@donc I really like and appreciate your post, @DonC . I've been active in the dog world (almost exclusively shelter/rescue work) for 20+ years and opinions and anecdotes pass as facts all the time. I knew I'd get this asking my question in the first place, I suppose, but I also believed to make a decision I needed to hear personal stories; the best on offer. The potential for dogs fighting whether litter mates or not, is more than my husband and I want to take on right now.
A tale of two sparrows
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Last fortnight I was sitting on my lounge and Pepper was scratching around the side of my lounge. I hunted her away and didn't think much of it. When my girlfriend arrived home from work, I told her of this strange behavior and went to get a drink of water. My girlfriend started to move the lounge to see what had aroused Pepper's interest. It is a wonder that you didn't hear the scream in America, it was so loud. Sandra had found the center of Pepper's interest and it was a dead sparrow. Of course, now that my girlfriend had found the deceased, I had to dispose of it. We assumed that Pepper had killed the sparrow and brought it in, only to have dropped it down beside the lounge. It was interesting that there was not much damage to the sparrow. Anyway, we left it at that. A week later, I was sitting at my dining table computing as I do, when there was an almighty crash as the two dogs, Pepper and Mister Two Dicks, came charging in through the doggy-door. Pepper had caught another sparrow and this time it was alive. Of course Mister Two Dicks wanted to get in on the action. There were sparrow feathers and basenji dust (much like pixie dust but for basenjis) flying though the air. As much as I felt sorry for the sparrow, I couldn't stop laughing. Fortunately, my girlfriend was close by, and the two of us were able to remove the bird from Pepper, but just as we did so, it escaped our clutches and flew under the lounge where it sought refuge. We put the two dogs in the laundry and gingerly moved the lounge to try to save the sparrow and set it free. The sparrow saw it's opportunity for freedom and few straight into a kitchen cupboard, as one of the doors was partially open. We finally had to remove all the plates from the cupboard before we could gingerly grab the sparrow and finally let it free. I am sure that there will be further sparrow stories to come.
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Pepper must be pretty fast! My first Basenji (75-92) was a bird catcher too. Black birds in the front yard. Those birds are really mean, she'd kill one and they would dive bomb her and she wouldn't even be fazed by it. She killed a Pheasant once in a field and a large wood pecker at my Mothers. My cat used to bring in Finch through the cat door then they would get out of his mouth and be flying around the house.
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OOOOhhh i hope Malaika doesn't start catching little creatures, have enough problems with the cats, they only catch mice as they are not quick enough to get birds.
Pepper must be fast i've never heard of Dogs getting birds before.
I have noticed Malaika doing stalking cat like behaviour when i'm playing with her.
