I'm considering outfitting my two dachshunds with basket muzzles for the safety of my chickens and ducklings. For those of you that use these for your dogs- do you have any advice or suggestions about fitting or use? If you don't like the idea of a basket muzzle, any suggestions on something else to use to keep the dogs from clamping down on the poultry?
Last week while I was at work my daughters -10 and 13 years old- left the porch door and the gate open that separates the chicks and ducklings from the rest of the porch. Both my dachshunds got out on the porch and one of them killed one of my two cayuga ducklings and the other dachshund was attempting to get at the second duckling. My daughters weren't able to hear any of this happening because they had the TV on at top volume. I came home to find my duckling bleeding profusely on the back porch and held her as she died. To say that this was completely devestating for me is an understatement and I don't want to take any chances with the lives of my chickens and ducks. Like others have posted, at first I wanted the dogs gone because I was angry with them that this had happened. When I am home I am monitoring everything constantly and always make sure the doors and gate are properly closed. But I do realize that the dogs were only doing what dogs do when given the opportunity, which my daughters gave to them without thinking.
I want all my animals to live happy, healthy lives in my care so I have a feeling the basket muzzles would help if there is a minute chance that the dogs would be outside, supervised, with the chickens and ducks. I don't want to have to keep my dogs in the house all the time because that isn't fair to them. The dogs need to adjust to the presence of the chickens and ducks being here but that doesn't mean that they aren't going to be tempted to do what comes naturally to them. I just want to be realistic about how to handle this situation.
Last week while I was at work my daughters -10 and 13 years old- left the porch door and the gate open that separates the chicks and ducklings from the rest of the porch. Both my dachshunds got out on the porch and one of them killed one of my two cayuga ducklings and the other dachshund was attempting to get at the second duckling. My daughters weren't able to hear any of this happening because they had the TV on at top volume. I came home to find my duckling bleeding profusely on the back porch and held her as she died. To say that this was completely devestating for me is an understatement and I don't want to take any chances with the lives of my chickens and ducks. Like others have posted, at first I wanted the dogs gone because I was angry with them that this had happened. When I am home I am monitoring everything constantly and always make sure the doors and gate are properly closed. But I do realize that the dogs were only doing what dogs do when given the opportunity, which my daughters gave to them without thinking.
I want all my animals to live happy, healthy lives in my care so I have a feeling the basket muzzles would help if there is a minute chance that the dogs would be outside, supervised, with the chickens and ducks. I don't want to have to keep my dogs in the house all the time because that isn't fair to them. The dogs need to adjust to the presence of the chickens and ducks being here but that doesn't mean that they aren't going to be tempted to do what comes naturally to them. I just want to be realistic about how to handle this situation.
