Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[smyers32]

She sounds like she has potential to me! She just needs to really get trained on wanting to please you....I'd put in some good training time with food reward, aversion training on the chickens, basic commands over and over until she anticipates what you want. She sounds smart enough, just needs a job to do...give her one!

I don't think I could ever trust her with the chickens. I've never seen a dog like her, she has a crazy switch and once it's flipped it's nearly impossible to turn her off. I believe she was bred from fighting stock and she just has a TON of gameness. Ironically, she's not the least bit dog or human aggressive, super friendly to every dog/person she's ever met. My old dobie gets really nasty with her sometimes and she never retaliates. But boy when she gets focused on something I believe you could harpoon her and she honestly wouldn't even notice. Seriously obsessive behavior, it's weird. I plan to really buckle down and work with her, she really is very smart, but very hard to keep her attention. She's just now around a year old so I'm hoping she'll start to mellow soon-ish and she really does need some more consistent work. I've been lazy with her training because my other 2 dogs are so good and she will just hang with them 98% of the time and stay out of trouble. But if something catches her eye, she is blind and def to everything else on earth.

 

[Beekissed]

Pit Bull?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't think I could ever trust her with the chickens. I've never seen a dog like her, she has a crazy switch and once it's flipped it's nearly impossible to turn her off. I believe she was bred from fighting stock and she just has a TON of gameness. Ironically, she's not the least bit dog or human aggressive, super friendly to every dog/person she's ever met. My old dobie gets really nasty with her sometimes and she never retaliates. But boy when she gets focused on something I believe you could harpoon her and she honestly wouldn't even notice. Seriously obsessive behavior, it's weird. I plan to really buckle down and work with her, she really is very smart, but very hard to keep her attention. She's just now around a year old so I'm hoping she'll start to mellow soon-ish and she really does need some more consistent work. I've been lazy with her training because my other 2 dogs are so good and she will just hang with them 98% of the time and stay out of trouble. But if something catches her eye, she is blind and def to everything else on earth.

What happened to the pot bellied pig?

 

[smyers32]

Pit Bull?

Yes, and I always hesitate to say in a mixed crowd, because it always brings negative comments from the ignorant masses that buy the media hype and often don't understand dog behavior. It's a topic I feel very strongly about! Even though she is the first pit I've owned myself, I've known many (around 2 dozen at least) pitbulls and they have always been incredibly nice dogs. Very smart, very laidback, very eager to please, a few more dog-aggressive than others, but none that were bad dogs. I know they have high prey drive, but shoot so does my ancient dobie, I can't count on both hands all the things she's killed over the years. The dobie is just really easy to turn on and off. I've never seen a dog get so obsessively focused on things the way this young girl does. I've seen similar craziness in several JRTs, must be a terrier thing....

 

[IAFarmGirl]

....But boy when she gets focused on something I believe you could harpoon her and she honestly wouldn't even notice. Seriously obsessive behavior......

This sounds very much like my border collies. They can REALLY focus and it is very difficult to break that focus. Training will very much help to channel that behavior. They are very brilliant dogs and it is amazing how quickly they learn things. One of mine has things down pat with just a couple training days and the other it will take about a week to lock onto the training. Once they have it though there is almost nothing that will draw them into doing something against that training.

Mostly it sounds to me like she NEEDS a job so that she stays out of trouble. I think you could have a top of the line LGD right there with some work on her training.

 

[smyers32]

What happened to the pot bellied pig?

The pig wasn't hurt. a couple little nicks on her lil piggy nose, but nothing serious. Her owner came and got her. This is the 3rd time the pig has traveled almost 2 miles to our house. Owner says the pig loves horses!

 

[smyers32]

This sounds very much like my border collies. They can REALLY focus and it is very difficult to break that focus. Training will very much help to channel that behavior. They are very brilliant dogs and it is amazing how quickly they learn things. One of mine has things down pat with just a couple training days and the other it will take about a week to lock onto the training. Once they have it though there is almost nothing that will draw them into doing something against that training.

Mostly it sounds to me like she NEEDS a job so that she stays out of trouble. I think you could have a top of the line LGD right there with some work on her training.

She really does need a job. I took her out to my mom's house in VA and we went for a walk with my little neice in a wagon. I had the thought to put the dog in a harness and let her pull the wagon (she especially LOVES children). She absolutely loved pulling her little girl thru the neighborhood! I have never seen a dog so happy in my life. You could just see the pride in her face!

 

[Miss Lydia]

The pig wasn't hurt. a couple little nicks on her lil piggy nose, but nothing serious. Her owner came and got her. This is the 3rd time the pig has traveled almost 2 miles to our house. Owner says the pig loves horses!

 

[Beekissed]

The pig wasn't hurt. a couple little nicks on her lil piggy nose, but nothing serious. Her owner came and got her. This is the 3rd time the pig has traveled almost 2 miles to our house. Owner says the pig loves horses!

I bet it thinks twice before making the trip again.....

 

[smyers32]

I bet it thinks twice before making the trip again.....

I hope so!! Poor thing was exhausted...the horse was chasing it before the dogs started in! That's the only reason the dogs and I even noticed it out there, the horse was prancing around like an idiot. He'll chase deer/turkey/coyotes/stray dogs....anything that dares to cross his pasture, not a half bad livestock guard himself. A natural LGH.