What Do You Do When Your Dogs Are The Killers?

[Poulets De Cajun]

momma's chickens :

The shock collar is only used for chicken chasing and I mean nothing else. Any other behaviour issues he may have can be dealt with in other ways IMO. This has been a life saver for us. It took three good zaps and I believe he is broken 98%.

Very well handled. Responsible, well researched, and employed adequately.

Its just like a horse bit. Even the most painless bit can be painful in the hands of the wrong person....​

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I am so not an Animal Extremist person, I promise. We just volunteer with Weimaraner rescue, and I see people all the time that buy puppies without researching the breed. Then the puppy grows up, demands certain things like ample room to run and exercise, and peoples excuses for giving them up is "He has too much energy." Well duh! They're a German hunting dog, you should have gotten a cat!

You don't buy a car without researching how much money your going to have to commit per month to the payment... Why would you not research an animal that your making a commitment to?

 

[The Monkey Mama]

Thanks for the responses.

For those who assume we haven't trained the dogs - both have been through obedience classes and are well trained with regular obedience. [This doesn't stop chicken killing though]. I also mentioned I've spent 6 months trying to train them around the chickens, including "desensitizing" them gradually with the chickens - a process that has been done in a painstakingly slow & careful way and that I thought was becoming successful until this week.

As far as the coop/run, it *IS* "dog proof" as much as we could manage - we bought an expensive dog run which is 6 feet high chain link just to keep the dogs out. The hen house is re-enforced MDF - nothing is getting through that again I don't think. At this point we have spent almost... $1,000 ?? trying to keep the dogs away from the chickens and we are still having a problem. I don't know about the other folks on the list, but the economic downturn combined with my hours being reduced at work has meant that I didn't have that money to spend and we have reached the point where I can either keep spending money on things [like hot wiring which would be my next step I think] OR I can feed the dogs, chickens, and my children. I can't do both.

I understand people are really emotional about their dogs. We really love the lab mix [the collie has been "damaged goods" from the start and doesn't like anyone - she is an overgrown *cat* in pretty much all respects]. But we also love our chickens and I don't feel it is responsible at this point to keep both because sooner or later, another chicken is going to die - whether it escapes the coop or the dog figures out another way in. Both are *animals* and I have a responsibility to both IMO, not just to the dogs. I don't personally feel that a dog is more valuable than several chickens. [Our chickens are our pets too and they are treated as such]. I'm trying to do the best I can for both [and I *have* been working diligently for months to make it work].

I am going to look into the muzzle thing first though - that might work. Although, I also feel guilty at the idea that both dogs will spend the rest of their lives muzzled ... since dogs love using their mouths so much, it doesn't seem like a healthy situation for them either.

The Collie rescue has already said they will take the collie back as of this morning. I haven't heard from the Lab rescue.

Oh, and no way would I consider getting another puppy. If these dogs go back to their rescues, we will be "dog free" from now on. I'm not putting the chickens in any more danger.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'm sorry I upset people with my opinion about getting rid of the dogs.

Kelly

 

[amazondoc]

Quote:
I forgot that it was a lab and a collie mix. The greyhound/dober size muzzles might work for them, although they might be too big.

Look here:

http://www.ngagreyhounds.com/suppliers.asp?key=Muzzles

I use item #3009 .

While you think about that option, remember that a muzzle would NOT be forever. It's intended to keep both dogs and chickens safe while giving you time to figure out what to do long term. It would give you time to save money for electric fencing, or a shock collar, or whatever. It just gives you breathing room. And I wouldn't make them wear the muzzles while they're inside, either -- you can keep them by the door where they go out.

Good luck!

 

[LynneP]

I hope you can find a good home for the dogs, adding that dogs and cats are predators and we don't trust our near our birds. Free-range is a romantic concept here, with lonely roosters the only survivors of attacks.

Even if you rehome the dogs, keep in mind that anything you can do to beef up your predator protection will protect the birds from pets belonging to others.

 

[gypsygirl1421]

Electric Shock collar worked for me. No mercy either, I started on the highest level and rolled my SIL dog over twice with it. Now the dog quivers and runs in the house at the sight of a chicken. Its a beautiful thing after losing 3 chickens to the dog. I can't say enough good things about the old shock collar!

 

[rooster0209]

Some day I hope she will just give herself a heat stroke and drop dead as she is pacing outside the coop non-stop, but I doubt it

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She is a birddog, doing what bird dogs do...hunt birds. This dog needs training, she is not dumb or silly. The silliness comes from a lack of training and a lack of direction for the energy she has..again this is part of what she is bred to do.

Having a dog is a huge respnisiblity and training is a majority of that responisibility. It is hard to fault a bird dog, lab, labx, terrier or doxie for chasing or killig birds. It is genetics. A bit of training, exercise and direction will do wonders for these "problem" dogs. 75% of the problem dogs in shelters are dumped off there because they lacked direction; something some daily exercise & a little training would take care of.

I adopted a lab cross three years, long before I ever decided to get birds. This dog acts more like the border collie. He chased my birds. I borrowed a shock collar ( he is hard headed just like a lab). He does not chase the birds. I may have to use it again becuase he is showing a major interest in the chickens. I even have cats, who like to eat birds. Cats are hunters. I cannot fault the cat for getting a bird, guinea or chicken. So what do I do? Being responsible, I take the extra precautions and protect my birds till they are grown.​

 

[FlockEweFarm]

Quote:
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She is a birddog, doing what bird dogs do...hunt birds. This dog needs training, she is not dumb or silly. The silliness comes from a lack of training and a lack of direction for the energy she has..again this is part of what she is bred to do.

Having a dog is a huge respnisiblity and training is a majority of that responisibility. It is hard to fault a bird dog, lab, labx, terrier or doxie for chasing or killig birds. It is genetics. A bit of training, exercise and direction will do wonders for these "problem" dogs. 75% of the problem dogs in shelters are dumped off there because they lacked direction; something some daily exercise & a little training would take care of.

I adopted a lab cross three years, long before I ever decided to get birds. This dog acts more like the border collie. He chased my birds. I borrowed a shock collar ( he is hard headed just like a lab). He does not chase the birds. I may have to use it again becuase he is showing a major interest in the chickens. I even have cats, who like to eat birds. Cats are hunters. I cannot fault the cat for getting a bird, guinea or chicken. So what do I do? Being responsible, I take the extra precautions and protect my birds till they are grown.

I was venting. I do tend to project on that dog, the frustration and anger that I feel towards my irresponsible ex that I am saddled with as well as his dog.

I did not chose this dog, she was foisted upon me when my ex decided that he wanted to be a bird hunter, even though he hadnt been hunting in years and years, and now, in fact, legally cant, but that is another issue all together. I care for this animal, because if I didnt, no one would. I feed her, worm her, tend her injuries when she annoys my bloodhound to the point of insanity and I have tried to train her using non-violent methods, positive re-enforcement, negative re-enforcement, and every training method known to man that can be done. I have the uber-coop that not only keeps her out, it keeps goats and children and chickens, in. I cannot afford a shock collar right now because I am on disability due to a neurological condition, that sometimes also makes me forget to engage my self-edit switch.

I admit, I dont love the dog, but I feel sorry for her because she is the omega in yard, and she doesnt get the attention she needs, but she does get food and care and shelter, and life, and hopefully, she will get a shock collar in August when my scholarship funds, but until then, I am doing good to keep her fed and what is left of my sanity intact, considering I live with the ex, and 4 kids and the psycho dog and any time I try to go out and train my hounds, she barks at me constantly and starts fights. Giving her up would be easy, I could take her to the pound and dump her off, and tomorrow she would be dead, but that is wrong, and not the kind of thing I want to encourage in my kids. I am encouraging my oldest son to work with her, and to help me in training her, and he is starting to bond with her, so maybe there is hope, but sometimes I vent, and I project my stress in the wrong place, and I am sorry that it was such a nasty post. I am a bit of stress case right now due to some health related issues.

 

[Bren1222]

I have three dogs. A very old mutt that came to us as a stray 14 years ago, a 5 lb. yorkie, and a big Sheltie english setter mix that is aobut 8 months old.

The old mutt whom I love dearly is just too old to chase chickens and will lay around and watch the chickens. The Yorkie is too small and if he does decided to chase the chickens I just tell him no and he stops. Now the young big dog is a problem, I did consider finding him a new home but, he was here before the chickens and decided we just needed to take a lot of precautions. We secured the run and he will run around it and lay beside it just praying for a chicken to come out and play.

My chickens free range from about noon until it gets dark and only when I am home. So, the young dog gets tied up where he can't get the chickens. We give him his swimming pool to play in when it gets hot and lots of shade. On the weekends I work with him a lot but I also think he will never be able to be trusted with the chickens. It is just in his breed. I have even caught him chasing the 3 calves we have. One good kick from them and he will leave them alone for the day.

We are also thinking of getting a shock collar but I still don't think I would be comfortable leaving him alone with the chickens. I don't think he wants to kill them. He thinks of them as a great play toy and something to throw around chase after.

We got the chickens after him, he didn't ask for them. I won't give up on him because he is part of this family. We are the ones that changed things on him and now we are the ones that have to make the adjustments to make sure all of our animals are safe.

 

[turtleblossom]

She got one, and after I took it away from her and beat her with it, I tied it to her for what I had hoped would be a lesson that would cure her, it didnt, she ate it,

Wait- is anyone else disturbed by this? This is not how you train a dog! I'm not trying to be nasty, but this sounds rediculouse to me. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?​