oh my gosh

What kind of bird was it? Sometimes grackles are territorial?

This seems kind of odd. It's not nesting season so there's no nest or eggs to be protecting. On a guess I'd have to say your dog somehow interupted the hawk after its kill. The hawk probably chased the pup to protect its food.

OMG, that is scary. I'm glad that everything turned out ok for you and your dog. I couldn't imagine a bird like that getting into the house. I'm glad the dog isn't hurt!

The hawk may have been looking for a meal such as a mouse or a rabbit and the meal ran into the backyard where your dog was. I've had a hawk swoop down nearly 5 feet in front of me, oblivious to the fact I was there, to pick up a field mouse. They are so food focused that they sometimes forget that there are other things around them. I've seen a swooping hawk get killed by a semi truck as it flew down in front of the truck. The dog probably got excited and got in the hawk's way and the hawk got mad. I doubt if a hawk is that ignorant to try to really think that a dog that size is food. Hawks can also be protective meaning if the hawk had eggs or a nest nearby, it may have thought your dog was a threat.

Wow! What a story! I have heard that large hawks, owls, and other birds sometimes kill cats and very small dogs, but I would think you pup must be about 30-40 lbs at 6 months, at least!! I wonder if the pup accidentally disturbed the bird in some way and she was after him for that instead of for a meal? I think you should definitely follow the advice of the person who suggested that your pup have several good hiding places when outside -- and also supervise him very closely when he is out there! Where do you live -- are you far out in the woods, isolated? I was also wondering if the bird was hurt or something was wrong with it -- did you find any evidence of the bird the next day?

That is a horrifying story! I can't imagine what that must have been like. A six month old half rottie/lab isn't exactly a small dog! That's either one hungry bird or one crazy bird. Have you tried calling animal control and maybe having them try to trap the bird? Who knows if they would, but I'd be terrified thinking that it was out there, especially since you have a 20 month old daughter. I so hope that you get this resolved and that no harm comes to you and yours. My heart goes out to you.

If you think the bird was a hawk, you are probably right. I do not know if she was looking for lunch or if your dog had chased her, disturbed near her nest or something like that. She will probably continue to hang out, until she finds better prey or your dog gets a whole lot bigger. I have had mockingbirds chase my cats out of defensiveness, when I was a child. When I was a young married a bird would chase my cat into the house all of the time. Finally one day the cat just caught her. Tomorrow you might call the state wildlife department where you live, or nearby zoos, to learn about this bird's behavior. Meanwhile, make sure there are things your dog can get under when outside.

That does sound exciting. We were at Nelsons, British Columbia when I was in either my twenties or thirties, and a bear came into the restaurant in the back door. Luckily, the restaurant owner or the cook shooed her out. And once a bird flew in our garage, and we found one that had gotten in our house (sneaked in when we were going shopping through the back door before we closed it) and then there was those bees, etc. Oh my dog got stung by several bees when she was a puppy, but that vicious hawk going after your puppy really tops all that.

I know that hawks and owls are pretty big birds and they have been known to take off with pretty big puppies or smaller dogs. They will try that's for sure. If it was night, it was most likely an owl. I have never seen a hawk out in the evening. I can imagine you about having a heart attack with that bird trying to fly into your house! OMG I would have too!

Wow, that is scary and considering you had a baby in the house too.. Maybe the hawk mistook your dog for another animal? Maybe if you put a bell on your dogs collar it will scare off the bird.. Also I would make sure to be on the look out, especially if you have your child outside..

Yeah,I believe it.Hawks,owls and also Cyotees will attack small dogs and cats.I sure wish there was a spell check on here.I don't know if I spelled Cyotees right.

Hello asgtswife04, That is one vicious bird. Your story is the second one I have heard in a week of a hawk attack. The first story I heard was from a radio talk show host who said a hawk attacked and killed a wood p7cker on Christmas day that would come to his property to feed. Hopefully the bigger your dog gets the better she will be able to fight such a bird off. It is good to know it did not get in your house that would be quite traumatic. Take Care and Happy New Year.