Hawks
 

We've had posts about this already but I never really took it seriously until today. I live in area that does not have many wild animals. Rabbits and squirrels are about it. About six or seven years ago I saw this beautiful hawk. Just gorgeous, even more so because we just don't see them. I've only seen this one about ten times in all those years and only about three times close to my house. Well today (about 5:30) I was standing in the back yard about five feet away from Gus when I see a shadow on my house. I turn and look and it is this freaking hawk. He lands in the tree in my yard about twenty five feet up. Luckily Gus came to me when I called, sometimes he runs the other way. I don't want to be a drama queen, it wasn't like he swooped down and tried to take Gus but I am pretty sure Gus is what caught his attention. So now Gus has to be on the leash, right next to me, even in the back yard. :( He hates it, he keeps crying.
I just wanted to caution anyone who thinks it will never happen (like me) that it does.
PS Even though I would shoot the bird (sorry, but I would) if I could, I have to admit it was a sight to see. Flying it was completely silent and unbelievably graceful. If I ever get a picture I'll post it.

Thank goodness Gus obeyed your command! Maybe he sensed that you meant business! There's been hawks around here too...last year they had a huge nest in a tree about a block from us. I keep Maddie on a leash also...don't want to take any chances!

So glad that Gus is ok!! Bet it gave you a really nasty fright though. We live in the country and even though our birds of prey here in Wales are not such a danger, it still happens and really scares me. I find myself looking at the skies whilst out walking Gyps and Gizz. They are magnificent creatures but I know what you mean when you say you'd shoot it - we just want to protect our little ones don't we?!

What shocks me is that they will do it with a human or a bigger standing right there. They are incredibly brave!

It definitely got my heart pounding. What a relief when I got him in my arms.

You're right Kim, Gus was in front of me to my left and the hawk flew from behind me on the right so it knew I was right there.

You're NOT being a drama queen ... I would have been so scared too !! What a good boy Gus was to come to you when you called !!

I know I said this on an earlier post - but you WERE very lucky - a member on another site was in her yard and one scooped up her little 4 pound yorkie baby right in front of her - needless to say - she was totally devestated and she also probably never expected it to happen to her - so you're right to be cautious - I'm sooooo glad you were right there adn Gus will get used to the leash in time - It's hard to do but the alternative is so much worse !

ps...If one threatened my girls...I'd be thinking the same thing about shooting !

We live in a rural area in the upstate of South Carolina. Many years ago the Dept Of Natural Resources released 3 pair of hawks near here trying to
re-establish a colony. We have really enjoyed watching them over the years....they are indeed quiet and graceful.

But..now with having Apple (4 1/2 pound chihuahua) and Lil Bit (3 1/2 pound yorkie) I stay in a state of panic whenever we are outside. Apple and Lil Bit LOVE running around the yard and sniffing and chewing and dragging sticks around. We have spent a fortune fencing in a VERY LARGE area for our greyhound (also very graceful) and felt good about letting her and our former yorkie (13 pounds!!!!) run around the yard unsupervised......

But NOT with the 2 little ones. I watch them like "a hawk"...We are outside alot (with the grandkids) and I feel like my head is going to unscrew and fly off trying to watch EVERYONE & EVERYTHING......I really watch the sky very closely!

Also fearful of OWLS!!!!

If I ever win the lottery I would spend anything to "enclose" the fenced area with some kind of wide netting......I have actually tried to talk my hubby (a builder) into trying to dream up something we could do with a part of the yard........

Big Bad Hawks
 

I agree with everyone here. The hawks are beautiful, but can be so dangerous to our babies. I never realized it until we got Maggie. Our property is fenced, with two Australian Cattle Dogs to protect it, but they can't protect the sky. I did purchase a retractable leash for Maggie, so she can at least run a little. The 4ft. leash was so restricting to her. Using a retractable leash you can let them explore and be normal. If a danger arises, you can reel them in faster than greased lighting. I know this works, because we have a lot of red tail and cooper hawks around our property. I always go out with her, and always on a leash. She has never been off the leash outside in her life, so she doesn't know the difference. She loves to run with the big dogs, so I try to keep up with her on the leash. Now that's a sight to see. She also has an outside exercise enclosure. My husband made a shade cloth top for it. We purchased the exercise enclosure at Petsmart. Also, purchased dishes that attach to the side walls. This way we can work in the yard and she can play in her enclosure with her toys. Its a great piece of mind, as well as freedom exercise for her.

We live out in a rural area and have always seen the hawks flying around over our neighbor's chicken coop. Our neighbor has even had them kill some of his chickens. But we've never had them over our property until we got Daisy. We now have the hawks circle extremely low over us. We own a ranch house and they fly over as low as the roof! I think they are just awaiting the opportunity. :mad: We keep her on a leash at all times when outside as a precaution.

You're very smart to do that - it can happen so fast ...all the hawk needs to do is use it's talons...doesn't even have to fly off with a yorkie...it can be seriously hurt or killed by their claws without leaving the ground they're so sharp - So good luck !!

hawks
 

We are glad that you were looking out for your little Gus. I live in the rural area and we have hawks fly over head all the time. I will not let my Sweetie go outside with out a lesh.
We are in Montreal this week, visiting my Mom. She was three dogs and we went for a walk yesterday afternoon. The setter of my Mom was pointing at something, with a big crow in the tree making alot of noise.There was a baby squirrel,hurt, on the ground."THE CROW WAS GOING TO KILL IT!" :eek: the crow had made the baby fall out of the tree. I was so mad :mad: . Maybe the crow wanted to feed his young but it is so mean want the crow was doing. I yelled, though a big stick and the crow went away.

The squirrel wasn't much bigger than my Sweetie. What if that crow saw my Sweetie in my Mom's back yard in the city. Would my Sweetie have been luch :confused: ?

Our Yokies are so small that we can't ever let them out of our sights! :aimeeyork

Trust me we'd all bail you out! :)

I know what you mean...we see at least 10 a day where we live. You could frame up and apply screen or shade cloth over part of your yard. Then partition that part off for the babies...that way the hawks might see them, but could not get to them...kind of what you might see on screened pool enclosure. It might work. I always keep Oscar on a leash, because unlike Gus, Oscar would NOT come to me...he has a stubborn streak a mile wide and won't come when called...drives me crazy...but we just keep him on a leash for safety's sake.

Debbie G. - Oscar's Mom

"Greet everyone as you would your dog"

I guess I was lucky to get a warning. Villette, I feel so bad for the person on the other forum who wasn't so lucky. How do you recover from something like that? :( It's heartbreaking.
I'm glad Sophia Maria was able to get away.
I'm thinking of getting an outside pen but Gus will probably howl like a madman. He has to be right in the middle of everything.
On the plus side he doesn't mind wearing the leash in the yard anymore. I can't believe I have to put it on every time when I only see this bird once in a blue moon but I'm not taking any chances. Better safe than sorry.

Hi Debbie,
Even though we have a fenced yard, the sky still is open. We bought Maggie a exercise pen at Petsmart. My husband made a shade cloth cover for it, using shade cloth and PVC tubing. It's lightweight and easy to take off. She loves being outside and doesn't mind the enclosure at all. We can sit and watch her from our lawn chairs, while she is getting some fresh air and not have to be constricted by the leash. When not in the exercise pen, she is for sure on the leash. I was concerned she would rub all the hair off her neck with the leash, but better to have a hairless neck than no neck at all. You might mention the above to your husband. It is working great for us. I can actually work in the flower garden or even mow the lawn without her being in danger.

A very good friend of mine almost lost her yorkie to a hawk. They were out walking in the country and luckily the shadow gave it away. Honestly I don't think it would cost *that much* to cover a part of the yard. Maybe a few thousand? ANY of us would pay that if our babies got sick and there were vet bills. The way I see it if you live in the country and own a toy dog giving them a place that's safe to play is part of the cost.

I know exactly how you feel. My only problem is that my Riley probably wouldn't come when I called. But there has been a couple of coyotes running around in a neighboring town of mine. but I have like a super small backyard because we live on the corner of a street and the houses are relatively close together, so I don't think it would ever come around my house but you never know. It's a good thing Riley is litter box trained and only goes outside when I go with him. There are lots of skunks and raccoons around my house that are bigger than Riley, and I just know that if he got the chance, he'd challenge them. He once almost got into a fight with a huge squirrel. It was through the window on our sliding doors lol! Riley is fearless!

:aimeeyork Oh wow, I bet you were super scare. Im glad that nothing happen to her.
Whispersmom, Im glad that Sophia Maria is ok after that horrible ordeal with the hawk.
I live in the city so I have never seeing one but I still worry. Better be safe than sorry.

Marie, in Balto we actually have a group that takes care of peregrine falcons that nest and fledge their babies every year. The eat rats and stuff but bet a Yorkie would look just as inviting..

Yes - a small yorkie would look just like a bunny rabbit from the air...When Cheri was little her wings (ears) were HUGE and she looked exactly like a rabbit ourside.....scary stuff !

I live in the burbs of Columbus, OH and we almost never see hawks or owls much around here, BUT I still only let Max run around with out a leash under what used to be our carport. It has a plastic/fiber glass roof to keep birds of pray out and he gets to be outside. Otherwise he is on a leash.

I would have never thought twice about letting him run around the whole back yard if this forum hadn't posted something about it before. Thanks everyone!

Bald Eagle
 

About 4 weeks ago we were in our backyard and a bald eagle flew over us really low, which was unusual because we see them in northern Wisconsin, not Green Bay. Although it was cool to see this huge massive bird up close, I freaked out b/c Lucy was outside also but the eagle had something in it's mouth and claws already but I had this strange feeling it was eyeing her up also. Yesterday, my husband said he saw a hawk fly over the backyard. Lucy is now around 5 pounds and growing (she is 4 mos old), so at what weight should I not be so concerned??? How much weight can an eagle or hawk lift? I don't want to chain her in a fenced in yard.

The day I brought Asia home the guy across the street came to meet her and warned me about the hawk in our neighborhood. The ladies and their Lab. we see every morning on our walk also warned me and told me that one of our neighbors just lost a puppy in their back yard when they let it out to potty. Nobody thinks about danger in a fenced in yard coming from above. A hawk tried to pick up a dog that was to big, he could not get it off the ground but he did tear off the dog's ear. This dog was attacked on the deck. Asia is not allowed outside without leash but I still keep a close watch. When a Hawk is hunting it is only looking at it's prey. It may not even notice you are there until it is to late.
I have a xpen that I put netting over the top of for Asia to play outside in.

Hi Lucy,
Red tailed hawks can lift most items as heavy as a adult cat. Eagles can lift things even heavier than that. Maggie weighs 2.8 and is 11 weeks old. She never goes out without her leash. We have her an exercise pen outside with a shade cloth cover for it. My husband made the cover using PVC tubing. Works great. Gives me time to weed a few flower beds and she get some fresh air too. Please don't think that because your baby is 4 pounds will mean that she is safe. House cats are 8-12 pounds and they are a very easy target. Cats even have claws to fight back, but not against the talons of prey birds. My neighbor lost her beautiful tabby to our neighborhood Red Tailed Hawk just last week.

Lucy,
I forgot to reply on your last sentence. Never, Never chain her out, not even on a small rope. Doing that is just like putting bait on a fishing pole. You will not catch the eagle or hawk, but they will have taken the bait and left you the pole.

It's amazing we all don't have stomach ulcers with all the things to worry about with our little yorkies ranging from health problems to flying predators.

Stitches29, thanks for the input...my last yorkie was well over 12 pounds and the thought of something swooping down and carrying him off never occurred to me but now with Lucy being around 5 pounds, it does make me nervous especially when we travel to northern Wisconsin to my in-law's cabin where there are a lot more bald eagles. Oh, also, what you said about chaining Lucy up...makes sense, just picturing it, makes me sick. Thanks again.

I live in the country too, but I have 3 big dogs that live outside, so not much bothers us. I let my yorkies run around a little if I am right there watching, but when we take our daily walks, I have them on their retractable leaches, and the big dogs following (they are not on leashes, because there is no one else around us for miles). I see the hawks and owls (at nite), but no one bothers us too much because of the big dogs. :animal-sm

Spydergurl,
I hope nothing does happen. We live in the country too. I have two heelers--one blue and one red. I have never seen a dog that protects its master and property as these dogs do. However, they cannot control the skies. My red heeler runs and jumps at the crows to keep them out of the feeders. But, one day a large red tailed hawk swooped down and snatched a large bull frog from our pond while the dogs were there getting a drink. It happened so fast, the dogs didn't even get a chance to react.

Lucy,
I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that these little babies are so much like real babies it's almost scary. I haven't had a baby in the house for 36 years. I am probably spoiling Maggie rotten, but the look in her eyes just melts my heart. She really is a good baby. Sometimes she likes more attention than I can give at the time, but she will learn that sometimes she will need to play with her toys all by herself. We have a house potty training game now. When she does her business outside, she gets a treat when she comes back in. Never saw a dog that would PP every 15 minutes just to get that dang treat. I am using Natural Balance Dog Food Rolls, cut into tiny pieces about the size of pencil erasers. Use them for obedience training too. They work great.

Gosh...I didn't realize they'd do that with the dogs right there! I am flabbergasted now, for sure. I will have to do SOMETHING different! I don't exactly know what, either. What can we do? My husband always has a gun with him when we take our walks, in case of any predators, i.e. coyottes, badgers, rattlesnakes, etc. But if they swoop out od the sky like that, I just don't know if he could react that fast! We are always on the lookout, for the occasional car, too. So now we will have to search the skies, also! Thanks for telling me! Good luck to us all and may God watch out and protect our little ones.
:thumbup: