Dog Community

Groundhogs?

Posted : 6/9/2012 5:47:36 PM

Ugh. So my dog, Yuki, got a groundhog yesterday. He is a shepherd/husky, so obviously, he was not doing something unexpected for his breed. This, however, is the first time it has happened. And my DH just called me, and he had gotten another one. Sad

He went to the vet this morning and was checked over. He was given a rabies booster and we have gotten in touch with animal control to get the body (now bodies) to check for rabies. I know he needs to be quarantined for a certain number of days, depending on what animal control comes back with.

I am guessing we must have a family living in the yard, considering the 2 in 24 hours he caught. Can I do anything to protect potential other groundhogs and Yuki? I know we could take him out on-leash only, but for how long? He loves the yard, and spends a lot of his time laying out on the porch surveying the world. I also really really really don't want to have to deal with more little dead groundhogs. Ick! How can I tell if there are more groundhogs and convince them to relocate?

TIA!

Freedom

Posted : 6/9/2012 6:12:52 PM

I found this link with info down the right hand column, may give you some ideas.

http://www.getridofthings.com/pests/rodents/get-rid-of-groundhogs.htm

Before reading that the only thing I knew was to find the holes and put a huge rock over it.

DougB

Posted : 6/9/2012 6:29:13 PM

You might try live trapping the rodents, but be careful. They can be extremely aggressive and that set of teeth is not for show. I had one try to eat the shovel I was using to guide it away from my kennel, then tried to dodge the shovel and chew my ankles off. When we lived on a farm, our dog was adept at killing wood chucks, but the chucks frequently left their mark on her.

Good luck, Doug

Jewlieee

Posted : 6/10/2012 7:29:46 AM

We were just talking about this at work last week. My yard is groundhog free thankfully (probably due to the dogs) but a friend of mine a couple blocks away has one eating through her yard. She mentioned that they are extremely hard to live trap. She has been trying for weeks. She has trapped numerous cats and a raccoon but not the groundhog. She said she would get out the shotgun were it not for the fact that we live in the city ;p

mio23

Posted : 6/11/2012 9:58:46 PM

Thanks everyone. As of today, we are up to 3 Sad . Yuki doesn't have a scratch on him, that I can see. His fur is so thick (even after what seemed like 2 months straight of blowing coat), that I worry I am missing something.

I read that there are usually 2 in a litter, so at this point, I am really hoping there is only 1 more, or none. I still can't wrap my head around him stalking and killing them. He is so mellow, and really moves slow. People have compared him to the Pink Panther.

We blocked holes and are going to try live trapping. With 2 little kids, we need to be sure it is safe for everyone!

shadowsgin

Posted : 6/20/2012 1:53:21 PM

Just seeing this.....I know we live in the country and moles, groundhogs, all kinds of varmits live in our neck of the woods. Our Rocky can pretty much get rid of any of them. We have actually jokingly been asked if we can rent him out to the other neighbors so the varmits wont eat their gardens. I dont think there is much you can do to get rid of them, took a neighbor forever to get rid of a family of skunks...we are all glad they are gone this year so far. Hopefully word will get around the groundhog community that it is not safe at your place and they might not come back. We have tried every trick in the book to get rid of the moles and the Rocky treatment is the only one that works so far.

sharismom

Posted : 6/20/2012 2:53:00 PM

Here's some interesting info about the groundhog. They can have up to 6 babies in each litter, so your dog may have several more to kill. It figures that they're so wiley - they are in the squirrel family. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/groundhog/

EZeke

Posted : 6/20/2012 5:16:32 PM

I too have a groundhog in my backyard, but due to only having a cable runner for Zeke, the groundhog is safe, he (she?) just bothers the heck out of Zeke simply by living there. (To be fair, the groundhog was there first.)

Anyway, I heard that similar to the commercial repellants, which are often crystallized coyote urine, you can put dog poop around the hole, and the groundhog should decide to relocate. I have not tried it yet, but as my friend pointed out, I have plenty of it Smile , and unlike a lot of repellants, its free!

mio23

Posted : 6/20/2012 7:31:10 PM

Oh jeez, 6?!?!? I read somewhere 2! I know there are more, as he has been stalking another one. DH, DSD and I just keep waiting... So here is my other question, the vet said he should be quarantined for 45 days, unless animal control tests and confirms the groundhog was not rabid. Animal control said groundhogs are lowest on their list of rabid animals, and not to worry about it. I know dogs (and cats) get other animals often, and it isn't the end of the world. Am I ok letting Yuki be around other dogs? He is up to date on shots, and has been acting normally.

JackieG

Posted : 6/21/2012 6:03:14 AM

Since Yuki is up to date on his rabies vaccine you probably don't need to worry about it. Your vet is being cautious which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You could choose to have a titer test done on Yuki to confirm that his level of rabies protection is sufficiently high to prevent him contracting rabies.

mio23

Posted : 6/22/2012 12:23:15 AM

Today, when I walked out onto the deck, I found Yuki, and the HUGE groundhog that he was circling, I just kept telling myself, this is not the end of the world, get the dog in! The groundhog was either frozen in fear or standing his ground. Either way, he did not look snugly. Yuki came in when I showed him his leash, and we all went for a ride. I know it is a matter of time before this one meets his demise, but, I would prefer my 2 and 4 year old don't witness it! Anyway, thank you all from a professional lurker!

SwifferLips

Posted : 6/26/2012 4:07:51 PM

Having lived in the country most of my life and sharing my space with groundhogs I can tell you that I have never heard of one having rabies. Many of my dogs have been bit and never had any health issues. Unless you have one cornered, they are not aggressive towards humans. They can also climb trees if threatened. They will learn to stay out of the dogs way. The ones that currently live in and around my barn are accutely aware of when we are outside. I often see them in the yard or in the field and when they hear a door shut, they take off for cover.