Bad Dogs! *big frown*

[woodmort]

I'm sorry you had that happen and learn the lesson the hard way--dogs can't be trusted around chickens, rabbits and small prey. I've had 2 English Springers, a Golden, cockapoo, Wiemaraner, and Heinz-57 mutt while my daughter has had a Doberman mix and a corgi. All were fairly well trained animals--my daughter even wrote a dog training book--but none and I mean NONE were allowed near chickens supervised or otherwise. If the chickens weren't behind wire the dogs were leashed, in the house or tied. For some reason, all a chicken has to do is act like prey and the most mild mannered, best trained dog will go nuts--some quicker than others but all will.

 

[serena763]

The dogs fooled me with their great behavior all this time...until now...I was so nieve!! RIP My little roo's!

 

[saxet]

I second those who say that
A. wearing the dead birds is an old wives tale.
B. The best behaved dogs, can fall for the "I'm dinner" dance that small animals like chickens are capable of. With you not there to put a stop to it, it just got out of hand.
I am sorry for your loss, but a kennel when you are not there sounds like a great solution. Also safer for the FedEx man who pulls up when you're not there, and kicks at your dogs (because he is afraid of them) and then gets nailed, with you liable because he will, of course, never admit to his instigating.

 

[Cetawin]

I am so sorry. GSD are very smart...they know it is not acceptable to play with the birdies while you are there but since you were gone...playtime.

Dogs kill playing with them like they are flapping chew toys or squeaky toys. When one stops flapping or squeaking then they must play with another one. and on and on it goes.

Without training, training collars and security for the birds, there is no stopping it from happening.


saxet...the wearing dead chickens is NOT a wives tale. My grandfather did it to my black and tan coonhound and it worked. He tied her to a tree, tied the chicken around her neck and left it on over a week in the the summer heat of Florida. It was rancid and she was whining and whining. When he took what was left of the rotted bird off of her, she would run from a chicken. She never got within 5 feet of chicken in the next 9 years of her life. She had killed about 8 of them when grandfather decided to try it.

But the key is having the chicken tied so well and close to them that they cannot get away from the horrid rotting smell which to a dog's sensitive nose is brutal.

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

you sure if its your dogs faults in all the fights ive broken up between dogs and roos the roos started it and when one roo starts a fight more come to help it i wouldnt nesicarily blame the dog my dog finally snaped one day after bbeing attacked all the time and tryed to kill the roo

 

[Gracie9205]

I have a GSD myself, and if she is a perfect angel around the birds when I am outside. If left alone though she WILL kill a chicken. As soon as one makes any sudden movement you can see this switch flip in her head, and she goes into predator mode. The dogs have a very large run, so we installed a hotwire around the top and bottom and they have all that space to themselves. Haven't had a problem since! She still gets to roam the yard when I am supervising though, and now the chickens get to free range. I have always said though, ONCE A CHICKEN KILLER, ALWAYS A CHICKEN KILLER! She will never be trusted around the birds!