Ahhhhhhhh!!!!! Dog Incident...

[BriteChicken]

Okay so last night I had an incident with my 1 yo GD

and all my brother's jokes flashed before my eyes! I was showing her the chicks holding one at a time in my hand and letting her sniff/ see them. Well I looked at the other chicks in the brooder for one second and Chomp!!! just lunges for the chick in my hand and puts my hand in her mouth

of course I shout NO! and whack her and she immediately lets go but still I thought I was introducing them okay! Waahhh! she was getting pretty good but still didn't trust her of course probably never will now

Anyone have any advise I've been beating myself up all night/morning

and debated posting but obviously I need some help so I'm asking...

An hour earlier he was joking that they were getting bigger and had graduated from nugget to tender size making them more optimum for Sadie's big mouth (All the better for her to eat my little pretties

) and I finally laughed this time and joked along until then I always gasped and said "Ryan that's horrible!" even if it was a little funny.

 

[TeamChaos]

I'm new to chickens too, so this isn't sage advice but rather a post to say "I feel your fear!". Yesterday, I had my 7 week old chickens out in our old dog run and had my two great big, well behaved dogs hanging out in the yard with me. I realized I forgot to drop off some papers and I asked my husband if the ladies could stay out in the enclosure while I ran my errand- Hubby said sure and when I pulled back in the drive way, I saw Jack, my mutt, standing in the enclosure. "Where are the ladies?" I asked my husband as I rushed by, "oh, in the pen"-

I tried not to act excited or worried when I walked in the pen, didn't yell at the dog either, just started calmly counting chickens- all of the ladies were present and accounted for, Jack had eaten all of their scrambled egg treats though. *whew* I thought, that could have been bad. Just as I'm thinking that, Jack play bows and tries to get a barred rock to play with him, when it runs away, he snaps two feathers off it's butt.

I escorted him out of the kennel and went back in to check my chickens- everyone seemed fine except me. I really truly think that even the friendliest and most well trained dogs are too excited by chicken flapping to be allowed in close quarters with the chickens- my dogs are already used to having to heel when we walk past the horses and the neighbor's cows, that will have to be our chicken approach too- next to my leg, no wandering eyes..

Best of luck, the most common theme I've found in all of the dog/chicken discussions I've read has been dog owners completely heartbroken because their "good, trained, trustworthy" dog just ate all of their feathered friends!

 

[cuckoo_orpington13]

My dog sniffs them but she never has snapped at one unless they peck her. Sorry that your chick got snatched.

 

[BriteChicken]

Thanks for the condolences but the Chick is actually okay you see she was in my hand when sadie went for her and she had the common sense to duck her little head into my hand to so all Sadie got was a spanking for the incident and the chick went back in the brooder without a scratch we were just a little frazzled. And Sadie immediately knew she had done bad so she went all submissive and belly up I WON"T be looking away while they are in close quarters again trust me I won't trust her again!

 

[churchx3]

I am also new to chicks but have realized quickly that dogs and chicks and goats really do not mix. My yellow lab female has snapped, chased, etc every chance she got. I have tried the introduction but bottom line is dogs, chickens, goats do not mix well. My lab is 7 years old and she was there first so I try to respect that, but gone are my hopes of all coexisting peacefully...I believe it is just a dogs nature to chase, catch, etc. She might not intend to kill them but just catching them can do enough damage when it is a 70 lb dog. Better to be safe and keep thenm separated. I just put my dogs up on the porch when I want the chickens/goats to run free for a bit.

 

[BriteChicken]

That's actually what I was planning and trust me I know that my 1 yo 100Ib Great Dane could be destructive it given the chance but she won't be... I'm gonna get my brother if he makes anymore jokes like that!!!

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

Last year when our girls were still fairly young, we had started letting them out to free range. Our dogs seemed fine, we'd watched them closely several times and they never did so much as sniff at them. Then one day, my 1/2 golden retriever/ 1/2 lab came trotting up with half a chicken in his mouth.

He was scolded and we didn't let the girls out with the dogs for several weeks, til they were bigger. I can say thankfully that was the last incident we had with our dogs, though now that we have small chicks again, I'll be very cautious til they're full grown.

 

[BriteChicken]

Aw! I'm sorry Jo ann! Sadie's excitement just got the best of her and I don't blame her but she has to learn her wanting to eat the chicks is BAD I closely monitor her around them and just looked away for 1 second thankfully the chick wasn't hurt...

 

[Davaroo]

Man I feel you. I've been there, my own dogs the villain. You have my utmost sympathies.

Many people will tell you about training your dogs, and about how dogs and chickens can coexist - "everybody happy beneath Gods Great Sky," etc.

I tried it. And like I did, you can cling to that belief. I only hope that the ugly truth never comes out:

Dogs and chickens are not meant to co-exist. The one is predator, the other prey. Instincts can be subverted, and all may seem well to our eyes. But dont be fooled - the dog is still a dog and remains subject to his appetites. He and the chicken are best kept apart.

Many people will disagree and still others will say their dog is an angel. They always do.
And then next week, another dog victim story will appear.

About all I can offer to them, and to you, is do not trust the dog to be what you want.
Trust that he will remain a dog and accept him - with that in mind.

Then act accordingly.

 

[ranchhand]

I have to agree with Davaroo on this one. Dogs and chickens may appear to get along, but it's often just a matter of time until things go wrong.

I never let my dogs and chickens near each other, and it brings me peace of mind.