are your dogs and chicken friends

[FatherofFlowers]

My dog is a small mix breed. She was raised along side my chickens since I got her home as tiny puppy.

For 2 years she was great with the chickens and the chickens even would perch on her back to go to sleep in the sun! I used to leave them all together during the day when I was at work - all free range in the garden. The dog protected them from cats and other animals.

But one day I cam home to find she had killed 2 chickens and was chasing the others around the garden. She was like a different dog. I have no ideas what made her 'snap'.

Since that day she was always wanting to get the chickens. I had to lock the chickens in a run - but the dog would pace up and down and try to rip out the wire to get in to them.

I thought I would have to re home the dog - which I was very upset about.

But I put in lots of training - throwing water on her every time she showed interest in the chickens or got to close to them. It was slow going. One day a hen got out of the run and i was right there to see my dog grab it - I freaked out and grabbed the dog by the scruff and shouted at her and shook her onto her back. My dog is very sensitive and I have never done anything like that before. After that time she has never bothered the chickens again!

This was 3 years ago and now dog and chickens are all happy together again - just like the old days. But I always lock the chickens back into their run if I have to go out - just to be safe.

I like to advise people that even the most well behaved dog can suddenly change if something triggers their instincts - so be careful.

Most likely a squabble broke out and it clicked in her hard wiring of what a dog is supposed to do in that situation (natural instinct for most, be it for prey or even other dogs, is to attack what's fighting). Even the best trained therapy and work dogs can get this response tripped, and it's incredibly hard to unlearn something like that once they've gone in that direction.

While I know you didn't mean to go the route of rolling (aka putting her on her back) and it's an understandable response in that situation, I want to point out to anyone else on here that rolling's a bad idea. It can make the situation much worse and can cause underlying (or obvious) fear and even aggression in the long run to either the situation/object, or the handler.

It's good to hear she chilled back out We have to manage our three with our chickens as well - if the dogs are out, the chicks are in their tractor. If the chickens are out, the dogs are inside.

 

[Moonkit]

I have a Husky X Greyhound

talk about stubborn and prey driven!

That's because for most herding breeds.... the highly regarded and coveted "herding instinct" is really just a modified prey drive.. they have the impluse to chase and corner.. but not actually kill. Now, that's not to say you won't get the occasional killer in an untrained dog, but it lowers the percentage. Particularly in dogs like my Diamond who has a high prey drive, but also intelligence and willingness to learn.

Your dog is hit with a double-whammy.. Husky's were bred to pull.. basically beasts of burden.. in their evolution, there was little consideration given to the prey drive to modify it. If anything, it was left to be in the event that the musher had to let the dogs find their own food. As for the grey hound.. their prey instinct was heightened. Every gene in them from attitude, to intelligence, to the shape of their body is geared to hunt down the creature of their master's choice (usually small rodents/vermin like rabbits or fox). Since at the time, the following masters weren't really carrying weapons.. it was up to the dogs to kill what they caught.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

That's because for most herding breeds.... the highly regarded and coveted "herding instinct" is really just a modified prey drive.. they have the impluse to chase and corner.. but not actually kill. Now, that's not to say you won't get the occasional killer in an untrained dog, but it lowers the percentage. Particularly in dogs like my Diamond who has a high prey drive, but also intelligence and willingness to learn.

Your dog is hit with a double-whammy.. Husky's were bred to pull.. basically beasts of burden.. in their evolution, there was little consideration given to the prey drive to modify it. If anything, it was left to be in the event that the musher had to let the dogs find their own food. As for the grey hound.. their prey instinct was heightened. Every gene in them from attitude, to intelligence, to the shape of their body is geared to hunt down the creature of their master's choice (usually small rodents/vermin like rabbits or fox). Since at the time, the following masters weren't really carrying weapons.. it was up to the dogs to kill what they caught.

which makes it so surprising she is actually good with the chickens! Now an unsuspecting chipmunk would probably be a different story, though she never seems to want to hurt anything, just play with it. She is extremely playful. My friend's Lhasa is awful with small animals, including her own, and I would never trust her around the chickens.

 

[rendezvous1838]

Chicken nugget tells them who's boss!



We seem to have a black and yellow theme around this outfit.

 

[missnu01]

I have a Yorkie poo that gets jealous when the chicks get attention so he comes over and lays down in the middle of them. Then we have a mixed mutt puppy that doesn't pay them too much attention but perks his wars when they are flapping around. He chases our adult chickens, not for meanness but for sport. When they stop running he chases one that will run. I don't worry about him hurting them, but here is my issue. I don't know if the chicks want to play with the dogs, but when I have a few chicks on the couch for play time and one of the dogs walks by the chicks start taking flying leaps and trying to land on the dogs...what is that? I mean it seems like the opposite of self preservation...ohhh let's just pounce this large toothy creature that usually ignores me.
The ducks love my Yorkie poo, they find his scraggly hair to be delicious.

I now have Chase ( the mutt puppy) to where he can walk outside amongst the chickens and not chase them...when he gets that I'm going to chase these things look in his eyes I tell him no. Me saying no got meaning when we bought a shock collar. It's great for no training. Now when I say come he does...and when I say no he stop whatever he is doing...no yelling or what not needed. He hasn't even worn the collar except maybe 3 times. I needed something that would get his attention when he was not right beside me...so I can correct him up to 400 yards away. Which means anywhere he is near out house I can make him stop whatever he is doing...
Some people might think its mean, but I guess they are better at training dogs than I am. I mean he knows all the commands, sit lay down, stay all that...but when I would tell him no or stop he would just keep right on...so I did what I knew would work. And it did. I have authority and pull now

 

[PekinBantam]

My black lab, Gypsy, is such a sweetheart. She loves the chickens and is always gentle with the chicks. But my Rottweiler, Roxy, is the opposite. My dad hates it when the chickens go under the house, so he trained Roxy to chase them. She goes overboard sometimes, stalking and hunting them even when they're far from the house.... I try to make her stop, but it's useless. At least Gypsy is good to them.

 

[dwegz]

My Lena has always been good with my girls. I think the babies imprinted on her. They thought she was their mama.

 

[mcurry]

My 6 yr old Boston Terrier had been very curious, but calm with our chicks up until yesterday. He would sit there & stare in excitement, but that was it. Out of the blue he lunged at the one in my hand & tried (failed thankfully) to take a snip at her. I was so upset. He is "in the dog house" with mom now. I had really hoped he wouldn't be like that.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

well My Dog LOVES my chickens, especially chicks. But I'm not to sure my girls can put up with him for to long as sex-links will turn around and give him a peck, also my broody's will give him a chase.lol.

Here are some pictures!!!

Hmmm...Naughty dog what have you been up to??


2 Marans getting in his personal space!


Couldn't keep his eyes of my Wyandottes when I first got them.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

My 6 yr old Boston Terrier had been very curious, but calm with our chicks up until yesterday. He would sit there & stare in excitement, but that was it. Out of the blue he lunged at the one in my hand & tried (failed thankfully) to take a snip at her. I was so upset. He is "in the dog house" with mom now. I had really hoped he wouldn't be like that.

it happens, just work with him on it, let him know that is not acceptable.