Bad Dogs! *big frown*

[serena763]

I'm not sure what got into my dog(s)?! I have 2 German Shepherds that have never been aggressive towards my chickens or bothered them. Many have escaped the coop and they never harmed them or even tried! I'm so confused?!

I left a few roosters out of the pen to free range and the few hours I was home everyone was getting along just fine. I had to go to work for a few hours and when I returned all of the roosters were dead. I do not think it was my older male GS b/c he did not give me the "I'm in trouble" look when I walked into the back yard BUT my female DID....I was furious!! Why?!?! Maybe she was mad I left and that was my punishment?? She's always been so sweet to them!!?? I currently tied a dead chicken to each of them just b/c I wasn't sure if she was the sole culprit or not. How long should I make them wear it? And any ideas as to why she/he would suddenly kill them after all this time?! I guess I'm just very shocked...

 

[noodleroo]

I'm so sorry. Dogs are predators and especially when there's more than one, the predator instinct can kick in. It may never happen again, but your best bet is to make sure the dogs and chickens do not interact unsupervised. My collie and the chickens get along great too, but I know that no matter how well trained she is, something could happen.

 

[swimmer]

So sorry about your roosters. My goldendoodle is very well behaved around my girls. But I'm sure things would change given the chance.
Not sure on what to say on how long to make them where the roosters. I'm sure some dogs would think that was fun.

 

[huntercf]

Dogs are unpredictable around other animals (especially chickens), we have two small dogs (chihuahua and sheltie/pomeranian). The chihuahua was fine around the chickens after some training but when I got 2 new chickens they ran from him and his instinct kicked in, he didn't try to kill them but he did chase them and then the other chickens went nuts and ran from him so he chased them. This happened after having the chickens for a year. You just don't know what will set them off. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Lorije1]

I'm sorry for your losses.....

Personally I think the hanging dead chickens around the neck is an old wives tale... we did it to our dog when I was a kid and she acted like she had a fancy perfume bottle with her.

My Lab is great with my chickens if he knows I am around, even in the house. I went to work one night, Roo flew out of the backyard into the big yard and my dog nailed him. Predator / prey. (fortunately my roo lived through it)

 

[bobbi-j]

I think dogs are like kids. One at a time, they're trainable and well-behaved. Get two or more together, and they forget everything you've taught them. We have one dog - a lab - and he's 100% trustworthy with my birds. Whenever there's a ruckus, he goes to check it out. He won't even let the roosters mount the hens while he's around. He chases them off (does that make my dog the head roo?) But I don't know that I would entirely trust him if we got another dog. We had my DS's dog visit earlier this summer, but the dogs weren't allowed to be by the birds unsupervised. Lots of time, patience and training will help. Hanging the dead chickens - we did that once with a different dog and he never touched them again. We left it there for 2 days. It was an outside dog....

 

[CheshieChick13]

I feel your pain.....similar situation happened to me today

It's terrible when its one of your own dogs who did the deed.
The dog of ours that killed my chicks today still had feathers in her teeth; not that her "Uh-Oh, I'm in trouble" look didn't already give her away.

I'm so sorry for your loss

~Steph

 

[serena763]

THank you everyone! I will be sure never to leave them alone again. Lesson learned!

I guess the only good that came out of it is my overflow of roosters is a little less now and everyone in the hen house is getting along a bit better.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

so sorry. I have two dogs and they are great with the birds but when I start to chase the birds they want to do it to. I have noticed that alone they will not but when they are together they egg each other on. It is only when im not home so dogs go in or chickens do.
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[moetrout]

Make them where those heads until they are good and rotten! My dad did this to 2 different dogs we had when I was growing up and it seemed to work.