Can I Trust Him?

[angel8035]

Maybe my last sentence was a little mean (snarky me, sorry I have a migraine) but dogs view anything in their family as a part of their pack if trained right, they do not have to grow up with chickens to learn to leave them alone. Once your dog sees that your chickens are just as much family as he is, there should be no issues.

Pretty sure that most of us said that it can be done with HEAVY training. Wacking a dog in the head with a dead bird once will not cure it of chicken aggression.

 

[theoldchick]

I never give certain dogs the opportunity to be alone with with chickens.

There are dogs who get along with chickens because they have been around them all their lives and been thwarted by a gamy rooster when they were nosy pups. These dogs will treat a chicken as one of the pack. You will see them lick and nudge the chicken and follow it about. The poop treats chickens dispense are especially of interest to chicken friendly dogs. 95% of the time these dogs are wonderful guardians. The other 5% of the time is questionable because a new element has been added to the environment-another dog and then pack mentality takes over.

Then there are ones who are so well trained they will not harm a chicken when the owner is present, but will have at it when alone with any prey item-especially dogs who spend a lot of time alone with 'toys' to keep them occupied. Chickens make perfect substitutes for plastic squeaky toys.

Then there are dogs who are so cross-eyed silly that they will ignore all commands and run off to 'play' with anything that fits in their mouth.

Then there are dogs whose prey drive is so strong they can't be trusted at all.

My is advice is to know your dog. If your inner voice is telling you not to trust the dog-then don't. You have the more developed brain in this relationship, and you need to take precautions to keep every one safe.

 

[iheartnh]

I'm just of the mind that if you think hitting your dog is effective method of training, your dog is not properly trained. I suspect you and OP will disagree, and certainly it's your right to do so.

Edited to add, I'm responding to jenifry, though I'm sure it's obvious, but I see her response to me is now several posts back.

 

[redmoo]

Well, we shall see. He catches on very, very quickly, but for now, he's on probation and being carefully monitored.

It is good to hear that I may eventually be able to trust him. Thankfully, he's out helping hubby with cattle this afternoon, so the hens can roam without me monitoring the dog. Funny thing, the hens do not seem to be afraid of him. I suppose they didn't see him kill their flock mate. ??

 

[redmoo]

I'm just of the mind that if you think hitting your dog is effective method of training, your dog is not properly trained. I suspect you and OP will disagree, and certainly it's your right to do so.

Edited to add, I'm responding to jenifry, though I'm sure it's obvious, but I see her response to me is now several posts back.

Wait a second. I think you misunderstood. I don't think anyone said that hitting a dog is an effecive method of training! However, whacking him over the head with the dead chicken seemed like an effective way to let him know I was angry with him about the chicken. Trust me, he got the message loud and clear.

 

[iheartnh]

Wait a second. I think you misunderstood. I don't think anyone said that hitting a dog is an effecive method of training! However, whacking him over the head with the dead chicken seemed like an effective way to let him know I was angry with him about the chicken. Trust me, he got the message loud and clear.

I didn't misunderstand. You just said - again - whacking him seemed like an effective way to let him know you were angry about the chicken. If you think he got the message, that's fine, but it doesn't change your method - you hit him in an attempt to modify his behavior. I've been training dogs for 15 years, I've heard every excuse under the sun for hitting a dog, and every single one of those dog owners had a poorly trained dog.

That's my last comment on this, because as I said before, you are free to disagree with me - I just wanted to be clear, I didn't misunderstand anything.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I have a Australian Shepard and a Border Collie that did not grow up with chickens but know the leave it command. I spent a lot of time training them basic commands while growing up. It has payed off ten fold.They even let the chickens eat out of their food bowls. This past winter a squirrel was trying to run thru the deep snow my Aussie ran and jumped on it, I yelled no leave it . He stood up, squirrel between his feet and walked back to me. The squirrel ran off unharmed. Such a good boy

 

[redmoo]

I didn't misunderstand. You just said - again - whacking him seemed like an effective way to let him know you were angry about the chicken. If you think he got the message, that's fine, but it doesn't change your method - you hit him in an attempt to modify his behavior. I've been training dogs for 15 years, I've heard every excuse under the sun for hitting a dog, and every single one of those dog owners had a poorly trained dog.

That's my last comment on this, because as I said before, you are free to disagree with me - I just wanted to be clear, I didn't misunderstand anything.

okey dokey. Thank you.

 

[redmoo]

I have a Australian Shepard and a Border Collie that did not grow up with chickens but know the leave it command. I spent a lot of time training them basic commands while growing up. It has payed off ten fold.They even let the chickens eat out of their food bowls. This past winter a squirrel was trying to run thru the deep snow my Aussie ran and jumped on it, I yelled no leave it . He stood up, squirrel between his feet and walked back to me. The squirrel ran off unharmed. Such a good boy

He is a good boy!

 

[redmoo]

Hi everyone! I thought I'd give you an update on my dog with the chickens. It's been a little over a month since he killed a hen and got whopped over the head with the dead hen in a garbage bag. (I know, mean, mean owner)

Since then, we have watched him carefully and we scold him anytime he shows interest in the chickens. However, the scolding was only necessary for a few days. He does not bother the chickens and even allows them to drink out of his water dish. He enjoys helping me "herd" them into their house if I need to put them to bed early. He is a dog that likes to have "jobs," so he's always eager to complete a task and receive his praise. He is very territorial and I think he considers the chickens "his" now because he will bark at anyone other than my husband or I who approaches "his" chickens or their house.

Next, I would like to teach him to keep the chickens off the front and back porches. Why do my chickens insist on getting on my porches and pooping when they have acres of grass to run around on? Ticks me off.

My dog knows that cows are not allowed in the yard, so if there is a gate open to the yard, he is supposed to run them out. Hopefully, it won't be hard to teach him that "his" chickens are not allowed on the porches. Wish me luck!

Do I trust him 100%? Nope. Not yet.