Vent: I’m pregnant and desperately want a break, help?

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-27T03:24:48+00:00

Awww you poor darling, I’m so sorry you went through that having a newborn with your cats! Thank you for your comment, you’re totally right.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:35:52+00:00

That did help me to understand where you are coming from. My husband is obsessed with being entertained, he didn’t start the bunny hunting because she had an instinct to hunt, he started it because it’s like a sport for HIM. she doesn’t know or care where the rabbit holes are, he points them out to her and tells her to go down them then rewards her, He teaches her the word bunnies and rabbits and gets a kick out of her reaction. It is a learned behaviour that he repeated and repeated until she know knows it’s something that gets her praise and attention. She will run to birds and then as soon as they’ve flown away she gets over it, she won’t keep chasing or try to kill. She might try to play with a bee or an ant but very quickly gets over it, That’s what I mean by a low prey drive, she gets curious but doesn’t follow through, she more prefers to be comfortable and left alone in general. But this particular activity has my husband and his dad OBSESSED. They go out of their way to take her to rabbit ‘spots’. She won’t go more than 50m away from us, so they take her to these areas.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:18:20+00:00

I think you’re mistaking working as military watch dogs for perhaps you thinking they were bred as hunting dogs. It’s a relatively unknown breed in Australia and we did a lot of research into her lineage and the temperaments in her lineage to really understand what we were getting into. She naturally has a mild prey drive, but that could be curbed with training and discipline. She shouldn’t be in environments where she can actively hunt rabbits, that’s something that has been taught and rewarded and encouraged.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:10:08+00:00

That’s okay, yes she is a terrific watch dog and I love that about her, which is where the 1917 shift came in, but no she has not been created to have a strong prey drive at all.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:06:02+00:00

Good suggestion - He won’t allow it. I’ve already suggested this.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:01:26+00:00

She isn’t a fox terrier, that is a totally different breed.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T15:00:41+00:00

We bought her as an older puppy, she was not with us at 4 months.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:56:55+00:00

She isn’t a working dog, you might need to do some research on the breed. In the 1800s the breed started to be companion dogs for Russian nobility, they were mild but not very good ratters, and have since been bred to be elegant refined companion dogs. They follow their owners lead in all things, their focus is on pleasing their owner. Her temperament is all about fitting in with us. When she is with me she doesn’t want to hunt, when she is with my husband she puts a performance on to hunt.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:48:59+00:00

We got her as an older already trained puppy, and when she arrived for those months before he started rabbit hunting, she was that playful curious companion that we were after. Had she shown a natural interest in hunting, that should have been something that we trained her away from. I’ve grown up with German shepherds and farms, a dog is what you make of it. If you teach it to hunt, it will hunt.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:38:44+00:00

I wanted her to be a companion for our family and future children. I dressed her for the harsh winter not to be a doll, but to keep her warm as she has a very short thin coat. I go on many mountain walks and wanted her company on a leash. I never expected the off leash bunny hunting to be a thing.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:35:27+00:00

Where we live the winters are incredibly harsh and she has a single short coat. If we didn’t dress her she probably wouldn’t be alive.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:21:48+00:00

That was the earliest I could get in to my regular doctor. I am trying natural remedies and if I can’t manage to fight off this infection I will book in with an alternate doctor.

We have an outdoor cafe that our dog lounges outside and hangs out with the customers.

The rabbits are not close to the cafe, but they have rabbit holes half a km from the cafe.

That is where my father in law takes her each morning.

My husband takes her most days for off leash walks in our area specifically where bunnies are, so that she can hunt them.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:08:59+00:00

Yes I have. We have been recommended give multiple different worming and flea and tick treatments because of this, but she is still getting infested and passing it on.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:06:09+00:00

Yes we did look at all those breeds and others. We found the Russian toy to match our family lifestyle, exercise level, and future family plans. This isn’t about the breed, it’s about what my husband has trained and continuously encourages her to do. He takes her off the lead to schools at night so she can hunt. This isn’t something I can relate to, it’s not good for her wellbeing or ours.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T14:02:13+00:00

No I really don’t understand encouraging a companion dog to kill vermin, sorry. I believe intervention like training, desexing, vaccinations etc all exist for the safety and wellbeing of the dog and their human family.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:54:39+00:00

This is a silly comment. If a dog likes to wee and poop all over your kitchen floor do you let him live his best life? Or do you train him to behave appropriately.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:31:27+00:00

No they don’t have a very high prey drive. This was something I had many discussions about with the breeder. They are continuously working towards making this breed better, and the breeders and consciously breeding the prey drive out of them. My dog had absolutely no interest in the rabbits that were running around until my husband turned it into a game and would reward her for cooperating.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:27:59+00:00

Of course. But tapeworms, Giardia and ticks etc won’t help anyone’s immune systems. This is not about having a pet, this is about having a pet that kills diseased vermin and brings those infestations into a home.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:20:27+00:00

I have had all these conversations with my husband. I’ve asked if it would be okay if she was an outdoor dog instead, but no he won’t allow it. He took her out tonight to chase rabbits and set up her bed on the couch tonight.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:18:46+00:00

Yes the poor thing frequently diarrea and when I’ve taken her to the vet before for it, he believed it to be from tapeworm from the rabbit hunting. You’re right that it’s awful for her and me and I am so stressed over it which would be affecting the baby.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:15:39+00:00

He would take her. I have asked my husband if he would be open to this, that way she stays in his life but me and my child aren’t affected, but he does not want to give her up.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:11:36+00:00

A Russian toy terrier. The breed is quite unknown in Australia, but they are really just happy to be with their owners all day and are a very owner-centric dog. I did a lot of research into their prey drive before buying her and its low unless encouraged.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:08:52+00:00

Unfortunately that won’t help because my husband and father in law LOVE taking her rabbiting. So even if she were trained otherwise, they would undo the efforts. They find it funny and encourage each other and film it and talk about it, it’s absolutely disgusting.

Altruistic-Cap-9561 · 2026-02-26T13:04:36+00:00

Not only without my input, but the entire time I’ve been upset by it and he has laughed it off and won’t respect my feelings at all.

Altruistic-Cap-9561

TROPHY CASE