# V Team: 2, Groundhogs: 0



## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Yesterday Charlie was out in a small field beside the house, barking furiously. I went to look and there was something in the grass that he was focused on. It was a small groundhog. It didn't run (sure death), but was standing its ground, even making short charges at Charlie. Daisy joined Charlie in barking at it, but neither was going to attack. Discretion being the better part of valor.

So I took a stick and gave it a clop, stunning it enough for Daisy to rush in. She was vicious, shaking it so hard that I thought that it might come apart! It didn't, of course, but she definitely killed it.

Then she ate it!! No hesitation - no sniffing, poking, figuring out. Just ate it. All of it. I found no traces later. Wow - I never would have thought! I knew that some dogs did - in "Merle's Door", Ted Kerasote describes Merle's eating creatures that he caught, but that was in Wyoming - things are wilder there. I didn't know whether to be proud or disgusted.

Act 2: this morning Charlie is barking at something in the field. Another groundhog in a face-off. Same scenario: I clop it, Daisy kills it, and eats it.

I'm stunned. What next?!

Bob


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## BFrancs (Aug 8, 2013)

Double-WOW!!! i would be in shock and screaming "DROP IT" LMAO. Ugh kinda gross.  Now that I think about Hunter would be the one to eat it too and he would be so proud. LOL Roxxy is such a girl, she would sniff it and walk away. We live in a city and I'm always scared Hunter will catch a rabbit or squirrel in the backyard, oh god, now I'll be crossing my finger he never eats one. lol


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

Bob - I wonder what your dogs would do if they found a Chihuahua in the field.  Good pups! again - I am so happy that these two found you!


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## Chaos911 (Oct 30, 2013)

Bob, I missed the news you got a second V?!? 0-2 in mos  if not too much trouble I'd love to hear how you found your latest V Joy


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Chaos911 said:


> Bob, I missed the news you got a second V?!? 0-2 in mos  if not too much trouble I'd love to hear how you found your latest V Joy


It was quite a surprise: 2-1/2 weeks after getting Daisy we got email about another one. Here's the announcement:
http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,22874.msg160442.html#msg160442

We have had Charlie 6 weeks now & have NO regrets; it was absolutely the right thing to do. Besides being a playmate, housemate, & BFF, Charlie has helped Daisy with her confidence, immensely so. He was given up because of biting, but I haven't seen anything to give me concern.

The only downside has been that a new dog requires some adjusting and having 2 at once has made that more than twice as much work. For instance, when somebody comes to the door, they both "go off" & reinforce each other's reaction. Whereas if Daisy had already been trained for the situation, Charlie could be brought in line much more easily.

I got a tee shirt for my birthday: "One Vizsla is never enough". It's true, and not just from an owner's perspective - V's need siblings.

Bob


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## Chaos911 (Oct 30, 2013)

Well I totally missed the announcement. Been crazy busy tho and have only been chkng. V forums briefly. CONGRATS !  Enjoy your new V family .


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Charlie is probably thinking "Dang, I find the ground hog and don't even get a taste."
Daisy is going to be quick on the scene anytime Charlie barks. It will be the new dinner call.

My June has found and dispatched a nutria rat. She is always proud of herself, and has to show me her prize.
I don't scold her if she is bring it to me, because I don't want to discourage her natural retrieve, but I dislike her nutria hunting. She has a mind like a steel trap, once something is learned she never forgets. She will try and find nutria in any pond that holds cattails, and will even go under the water to get them. I just have to call her out of those ponds after she cools off. They have a nasty bite, and I would assume ground hogs do as well.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Bob,

sounds like you got a nice set of Hungarian Pointers.

This picture is for you. Of course now you have to double it.

RBD


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> ...
> My June has found and dispatched a nutria rat. ... and will even go under the water to get them. ... They have a nasty bite, and I would assume ground hogs do as well.


That's impressive: nutria are typically up to twice as large as groundhogs. And to go underwater after one - I'd like to see that! 

Groundhogs much prefer to run and hide than fight. I did have an assumed rabid one chase me, though. Surprised the **** out of me, cause I knew how shy they usually are.


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

Something to keep in mind if your dogs are eating wild critters is that they may carry worms. When my dog eats a wild rabbit raw he always needs to be dewormed.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Another thing to keep in mind if your dog is eating wild critters is that they may carry DeCon (rat poison). People put that stuff out without much forethought. I had a dog back in the 70's who killed and ate a ground hog. Not long after that, he started throwing up in the back yard. Not long after that, he was diagnosed with lymphoma. So you can't be too careful. The cause and effect here is pure speculation, but if there's any way you can prevent Daisy and Charlie from eating wild critters, you should do it. They are only doing what comes naturally, but they don't know about DeCon.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Bob said:


> TexasRed said:
> 
> 
> > ...
> ...


June does the quick bite down and shake, just as Daisy did with the dazed ground hog.
These are versatile hunting bred dogs, and small critters bring out that prey drive.
Squirrels have taught mine to be quick, or get bitten. She has even killed a skunk in the field, and no I did not let her bring it to me. If I see what she is going after, a quick leave it will stop her. Its when I don't until she is pouncing on it that causes the dilemma . I don't want to interferer at the wrong time, and cause her to get a nasty bite that could lay her face open.
I keep telling the snake avoidance trainer, he could make good money doing skunk avoidance.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

June and her prize.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

just had to do a google image search on groundhogs (we don't have them in UK) strange looking things aren't they, they look like a cross between a beaver and a rat.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

harrigab said:


> just had to do a google image search on groundhogs (we don't have them in UK) strange looking things aren't they, they look like a cross between a beaver and a rat.


I like to think of them as squirrels that are too fat to climb trees.


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## number10 (Jun 2, 2014)

This did make me laugh! ;D And I don't know what a groundhog is either. Guess Groundhog Day came to Massachusetts...


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Ground hogs are very fat rodents. Yes they do have a nasty bite! They make holes in the ground to live in. We had one in the feed bin on the horse farm that I used to work on....... I forget how we disposed of it.


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## Idntnw (Mar 21, 2014)

I think my V would proudly prance around showing it off to the other dogs and any/all humans he could find. Then he would devour it. 
Thanks for the heads up about poison and worms. Hadn't thought of those things.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> June and her prize.


Good work June!

I don't have 1st hand experience with nutria. How does the size of this one compare?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

This one was a full size adult. They grow up to be between 10- 20lbs and up to 2 feet, not including the tail. Males get larger than the females. I would guess this one was at least 15 lbs.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

A 32 grain ballistic tip .204R at 4200fps is apparently good groundhog medicine......... Or so my U.S. hunting buddies tell me...


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## Jallen2014 (Mar 18, 2014)

;D Yeap, We call them Ratcycles, lots and lots of them here in Tennessee. Bo Diddley kills them, tosses them up in the air & catch them but does not eat them. I wonder why? He kills birds, Geese snakes, anthting that moves but no eating, does anyone know why?


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