Am I allowed to let my dog kill a rat if it runs past. Or is this hunting with dogs?

I'd just call it doggy lunch. My dogs hunt rabbits when the darn rodents are dumb enough to come in the yard. They've given up on the raccoons though.Am I allowed to let my dog kill a rat if it runs past. Or is this hunting with dogs?
yes, it is not hunting with dogs under the lawAm I allowed to let my dog kill a rat if it runs past. Or is this hunting with dogs?
If it's just the one dog, you'll be OK.
You are allowed to kill rats with dogs as they are classed as vermin and are a health hazard:


http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/hu鈥?/a>
It's considered a pest. No problems here.





http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/hu鈥?/a>
will your dog be aware that you are only allowing him to kill rats and not cats, rabbits etc?


your dog may get into the habit of attacking everything, and may not always come out of it the better.


many dogs come off a lot worse when they attack a badger for instance.


and what if he were to turn on a young child?


if you don't want rats about the place.. perhaps get a cat. they are the professional hunters, dogs are natural scavengers.
Even if there is a law, I'm pretty sure the jursidiction would consider it a community service.
let it do it , rats are vermin , my dog kills rabbits cos we are overrrun with them here , make she/he is innoculated tho they carry lots bad stuff and wormed properley
Uh, I really, really wouldn't let my dog do that if I were you. Rats carry all sorts of diseases, and there's a high probability that your dog will be bitten and/or scratched in the scuffle.





You do know that the fleas on rats are what spread the Bubonic Plague, right?





Keep your pets away from vermin.
Yes you can, and no it isn't :-)
Well, its cruel to rats. They are creatures too.
I dont think there is a law against it .... but .... I would not let my dog kill one. I wouldnt let him near it. I would worry about it catching a disgusting disease.
I wouldnt encourage the dog to go chasing %26amp; killing might get someones pet rabbit!


The rat might have been piosoned so stay clear:)
The law doesn't seem to apply in this Case.There was an item on TV a couple of weeks ago featuring men ratting with dogs and it appears perfectly legal.And I would if you have a good ratter to let it get on with it!..I work on a farm and the rats are horrible creatures.We have one particularly nasty one at the moment that keeps killing chicks( its the size of a small cat ) and as yet has eluded capture and the traps!...can we borrow your dog?lol
I'm sorry you live in England.
If by 'rat' you mean 'traffic warden' then, yes you can.


And you get a medal too!!
rats are vermin. you'd just be an exterminator.
I wouldn't if i were you, your dog might catch something off the rat...
yes this is legal in fact there is no law on this
go for it
That is legal, but not particularly safe, considering the many diseases wild rodents can carry.
Two dogs at the park killed a squirrel that fell out of a tree, I wouldn't call that hunting with dogs :-) So probably not. But rats carry diseases so I wouldn't let him kill it if it did.
yes u can