dog got hen :(

[MsPony]

My labrador puppy got my polish today, she's a rather easy target and he got bored. I came home at lunch, he ran inside and laid down straight away. I thought he was just upset that he had to be outside so I went out collecting eggs. I noticed my moms chickens signs were scattered around and asked the hens why they had partied. I walked out of the coop and noticed my polish hen face first in the grass w/ her wings spread. Of course I got hysterical because I thought she was dead, so I scooped her up and realized she wasn't. I called my mom, more hysterics, asked her to drive us to the vet because I was too hysterical to drive myself. I then lifted up her wings to see her bloody and bald, which caused more sobbing. I wrapped her in a towel and ran outside for a head count, then noticed a trail of feathers for 10 ft leading up a pile of feathers where I found her.

The vet said that it was the dog, a 'coon would have ripped her head off. It looked like her had just started ripping off her feathers, but being a large dog he had lacerated her, and had once chomped down as she had a large puncture wound. She thinks she had a broken femur head or broken pelvis (she took xrays after I left.) Ill know more tomorrow, but we know she will have to be in confinement for a month or so.

Pup will be locked down again when outside, fence will be raised so no chickens can't get over there. He wad a bored bird puppy dog

She is an easy target. She has been attacked by my older barred rock before who smashed in between some rocks and beat her up. Then when puppy was really little I didn't know her nest was over there and locked them up together. My brother came out to find him chewing on her wing.

Blech. Poor polish

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like it might be time to start training the puppy.....

 

[MsPony]

We have. He did *really* well...but my mistake was leaving him alone at 13 months of age

 

[Magill Ranch]

I am sorry to hear about your chicken. We have to full grown,(old) labs, and they just can NOT be loose with chickens. Our dogs are very well trained, however their instincts take over. If the chickens are out cruzing, the dogs have to stay in the backyard. End of story. Or we will have a few less chickens. Again, sorry about your chicken.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Hey! It's ok, stop beating yourself up. He's a puppy. He's a lab, he'll always be a puppy at heart. #1 thing to remember is that he is, no matter how much you train him, he's just a dog. They do things that we don't understand. I had a Service Dog for 12 years most awesome Service Dog you would ever meet, but I had to remind myself that she was a DOG first, Cattle Dog at that, and a Service Dog 2nd.

Please don't "punish" him anymore than you already have, dogs live in the moment. If his "punishment" goes on for days, he won't understand what he's doing wrong and will get progressively more fearful. You know now what you have to do to keep your birds safe. Stop, take a deep breath, and forgive yourself. It will be ok.

 

[froggiesheins]

I read this scenerio so many time times: But my dog is so well trained, he would never......
NEVER EVER leave your dog loose or alone with your chickens PLEASE. Make sure your chickens are in a safe ENCLOSED place. I personaly own a fox terrier and he WILL kill chickens, no questions asked. I have not lost ONE SINGLE chicken to that dog. My babies are always safe from "JAWS".

Dogs are predators period. Granted there are a few breeds that would be safe but for the most part........
I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[nzpouter]

train your dog... we ALWAYS have our dogs stay with the chooks all the time especially at night when we suspect there's a predator lurking, they sleep in the coop, from daschund, rotties, spaniel and bull breeds.... their job is to protect the property and everything in it, they're allowed to hunt anything that don't belong here and fed raw....

accident can happen when they're young.. but I expect from all my dogs that it shall not become a habit.

 

[sandracollins]

Dont beat yourself up it was a mistake that you will learn by,my springer spaniel chased and bit my call duck 3 weeks ago she always comes over to the hens and ducks with me everyday runs through them and never touches them but he went away from the others and when he went to fly to the others he spooked the dog and she bit him.These dogs like labs are gun dogs and it is in there nature ,like me you will just have to make sure he is never on his own with them again.My duck recovered well so I am sure your hen will be fine and your dog was just following its instincts so dont keep punishing it he knows he did wrong.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Sorry to hear about your hen. Unfortunately, you learned a painful lesson about dogs and chickens. Your pup knew she had done wrong when she ran in and laid down. I, too, have a lab (almost 12 now) and thats what he would do when he knew he had done something wrong and I was about to discover it. While he is well trained and very well behaved in the yard with the chickens when they are freeranging (I am out there too), I would never, ever, leave him alone with them for any reason. He is a dog and will do what dogs do naturally. Keep working with your dog, as it seems she has learned when she was very little that chickens are toys. The leave it command will be very important as well as the come command. She must learn to be around chickens with you but not touch, chase or show interest in them. Of course, when you are gone, she must be confined as well as the chickens for both their safety. Labs also need lots of excersize or they will get into things. A bored, unexercized dog=a destructive, frustrated dog. I used to run my lab for a while before I did training excerises with him. Spent energy allowed him to be more attentive to what we were doing. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[MsPony]

Thanks everyone

I'm making changes in routine and building the dog run fence higher so no chickens in, and when the neighbors pit is over, no dogs out.

I haavent punished him or treated him any differently, we snuggled last night until I went to the ER, then when I came back he was all over me again. Today he keeps looking at the pile of feathers with a sad look on his face, then he goes and looks for her. He knows they are his to love and protect, but puppy moment got the better of him.