English Shepherd as Poultry Guardian

[centrarchid]

Bella is nieghbor's dog. She spends increasing amounts of time here. She was a problem with chickens about two years ago so I worked with her. She, Ben and Lucy pack up when Coyotes come calling and can easily drive even a pack off. With time Hun will help with that effort. Bella has issues with fireworks and storms where she comes to our house for cover. Bella is not good with hotwire, nor does she really get into going near barn when Lucy is working on a threat. Hun will be trained up for that.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Out of curiosity, do the neighbors know or seem to care that she's gone a lot?

 

[centrarchid]

It appears to be an "I do not care" situation. They are not neighbors we communicate with a lot.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It appears to be an "I do not care" situation. They are not neighbors we communicate with a lot.

That's unfortunate :/

 

[centrarchid]

Pup just figured out dog door for first time.

 

[aart]

Pup just figured out dog door for first time.

That could be a good thing....and a bad thing!

 

[centrarchid]

Pup just figured out dog door for first time.

House training part is going a lot faster, in part owing to involvement of my kids. Only one possible accident that occured first day. Pup has already figured out how to tell us she wants to go outside. What she has yet to learn is how to do it through the dog door. Use above was from out to in where I held flap open.

Once we are about 6 months her base will be shifted to barn for part of each day. By then I expect her to reliably bark from inside 10 x 10 kennel whenever a predator comes through even though chickens are not disturbed. She will not be allowed to directly engage predator until a least a year old. If predator stays with pup barking, odds get really good that adult dogs, especially Lucy, will make contact with it. I want Hun and Lucy in particular to work as a team like Lucy and Scood used to. They killed Red Foxes and Raccoons without my help even though they critters had a very short distance to run for safety off property. The "pincer" option will be back in the play book.

 

[centrarchid]

That could be a good thing....and a bad thing!

She is going to learn a lot of bad things. I will need to mold many of those into activities that are good. I will not make same mistakes made with Ben where I tried to simply stop bad activities. Ben's utility going after small predators without me directly inolved has been greatly reduced because ideal level of trust not realized. He is still best against larger foes so hard to get everyone good at everything. Hopefully I can get this pup to being a natural all around dog like Scoob was.

 

[centrarchid]

Just happened again. Lucy, Ben and I went to work on fence and prep for refilling waterers. The dill weed neighbor shot of a firework. It is day time. Dogs bolted back cover leaving me alone. I hate dill!

 

[centrarchid]

Pup just got her first inkling about what she will be doing. The small Opossum came into yard where it eating remains of my supper; grilled trout and fried crayfish. Latter best attractant for Opossums I have ever seen. Lucy lined the little critter out and starting barking trail. Ben, who always hangs back, then came barreling to assist. Opossum got into a pipe that dogs could NOT get into. We have had that problem with same pipe before. Looking down I saw pup sniffing into pipe. Had to retreat with her after giving her good compliments. Pup not ready even for a young Opossum. Little Opossum still too small to get zapped by fence. He also came when wind blowing his scent away from where dogs hang out. I new something up when chickens cackled a little.