My Shorkie Ate a MOLE!!!!!!!!!!

[Mai Tai]

I cannot believe it, but Mai Tai ate a mole today, or half a mole, yech.  There was a headless mole in our yard, I assume a local cat got to it, and I was trying to get it and throw it out when Mai Tai swooped down and grabbed it in his mouth.  I yelled, "No" and he dropped it, but before I could grab it, YECH, Mai Tai picked it up again, clamped his jaws shut, and ate it.  Of course I called the vet right away, as I was afraid of rabies, or some other illness.  The vet said not to worry about it though moles can carry rabies it is very rare, and the stomach acids should kill the virus anyway.  I know that Yorkies are ratters, as are most terriers, but I never thought they would eat the rodents.  I guess, before we domesticated dogs, they would eat like this in the wild anyway, but it still shocked me a little.  I am a big baby.  Needless to say, I did not give Mai Tai his whole dinner, as he had helped himself to such an appetizer.  Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing?

[Studiogirl]

Wow, that's unbelievable! I don't even know what to say to that. I've never heard of anything like that before.
I hope your mind was eased by what the vet said. I would have done exactly the same thing.

[Mai Tai]

I didn't know what to say about it either...LOL.  Mai Tai seems to have suffered no ill effects from his carnivorous experience.  He did not even get runny bowels.  I have to say I am exhausted though.  I forgot how much work it is to keep an eye on a puppy 24/7.  I just wish he would not poo in his crate at night, otherwise he is perfect.  Has anyone else had this problem.  I know Ann said Toby would poop at night too because he would not make any noise to let her know he had to go.  Mai Tai is the same way.  He just runs in circles and then goes.  He has never peed in the crate though.  Odd.  I would appreciate any and all advice.

[Ann]

We don't have moles here in Australia but that sounds so funny.lol 

If you don't want Mai Tai to do that you need to get him to drop it or leave it and these are the words you must say to him. You need to talk to him in a firm voice either leave or drop and when he drops it reward with a treat. This is what I would do, I would walk slowly up to him say his name tell him to leave and also go ARH ARH ARH (like a growl) and keep repeating until he drops it. 

[Mai Tai]

I will try that.  He is so trainable.  We have taught him to sit, and to come.  We are working on heel.  He is very smart, and even fakes making pee in the yard so we will give him a treat for it.

[Ann]

That is soooo funny.lol  See I told you they are smart. Don't you love them.

[Mai Tai]

I have to say this is the best little dog I have ever had, other than my Barkley (a spaniel poodle mix of some sort) who I had when my oldest was 2.  He was also a mush, and very sweet with kids.  He was not too clever though, but that made him all the more charming.  He died at the age of 10, which I thought was kind of early for him, but the vet said it was just old age.  Some go sooner than others.  Because he was rather small, around 25 lbs or so, I thought he would have a longer life-span.  I still miss him sometimes.  They just become a part of you, that is why I wanted my younger girls to have the chance to experience having a dog in their lives.  Childhood and puppies go together if you ask me.

[Ann]

Very much so. I have a friend who had 3 children and never had a dog. The children are teenagers now and are afraid of Toby. It doesn't matter how much my friend and I reasure them that Toby won't hurt them they still get very nervous around him. I think that is sad and also dangerous as the first thing that will make a dog attack is if you show fear. It is as bad as being too friendly with dogs I beleive.

[bat27]

I was reading the post and have to say my shorkie,romeo brings in rocks from our yard when we bring him out at first he would chew on them and spit them out  thankfully never would swallow them, then he would bring them & leave them in our bedrooms, sometime I would find them in my sheets, it got so bad that we had to put him in his crate and say no rocks, now when he does bring them in we just say no & he gives them to us,but someone told me that dogs who eat weird stuff & bring stuff in like this have a little cd compulsive disorder and could have been weened from their mothers too  soon (it was a article in the newpaper) and might need a little more excercise. However we just think he's crazy/funny at the things he brings in.

[Mai Tai]

That is funny.  Mai Tai brings rocks in too, but I keep telling him to drop it.  He also tries to eat leaves and grass.  I am afraid he will swallow something harmful, so I watch him like a hawk.  He chewed the zipper off my daughter's jacket today while she held him for 10 seconds before school!!!!!!!!  My friend who gave him to me says her shorkies are always chewing the zippers off of her jeans.  Weird!

[Ann]

Hi
The zipper thg must be hereditery. Lol I must say that I have never had any trouble with Toby in the way. When he first came home he started to chew my husbands socks I just growled at him like his mum would and in a short period of time he stoped. I also would give him his Konk with a smacko in it and that would get his mind off it.