Dog killed chick

[TalkALittle]

This pup is only 4 months old and looks to be a retriever or mix of one, both factors that bode extremely well for a good training outcome.

The issue in this circumstance is that the pup wasn't being watched. At 4 months old that pup should be under constant direct supervision AT ALL TIMES with a drag line or long line on the majority of the time. Regardless of whether there are chickens about, there is just too much stuff in the big wide world that a pup can get into (even in a back yard) for it to be allowed unsupervised.

To euthanize this pup because it killed a chicken would be a huge overreaction. To say that it and the birds can never coexist and must always remain apart and give up before even trying to train the dog is ridiculous. The absolute easiest time to influence your adult dog's behavior is when they are a pup.

 

[rosemarythyme]

how big is your run and how many chickens?

I have 4 chickens in a double run, the smaller being 10x20 and larger 17x20. The coop is inside the smaller run and I have garden beds in the larger, but that still leaves the chickens quite a bit of space, enough in the future if/when we add more chickens.

I have an older dog with a high prey drive (and she's not the most responsive dog when it comes to training either), so I find this to be a better solution for my situation than trying to train the dog.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Personally don't agree with using a shock collar on a puppy.. And using it on some individuals will back fire on you, fearful dogs are unpredictable to live with especially if you have kids. Some dogs are just not balanced to begin with to use them on. Give your dogs a covered outside kennel area when you want to let your chickens out, supervise , restrict. Even a LGD who is not bred to accept birds,, but even for the livestock they are bred for, will not be ready unsupervised with their livestock, until they are mature at 2 to 3 years old. Lost many of birds over the years and ended up with some great outstanding general farm dogs of high prey drive breeds and the LGDs for helping them not make mistakes.

 

[GGBEAR]

@PatriciafromCO what a fantastic post

 

[Mamato6]

Personally don't agree with using a shock collar on a puppy.. And using it on some individuals will back fire on you, fearful dogs are unpredictable to live with especially if you have kids. Some dogs are just not balanced to begin with to use them on. Give your dogs a covered outside kennel area when you want to let your chickens out, supervise , restrict. Even a LGD who is not bred to accept birds,, but even for the livestock they are bred for, will not be ready unsupervised with their livestock, until they are mature at 2 to 3 years old. Lost many of birds over the years and ended up with some great outstanding general farm dogs of high prey drive breeds and the LGDs for helping them not make mistakes.

Thanks, yeah we plan on building our dogs a kennel, we're getting sick of them being in the house and the puppy brought fleas with her (my MIL rescued her from the middle of the road and left her with us) and I just can't seem to get rid of the damn things

 

[Hoodoo Hens]

It's not the pups fault. Dog doing what a dog does. Dogs can be trained unless it has a tremendous prey drive. This pup doesn't look like that to me. I've had a friend who managed to train a re-homed (adult) Alaskan Husky sled dog to leave their chickens alone. If you can't put in the time to train (not a shock collar on a 4 month old puppy) then I'd take the first advice and just keep them separate in secured runs/fences or find another home for the dog.

I have 3 indoor dogs that all have prey drives but we will train to watch the Chickens. I have 12 Alaskan Husky sled dogs that I will NOT train, because I want their prey drive intact. It's one of the things that keeps them running down the trail. So I'll manage the dogs/chickens accordingly. Huskies will not be out in the pasture when chickens are out.

 

[Cindy in PA]

If you are going to kick the dogs out of the house and into a kennel, maybe you should just find a new home for them. That solves your chicken problem.

 

[Mamato6]

If you are going to kick the dogs out of the house and into a kennel, maybe you should just find a new home for them. That solves your chicken problem.

They wouldn't be outside the whole time, they would have their own entrance/exit from the laundry room of the house. They would have shade, food and water. Until the fleas are gone I don't want them on the furniture or any rugged area and I don't want the puppy to have access to the chicks or hens until she's older/trained. She's a lab mix so I think she'll be fine once older. Trust me we're not cruel people, they normally have free run of the house, sleep on the couches etc. but the puppy brought fleas and killed one of my chicks

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Not to be coy, but I am getting a GSD puppy toward the end of next month. I plan on introducing him to the birds as they are in the coop, so he thinks it is a normal thing. My Orange Tabby knows better. He attempted to hunt some free ranging chickens twice. We live in the country, so I popped a round at him, but not in him. Second time, second shot, now he shys away from them, and views them with indifference.

 

[Mamato6]

Not to be coy, but I am getting a GSD puppy toward the end of next month. I plan on introducing him to the birds as they are in the coop, so he thinks it is a normal thing. My Orange Tabby knows better. He attempted to hunt some free ranging chickens twice. We live in the country, so I popped a round at him, but not in him. Second time, second shot, now he shys away from them, and views them with indifference.

GSD as in German Shepard? In any case what kind of gun, we live in Texas in the Country on a Private Road so we can have whatever guns we want and use them. We have a 9mm most for my protection of me and my children and we have an AR15 and regular shot guns. I'd be more than willing to do that if it works!