Dog killed 3 new chickens. Has always ignored chickens before. Can I trust him?

[Attila the Hen]

I have 4 dogs. The newest addition is a golden retriever I rescued some months ago. He has totally ignored the chickens just as the other dogs do. However, I rescued 3 chickens I estimated to be 8-12 weeks old and put them in isolation a couple of days ago. He broke in and killed all 3. I don't know if I can trust him even though I put him outside and watched through the window and he ignores the other chickens as they walk past him. On top of this my rooster died. A rather depressing week.
Anyone with this type of experience?
thank you

 

[ChickensRDinos]

If I am understanding correctly the birds your dog killed were new birds in a new area? Had he been introduced to those birds or to any birds in that area before? It is possible that because they were new and maybe even in a new place he did not think of them as the birds that are part of his house and family, as YOUR birds.

In your dogs mind he doesn't think: don't touch anything that is like a chicken. He knows the birds he is used to and that they aren't to be touched - these things with this very certain smell belong here. I would introduce all the dogs to all new birds and any new areas you will be storing birds.

If it were me I would start training over again and keep a watchful eye, but I would give him another chance.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I didn't introduce him to the new birds. I simply put them in what I call the nursery where I have had other young birds. He has only been with us perhaps 6 months and has not shown any interest in the other chickens so I thought he had no interest in them. He is the most unaggressive dog I have ever met.

I haven't really had to train the dogs. They have understood they are in deep trouble if they even look at the chickens.
Also, I left for a couple of days and put the care of the animals in other family members. That was probably part of the problem--perhaps, although now I realize he must have killed the first one the first night I was there.

Thank you for asking these questions. As I think about it, I didn't properly demonstrate they were part of the pack and not to be hurt.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Good luck! I'm sorry about your loss but I think it is not hopeless.

 

[centrarchid]

When I have a dog trained to be around chickens, especially adult chickens, that does not mean dog is safe around younger birds. I have to usually work backwards on bird age that dog is trustworthy around. In my situation a broody hen is used to give dog lesson on how to be around chicks. For me, biggest problem is dog and juveniles right after chicks weaned. This partly licked by having juveniles mixed in with older broods and my stepping in when dog gets out of line. Sometimes a rooster can be used to protect his juveniles but smart dog sometimes figures out who is protected and who is not. I have had too many smart dogs but even they come around. Next to time speed process, I may smere juveniles in a oil and chili pepper mixture to see how that works.

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

We too have had a problem with a new dog and younger chickens. For some reason they look more interesting and not the same as the older chickens. I agree that you would just need to work on training the dog with the younger chicken a little more.

Sorry about the loss.

Jim

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Raising a second group of chicks this year. I start off by letting my dog see the chicks in the brooder and he can get their scent from it. Then I started taking them into the grow out pen for play dates after a week. I sit in the pen with them and when he starts whining about the chicks, I correct him. He will eat small birds. Steals the cats kills all the time. When they are about 6 weeks old I will start letting him sniff at them through the fence. Once they are 14 weeks old they will be free ranging and he then recognizes they are part of his pack and actually protects them. He chases of other birds that land in the yard. And he will swat at the cats if they get too close to the chickens and show interest in "playing" chase with the birds. My cats like to try that. But my cockerel also steps in when the cat chases them.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Attila the Hen, sorry about your loss and your concern about your dog.

Raising a second group of chicks this year. I start off by letting my dog see the chicks in the brooder and he can get their scent from it. Then I started taking them into the grow out pen for play dates after a week. I sit in the pen with them and when he starts whining about the chicks, I correct him. He will eat small birds. Steals the cats kills all the time. When they are about 6 weeks old I will start letting him sniff at them through the fence. Once they are 14 weeks old they will be free ranging and he then recognizes they are part of his pack and actually protects them. He chases of other birds that land in the yard. And he will swat at the cats if they get too close to the chickens and show interest in "playing" chase with the birds. My cats like to try that. But my cockerel also steps in when the cat chases them.

And wow, thanks, TurtlePower, for that little rundown. That will help me with my dog, I hope. She just salivates when she sees the chicks and yelps at them. They don't mind the yapping though, strange. I think they may have imprinted my dog's face. *sigh*