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hereforthestonksjk t1_itpnbss wrote

That’s a noble idea, but I would be concerned about the volume of rat poison in the city, and that if the rats have poison in them and the dogs bite them, the dogs could be poisoned as well.

If you’re interested in leaning into your dogs’ prey drives, might I suggest lure coursing, FastCAT, or barn hunt? It’s fun to see dog’s instincts come out in those events and it’s set up to be a safer experience for the dogs.

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jednorog t1_itpzh57 wrote

Poison in them and even on them. I would guess that some of the rats get covered with the poison, so even if it weren't for the biting, even catching them could risk the dog's health.

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webbmoncure OP t1_itpwn8l wrote

Thanks for the insight - I had never thought of that!

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[deleted] t1_itrmzve wrote

[deleted]

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shuggnog t1_itsq5c9 wrote

Excuse me what?!

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sarathecookie t1_itsqsxu wrote

Im thinking what was meant was when the dead decaying rat lets off gasses and turns into a mess for the world to see

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Neilpoleon t1_itsslbg wrote

Another thing to consider as well is there may be certain animal cruelty laws in DC that protect the rats. I would suggest looking into it before going to any great effort to kill the rats beyond laying traps and poison.

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Mister_Snrub t1_ittfe10 wrote

I think a rat having its spine broken by a dog is a lot less cruel than death by poisoning. It’s almost sad to watch them not run from danger and stumble around in daylight.

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Neilpoleon t1_ittfyt9 wrote

I'm not arguing that poison is more humane than using a dog or gun. I am saying there may be certain legal restrictions that limit how you are allowed to kill a rat legally in the District. For example, I assume setting a rat on fire would be easily and rightfully treated as animal cruelty.

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IcyWillow1193 t1_itq4hjq wrote

> lure coursing, FastCAT, or barn hunt

I had never heard of any of these before. Reading up on barn hunt, it sounds like they use "trained rats" stuck in tubes that the dogs sniff out... that actually sounds crueler to me for the rats than dogs actually killing them, which is over in a second. But the other two sound great for a high-energy dog.

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hereforthestonksjk t1_itqej9q wrote

I hear where you're coming from - barn hunt can be a bit divisive for people, I know others who feel the same way.

Lure coursing/Coursing Ability Tests (for non-sighthounds) and FastCAT are pure fun, lots of excited dogs ready to get after that plastic bag!

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keyjan t1_itqbag5 wrote

Well, the tubes are pretty big (bigger than a tennis ball can) and once they learn they’re not going to be eaten, the rats probably just chill until they get put back in their cages.

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MalHierba t1_itt39rk wrote

Lol i once thought about getting a cricket for my dog to play with but it felt too cruel and immoral.

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