6 Week Old Chicks and Dog

[TominWa]

My Springer is a bird dog also. I agree they are bred to be bird dogs, but my dog is bred to flush a bird & retrieve a downed bird on command. they are not bred to kill birds.

Exactly. Some dogs will kill for the sport of it. I don't think that trait can ever be truly broken. It is the instinct to chase and catch that I wonder if can ever be reliably controlled. Even with training, sometimes, yes, but instinct and breeding are powerful things. We can't blame a dog for being what it is any more than a chicken for what it is. My lab did it again last night. Weeks of patient training. I let him put his head in the coup when I was sitting in the doorway hand feeding the girls treats and you could just see his personality change. He wasn't my lovey old lay around lab who loves everything and lets kittens play on his head. He was a hunter and about to lunge. All dogs will be different I guess, I will never be able to safely leave him alone with them.

 

[RonC]

I had a beagle that kept a close eye on them to make sure they didn't get him lol. Wasn't a problem. After he passed I got another dog, chow/golden retriever mix and thought all was going to go well. Let the run open one night by accident and she had them all rounded up for me standing in the middle of the yard. Then she took it upon herself to start chasing any escapees even with me present. She finally took exception to one sticking it's head out of the run to eat grass and killed it. You could make a chicken tractor or just a base made of 2x4's with a fence around it to serve as a mobile chicken run. Remember chickens can fly although not too well. A 4 foot fence will keep them in if they don't want out.

 

[Mraya]

Okay my BackYard Chicken people,
I have a major delema, that is both heartbreaking and frustrating. (Sorry in advanced for the long post)

I have a spunky 8 year old westie terrier that has been around my chicks since week one. He had grown comfortable around them being inside in their brooder but I have made the transition to them being outdoors in their coop now. Which happens to be in my dog's backyard.

My dog loves his backyard, any day he is not able to be out in his backyard is a bad day for him.
I slowly acclimated the chicks to the yard, closely watching the dog and the chicks for a full week. My dog never seemed to have an issue with them, both just really kept to themselves and it was a very cohesive environment. I felt comfortable with my dog in the back with them because I have quite a few neighbors who let their cats roam free.

Me and my husband felt comfortable leaving the dog out with the chicks while they roamed only while we were home, checking up on them every 15-30minute. I got off work one day and went out in the back to say hi to both parties to realize my dog had one of my precious baby chicks, limp, in his mouth.

And let me tell you, I take FULL responsibility for this situation and can't describe enough how heartbreaking that moment was for me. Losing my first chick, it was like a part of myself died right then, and to know it could have been so easily avoided. I can't believe how attached you get after so few weeks of raising them.

I just want to get some thoughts from you guys on how I should go about this situation from here on out. My husband was so crushed he almost threw the dog out who we've raised since he was a pup. He doesn't want to put the chicks in harms way again knowing we can't trust the dog around them anymore. It was natural behavior for my dog so I have an understanding for it, not that I am happy with the dog at the moment.

How many of you let your ladies roam in the yard without supervision? Because now I am afraid of cats and just their overall safety. I feel overbearing protective over them now and don't know how to get rid of that feeling. I only feel comfortable when they are in their coop, but they love to scavenge the yard.

Also will my dog want the chickens even more now that he has a taste of them? Can I teach the dog that the chickens (prey animals, poor things) aren't food? Will I always have to divide their time in the yard between the two of them?

I do apologize for the overload, this situation has been a terrible one, that I wouldn't wish upon my enemies, and any reassurance or advice I can get from people who understand my situation would be so much appreciated.

I am sorry for your loss

I have 3 dogs my Jack x is the most trouble she will not leave the chicks alone she charges them when they are in the run. I have 2 rotti x's when the chicks came home I put them in the brooder and let the dogs sniff one while I was holding it. At first they snap at it I said "No" let them sniff it again and they both gave it a little lick. The male dog now couldn't care less about them, but the female guards them. This turned out to be a good thing because now she keeps the Jack x away from the run. This being said I still would not let my chickens roam free. A chicken tractor is the way for me.

Mraya