I'm guessing your dog is on one of those retractable leads if he's able to grab hedgehog before you can react (forgive me if l'm wrong).
On the late night walk he's on a normal lead, but he can certainly smell, spot and grab the hedgehog in less time than it takes me to recognise what that dark area on the ground is.
I have now stopped letting him into the garden again once I've shut the doors, but in this warm weather they do stay open till at least 9
The problem with rehoming the dog (apart from the fact that Valerie is probably attached to it despite it having an unpleasant behaviour that she is trying to change ), is that another owner may not give a fig for his/her wider responsibilities .., there are folk like that around ... apparently 😉 The hedgehogs really would be in danger then. ☹️
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Staffies have an incredibly high pain threshold so the prickles won't put him off once he has grabbed one. I'd block access. Taking a muzzle on and off every few minutes will drive you both mad.
I've had a look at the fence and, apart from 2 panels that need replacing after the winds anyway and a gap under the side gate, there are several hedgehog sized holes that I will attempt to block. With the patio doors open well into twilight, if I was going to muzzle him then it would have to stay on until I locked up for the night. Not something I am prepared to do.
I will do my best to block the gaps and just be generally more vigilant. I was rather hoping that there was something I could use as a deterrent, much like the stuff you get to keeps cats off the borders.
As for rehoming him, as one person suggested, I've had him for less than a year and he's 10 years old. NO.
I don't think there is such a thing as a hedgehog deterrent per se, so blocking up the access routes is probably the safest thing to do. Bear in mind that hedgehogs can dig, so bury any blocking material.
I had a word with the lady who runs my local rescue and she was sympathetic to your dilemma. She has had a fair few hedgehogs brought in over the last few weeks with puncture wounds caused by dogs. Her only request was that if your dog does get hold of a hedgehog, please do your best to catch it, and contact either your local rescue, or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It may appear to be uninjured, but the spines can hide the damage and the wounds can become infected. If there is any other information you would like, either ask on here or pm me, and l will do my best to help
I'm afraid the cat deterrents don't work! You could spend all day reading the threads about cats on this forum. Hedgehogs are more of a mystery. We have badgers so no hedgehogs at all but I don't know of any deterrents that would help you. I understand entirely your love for your dog and sympathize with your problem. I wish I could help.
I don't think there is such a thing as a hedgehog deterrent per se, so blocking up the access routes is probably the safest thing to do. Bear in mind that hedgehogs can dig, so bury any blocking material.
I had a word with the lady who runs my local rescue and she was sympathetic to your dilemma. She has had a fair few hedgehogs brought in over the last few weeks with puncture wounds caused by dogs. Her only request was that if your dog does get hold of a hedgehog, please do your best to catch it, and contact either your local rescue, or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It may appear to be uninjured, but the spines can hide the damage and the wounds can become infected. If there is any other information you would like, either ask on here or pm me, and l will do my best to help
Thanks for the advice to take any hedgehogs to a rescue centre, I will do that if I can next time. He usually drops them when I tell him to and, of course, they are then rolled into a ball so can be relatively easy to pick up. Certainly the ones he caught in the garden last year I managed to get into a bucket and popped them on the grass out the front where they were out of harms way, and then shut all the doors. I do not doubt that the dog caught the same one more than once because they probably came back in again the following evening. Catching one that he's picked up while we're on a late night walk could be more tricky. Maybe I'll put some gardening gloves in my pocket.
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In much the same way that treats are given for good behaviour, a quick burst of the whistle will soon teach Rover to leave hedgehogs alone.
I used to live next to a Rottweiler. Every time I stepped out of my back door, the thing would charge at the fence and bark through it.
I bought a battery operated whistle and within a few days, Mutt ignored me.
I would have tried it on Mutt’s unpleasant owner but its range was beyond his hearing.😊
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
The hedgehogs really would be in danger then. ☹️
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Really? I hope you don't have a dog then!
I had a word with the lady who runs my local rescue and she was sympathetic to your dilemma. She has had a fair few hedgehogs brought in over the last few weeks with puncture wounds caused by dogs.
Her only request was that if your dog does get hold of a hedgehog, please do your best to catch it, and contact either your local rescue, or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It may appear to be uninjured, but the spines can hide the damage and the wounds can become infected.
If there is any other information you would like, either ask on here or pm me, and l will do my best to help
Thanks for the advice to take any hedgehogs to a rescue centre, I will do that if I can next time. He usually drops them when I tell him to and, of course, they are then rolled into a ball so can be relatively easy to pick up. Certainly the ones he caught in the garden last year I managed to get into a bucket and popped them on the grass out the front where they were out of harms way, and then shut all the doors. I do not doubt that the dog caught the same one more than once because they probably came back in again the following evening. Catching one that he's picked up while we're on a late night walk could be more tricky. Maybe I'll put some gardening gloves in my pocket.