My dog is getting my chickens

[shannaharle]

We got this puppy about 4 months ago. She was just a little thing when we got her. She is walker coon hound mixed with black lab. We were thinking that the coon hound would be good with chickens not even thinking about the part black lab was a bird dog. Well we had to put one down a couple of weeks ago because the dog had gotten her by the neck and you could see her spine and everything. Just a little while ago I walk out to the back yard
and caught her holding our rooster down and chewing on her neck. I had to kick her off of him. Now i don't know what to do with her. The rooster will be fine i think but not sure about what to do with the dog. She is my husbands dog and just a puppy.

 

[beth14kk9]

She'a puppy and doing exactly what puppies do when unsupervised. If you can't supervise her when she's outdoors, then the only solution is to keep a fence between the chickens and the pup.
I have two golden retrievers and two border collies that have been trained to "leave it" when they are outside and the chickens are ranging and they hardly pay any attention to the birds, but I don't ever leave them outside, unsupervised together.

 

[Judy]

I've had two labs who were easily trained to leave the chickens alone.

 

[dainerra]

the breed of dog has very little to do with it. There are plenty of bird dogs that have zero problem with chickens. She is a baby and you've never taught her what to do! Kind of like giving the toddler the keys to your car, ya know?

Keep her separated from the chickens. Start teaching her "leave it" There are numerous threads here on how to do that.
If you aren't right there to supervise, she is confined where she can't get to the birds.

Face it, bowling for chickens is a fun game! You've got to teach her better things to do with her time.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yep, as beth suggested, YOU have to keep them apart until you train her to leave the chickens alone. Either keep the chickens in a run until then, or keep your dog on a leash/in a dog run. Start training her now, working with her daily. It'll take time, depending on your consistancy and her maturity, anywhere from a few weeks to many weeks.
Start small - sitting with her (hand on her collar) among the chickens. Choose a command and use it consistantly - leave it, or gentle, or whatever you want. Do that for a week or two. Then try the same thing, but with her on a short leash for a week or two. Build up to walking around with her on leash around the chickens, then to off leash (walking around with her), then letting her walk around with you sitting or standing somewhere off to the side. Always use the same command. Your chickens should never be exposed to your dog except with you there during those weeks. Only you will know whether your dog can ever be around your chickens unsupervised in the end. Some dogs, even with good training can't be trusted - they're innate prey drive is just too high.
Retrievers (especially labs and goldens) are very much people pleaser breeds, so usually very trainable. And remember, true retrievers have very soft mouths. Not sure about the hound side of your mix.

 

[bobbi-j]

Ditto on the above posts. It's not the breed of the dog that's the problem - it's the lack of training. She has to be taught not to play with the chickens. Put yourself in her place. She's out and about and there are these running, flying, noisy toys all over the place. What's a puppy to do?

 

[ladyride]

Spend the time to train the puppy or fence another large section of the yard so dogs & chickens are seperate. After all it is a puppy chasing moving flapping squeaky toys. Make a choice. I have froo-froo dogs that the chickens would hurt so dogs in front yard chickens in the back.

 

[dainerra]

even if you have them separated by a fence, it's still a good idea to work a LOT on "leave it" and "come" Gates get left open, wind storms blow down limbs, birds fly over fences and then you have what? Dead birds because you can't call off the dog.

It's also a simple safety matter for the dog. "Leave it" and "come" are good for cars along the highway, snakes in the yard, coon cornered in the coop, you name it!

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:

(Sorry, couldn't help myself. It just struck me as funny...

)

 

[Kudzu]

We got this puppy about 4 months ago. She was just a little thing when we got her. She is walker coon hound mixed with black lab. We were thinking that the coon hound would be good with chickens not even thinking about the part black lab was a bird dog. Well we had to put one down a couple of weeks ago because the dog had gotten her by the neck and you could see her spine and everything. Just a little while ago I walk out to the back yard
and caught her holding our rooster down and chewing on her neck. I had to kick her off of him. Now i don't know what to do with her. The rooster will be fine i think but not sure about what to do with the dog. She is my husbands dog and just a puppy.



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