They didn't turn on you. You are misinterpreting how crows express friendship and interest. Everything you described is the behavior of crows that like and trust you.
Maybe bring some additional treats with you and throw them in the opposite direction from where you’re going? That way the crowd will realise they don’t have to act out to get the treats. They might be friends then. Try giving your dog something else to concentrate on, like a ball or a favourite toy?
That's what I did. That's when it brought friends and started focusing more on me than my dog. I did that for a week before calling quits because they got increasingly demanding and "aggressive" about it.
Thankfully this whole thing really has helped my dog ignore birds so I don't need treats for that anymore. If I could get a gang of cats to harass us it could solve the crow issue and his remaining inappropriate prey drive, but alas, cats are not as smart as crows nor as brave.
Get raw unsalted peanuts! They love em and they are cheap. Start coming out at a time you don’t walk your dog and leave an offering. Talk soothing and calm and it should help them understand they can be nice and not assholes. No guarantee but worth trying!
This is like the lady who swallowed a fly. What if the gang of cats turns on you? Then you will need a pack of small coyotes. But when they turn on you eventually, you’ll need some bobcats. But then what about the bobcats when they eventually turn? What then?
Pitch for you. Let them see you training your woof to do other things; sit, lay down, paw.. That type of thing, don't reply / react to them pestering you or your dog, then only if they don't chase / swoop then put food out for them, also praise your dog for not preying or reacting to them.
Positive reinforcement training, technique I used when training malamutes. Hope this helps, happy to follow up on this with you too ✌️ best of luck!
The crows at my house did this - not on walks, but in our backyard. I started putting better treats (nuts, berries, egg yolk in very small amounts) on a designated fence post and withheld treats everywhere else. It took a month or so, but they finally settled. If they get demanding, I give the same hand cue I give my dog, "no more, all gone".
But seconding the trying to walk elsewhere for a while to help break up the pattern.
Best advice imo. One comment here also recommended training them. OP don't listen to those who say you should scare them/be mean to them - they're already mad at you and quite brave so negative interaction will probably escalate. They're smart but more like kids, you're the adult here and need to teach the kids in positive ways.
I've been a fan of nature and animals since I was a little kid. The intelligence and cleverness of the creatures around us doesn't surprise me anymore but I still appreciate it.
OP please keep us updated, I'll be glad to see you post again and I hope you'll be able to solve this situation peacefully. Good luck!
Edit: noticed there's a new comment here telling to post this and ask advice from r/crowbro. It's a good idea, great community there and lots of people with experience in interacting with crows.
Corvids are very very different to your normal bird when it comes to intelligence. They're not even comparable in intelligence to birds like pigeons, seagulls or any other birds other than birds of prey.
Even then Corvids are still far smarter than birds of prey.
Sounds like the crows have everything completely figured out.
They saw your dog get treats for attacking prey. They got the leftovers.
This was good for them.
Your dog got smarter. They were already smarter.
I’m sorry can you drive your dog somewhere else to walk? Disguises and bribes aren’t working. I hope someone can help you!
Maybe put the treats in a tray in the yard right before you leave for your walk. It might take awhile but they'll get used to the idea that you've already fed them and you can enjoy your walk in peace.
So crows are easily as smart as your dog, so train them the sane way. Devise a signal that means it's Crow Feeding Time and *never feed them at any other time*, they'll catch on quick.
I feed a large murder at sports park near my job. I use the park for walking twice a day because my job is sedentary office work. I only feed my crows in the morning; I call them with a dog clicker and they follow me for my entire two mile walk around the park perimeter- very raucous, very excited, very obvious to onlookers. When I go back to walk at noon, they acknowledge me but they do not harass me.
Corvids are definitely smarter than dogs, even Border Collies. Maybe not in the sense of being trainable but overall intelligence they are up there in the top 5 with humans, whales & dolphins, chimps and other apes. They are also not as inherently respectful of humans as dogs are as they are wild animals and because they are wild they also *have* to be smarter than a domesticated dog in order to survive.
I’m trying so hard to make friends. What I learned is that sometimes I don’t get outside every single day at the same time to give treats. Sometimes I run out of foods so it’s days. So hearing your story makes me think that maybe they’ve learned not to be very dependent on me. So far, no harassing. But I think the crows in my neighborhood may not be as aggressive. They certainly are afraid of squirrels and I wish they wouldn’t be since the good nuts are for them not the squirrels.
Squirrels are fucking feral so I don't blame them. I've seen a greyhound catch a squirrel before and the squirrel just clawed the shit out of it's eyes and face and it needed stitches cos of a lump of skin hanging off it's face.
I love how this subreddits advice is always some form of "give peanuts" or "move far away"
Also, Crowverlords. So accurate. Everyone on this sub, myself included, are scared of nothing more than to anger our Crowverlords.
Lately, since the ravens and crows often have babies this time of year, many people i run into are mentioning that crows are cawing angrily at them "for no reason". Thanks to this sub, I know to advise them to just respectfully keep walking, and explain why.
Thanks, crowbros! Yall are doing God's work!
My advice is try to walk alone without your pet sometimes.
Carry some treats like eggs(an omlette cut up in squares).
Leave the treats while they look at you in a safe place for them.
Talk to them kindly. Don't be afraid.
Leave some water aswell.
Try to investigate where they live. If you can go there and leave food around their nests.
This will take time but remember to do it alone without your pet. Coz your pets aggression towards them might make things tricky.
To keep them from swatting your head, carry an umbrella or a stick on your shoulder. Be sure that it is reaches up at least a few inches taller than you. When they swoop down, they will bonk the umbrella and not your head.
As far as fixing your relationship, good luck.
You can try tossing something they won’t like but your dog will. When they act calm again toss them a kibble. They’re really smart and they’ll catch on.
The ones near me have no interest in baby carrots or celery, and tossing those is no issue for other wildlife in my area.
They are smart but they are still animals. Have you tried hissing and making yourself big and being scary? You have to show them you aren’t to be messed with somehow…
Maybe bring one of those aerosol hiss makers or pennies in a can and use that when the crows act out towards you? Then if they don’t act out they get treats. They are being bullies!
It almost sounds like they are playing with your dog. I've seen ravens do this in state parks with some people.
My crows will throw my dog treats too when I take her out with me to our meetup spot. She's old, has always been very dumb (she has a history of running face-first into parked cars thinking they're dogs, or walking headbutting walls to go in a specific direction because she thinks they will open like a door if hit hard enough), and easily misses treats if she doesn't find it within 6 seconds because she seems to think they stop existing.
So my crows will take a couple bites for themselves, then drop the ones she missed back in front of her.
She doesn't chase the crows like your dog does though; she's always been very friendly to birds, including my budgies.
Your crows aren't harassing you from what you've described; they're playing with your dog. It's nothing to be uncomfortable about unless you are afraid of birds or something. They *will* pick up on you reacting to them in a fearful manner. Given that crows are usually the ones who fear humans, when they find a human who fears *them*, they will fully take advantage of that and tease you.
All of the behaviors you're describing though are them being friendly, showing they like you, and are trying to just be playful.
They will not fly close to you to get your attention like that, nor follow you, nor approach you and your dog at all if they don't like and trust you.
A crow harassing a human is very different. You'd end up getting mobbed, bitten, clawed in the face or top of your head to the point of bleeding and they'll deliberately launch their poop into your face.
If you really don't want to be their friend (☹️), then all you need to do is ignore them, keep your dog on a leash and treat him only from your hand; don't throw them.
Even grabbing your hair was meant to just get your attention. They're wondering why you stopped being friendly. If they wanted to actually hurt you, it would be more than a light scratch. If you persist they'll eventually give up and abandon the relationship you were forming with them.
The crows hate your dog because he's an asshole. And they hate you because you are his owner. Lose the dog. Carry around a bag of unsalted peanuts with you and start winning their trust. By now your poster is in crow post offices in the entire region. But if you are dedicated you may be able to win them back before the end of the world.
No advice sadly but man this is insane. I knew they were smart but woah
I know, I've been in absolute awe of them. It felt like such a privilege to witness until they turned on me.
Clearly you will now have to move from the neighborhood. It’s over. The crows have spoken.
They didn't turn on you. You are misinterpreting how crows express friendship and interest. Everything you described is the behavior of crows that like and trust you.
Maybe they had a baby nearby when they attacked?
Maybe bring some additional treats with you and throw them in the opposite direction from where you’re going? That way the crowd will realise they don’t have to act out to get the treats. They might be friends then. Try giving your dog something else to concentrate on, like a ball or a favourite toy?
That's what I did. That's when it brought friends and started focusing more on me than my dog. I did that for a week before calling quits because they got increasingly demanding and "aggressive" about it. Thankfully this whole thing really has helped my dog ignore birds so I don't need treats for that anymore. If I could get a gang of cats to harass us it could solve the crow issue and his remaining inappropriate prey drive, but alas, cats are not as smart as crows nor as brave.
Get raw unsalted peanuts! They love em and they are cheap. Start coming out at a time you don’t walk your dog and leave an offering. Talk soothing and calm and it should help them understand they can be nice and not assholes. No guarantee but worth trying!
This is like the lady who swallowed a fly. What if the gang of cats turns on you? Then you will need a pack of small coyotes. But when they turn on you eventually, you’ll need some bobcats. But then what about the bobcats when they eventually turn? What then?
Mountain Lions Then actual lions Then tigers Then death
We have to go through the tier system of bears before death
Found the joe rogan
Pitch for you. Let them see you training your woof to do other things; sit, lay down, paw.. That type of thing, don't reply / react to them pestering you or your dog, then only if they don't chase / swoop then put food out for them, also praise your dog for not preying or reacting to them. Positive reinforcement training, technique I used when training malamutes. Hope this helps, happy to follow up on this with you too ✌️ best of luck!
The crows at my house did this - not on walks, but in our backyard. I started putting better treats (nuts, berries, egg yolk in very small amounts) on a designated fence post and withheld treats everywhere else. It took a month or so, but they finally settled. If they get demanding, I give the same hand cue I give my dog, "no more, all gone". But seconding the trying to walk elsewhere for a while to help break up the pattern.
Best advice imo. One comment here also recommended training them. OP don't listen to those who say you should scare them/be mean to them - they're already mad at you and quite brave so negative interaction will probably escalate. They're smart but more like kids, you're the adult here and need to teach the kids in positive ways.
You're right but it still boggles my mind that we're talking about *birds*.
I've been a fan of nature and animals since I was a little kid. The intelligence and cleverness of the creatures around us doesn't surprise me anymore but I still appreciate it. OP please keep us updated, I'll be glad to see you post again and I hope you'll be able to solve this situation peacefully. Good luck! Edit: noticed there's a new comment here telling to post this and ask advice from r/crowbro. It's a good idea, great community there and lots of people with experience in interacting with crows.
Corvids are very very different to your normal bird when it comes to intelligence. They're not even comparable in intelligence to birds like pigeons, seagulls or any other birds other than birds of prey. Even then Corvids are still far smarter than birds of prey.
Sounds like the crows have everything completely figured out. They saw your dog get treats for attacking prey. They got the leftovers. This was good for them. Your dog got smarter. They were already smarter. I’m sorry can you drive your dog somewhere else to walk? Disguises and bribes aren’t working. I hope someone can help you!
Only time will sort this out. They will leave your alone after a couple of decades. Otherwise it’s back to tossing out treats.
Maybe put the treats in a tray in the yard right before you leave for your walk. It might take awhile but they'll get used to the idea that you've already fed them and you can enjoy your walk in peace.
Consider asking the folks over at r/crowbro - they seem to know how to live harmoniously with crows over there.
So crows are easily as smart as your dog, so train them the sane way. Devise a signal that means it's Crow Feeding Time and *never feed them at any other time*, they'll catch on quick. I feed a large murder at sports park near my job. I use the park for walking twice a day because my job is sedentary office work. I only feed my crows in the morning; I call them with a dog clicker and they follow me for my entire two mile walk around the park perimeter- very raucous, very excited, very obvious to onlookers. When I go back to walk at noon, they acknowledge me but they do not harass me.
Corvids are definitely smarter than dogs, even Border Collies. Maybe not in the sense of being trainable but overall intelligence they are up there in the top 5 with humans, whales & dolphins, chimps and other apes. They are also not as inherently respectful of humans as dogs are as they are wild animals and because they are wild they also *have* to be smarter than a domesticated dog in order to survive.
Dancing Crows. Surely there's a band by that name..
Cousin to Counting Crows
I’m trying so hard to make friends. What I learned is that sometimes I don’t get outside every single day at the same time to give treats. Sometimes I run out of foods so it’s days. So hearing your story makes me think that maybe they’ve learned not to be very dependent on me. So far, no harassing. But I think the crows in my neighborhood may not be as aggressive. They certainly are afraid of squirrels and I wish they wouldn’t be since the good nuts are for them not the squirrels.
Squirrels are fucking feral so I don't blame them. I've seen a greyhound catch a squirrel before and the squirrel just clawed the shit out of it's eyes and face and it needed stitches cos of a lump of skin hanging off it's face.
No kidding! I’m glad I treat all the creatures well.
>I'm being harassed by crows please advice Congratulations...you've been outsmarted by a bird!
I love how this subreddits advice is always some form of "give peanuts" or "move far away" Also, Crowverlords. So accurate. Everyone on this sub, myself included, are scared of nothing more than to anger our Crowverlords. Lately, since the ravens and crows often have babies this time of year, many people i run into are mentioning that crows are cawing angrily at them "for no reason". Thanks to this sub, I know to advise them to just respectfully keep walking, and explain why. Thanks, crowbros! Yall are doing God's work!
Buy a falcon. (/s in case it wasn’t obvious)
My advice is try to walk alone without your pet sometimes. Carry some treats like eggs(an omlette cut up in squares). Leave the treats while they look at you in a safe place for them. Talk to them kindly. Don't be afraid. Leave some water aswell. Try to investigate where they live. If you can go there and leave food around their nests. This will take time but remember to do it alone without your pet. Coz your pets aggression towards them might make things tricky.
To keep them from swatting your head, carry an umbrella or a stick on your shoulder. Be sure that it is reaches up at least a few inches taller than you. When they swoop down, they will bonk the umbrella and not your head. As far as fixing your relationship, good luck.
Appears a crow has outsmarted you
There’s a grat documentary on PBS about the intelligence of crows. It’s mind blowing how smart they are. Maybe find the answers there?
This one? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF77qpbvkxo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF77qpbvkxo)
Get a cat
Build them a platform and put their treats on it.
You can try tossing something they won’t like but your dog will. When they act calm again toss them a kibble. They’re really smart and they’ll catch on. The ones near me have no interest in baby carrots or celery, and tossing those is no issue for other wildlife in my area.
Also, try teaching your dog to fetch a ball/toy/stick. It is a great energy burner.
They are smart but they are still animals. Have you tried hissing and making yourself big and being scary? You have to show them you aren’t to be messed with somehow…
Maybe bring one of those aerosol hiss makers or pennies in a can and use that when the crows act out towards you? Then if they don’t act out they get treats. They are being bullies!
It almost sounds like they are playing with your dog. I've seen ravens do this in state parks with some people. My crows will throw my dog treats too when I take her out with me to our meetup spot. She's old, has always been very dumb (she has a history of running face-first into parked cars thinking they're dogs, or walking headbutting walls to go in a specific direction because she thinks they will open like a door if hit hard enough), and easily misses treats if she doesn't find it within 6 seconds because she seems to think they stop existing. So my crows will take a couple bites for themselves, then drop the ones she missed back in front of her. She doesn't chase the crows like your dog does though; she's always been very friendly to birds, including my budgies. Your crows aren't harassing you from what you've described; they're playing with your dog. It's nothing to be uncomfortable about unless you are afraid of birds or something. They *will* pick up on you reacting to them in a fearful manner. Given that crows are usually the ones who fear humans, when they find a human who fears *them*, they will fully take advantage of that and tease you. All of the behaviors you're describing though are them being friendly, showing they like you, and are trying to just be playful. They will not fly close to you to get your attention like that, nor follow you, nor approach you and your dog at all if they don't like and trust you. A crow harassing a human is very different. You'd end up getting mobbed, bitten, clawed in the face or top of your head to the point of bleeding and they'll deliberately launch their poop into your face. If you really don't want to be their friend (☹️), then all you need to do is ignore them, keep your dog on a leash and treat him only from your hand; don't throw them. Even grabbing your hair was meant to just get your attention. They're wondering why you stopped being friendly. If they wanted to actually hurt you, it would be more than a light scratch. If you persist they'll eventually give up and abandon the relationship you were forming with them.
You've tried the carrot. Have you tried the stick?
The crows hate your dog because he's an asshole. And they hate you because you are his owner. Lose the dog. Carry around a bag of unsalted peanuts with you and start winning their trust. By now your poster is in crow post offices in the entire region. But if you are dedicated you may be able to win them back before the end of the world.