Dog attacking hogs

[ReesePerth]

So I’m a new poster to the forum. Just had an.. incident tonight. At present I have at least 6 hogs living in and around my garden in various boxes.

Unfortunately one of my dogs, specifically the Westie will always attack if she gets sight of one, this happened again tonight. As usual she’s come off worse once again.

I like to think I’m doing the right thing for the hogs by having the boxes in place and there’s only really been a handful of these incidents over the past couple of years but I’m starting to question whether I should think about removing the boxes and trying to encourage? Them to move on to pastures new.

Sadly I don’t think there’s anything I’ll be able to do to curb the Westies natural instincts.

[simbo65]

Hi-
I would not be encouraging the hogs if I knew they were in possible danger.
We were first alerted to hogs in our garden by our dog(now in heaven). He didn’t attack them but was going crazy. We sited our hog house and feed station in our front where the dog didn’t go and then as soon as dusk came we took him outside on his lead- in all weathers. Bit bonkers but didn’t want a hog or him being hurt.
Sadly as much as you want to help the hoggies it may not be in their best interest.
This is just my opinion. See what others say.
Good luck.

[Nic]

Hi Rees Perth

First of all, welcome to the Forum.

You say that the westie attacked the hog. By that, do you mean that it actually bit the hog? Or was it just barking at it. If it did bite the hog, you should really have got it checked over because if there was a puncture wound, the hog could get an infection. You can get contact details of your local carers from the BHPS on 01584 890801. I realise it might be a bit difficult for this particular hog, as you may not know which one it is. But you might be able to keep a look out for a sick hog. But dogs can cause fatal injuries to hogs, so if a dog has actually bitten a hog, it really needs checking.

Whether you continue to encourage the hogs, might depend a bit on how much effort you are prepared to go to to protect them. i.e. would you consider only taking the westie out at night on a lead? Or as simbo65 suggests, walk it away from any areas which you know the hogs use.

There is some information here: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pets-and-hedgehogs/ You could try some of the things suggested.

Good luck. I hope you are able to reach a compromise which keeps both the hogs and your westie safe.

[Nic]

p.s. Further to the above, this is part of a quote from BHPS re. dogs and hedgehogs.

Otherwise, training the dog to leave hedgehogs alone is the ideal solution, taking the dog out for its ‘after dark’ run in the garden on a lead, using a muzzle and making lots of noise before the dog goes out to warn the hedgehog something is happening can help. Hedgehogs often have a routine so if you see a hedgehog about at a certain time it is likely to be around near that time the next night – avoid letting the dog out at those times.

I know some people are reluctant to use muzzles on their dogs, but some dogs apparently don’t seem to mind them and it isn’t as if they would be wanting to chase a ball, etc. at night, I imagine.

[Oryzermi]

You’re right. Curbing a Westie’s natural prey drive isn’t a walk in the park. They’re feisty little furballs, aren’t they? But don’t lose hope yet. Have you thought about some training or calming techniques for your Westie? I stumbled upon an article on Orlandomagazine a while back that had some neat tips on managing dog behaviors. Might be worth a look to see if there’s something that could help your situation.
Anyway, it’s all about finding a balance, right? Maybe with a bit of guidance, your Westie can learn to chill around the hogs.

[Author]

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