My dog just barely almost killed my rooster!

[ticks]

My bone head of a black lab just mauled my Phoenix rooster. I was lucky I caugh her doing it. I went out to the hen house and somehow my rooster managed to get outside and so did my dog. If I went out 2 minutes later my rooster would be dead. I can't really blame my lab because she has never had experience with birds other than ducks, woodcok, grouse that we hunted. It is her instinct to get the birds for us. Hence the whole retriever thing. Is there a way to train my dog not to eat my chickens but still be able to retrieve birds for us come hunting season?

 

[lurky]

I have a hunting dog and i would never trust him with my birds. I think if a hunting dog is raised with them, it might grow up to understand that they are part of the family. But i think in most cases a grown dog with hunting instict will always want to go after a bird...... or anything that moves

in my dog charlies case. I would be very careful.

 

[jjthink]

Your roo - what damage did he sustain?
JJ

 

[ticks]

Shaken up, lost a couple feathers, When I first picked him up, his eyes were closed, he did not seem to be breathing. I am still worried.

 

[jjthink]

He was/is likely in shock. That alone could kill him. Needs to be in quiet calm place, with a favorite hen if that seems to help him, reassuring words from a person he likes/trusts, Rescue Remedy if you can get it (health food store will have - put a drop or two in his water).

Sorry, I wish I had been able to write all this sooner because I know it's the morning after already. I really hope he's okay.

JJ

 

[Buff Hooligans]

To answer your question, no, I don't think you can train an actively hunted dog to treat chickens any different. Some people may feel that with tons of training, it can be done, but do you really have three hours a day and the expertise to do that?

Keep 'em separate, and if you can't do that, expect more losses. If you have a lot of chickens, maybe that's not so bad... It's all in what you can take.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Quote:
NO! Your roo was lucky this time.

 

[jjthink]

How is he now ticks?

JJ