Feeling Very Guilty...Need Advice

[Ladies of the Forest]

I’m so sorry you’re having all this stress! But stay strong, it will work out. Pit bulls are extremely smart animals. We have an anxious rescue pit and, after taking her out on a leash for a few days to see our birds, she is over her anxiety about catching and eating them. They walk around her and she totally respects their space. Just walk her on-leash while they’re lose, showing her which of her behaviors won’t be accepted by a stern word and a slight sideways jerk of her collar with the the leash. Give her a stern look to go with it. Make her sit, and when she’s calmly sitting and watching the birds, give her her favorite treats, saying “good, good”. It is more important to reward her good behavior. This is how dogs think: any attention is good attention, so if I’m getting it, good or bad, I’m doing what these humans want me to do. That’s why beaten dogs still love their disgusting owners. Be patient, reward, repeat. And get her crate away from your bed. The closer you are to her, the harder it is for her. Ignore the whining always! Never respond with even a single word. One response and her cycle of whining begins all over again. She is canine, not human. She can learn, but be patient. Exercise, on-leash (not a retractable, but a stable leash) with you controlling where she goes (not leading you, but beside you) is imperative! She needs a pack leader so she’ll stop thinking she has to control every human and bird in her world. Dogs are like that. They need to know their pack has a leader, or they will fill that role. Remember, she needs what a dog needs, not what humans need. They will become secure when they can let go of feeling like they’re in charge of everything. Good luck! You can do this and you’ll be so happy that you took the time.

 

[NaperLix]

I don't quite understand why you got the dog,if you love the chickens so much,very confusing?
If you,or someone else ever slips up,your so called beloved chickens,will all be slaughtered.

 

[lbgreenfield]

As far as the separation anxiety, you can try getting beef marrow bones and freezing them, and give them to the dog before you go out to the chickens. Or, get the empty ones from the pet store, stuff them with cheese and/or peanut butter, and freeze them. It will keep the dog occupied for at least a half hour, maybe longer. This worked for a dog I had that had severe separation anxiety; I used it for bedtime, if he woke up in the night, and when we left for work.

I’ve tried to stuff a Kong with peanut butter but he doesn’t know what to do with it! I don’t think he’s ever had a toy in his life, so I’m hopeful he will learn because your suggestion will definitely help with the separation anxiety!

 

[lbgreenfield]

It doesn’t work for everyone, but we’ve never done crate dogs and loved it. Maybe to keep the destructiveness down you can just close the door to your room instead of a full crate? That might let you get some sleep.
I’ve noticed anything with pit bull in them will have a huge prey drive unfortunately. There are training techniques that sometimes work to change habits. Check out Victoria Stillwell, she also has a show called me or the dog, her training techniques are fabulous and maybe worth a shot?
Honestly, if this dog is ruining your peace of mind and causing major problems he might not be suited for your family. It may be best for both of you to part ways if he can’t get along with your pre-existing animals and you dread him. Just a possibility to keep in mind.

That is our plan, try as much as we can and if it doesn’t work out, we have plenty of no-kill rescues near us. I can tell there’s a good dog once you peel back the layers, because he has his good moments. I’m hopeful but cautious!

 

[lbgreenfield]

I’m glad I read your problem. I almost didn’t because I didn’t see the subject matter right away. I’ve gone through a long journey with our dog on the same issues and have seen success and I have been quite passionate about spreading my pathway to success! My 1 1/2+yo dog has Separation anxiety (chewing corners and window sills, stealing toys and food and more!) My husband resented me for getting the dog, he resented the dog (as did I!) for always causing trouble. If it wasn’t for our childrens feelings, we would have put him out of his misery a long time ago. My husband and I even split up for a while last year, probably all started because I chose to get this dog! Although I am sure that we are stronger now because of this dog (Moses). He’s still a bit of a pain in the a** sometimes and it’s hell to leave the house for more than 5hrs but I know he’s going to be one of the best dogs... in some ways. he has killed a few of our chickens in the past.... it’s so much to write but I would at least like to get this out to you. Our solution was a lot of things. First of all, I know it sounds terrible, but we used a BB gun. If he were to run after the chickens we would shake the BB gun and shoot him in the butt. The best thing that we could do was to get the chickens outside and into their own coop. I started spending less time with the chickens and they were not babies in the house (dog crate brooder) anymore. He would get really jealous of my time spent with chickens and he’s naturally curious and he has a prey drive (Pitt/ boxer/Bearded collie). The other most helpful thing we did was take him to obedience training. He was really good at doing the basics and he’s a trick dog by nature. He loves to do silly tricks. But I NEEDED to take him to training. Best money spent! I found a generous person who does a 6 wk course for $100 and after advanced, they can get canine good citizenship certification. Eventually I confided in one of the dog trainers about the BB gun, and they said it’s similar to the shock collar idea. But the shock collar might be better. I do like our BB gun because when we tried the shot collar a long time ago it irritated his skin too much. Now if somebody comes over or he’s getting to into a lot of trouble, we can shake the BB gun and he settles down like he should. The cherry on top Of the obedience training and practice (15min/day average practicing his skills) has been Benadryl and crating. I had it up to my head with his antics. Things were getting better, but worsened after I visited some family and left him home with my hubby. I saw the dog trainer that weekend after a month break from Covid. She Said that he has separation anxiety really bad. She told me to give him 2 Benadryl up to two times a day (he’s 60lb). If I gave it to him once per day for about a week to hit a reset and not leave the house for more than I need to, But if I do, get a big bone and put it in the crate and lock him there. Then she instructed me to crate him whenever I leave the house, and only give him Benadryl if I’m going to be gone longer than 30 minutes. So far it is working very well. My husband actually loves him now and our life has been so much more peaceful! I’m sure there’s more details I could tell you. Let me know if you have any questions

I’m glad you’re able to work with your dog. We are planning on working with a trainer as soon as he has the all clear from the vet (most trainers around me require vet clearance for class registration).

 

[lbgreenfield]

I’m so sorry you’re having all this stress! But stay strong, it will work out. Pit bulls are extremely smart animals. We have an anxious rescue pit and, after taking her out on a leash for a few days to see our birds, she is over her anxiety about catching and eating them. They walk around her and she totally respects their space. Just walk her on-leash while they’re lose, showing her which of her behaviors won’t be accepted by a stern word and a slight sideways jerk of her collar with the the leash. Give her a stern look to go with it. Make her sit, and when she’s calmly sitting and watching the birds, give her her favorite treats, saying “good, good”. It is more important to reward her good behavior. This is how dogs think: any attention is good attention, so if I’m getting it, good or bad, I’m doing what these humans want me to do. That’s why beaten dogs still love their disgusting owners. Be patient, reward, repeat. And get her crate away from your bed. The closer you are to her, the harder it is for her. Ignore the whining always! Never respond with even a single word. One response and her cycle of whining begins all over again. She is canine, not human. She can learn, but be patient. Exercise, on-leash (not a retractable, but a stable leash) with you controlling where she goes (not leading you, but beside you) is imperative! She needs a pack leader so she’ll stop thinking she has to control every human and bird in her world. Dogs are like that. They need to know their pack has a leader, or they will fill that role. Remember, she needs what a dog needs, not what humans need. They will become secure when they can let go of feeling like they’re in charge of everything. Good luck! You can do this and you’ll be so happy that you took the time.

Thank you for the encouragement!! I’ve been walking him around the chickens and giving a stern AH AH NO when he looks at them. He is improving, just very slowly. He went into the crate 2 times yesterday on his own to sniff around which was met with 2 insanely over the top GOOD BOYYYYYYY!!! greetings, he seemed to like that. I’m hopeful for a happy story update in a few months!

 

[lbgreenfield]

I don't quite understand why you got the dog,if you love the chickens so much,very confusing?
If you,or someone else ever slips up,your so called beloved chickens,will all be slaughtered.

This wasn’t a quick decision. It took us 5 years to finally get one and I’ve always wanted to rescue a dog.

To answer your question, though, I seriously thought I was mentally/emotionally prepared to sidebar the chickens and keep them in their coop/run for all eternity. But I clearly was not. They are my first on-my-own pets, and I’ve raised them from babies, so I’m way more attached to them that I thought, hence why I’m struggling with the dog situation. I’ve been able to let them free range for 2-4 hours every day, while keeping the dog inside, which I’m happy about. My sweet Buff Orpington even cuddled on my lap for the first time in a week last night!!! My Cali White also did her “happy dance” and happy sounds around me last night as well. I think we can make it work, I am just missing the days of them sleeping soundly on the patio with me, or them following me to the garage for treats, etc. It’s a new change, but I’m slowly realizing that the chickens are resilient and they will be fine.

 

[lbgreenfield]

One of our dogs attacked two of my javascript:void(0);parate occasions. The first one survived

One of my dogs attacked two of my hens, killing one. It was horrible. You cannot "train away" the prey drive. My husband had to make the run fence taller since the one who died flew over it when the dog was in the yard. So this dog is not allowed in the backyard unsupervised, period ( she's killed other things, too).

Can you make your fenced-in run bigger? If not, you may have to return the dog. I'm sorry, but the alternative is never letting your hens out to free range. Right now everyone sounds miserable and it's an untenable situation. Most shelters will accept a returned pet that isn't a good fit. Just let them know why, so they can advise other potential adopters. Don't feel guilty. It's not your fault. You can find a dog who's uninterested in hunting to adopt. That's probably the simplest solution.

I feel for you. Good luck!

Thank you. We didn’t get him from a shelter we got him from an actual dog pound, where I’m 99% certain that any “returned” dogs are euthanized. We are going to give it some more time, since everyone on here has calmed me down a bit. After that, we will reevaluate.
Also to answer your run question, we could make it bigger, but it would be difficult with our setup right now. I’m considering getting (or having my husband build) a mobile tractor pen for them.

 

[lbgreenfield]

Way back I got a crate for my dog as he was completely chaotic, then put a breathable sheet over the top. Eventually I would let him free when I left the house and found he would choose to be in his crate, it was his quiet space. He liked to chase but luckily he's never been the hunting sort of guy but always chased cats that ventured into my garden. Then a tiny abandoned kitty turned up, he was being attacked by magpies and a nasty cat that thought he owned everywhere he roamed. Eventually I started leaving plates of food for little kitty, over the course of a year , my dog would chase off the bad cat and the kitten noticed he wasn't in danger. One night I fell asleep without closing my door then in the morning I noticed evidence of this kitty on my sofa, he'd slept alongside my dog. Your dog is only three hopefully in time he'll learn these chickens are part of his pack, mine has and my now cat thinks he's a sheep dog and assists me at times with my girls. Everything takes time I really hope you can work it all out or as you have already said find him another home . You are so kind taking him in

Aw what a nice story with the kitty. I’m glad everything worked out for you, I’m hopeful for our dog, but still cautious.

 

[lbgreenfield]

Okay, you committed to the chickens and accept you are going to find a way to make this good for everybody. You have to remember this dog is judging you by how he survived before..and it was survival. He will be even more insecure since he is picking up on your stress. I've worked and trained police dogs many years. Take this in considerhe does not process or Reason like you do and he has a very negative base to make decisions from. now the first thing I recommend and it'll give you confidence that you're getting control of the situation and it will give him an idea of where he is in the order of thinGs so he knows what's expected talk to him by saying his name first before any cue,order or teaching lesson. 2) You have to let him know he no longer has to make decisions to survive and he is to look to you for your decision. To do this, no matter if you know it or not..speak his name them tell him what you want him to do, and use a soft voice so he has to listen. I start by alway making dog set at door , speak.his name, tell him to set, then ask.if he need s to go out. I make.him sit until he act I ally looks up at me. Then I.let him out. Then I step.out first. I repeat same process EVERY time going out or coming in. When he successful auto sits when you get to door, he should be looking at you and waiting for you to step out without you having to remind him. It may take a week. But always, always speak his name first, tell him what you expect and you always always step out first or go thru door first then when he looks at you and is setting, let him follow you in. He will get with gentle repetition that he follows your lead and he is to look to you for decisions and it will give him his place in your world and your both will relax. Feel free anytime I cam help you! Shepherds are very high prey drive. That means they are geared for chain of command. I actually have a 87%wolf pup that's 6 months old and she respects my birds and watches me,not them

Thank you for the advice. He doesn’t know how to sit or sometimes his name (haha), but I’m attempting to teach him. I was talking to a friend and she said, whatever you’re feeling (sad, mad, stressed, anxious happy) that’s how the dog will feel! I’ve been trying to act more calm when with the dog on a leash around the chickens so that he stays calm, time will tell what happens!