How to get rid of your pest problem, part 1.

Let me preface this by saying that Elsa's mother was an excellent mouser.

So, within the last week, there seems to have been a return of the cabinet mice. There were two nests - one next to the stove, where we put the emitter (and they have not returned since), and one in the pantry. There seems to be only a few this time - not a whole lot of damage done, just droppings and a few nibbles. Still, nipping this in the bud.

Enter my four-month-old pup. She has a very, very strong prey drive. When she picks up her toys, the first thing she does is shake them into submission, born from an instinct where she would've been snapping the neck on a rodent. And not just the side-to-side head toss, but an actual sharp, precise snap. She also has a need to chase, which is good... except for one little thing.

Elsa absolutely sucks at being sneaky.

When she sees something she wants, she freezes and pulls her ears forward. She moves as little as possible, and her breathing quiets. So far, so good. She sinks her shoulders, and her nails don't touch the floor so as to keep her feet silent. She bolts off like a shot...

...and then gets so excited she barks repeatedly. And growlsnorts.

Stealth level? Zero.

See, this works fine on deaf things, like toys or leaves, but squirrels and bugs hear her noisy self and know enough to bugger off. So, if Elsa is to be any kind of hunter, the barking needs to stop.

Anyway, we set some traps on the shelf a few days ago. No bait eaten, no nothing. No new traces. I checked them this afternoon - nothing. I come home, settle in, check them again. Success! One dead mouse. So I get the treats and clicker and Elsa obligingly follows me into the kitchen as I warn everyone not to come into the kitchen for the next fifteen minutes or so (elenuial had already let me know that he supported my decision, but wanted nothing to do with the process. Squick factor.).

Step one: Free dead mouse from trap, place it on kitchen floor. Elsa comes over to sniff it.

Click. Treat. Continue until Elsa routinely taps it with her nose to indicate interest.

Step two: She picks it up in her mouth.

Yes.

Dead mouse. In the mouth.

Click. Upgrade treats to cheese.

Step three: Trade mouse for cheese, at varying distances.

When it is brought to me? Big hunk of cheese and treats.

So, after fifteen minutes of practice, she now understands that bringing me a dead mouse will earn her large rewards. I disposed of the mouse, brushed her teeth, washed my hands, and gave everyone the all-clear.

And she went back into the kitchen later on her own, sniffing around where the mouse was on the floor and looking for it.

Awesome.

Next is teaching her how to make the mouse dead, the details of which I'm not really looking forward to. I'm trying to do this as humanely as possible. Suffice to say, it will probably take a few gruesome tries.

Ah, well. Time to get a second emitter to drive them into her sharp little puppy teeth.