2hounds

A rabbit lives under my parent's deck. Every time the dogs and I go over the dogs and the rabbit have a standoff. The standoff is always follwed by the rabbit running laps around the backyard with the dogs in hot pursuit. This is followed by the rabbit going back under the deck and my dogs standing at the edge of the deck barking at it for hours. This morning was no different until we heard what sounded like a sqeaker toy coming from the backyard. My dad goes out there and my girl Lily has a baby bunny in her mouth! My dad told her to drop it and he shooed the bunny back under the deck. The bunny was fine and my dogs were very proud of themselves. I was sad that they actually caught one (though I do understand thats what hound dogs do). My husband was a proud poppa when I told him "That's my dogs!" was his response. Though I was sad it was neat to witness the dogs following their instincts...I may have to make it out to one of these fun hunts people talk about.

~Heather

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Mommy to Gibbs and kitty kitty Eva

Dear sweet Lily (ATB ) you will never be forgotten.

kittiesareus

The first time my dogs caught a rabbit I cried. It had missing patches of fur and in an attempt to save it my husband tried to shove it under the chain link fence. As we all know that is impossible and I think he broke its back. I paced around the back yard with it in my arm wondering what to do when it passed away. They don't kill the rabbits they just like to scwoosh them a little. Duncan always ends up with fleas on his face because he grinds his face on them. They even trapped a rabbit in the diamond shaped openings in the chain link fence. I had to ease it out because it was stuck half way through. I hope it survived.

woofles

My youngest, Abby, shown innocently in the pic posted earlier, once horrified me by consuming a baby. I was not as lucky as you to have saved the bunny. I had let Abby out in the fenced in backyard where unbeknownst to my husband and I there were baby bunnies under the porch steps. I had been calling her in and was waiting like most bassett moms for her to decide she heard me when I finally came out to check on her. She looked me in the eye and began to slowly turn around. I knew something was up so I came down the steps to grab her collar and she growled at me--something she NEVER does. It was then that I noticed little tufts of fur portruding from her jaw. I screamed for my husband's help who was able to somewhat pry her mouth open only enough to realize it was too late for the poor bunny. Her older brother Marlowe-a daisy brain seemed horrified as he had grown up before we adopted her, with 3 rabbits as his best friends. Needless to say she had many teeth brushings before I even allowed a basset kiss.

Dean

Bassets are not intended to catch the rabbits, only keep them moving. Rabbits are territorial little critters and will run in a circle back to where they started. If you are hunting, you shoot the rabbit. Generally the rabbits caught by bassets are young, dumb or sick.

Heather, --- the hunt schedule for the American Hunting Basset Assoc. is on bassetnet.com. We have a great event on Labor Day weekend in PA. 2 hunts, one Saturday and a 2nd hunt on Sunday. Lots of running grounds, time to take novice hounds for training, great cookout on Saturday night. Any basset can enter, even neutered or non-registered hounds

2hounds

A little over 2 years ago I started this thread...today the rabbit hunter did it again. I let the dogs out to greet my hubby. Gibbs came in when called, Lily did not. I called her again and she didn't come. I heard squeaking, went outside at the same time my neighbor came out and told me she thought Lily had a baby bunny. Sure enough she had one. I yelled at her and she came running to me, but it was too late. This baby wasn't as lucky as the one she got ahold of 2 years ago. This one died. Lily was so proud, but I cried. The neighbor's beagle had just killed another one about 30 minutes before this. =( There are 2 babies left that have since hopped away somewhere. Momma showed up later...left 4 babies and returned to only 2. I couldn't help being upset with Lily. I know she truely doesn't mean harm (my hubby said she probably equated it to a really fun squeaker toy when the bunny squeaked), but I don't like it. =(

~Heather

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Mommy to Gibbs and kitty kitty Eva

Dear sweet Lily (ATB ) you will never be forgotten.

Terry

It's sad because we all love cute little furry critters, especially us women. Most of those small furry cute animals are prey animals. They multiply like crazy because every meat-eating predator out there eats small furry cute critters to survive. Cats and dogs are predators. Domestic pets don't need to kill to eat but they sure love the thrill of a chase.

My dachshunds will pounce on anything that moves suddenly, from bugs to bunnies. Copper has killed moles and shrews and mice. Since Tally lost weight (playing with Copper instead of sleeping with Moe) she hunts with Copper. I've found a dead rabbit and squirrel in the yard but don't know if they did it. The other day I let them out very early, catching a rabbit by surprise that was munching clover near my front step. The dogs were off like a shot but so was the rabbit. It zigged and zagged all over the yard befor disappearing into the woods. Copper and Tally couldn't zig or zag fast enough to catch it and Moe was not interested in trying. In this heat all he wants to do outside is relieve himself and go back into my AC'd bedroom to snooze.

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Moe and Terry
"Don't worry, be happy"