I think this is worth a thread Mart - continuing the Grouse discussion below...

My Mum's lovely Alsatian MAX once dug up an entire nest of leverets (young hares or rabbits) and brought them to me very gently in his soft mouth.

"Oh no Max," I said "Take them back".

Which he did, returning them completely undamaged (though possibly psychologically traumatised) to their nest.

Dogs are more complex beings than others assume.

I sometimes see grown rabbits in the field and say to them "Are you the baby pink ones Max brought to visit me years ago?".

I think that dogs take more training than most would believe. The key thing on our one, was simply a phantom pregnancy in which she did not know what was going on and would treat any small animal like an infant.
These days, she delivers her "kills" as a present although , I could do without the slugs.(gross!)

Now cats,.... moving on a bit, but why on earth did one of my cats always leave me bit of her nights work, outside my bedroom door?
Cats come back, dogs get lost.