I think lots of folks have already posted great advice. The biggest thing about dogs is they are pack animals. Period. No time with the pack, they are stressed and exhibit "bad" behaviors (barking, digging, escaping, etc.) Your dog has a strong prey drive. Your dog has long hair and will be large. Either your family will have time enough to spend with her outside the home, playing and running (as dogs on farms and ranches have people, animals and space enough to be a "pack") or you don't and she needs to be inside for a few hours each day to interact with others.
I'm a veterinarian, and I've twice had dogs brought in dead from their tie lines. Both dogs had been on them for years, and the owners never knew what happened the day the dogs hung themselves, probably jumping at a bird or small animal. Very, horribly sad.
You had your birds before the dog, and while a shock collar will undoubtedly go a long way toward deterring her, you can never be *absolutely* sure that she won't go for a bird again.
Unless the dog can be involved with the family for many hours each day, and the birds and dog be safe, I would find this great dog a new home. You have all obviously cared for her well, she is a nice dog and with her personality and energy would be a wonderful pet for another family. I foster many, many animals and there are sometimes tears from my kiddos when we let the really special ones go, but some pets are just not a good fit for our family.
Maybe making a pro vs con list of keeping the dog, and how to keep the dog, could help clarify your family's plans regarding what to do about her. Think about what your see your family doing with the dog and your other pets in five years, sometimes that helps people make decisions about things like fencing, training, etc.
Good luck! It can be so stressful to integrate species. My rabbits live in a giant outdoor Fort Knox to protect them from my dog and still give them lots of room to run and dig. (Interestingly, this dog is afraid of the chickens, but would kill the rabbits in a second.)
I'm a veterinarian, and I've twice had dogs brought in dead from their tie lines. Both dogs had been on them for years, and the owners never knew what happened the day the dogs hung themselves, probably jumping at a bird or small animal. Very, horribly sad.
You had your birds before the dog, and while a shock collar will undoubtedly go a long way toward deterring her, you can never be *absolutely* sure that she won't go for a bird again.
Unless the dog can be involved with the family for many hours each day, and the birds and dog be safe, I would find this great dog a new home. You have all obviously cared for her well, she is a nice dog and with her personality and energy would be a wonderful pet for another family. I foster many, many animals and there are sometimes tears from my kiddos when we let the really special ones go, but some pets are just not a good fit for our family.
Maybe making a pro vs con list of keeping the dog, and how to keep the dog, could help clarify your family's plans regarding what to do about her. Think about what your see your family doing with the dog and your other pets in five years, sometimes that helps people make decisions about things like fencing, training, etc.
Good luck! It can be so stressful to integrate species. My rabbits live in a giant outdoor Fort Knox to protect them from my dog and still give them lots of room to run and dig. (Interestingly, this dog is afraid of the chickens, but would kill the rabbits in a second.)
