Though it turns out, many of the pups don't even realize other dogs are there because there is something else they are way more interested in: goose poo.
While Miss M usually spends her walks focusing on me like this I have found SociaBulls walks to be much different where she views it more like a goose poo hunt set to lunge when she finds a piece within reach.
I wonder what else we don't know our pups would find interesting?
Join our Chicago SociaBulls Facebook page for more photos and information about group walks. And check out the Hikabulls page where we first learned about the benefits of group walking.
Also:
I guess that's why we should be doing more of this
Weird Duck!
12 comments:
Squirrels and poop are SO interesting! Luckily Petey is very used to the squirrels in Central Park....but every once in awhile :)
Squirrels and poop are SO interesting! Luckily Petey is very used to the squirrels in Central Park....but every once in awhile :)
Poop interests Monkey the greyhound more than squirrels. Plenty of both on our walks.
I would LOVE a scientific (or even mildly educated guess) about what it is about goose poo! I mean the boys will drag me to dive for it and they can never eat enough. WHY!!!!????
Layla doesn't show much interest in goose poo... but where there is poo there must be a goose! That, she is definitely interested in, almost as much as squirrels.
On that note, you guys have any tips on managing prey drive/chase instincts?
There was a phase when my dogs used to be obsessed with ferile cat poo :O
Dottie as a thing for squirrels, she likes to walk up to each tree and look to see if there's one in it and if it's on the ground stalking mode starts.
Boomer on the other hand has a thing for bunnies, if he sees one you'd better hold on tight if it moves because he'll want to chase!
And, those are just two of their distractions, don't even mention cats, other dogs and small children.
There are some risks with ingesting goose poo, as with most enteric pathogens, it depends on the subject's health, amount of pathogen ingested which, in the case of geese, can be influenced by whether they are a migrating flock or a resident one. I'm a microbiologist and thought this was a well-written article on the topic:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-dangers-of-goose-poop
I'd be most concerned about the Giardia and Cryptosporidia, but goose poo can contain bacterial pathogens. Note that E. coli is a bacteria that is normal in most mammalian guts, it is only certain strains that pose a problem. The E. coli that the article refers to is not the O157 strain that causes kidney disease and some mortality in humans, but varieties that have acquired antibiotic resistance and, as the references state, probably from local meat farming practices.
Knowing A cleans Mr B and Ms M's paws after walks, I'd guess they're pretty safe from boogie-germs :)
My two love goose poo, but that is much more manageable than the way they act when they see a squirrel or bunny. Tips on handling that would be much appreciated.
Ahh, delicious poop! I once had to leave a beach because Norman would not stop eating the sea gull poop. And he loves to eat the horse poop on hikes. He actually knows the command "no doodie" haha...
Hi Y'all!
Been way behind in my reading and am trying desperately to catch up with everyone! My Humans lives have been a whirlwind of activity, leaving very little time for me to use the computer.
Goose poo?? We always have that all over the lawn when it's mating season. I try to avoid steppin' in it. Never was into rollin' in that kind of stuff.
Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
October 22, 2013 at 5:27 PM
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