I agree. Don’t think the lab Bubba would hurt a squirrel, he might play with it until it wished it was dead.
She has run down chukars and winkled mallards out of the weeds on islands in the middle of ponds. She just picks them up by the middle of the back and carries them with her neck fully extended. They can flap and quack all they want, she ignores it and delivers them to hand.
When my oldest dog was unable to attend a hunting seminar, I was thrilled to find that my middle dog has the same talent:
Both gunners completely missed that hen mallard, and she complained bitterly all the way back to the line. Ruby didn't care, she just kept on galloping.
My son was dog-sitting for a friend. His hamster picked that night, of all nights, to escape.
Oh look! A squeaky toy!
He found a very wet lump of fur the next morning. It was alive, and somehow not badly injured.
Never tried to get out of its cage after that...