrote in message
news:vk6olci5qussfc@corp.supernews.com...
> In our house, in this aspect, they are much more useful! My cats
> only lift a paw to do evil when it is a "real" critter (ie. mouse, mole,
> shrew or vole). And, I'm okay with that.
i can't count the number of times i've been woken up to the sound of my
Bengal jumping up and down between the window and the blinds, trying to
catch a moth.
*sigh*
maybe i should invest in some mice.
-kelly
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| Cate |
"Robin Nuttall" <robinjn@mchsi.com> wrote in message
news:ptC0b.203279$o%2.94580@sccrnsc02...
> The chances of you actually encountering a poisonous snake are slim to
none.
> Most of them hear you and your dog coming, and none of them like dogs, so
> they're far more likely to slink off than anything else.
Water moccasins (aka cottonmouths) are said to be more aggressive than their
regional snake neighbors, especially when they have a nest nearby.
> I wonder if you were actually "lunged at" by a water moccasin, since
they're
> a) not that common and b) live in and near water, so unless you walk in
> creeks you aren't likely to see one.
I grew up canoeing and swimming in creeks and rivers. Canoeing was my sport
in high school. I used to be a swimming and canoeing teacher every summer
for many years on a river in western Virginia. The water snakes that
frequented our swimming area usually peacefully coexisted with us, but some
summers were worse than others. One summer was particularly bad, with snakes
actually chasing swimming campers, and the aforementioned lunge at me.
There's no way to make you believe me, especially as I find it pretty
unbelievable myself. The snake was in the water, and I was on a dock about a
foot over it. I banged on the dock with a shovel, trying to scare it away so
I could get in the water and teach my class. It jumped out of the water and
toward me and the crowd of campers and counselors I was with.
I've seen many snakes do many things I didn't believe they could do,
including hanging out of trees and dropping into canoes, hanging over dining
hall tables with 130 people in the room, climbing straight up tree trunks,
and biting people that weren't messing with them.
Common blacksnakes might easily be
> mistaken for a water moccasin.
Water moccasins are brown with markings, not solid black. The only thing one
might mistake them for (in that area of Va.) is a common brown water snake,
which is not poisonous. Even knowledgeable people confuse the two, as they
have similar markings.
> The most common Eastern/Southern venomous snake is probably the
copperhead.
> I've seen several of those and actually encountered a baby one the other
> day.
I guess 'most common' depends on where one spends her time. I've seen maybe
two copperheads in my life.
> If you are worried about your dog and poisonous snakes, find a snake
> proofing clinic. :)
Good advice.
Cate
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| Cate |
"Andrea" <andrea.stone2@NOSPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message
news:6GC0b.20024$Bo6.9513@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...
> No, just Shane the goon. He's "special". *grin* The others are highly
> efficient murders of small animals, for better or worse. That said, Shane
> actually has used this method successfully. And yes, it's hysterical to
> watch.
I just remembered where I've seen this before: Polar bears I've seen on tv
use this method to break ice to get to seals hiding underneath.
Cate
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| Melinda Shore |
In article <bhvo7v$3o04k$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de>,
Cate <orson14850@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I've seen many snakes do many things I didn't believe they could do,
>including hanging out of trees and dropping into canoes, hanging over dining
>hall tables with 130 people in the room, climbing straight up tree trunks,
>and biting people that weren't messing with them.
I believe you. I was once fishing, stopped paying
attention, felt a weight on the end of the pole, and looked
up to see a water moccasin coming up the line onto the end
of my pole. It freaked me out no little amount.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore@panix.com
Fascism should more properly be called 'corporatism,' since it
is the marriage of government and corporate power. -- Benito Mussolini
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| Melinda Shore |
In article <bhvoag$32027$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de>,
Cate <orson14850@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I just remembered where I've seen this before: Polar bears I've seen on tv
>use this method to break ice to get to seals hiding underneath.
It's how my dogs punch through snow to get to moles.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore@panix.com
Fascism should more properly be called 'corporatism,' since it
is the marriage of government and corporate power. -- Benito Mussolini
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| Shelly & The Boys |
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhvo4o$3ntbb$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> "Shelly & The Boys" <snjb@BADBOYSpacifier.com> wrote in message
> news:vk6olci5qussfc@corp.supernews.com...
> > In our house, in this aspect, they are much more useful! My cats
> > only lift a paw to do evil when it is a "real" critter (ie. mouse, mole,
> > shrew or vole). And, I'm okay with that.
>
> i can't count the number of times i've been woken up to the sound of my
> Bengal jumping up and down between the window and the blinds, trying to
> catch a moth.
>
> *sigh*
<laugh> Now, I am woken up to either the sound of Kaytee wanting
to go out (she is *very* vocal, and if we've got the screen door closed,
she can't use the dog-door--she's a Maine Coon mix, she is very large,
weighing in at 15lbs and not fat!), or it is Little trying to claw her way
underneath the bedcovers to lie ON me and bite me at will.
(Not hard bites, we call them "Love nips", but she is naughty).
Shelly & The Boys
>
> maybe i should invest in some mice.
>
> -kelly
>
>
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| Cate |
"Melinda Shore" <shore@panix.com> wrote in message
news:bhvofc$g81$1@panix2.panix.com...
> I believe you. I was once fishing, stopped paying
> attention, felt a weight on the end of the pole, and looked
> up to see a water moccasin coming up the line onto the end
> of my pole. It freaked me out no little amount.
Holy CRAP. End of story, please. Did you cut the line or what? I probably
would've thrown the fishing rod into the water, no matter its value.
This is why I am terrified of snakes. Brown ones.
Cate
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| Melinda Shore |
In article <bhvplu$3qitr$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de>,
Cate <orson14850@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Holy CRAP. End of story, please. Did you cut the line or what? I probably
>would've thrown the fishing rod into the water, no matter its value.
I dropped the rod and ran like hell. I was probably about
11 years old at the time.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore@panix.com
Fascism should more properly be called 'corporatism,' since it
is the marriage of government and corporate power. -- Benito Mussolini
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| Cate |
"Melinda Shore" <shore@panix.com> wrote in message
news:bhvpq7$hr9$1@panix2.panix.com...
> I dropped the rod and ran like hell. I was probably about
> 11 years old at the time.
We had a friend visiting us where we were staying this weekend, which is
where my stepbrother had seen the aforementioned big moccasin earlier in the
week. I told the friend, who's scared of spiders, for pete's sake, that we
might encounter some snakes over the weekend. I said I could handle the
spiders, if he could handle the snakes. I asked him 'What do you do when you
see snakes?' I was hoping for a cool, reassuring 'Don't worry/Ignore them'
kind of response. He just pointed to his feet, and said 'They've served me
well so far.'
Cate
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| Allecia |
Liam (our Samoyed boy) has never been afraid of snakes. We get the odd
garter snake around, and he is *very* interested in them. Ears perked, tail
wagging, sniffing, and following them until they disappear. It's quite
amusing. Luckily, we don't get too many of the dangerous kind around here
(Pacific Northwest) or I'd be more concerned.
Lisa and Liam
"culprit" <culprit_removethis_@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:bhtf1g$2vfjb$1@ID-58739.news.uni-berlin.de...
> i read somewhere that most mammals are born with an instinctive fear of
> snakes. i had a chance to test this theory in the back yard yesterday.
> there was a black garter snake in the grass near my deck. Lola was
nearby,
> so i picked up the snake and put it down closer to her, so she'd see its
> movement. she was terrified. she jumped back, tail tucked, and would
inch
> closer to it, only to jump back even further every time it moved.
> i wound up having to pick the snake up and put it under the deck so she'd
> come back inside, and even then, she kept looking back to where it had
been.
>
> does anyone have a dog that likes snakes?
>
> -kelly
>
>
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