Aaarrrgghhhh...my GP puppy turned predator!

[Bizzybirdy]

Bought this purebred Great Pyrenees girl about 2 1/2 months ago to guard my animals. She is now about 6 months of age and she has done great with my cats, horses, geese, ducks and even a few free ranging chickens up until now.[/i]

She just came bounding into the front yard with one of my handraised full grown (just killed) White Rock hens.

Sad thing is I think she has killed several others that were free ranging and roosting in the barn. Will know this evening. Am so upset. I grew up with a Great Pyrenees and my mother's banties slept with her.

Anyway...I guess I will try to find this one a good home and go back to nightly patrols with my trusty 20g. Am too old to spend more time trying to retrain her

...and none of the dogs I have owned that killed chickens could be trained not to.

 

[ChickenCat]

A neighbor has a GP, he bought to protect his sheep. the dog spent more time in the middle of the road that with the sheep. This dog had no inclination to protect, only wander. I noticed this spring when lambing was taking place, the dog was chained inside the yard area with the ewes. Not that he'd hurt them, just to keep him close in case the coyotes came in. I believe the GP have been over bred just like several other dog breeds due to populatrity and lost a lot of it's instincts.

 

[clhbubba]

We had ours for 2 years. He killed a few chickens as a youth but grew out of it as he got older. Then out of the blue he started killing our ducks. He now lives on a sheep farm...with no fowl. It broke our hearts and we have since lost a couple of chickens to possums. Very frustrating. I'm sorry.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Thanks for the posts. Now I do not feel like the Lone Ranger. Am so disgusted. I thought I really had her trained well, she had everything to keep her busy. Lots of toys, chew things, an old boot...she would swim in the pond. At first she was chasing the geese but then after much yelling, she just would leave them and jump into the pond. This morning she had an extra can of dog food.

I wacked her a couple times with the poor hen she killed and put her in the pen...is where she will stay for the next few days. I found a roo killed in the barn 2 eays ago but thought it was from a fight with another rooster as he was dead in one of the horse stalls....but he had never fought with the other roo up there. Am also looking to see if my other free ranging rooster is ok.

Am too old to wait and see if she "outgrows" this. I got her to guard my chickens, not kill them. She is a nice, friendly, playful dog otherwise...grew up with her parents in a goat barn so maybe that is what she is meant to guard.

 

[MandyH]

We just had to rehome our 6 bmonth old GP. BUT in her defense she was plucked out of a 10x10 dog kennel with No guarding experience and then plopped into a 4 acre pasture. She did good for a few weeks, then it went BAD. She did good with the sheep and all, but was a chicken/turkey killer. We have a new pup ordered that was born last week, so hopefully after she's weened, we can start her out on the right path.

 

[gypsy2621]

I hate to be a downer here but no 6 month old puppy is fully trained, unless thats what they were brought up from the begining to do.
If she was guarding goats with the mother, then thats what she knows for now.
I would suggest more training with the chickens, or as you mentioned rehoming her.
Its sad to have to rehome her I am sure she has the potential to be a great chicken guard if you are willing to finish her training.

 

[Le Canard de Barbarie]

Quote:
Not every LGD works out as evidenced by this study:

http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/lgd-l/usda588.htm

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I got her as an 8 week old puppy and have been "training" her. That is why I was surprised that she killed one of the hens running loose since she has been around lots of them and not attempted anything foolish. Of course I had been around most of the time and just started to let her roam the property by herself.

She has been in her pen (it is a large pen) with the poor dead chicken since it happened..over 24 hours ago. She actually slept next to it and made no attempt to maul it again or eat it so that was a plus. I removed it this evening and let her run up to the barn with me and she was her usual happy self.

I will be watching her more carefully and will see what happens. Last chance. I went through this with other dogs..will not have my chickens slaughtered by my own dog.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Anyway...I guess I will try to find this one a good home and go back to nightly patrols with my trusty 20g. Am too old to spend more time trying to retrain her ...and none of the dogs I have owned that killed chickens could be trained not to

A couple of sessions with a shock collar will probably solve the problem​

 

[Brindlebtch]

Shock collars are wonderful things.