Chicken Killing Family Dog

[dchickenman]

silkydragon, I think that has to be one of the longest sentences I've ever seen!

 

[nittanyxi]

Make the chicken coop predator proof, make them a run and keep the dog. Someone earlier suggested getting a kennel and keeping the dog in that and letting the chickens free range. The dog needs to free range more than the chickens. cage the birds free the dog.

 

[schellie69]

You owe the dog and chickens the same kind of care the dog did not know that the chickens where not for then to play with and kill. I have worked hard with my dogs I have a beagle mix that I will not leave out side with the chickens but my other 4 dogs are fine with the chickens okay so the chickens are bigger then 3 of my dogs but they do not bother the babies when I had them in the house when I tell my beagle mix that something is a baby he is very protective and will not let anything hurt it so that works with him I think training is in order try with out the shock collar first by using a leash and giving clear instruction "leave it" "no" we use leave it with our dogs and they all know when anyone say's leave it they leave it I think you have some hard work ahead of you but I think you owe it to yourself your family and your pets to do the work it takes I would never leave that dog unattended around chickens again no matter how well he/she acts. good luck.

 

[chickencoop13]

Quote:
me to!!

 

[Warfrost]

Quote:
I'm sorry but that's a bit harsh. I have to seriously question any advice coming from someone who makes it sound like they believe ANY pet is as disposable as a used trash bag. Training should always be attempted, and after some time, if it has not been successful, rehoming a dog(that sounds like it could be a great pet in every other respect) is a good idea. Dogs are dogs, if he hasn't been taught not to attack the chickens then how can he expected to go against his nature without being taught?

 

[laughaha]

Training CAN correct the behavior for the most part but I wouldn't ever leave the dog and chickens together unsupervised, even after training. Angel- rot/dobe is now 10 and great with other animals that are mine. I can call her off of almost anything. When I got her (9 years ago) she was pretty much a super dominant very animal aggressive teenager. With ALOT of consistent training over the years she has gotten alot better. I still won't leave her alone with my chickens. I think that would just be asking for trouble.

Shock collars work but only if used properly. Definitely make sure none of your kids get ahold of the remote. If used incorrectly you can ruin a great dog. My suggestion is to take the dog to obedience classes and practice practice practice.

Why not keep the chickens penned up until about an hour or so before dusk? They can freerange for about an hour every day and while they are freeranging lock the dog up until your girls are back in their coop at night.

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

Quote:
I'm sorry but that's a bit harsh. I have to seriously question any advice coming from someone who makes it sound like they believe ANY pet is as disposable as a used trash bag. Training should always be attempted, and after some time, if it has not been successful, rehoming a dog(that sounds like it could be a great pet in every other respect) is a good idea. Dogs are dogs, if he hasn't been taught not to attack the chickens then how can he expected to go against his nature without being taught?

Did you see anywhere that I compaired a dog to a trash bag? Getting rid of the dog includes rehoming it. If you thought I was telling the OP to grab a shovel and a gun, I think you need to stop jumping to conclusions. I guess I have to remember that some people are always looking for the worst in others so they can feel better about themselves. I will try and spell it out in detail next time.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

i hear shock collars work really well on chicken killers

 

[chocolate m'scovy]

Quote:
I can vouch for that.

 

[lilblessings5]

It sounds like you no longer trust the dog. The biggest issue is if he is a liability around children. An aggressive dog can hurt a child very quickly. If it were me the first sign of aggression and the dog is gone. BUT, you do have to keep things in perspective. I think on the proverbial food chain a dog ranks higher then a chicken and if you love the dog then maybe it's a training issue...Good luck I hope you work it out...

Trust issue is a BIG factor. My husband's family had a dog when he was about 8 or 9- that dog took to killing small calves that were born to their cows. The dog would dig around the fence and then drag the calf underneath it. The first time it happened they tried to "train" him. Then it happened again. They tried to build better fences/etc. Well- it wasn't shortly there afterwards that my husband (a boy at the time) was walking across the barn yard to the house and the dog got between him and the house and would not let him pass. It then became a trust issue and the ended up getting rid of the dog.

Flash forward 30+ years. Our dog took to killing chickens this winter. The first one he killed when the chicken escaped his run and I didn't realize it. I forgave the dog...but we started watching him more often, putting him on the chain if the chickens were outside etc. Well, On Christmas day I forgot and let the chickens out into their Inclosed run- I went out later in the day as it got colder to close up the coop and the dog was sitting inside the coop. My heart sank. He had killed 2 birds and injured another. ( later I found out he took at 3rd bird and buryed it behind the shed. We did many of the things other's have suggested and put the dog in the barn when we weren't with him. The first day we let him to roam freely as he used too we watched him from the house- The Chicken coop was closed up tight, with all the chickens inside. The dog paced back and forth, back and forth around that shed. we watched as he stood up on his hind legs and tried to use his front legs to open the gate to get inside. He didn't stop - he went and sniffed at the door and scratched at the door- trying to get to my chickens.
Its been said that once they get the taste of blood they crave it and want more- --- if the dog can't be trusted, I see no reason to feel obligated to keeping it around. ESPECIALLY if you have small children ( our youngest was 2 at the time)

Unfortunatly- the dog we had loved for over 10 years ( he was almost 15 years old) had to go.

I hope you have better luck then we did.​