# Has your Malt killed a small animal?



## Cute Chloe (Nov 30, 2009)

My Chloe caught a lizard yesterday. She was acting strange in the backyard and wouldn't leave the lawnmower alone.

It turns out she saw a lizard hide under the lawnmower. When my hubby moved the lawnmower, the lizard darted out and Chloe bit its tail off. Then she bit the head and dropped the lizard. My husband picked it up and saw one of the eyes bulging out and blood coming out of its head.

Chloe's hunting instinct is very strong for a 6 lb. dog. She chases the birds in our backyard. One time, she saw a baby rabbit and was within 6 feet of catching it. Now I am sure she would have killed it too.

She would "hunt" her stuffed animals and once she grabs one, she would shake it violently as if a wild animal going for a kill.

Very interesting behavior.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

We call them lizards, they are really anoles. She tries to catch them. Other than a few bugs, she's never caught anything. She does like to chase birds and squirrels, not allowed in her yard! In their earlier history they were called Maltese Terriers, and were used to catch rats. But most, if not all dogs enjoy chasing things out of the yard. My Aussie ran a black snake out once.


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## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Milo has absolutely no prey drive towards other animals.

My 2 girls (Pomeranian x jack russell) have killed so many small animals though


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## LinzFair (Oct 10, 2010)

Chloe looks too cute to do such things


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

When Bonnie was a puppy, she jumped out of her bag to chase a pigeon, lol, and also when she was young, she found a dead rat and decided to bring it to me...but she's never killed anything herself.


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## suzimalteselover (Mar 27, 2006)

Cody doesn't have a prey drive. He does get mad when squirrels enter HIS backyard/territory. He barks at them. But, that's it. My other 2 fluffs don't have a prey drive, either. 

But, I have a friend with a toy poodle. Her dog has killed birds, rabbits, squirrels.... you name it! :w00t:


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

My girls do not have a prey drive, either.. Now my Lily has approached a moth and batted it with her paw but was not quite sure what to do with it.:HistericalSmiley:


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Cosy is ferocious! She stalks and kills her prey in no time flat! Many an ant has fallen to her paw! (or they've run away)


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

No prey drive here either from any of my 3. When Lacie was a puppy and we lived in Southern California near the ocean, she used to find snails on the patio and bring them in. Then the snail would come out of his shell and she would be frightened and run away. She was truly only interested in the shells. I've had to put many snails back in their shells and move them outside again.


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

no prey drive here either.



spookiesmom said:


> We call them lizards, they are really anoles. She tries to catch them. Other than a few bugs, she's never caught anything. She does like to chase birds and squirrels, not allowed in her yard! *In their earlier history they were called Maltese Terriers, and were used to catch rats.* But most, if not all dogs enjoy chasing things out of the yard. My Aussie ran a black snake out once.


Really? Maybe you're referring to Yorkshire Terriers and not Maltese?


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## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

I have Yorkies and they have a HUGE prey drive! Lacy has caught frogs before...I know if they ever got ahold of something they'd try to kill it.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

Cosy said:


> Cosy is ferocious! She stalks and kills her prey in no time flat! Many an ant has fallen to her paw! (or they've run away)


:smrofl::smrofl:


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Sweetness and Tessa will do the hunting but leave the kill up to me! they will corner a bug in the kitchen and bark until I come save them!


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## beckinwolf (Sep 2, 2008)

I found out the hard way that Micky has a huge prey drive. I have pet snakes, so sometimes I breed my own mice to feed them. One day I had to take a few mice out to feed some snakes. I accidentally dropped a mouse and Micky was in the room. He almost immediately caught it and killed it. Then he ran out the dog door with it. I didn't want him to eat it, so I had to try to distract him with a bully stick or other treat. He was making the funniest noises too. Like growly moaning noises. It was kind of freaky. He also chases the squirrels in the backyard, but they are too smart for him to catch. They like to tease him from high up in our poplar tree.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

We recently had an incident with a little possum, about the size of a kitten.  Poor thing. After I put the evil killer Maltese and chihuahua in the house, it got up and moved away. I had to help it to the other side of the fence, as it kept fainting again!  The silly thing came back the next night! I just left it alone, and later it must have revived and moved on again. A very effective defense! Then there was a little skunk, with a different defense.


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

Snowy killed cockroaches and lizards 0.o i have guinea pigs and a bird. No way snowy would be allowed to interract freely with them (they are kept in their houses anyways and when let out for 15-30 min per day, they are let out in a room other than the room that Snowy is in). Snowy has prey drive towards other tinier creatures. 

Crystal on the other hand, doesnt have any prey drive to kill. She chases stranger cats and birds who land in her garden, but that's about it. She showers my guinea pigs and our Dante de Rose with kisses :wub:


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

I find it interesting to observe my malts' behavior. I find this *pit bull terrier* to be sweeter than monster Snowy towards tiny creatures :wub: I swear if you switched the dog in this video to Snowy, you wouldn't see kisses, sniffs and chick and malt chill out ... Snowy's prey drive with come to life :blink:




 
that said, I love the uniqueness in each individual malt in general :wub:  love the fact that I have two who aren't twins in personality and behavior :wub: :wub:


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

I'm not sure if Bailey would actually kill something if he managed to catch it...but he does like to chase birds, squirrels and rabbits in our yard.


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

I don't know if Dora could ever catch anything like a rabbit or squirrel but she likes to chase them. She's not a very good hunter though and easily loses them  She kills bugs though. Normally I don't mind but last time she killed a big ol cicada and tried to bring it inside!


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## angel's mom (Feb 14, 2007)

eeeeeoooooooo... Angel proudly has brought me a dead baby squirrel and another time a mole. Have you ever seen a mole???? They have got to be the UGLIEST things EVER! The mole, I believe she probably killed, but I think the momma squirrel might have dropped the baby from a big tall tree. Angel is such a hunter.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

The only thing Kitzel has ever killed is TIME!:HistericalSmiley:
He has been snappy w/a few dogs though of late---I think he just isn't feeling 100% yet!
But then he doesn't get off-leash much. We don't have a great situation here for that, but he sure enjoyed being free up in Germany & France. I think it may be getting time to move!:smilie_tischkante:


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## miss Eve (Sep 26, 2009)

One morning Toby came prancing to me with a biggo toad in his mouth and when I tried to take it from him, the race was on. It was so funny to see such a little feller going at full speed with a frog hanging from his mouth. Each day he is poisitive he's going to catch one of the doves. I love how he makes me laugh.


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

Abbot said:


> So i suggest you to do focus on your Malt


this wont work with my Snowy to teach him not to kill tinier creatures such as 'roach that he encounters because simply the prey drive is in him. Instincts 
Crystal has 0 prey drive so she doesn't kill cockroaches or tinier creatures :wub:


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Cosy said:


> Cosy is ferocious! She stalks and kills her prey in no time flat! Many an ant has fallen to her paw! (or they've run away)


Oh Brit - I was really trying to picture little miss Cosy going in for the kill.:new_shocked::new_shocked: Then I read on...


miss Eve said:


> One morning *Toby came prancing to me with a biggo toad in his mouth* and when I tried to take it from him, the race was on. It was so funny to see such a little feller going at full speed with a frog hanging from his mouth. Each day he is poisitive he's going to catch one of the doves. I love how he makes me laugh.


Oh no. Toby had a frog in his throat. :smrofl::smrofl:

Tyler won't even hunt down any scraps we drop so no prey drive here at all. Maybe a little "pray drive" though. He prays we'll tickle his tummy.:chili::chili:
And Maltese aren't ratters; Terriers are.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Tyler won't even hunt down any scraps we drop so no prey drive here at all. Maybe a little "pray drive" though. He prays we'll tickle his tummy.

Well Susan, you don't tickle my tummy but you sure tickle my funny bone!:HistericalSmiley: and that is the "dog-gone truth!"


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

:HistericalSmiley: I had to laugh, Matilda would NEVER consider doing anything like that, she doesn't like to be out doors for more then 5 minutes, heaven forbid if she were to get her feet dirty:HistericalSmiley:
I wish I would have had Miss Bow when she was younger I'm sure she would have bouced on little critters.


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