Ducks and Dogs.

[Klatimer]

Hello everyone!
I have a question, what are your suggestions for having your dogs around your ducks. I have 4 dogs and 4 (5 week old) ducks. And the ducks are now outside.. my older dogs don’t care but my younger dogs (the white ones) have to be watched and I have to use a hose to get them away from the coop; the ducks are unfazed.

 

[sourland]

Obedience training teaching the 'leave it' command among others. Never leave the ducks alone with the dogs.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i agree, never ever leave them alone together. i’ve read far too many horror stories.
especially since you have four dogs and there is a thing called Pack mentality. I have only one dog and she was raised as a puppy along with my ducks when they were ducklings so I don’t worry about her with them, it’s been almost 9 years they’ve been together no problem. However, my geese can’t be with my dog because they attack her

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Have a new breed to me with a higher prey drive (presa canario a 3 month pup and a 5 year old with no farm exposure) Have them be your helpers so you have an opportunity to be consistent for the dogs everyday.

Every morning the dogs off lead running around with me while I check fencing, filling water buckets, putting feed out. Even just spending time with them. (this is their time in the daily routine)

put them in the outdoor dog kennels and let the animals out of the barn. Nothing more triggering then a bunch of animals rushing first thing out of the barn rushing towards their feed. The dogs get to be (safe from making any mistakes) they can be excited jumping around barking and go through the process of being excited to calming down as the animals calm down, spread out and start their animal daily routine. It happens exactly the same everyday... the dogs get use to to it being normal.

mid morning I leash them do a walk about checking water buckets/farm stuff, and bring the dogs back to the house to chill out. Any time they are taken outside, they are leashed with me, or kenneled. Unless the animals are off in their other fenced areas away from the house. Again when it's end of day and the animals are being secured "tucked in" for the night. Dogs have free ranged of the property to do their job.

Then the dogs get to be direct helpers, leashed with me when I open the barn door. Trick is , opening the barn door and moving off to the side far enough away that the dog have a chance to be calm. First response is like (diving for dollars lol) move further away for them and either stand or sit calmly by your side, working on your (eye contact skills). Praise them, a good pet and move on.

I switch it up instead of the pre prep before letting the animals out. I use this time to have the dog leashed with me filling water buckets while the animals are all loose. If the dog can't handle it put them back in the kennel to watch and keep working with them everyday to move to the next level.

The daily caring for the animals is the perfect opportunity to work with your dogs around the animals. You do it everyday so you can pratice teaching skills and applying them together.

If they not allow into the barns, or in the penned areas. Bring them with you, and work on teaching a down or sit stay outside those areas. Waiting for you to get done with your chore. When they ready teach them the difference when it's ok to come inside with you. And this is just minium basic exposures. Leash your dog when you go to just hang out with the animals, let them watch when you have to handle like provide first aid.

The dogs need time in exposure with your guidance. Lots of things will trigger even the best of dogs, (animals being suddenly scared, chasing bugs, breeding each other, fighting, playing, crowing, splashing around in water animals getting out of their areas, birds jumping out of pens. ) it doesn't make the dogs to be labled killers for having a knee jerk reaction) Always carry a lead with you and be their positive solution when a situation happens. You don't want your dog to run from you, you want your dog to run to you when stuff happens.. Then the baby animals show up lol lol lol..

very pleased with the presa canario as a farm dog lots of ability to work with.

 

[Klatimer]

i agree, never ever leave them alone together. i’ve read far too many horror stories.
especially since you have four dogs and there is a thing called Pack mentality. I have only one dog and she was raised as a puppy along with my ducks when they were ducklings so I don’t worry about her with them, it’s been almost 9 years they’ve been together no problem. However, my geese can’t be with my dog because they attack her

It’s not funny but it’s funny how the geese are the ones you have to worry about…. I wish they weren’t so loud I had the opportunity to get African geese a few weeks ago they are so pretty and great guards !

 

[Klatimer]

Have a new breed to me with a higher prey drive (presa canario a 3 month pup and a 5 year old with no farm exposure) Have them be your helpers so you have an opportunity to be consistent for the dogs everyday.

Every morning the dogs off lead running around with me while I check fencing, filling water buckets, putting feed out. Even just spending time with them. (this is their time in the daily routine)

put them in the outdoor dog kennels and let the animals out of the barn. Nothing more triggering then a bunch of animals rushing first thing out of the barn rushing towards their feed. The dogs get to be (safe from making any mistakes) they can be excited jumping around barking and go through the process of being excited to calming down as the animals calm down, spread out and start their animal daily routine. It happens exactly the same everyday... the dogs get use to to it being normal.

mid morning I leash them do a walk about checking water buckets/farm stuff, and bring the dogs back to the house to chill out. Any time they are taken outside, they are leashed with me, or kenneled. Unless the animals are off in their other fenced areas away from the house. Again when it's end of day and the animals are being secured "tucked in" for the night. Dogs have free ranged of the property to do their job.

Then the dogs get to be direct helpers, leashed with me when I open the barn door. Trick is , opening the barn door and moving off to the side far enough away that the dog have a chance to be calm. First response is like (diving for dollars lol) move further away for them and either stand or sit calmly by your side, working on your (eye contact skills). Praise them, a good pet and move on.

I switch it up instead of the pre prep before letting the animals out. I use this time to have the dog leashed with me filling water buckets while the animals are all loose. If the dog can't handle it put them back in the kennel to watch and keep working with them everyday to move to the next level.

The daily caring for the animals is the perfect opportunity to work with your dogs around the animals. You do it everyday so you can pratice teaching skills and applying them together.

If they not allow into the barns, or in the penned areas. Bring them with you, and work on teaching a down or sit stay outside those areas. Waiting for you to get done with your chore. When they ready teach them the difference when it's ok to come inside with you. And this is just minium basic exposures. Leash your dog when you go to just hang out with the animals, let them watch when you have to handle like provide first aid.

The dogs need time in exposure with your guidance. Lots of things will trigger even the best of dogs, (animals being suddenly scared, chasing bugs, breeding each other, fighting, playing, crowing, splashing around in water animals getting out of their areas, birds jumping out of pens. ) it doesn't make the dogs to be labled killers for having a knee jerk reaction) Always carry a lead with you and be their positive solution when a situation happens. You don't want your dog to run from you, you want your dog to run to you when stuff happens.. Then the baby animals show up lol lol lol..

very pleased with the presa canario as a farm dog lots of ability to work with.

Have a new breed to me with a higher prey drive (presa canario a 3 month pup and a 5 year old with no farm exposure) Have them be your helpers so you have an opportunity to be consistent for the dogs everyday.

Every morning the dogs off lead running around with me while I check fencing, filling water buckets, putting feed out. Even just spending time with them. (this is their time in the daily routine)

put them in the outdoor dog kennels and let the animals out of the barn. Nothing more triggering then a bunch of animals rushing first thing out of the barn rushing towards their feed. The dogs get to be (safe from making any mistakes) they can be excited jumping around barking and go through the process of being excited to calming down as the animals calm down, spread out and start their animal daily routine. It happens exactly the same everyday... the dogs get use to to it being normal.

mid morning I leash them do a walk about checking water buckets/farm stuff, and bring the dogs back to the house to chill out. Any time they are taken outside, they are leashed with me, or kenneled. Unless the animals are off in their other fenced areas away from the house. Again when it's end of day and the animals are being secured "tucked in" for the night. Dogs have free ranged of the property to do their job.

Then the dogs get to be direct helpers, leashed with me when I open the barn door. Trick is , opening the barn door and moving off to the side far enough away that the dog have a chance to be calm. First response is like (diving for dollars lol) move further away for them and either stand or sit calmly by your side, working on your (eye contact skills). Praise them, a good pet and move on.

I switch it up instead of the pre prep before letting the animals out. I use this time to have the dog leashed with me filling water buckets while the animals are all loose. If the dog can't handle it put them back in the kennel to watch and keep working with them everyday to move to the next level.

The daily caring for the animals is the perfect opportunity to work with your dogs around the animals. You do it everyday so you can pratice teaching skills and applying them together.

If they not allow into the barns, or in the penned areas. Bring them with you, and work on teaching a down or sit stay outside those areas. Waiting for you to get done with your chore. When they ready teach them the difference when it's ok to come inside with you. And this is just minium basic exposures. Leash your dog when you go to just hang out with the animals, let them watch when you have to handle like provide first aid.

The dogs need time in exposure with your guidance. Lots of things will trigger even the best of dogs, (animals being suddenly scared, chasing bugs, breeding each other, fighting, playing, crowing, splashing around in water animals getting out of their areas, birds jumping out of pens. ) it doesn't make the dogs to be labled killers for having a knee jerk reaction) Always carry a lead with you and be their positive solution when a situation happens. You don't want your dog to run from you, you want your dog to run to you when stuff happens.. Then the baby animals show up lol lol lol..

very pleased with the presa canario as a farm dog lots of ability to work with.

Honestly I didn’t think about working with them about the ducks. I just thought exposure was the best thing. The brindle and white and tan dogs are bird dogs. And for the last 9 years I have always had them chase the birds out of the yard or I’m going to have to reverse that thought.. they are all food motivated. The pure white one is the easiest to train. All I need is some bison treats and he’s willing to do anything. I think the rest won’t be so bad. Steven my oldest the fawn pitbull could care less about the ducks. He’s a gentle soul, he honestly should have been a therapy dog, he loves kids, babies, and just smelled the ducks and walked away.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Honestly I didn’t think about working with them about the ducks. I just thought exposure was the best thing. The brindle and white and tan dogs are bird dogs. And for the last 9 years I have always had them chase the birds out of the yard or I’m going to have to reverse that thought.. they are all food motivated. The pure white one is the easiest to train. All I need is some bison treats and he’s willing to do anything. I think the rest won’t be so bad. Steven my oldest the fawn pitbull could care less about the ducks. He’s a gentle soul, he honestly should have been a therapy dog, he loves kids, babies, and just smelled the ducks and walked away.

No, you do not have to change the dogs chasing strange birds out of the yard you can still re enforce that training. The dogs can understand what belongs and what doesn't belong on your property. My dogs will chase wild birds they do not belong. Just like a stranger walking onto your property they alert that they don't belong.

 

[Klatimer]

No, you do not have to change the dogs chasing strange birds out of the yard you can still re enforce that training. The dogs can understand what belongs and what doesn't belong on your property. My dogs will chase wild birds they do not belong. Just like a stranger walking onto your property they alert that they don't belong.

That makes sense… I didn’t have bison treats but I had animal crackers and we just went outside and did some training… they did great. The older two didn’t care but for the treats.. and the white dogs did great but still need training.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It isn’t over night success I am working with a very large mix breed puppy 8 months old.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

My female golden retriever wont hurt any of my chickens or when i did have ducks she wouldnt hurt them. She laid down and let them be around her. I have full trust in her. She loves cats, puppies, kittens, kids. But wild birds, squirrels and rabbits that move she runs at.

My male golden has a high prey drive. I could never trust him with my chickens. Same if i still had ducks. Anything is prey to him.

It takes a long time to get a adult dog to be ok with chickens or ducks. But if possible dont ever let them be alone. Or always keep the ducks in a run