Tiny dog.....dangerous birds ?

2020

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Apr 10, 2012
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Las Terrenas
My wife wants to bring our tiny Teacup - Yorkie (4lbs) once our home is completed being built in Las Terrenas.

The home is in a small lot (400m2) - walled compound with only a gate as an entry way. The concern is if we let the dog roam around the yard unleashed, what are the chances that a hawk or other aerial predator swooping down and taking the dog airborne for a nice meal? :(

Has anyone had real life experience with a tiny dog like this in a situation that might be similar?

Whenever we walk the dog, it's on a leash, the concern is only if we were to let the dog walk out in the secured yard area unattended.

-Concerned parents
 

dv8

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the only predator you should be afraid of is a human. a yorkie like this is a good pray and it will sell well.

the biggest bird here, maura, i think it is called, prefers dead meat. so i would not be worried about birds :)
 

LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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We have brought our mini Schnauzer down for 6 months at a time. She is very small for even a mini at just under 10 lbs, but compared to your dog she is big. I would worry more about other dogs when walking her around town. When you are in a confined area I wouldn't worry too much about birds. In the DR there is not that much prey, only mice and rats and an occasional snake(not poisonous) so I don't think these birds would be looking at your dog as prey. She sounds like maybe she is more of a house dog anyway. I took my dog about twice a day to Playa Las Ballenas for a walk. She loved the beach but there you encounter children, other dogs, and other distractions. Good luck with your move.

LTSteve
 

windeguy

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In Cabarete I have seen what looks to be , at least in size, a red tailed hawk. My neighbor has chihuahuas and they are not bothered by it, nor have I ever heard of any incidents of birds carrying away small dogs. The cane toads are far more of a threat as is dog-napping.
 

2020

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Gosh, I'm kinda surprised!

We saw some huge hawk-like birds around the hilly parts of LT and just assumed they would love to swoop down & chow down on poor, unsuspecting "Chloe."

Our home is about 500-600 meters from the beach in Las Terrenas so maybe they those big birds just eat road-kill or wild dead animals like "Dv8" mentioned in his/her post.

Good to hear we just have to worry about the other stuff when she is unleashed in the yard.

Now I wonder if those poisonous Cane toads can scale a wall? :alien:
 
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dv8

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We saw some huge hawk-like birds around the hilly parts of LT and just assumed they would love to swoop down & chow down on poor, unsuspecting "Chloe."

maura, the bird. the same i was talking about. they are kinda vultures, you know. when you see a lot of them circling around there is something dead nearby. they should not attack a doggie, they do not like to get close to people and buildings. beautiful creatures.

as far as the toads... they are toads. they kinda go low. we have them on our property too. they enter from under the gate...
 

DOMINCAN JOE

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Aug 15, 2006
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maura, the bird. the same i was talking about. they are kinda vultures, you know. when you see a lot of them circling around there is something dead nearby. they should not attack a doggie, they do not like to get close to people and buildings. beautiful creatures.

as far as the toads... they are toads. they kinda go low. we have them on our property too. they enter from under the gate...
Goggled maura can not find it, found Aura is this it ?
A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies - James Bond, Roger Tory Peterson, Don R. Eckelberry, Arthur B. Singer - Google Books
 

dv8

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can be. i believe there are at least few different words for this bird:
Puede tener diferentes nombres comunes, incluyendo jote cabeza colorada (Argentina y Chile); zamuro (Venezuela); guala cabecirroja (Colombia); zopilote cabecirrojo (Costa Rica); aura ti?osa (Cuba); aura o aura ti?osa (Rep?blica Dominicana); cute (Honduras); noneca (Panam?); aura cabecirroja, aura com?n, zopilote aura (M?xico); zopilote cabecirrojo (Nicaragua); cuervo cabeza roja (Paraguay, Uruguay).14 El nombre com?n recomendado por la Sociedad Espa?ola de Ornitolog?a es aura gallipavo.

i went for spelling maura because this is what i heard...
 

VJS

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the only predator you should be afraid of is a human. a yorkie like this is a good pray and it will sell well.

A friend of mine has a yorkie. One day her apartment was just cleaned out by thieves, - furniture, appliances, the whole nine yards, - however they didn't take the dog (who is absolutely friendly with any stranger) - I don't think Dominican thieves understand that some dogs are quite expensive.
 

dv8

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A friend of mine has a yorkie. One day her apartment was just cleaned out by thieves, - furniture, appliances, the whole nine yards, - however they didn't take the dog (who is absolutely friendly with any stranger) - I don't think Dominican thieves understand that some dogs are quite expensive.

i think these guys were after something else altogether. no would would come inside the house to steal the fridge and say: hey, let's take that dog too! :)
i am thinking that a doggie like this will would be taken by someone who knows they can sell it. basically, small scale thief coming only after the dog.