# You and your dog are in the woods; it kills a squirrel. Do you rebuke it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682 "2015-05-23T23:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/41 "2015-05-24T09:10:15Z")
Since Barry doesn’t understand much about dogs or training them, you could tell him “Sit your terrier down and talk to him. Use simple words as dogs don’t speak much English.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/42 "2015-05-24T09:23:51Z")
‘Barry’ is being ridiculous on several different levels. Has he never heard of the phrase, “Nature, red in tooth and claw”? Despite what Disney tells us, the natural world is downright brutal. Anyway, I remember being out being walked by my dog once _(a border collie, retired sheep-dog)_ when she suddenly pounced and shook her head violently from side to side with a lot of squeaking. She had caught a rabbit, which she then dropped on the ground, looked to me, back to the rabbit, then back at me with a confused, “OK, what now?” expression. Dogs catch and kill small squeaking things, its part of their nature. Her grandad had a talent for catching and killing rats, he was one mean son-of-a-bitch while she was a sweetheart. Ah, two chances to tell stories about her in the space of a few days, I miss you Nell… :\ ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/43 "2015-05-25T00:56:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Whether this changes anyone’s appraisal of the situation, I don’t know. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Because Barry is luring the squirrels in, for one thing, and for another wants to train the dog not to obey commands when in leash, but not to follow its instincts when off. It makes him a bigger idiot than before. That’s like putting a closet of toys before a 4 year old and telling him “never touch”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/44 "2015-05-25T01:12:40Z")
I have a Scottish Terrier and if she killed a squirrel I would probably ask her “Damn, Mackie, did that feel good or what?” ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/45 "2015-05-25T01:37:04Z")
I would praise the dog. I live in the woods. A few years ago, squirrels have chewed through the wood wall of my home. Every year they get in between the metal roof and the plywood sub-roof. Another home in the area burned to the ground two years ago due to squirrels chewing the wiring. I shot a squirrel with a BB last week, and have traps set for them. The neighbours’ dogs and the neighbours’ neighbours’ dog are trained to kill squirrels. They are at my place a few times a day. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/46 "2015-05-25T03:40:59Z")
> [@](#): > > You and your dog are in the woods; it kills a squirrel. Do you rebuke it? Why would I? What did the squirrel do wrong? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/47 "2015-05-25T04:26:41Z")
My current dog loves the chase but has no killer instinct. He was right on top of a wounded squirrel and merely sniilffed him while it ran. My last dog, I lost count of the number of groundhogs he killed. He killed one when he was on the goddamn leash! He jammed into a bush next to the path and comes out shaking one to death. Wtf you gonna do about that? By the time you yell stop, it needs a mercy killing. I remember saying to him “you know, if there was a groundhog out killing dogs every week, we would have hunted him down by now”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/48 "2015-05-25T05:59:33Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Thing is, _Barry only seems interested in training out the hunting instinct,_ something he seems to think he can accomplish in isolation. That puts a disturbing image in my mind, of Barry trying aversion training by booby-trapping small critters and letting the dog chase them, only to receive some unpleasant consequence when the trap is sprung. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/49 "2015-05-25T10:13:30Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Why would I? What did the squirrel do wrong? Well, it’s a fricking squirrel, to begin with. A fluffy-tailed rat. Consider **Muffin** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/50 "2015-05-25T10:52:01Z")
We have a pug. She thinks she’s a bad-ass, but she’s just 15# of noise. She chases the squirrels in our yard - even chased a bunny one night - but she doesn’t sneak up and pounce, so all critters are safe from her, apart from having to run. And, honestly, I think she’d keep her distance if she encountered a critter that stood its ground. Last year, we had a box turtle in the yard and she circled it and barked at it and sorta approached it, but I don’t think she ever dared to touch it. Then again, pugs were bred to be companions, not hunters. Oh, and this particular one really, really hates school buses when she’s inside and they drive by, but when out on the leash, she stays way clear. She’s a piece of work, she is. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/51 "2015-05-25T11:28:12Z")
Depends. Was it an \*evil \*squirrel? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/52 "2015-05-25T14:06:35Z")
Well, as others have said. Stop feeding wildlife. As much as I like the folks that live down the road, they can’t seem to stop doing it. Including throwing soup bones and such in the ‘yard’. It’s simply not good for the critters to get this stuff. Knew another person that was feeding bears dog food. Kept a rifle on the couch in case the bears wanted more and tried to break in. Brilliant. We have two dogs. A Border Collie mix, and a Pointer mix. The Collie couldn’t care less about the ground squirrels around here. The Pointer sees it as a personal affront that there are any still alive. Both raised the same, but different dogs when it comes to that. In another life, our family had a full size Collie. A very smart dog. She would wait until a squirrel was half way between two trees, and then charge. That moment of indecision on how to escape and what tree to run to was often the squirrels downfall. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/53 "2015-05-25T14:12:28Z")
So, to be clear, this wasn’t on a walk or something where the dog should be staying close to his human and attending him constantly. This was the dog just being free to run around the backyard mostly unsupervised, and with no tasks assigned to it. And the dog, put in such a situation, did exactly what it’s good at, and which humans have bred its ancestors specifically for. It’s supposed to keep vermin under control, and it kept vermin under control. It’s not the dog’s fault that its human doesn’t know vermin when he sees one. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/54 "2015-05-25T14:30:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So, to be clear, this wasn’t on a walk or something where the dog should be staying close to his human and attending him constantly. This was the dog just being free to run around the backyard mostly unsupervised, and with no tasks assigned to it. And the dog, put in such a situation, did exactly what it’s good at, and which humans have bred its ancestors specifically for. It’s supposed to keep vermin under control, and it kept vermin under control. It’s not the dog’s fault that its human doesn’t know vermin when he sees one. Yeppers. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/55 "2015-05-25T15:39:42Z")
If I had a dog, and if said dog managed to catch a squirrel and eat part of it, leaving me to dispose of the remainder of a corpse, I would probably respond less than favorably. My lack of positivity would be due to my own citification, which I am reluctant to admit, rather than any failing of the hypothetical dog. The dog in the OP was doing what dogs do. The owner of the dog is silly to think otherwise. I echo the suggestion to watch the dog for parasites. Squirrels, while cute from afar, are nasty creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/56 "2015-05-25T19:00:57Z")
> [@May\_20](#): > > If I had a dog, and if said dog managed to catch a squirrel and eat part of it, leaving me to dispose of the remainder of a corpse, I would probably respond less than favorably. My lack of positivity would be due to my own citification, which I am reluctant to admit, rather than any failing of the hypothetical dog. > > The dog in the OP was doing what dogs do. The owner of the dog is silly to think otherwise. I echo the suggestion to watch the dog for parasites. Squirrels, while cute from afar, are nasty creatures. From what’s posted on FB, Barry pried the squirrel out of the dog’s jaws as it was eating. He brought the messy cleanup upon himself. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/57 "2015-05-25T20:25:48Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > From what’s posted on FB, Barry pried the squirrel out of the dog’s jaws as it was eating. He brought the messy cleanup upon himself. He’s lucky the dog didn’t take a chunk out of his hand in the process. The more I read about Barry the more I think he shouldn’t have a dog, or be near any kind of animal at all, because he certainly doesn’t seem to have the slightest understanding of them. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/58 "2015-05-26T18:00:13Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Why would I? What did the squirrel do wrong? Got caught, for one thing. ---
**Author:** ![May\_20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@May\_20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/May_20)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682/59 "2015-05-26T21:41:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > From what’s posted on FB, Barry pried the squirrel out of the dog’s jaws as it was eating. He brought the messy cleanup upon himself. Ugh. That’s disgusting and dangerous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-and-your-dog-are-in-the-woods-it-kills-a-squirrel-do-you-rebuke-it/720682.md?page=2)