Feeling Very Guilty...Need Advice

[jennybvcr]

I have four ducks and my old dog didn’t give a care about them but when she passed and we adopted a puppy, it became clear we would need to make some changes! The ducks used to roam the whole back yard as long as someone was home, but it got to a point where I couldn’t let the puppy out at the same time as the ducks because he would chase them and pounce on them. I recently put in this really slapdash fence to give the ducks their own part of the yard. My dog isn’t aggressive toward them... just likes to chase them (and bunnies and squirrels and birds) and while he could easily jump over the fence if he wanted, it does the trick as a barrier. May be something that could help your situation. Best of luck!

 

[Trinitru]

I wonder why you rescued an older dog that has instincts and been bred for the exact reason to chase and kill. Adding the separation anxiety on top of it, you are taking on a monstrous task. Good luck. I don't think this dog is good for your situation. I'm surprised the rescue people would let you have him knowing you have chickens. Why don't you look into a Livestock Guardian Dog as a rescue. At least they have been bred for thousands of years to protect not chase or kill their livestock.

 

[lbgreenfield]

Certain breeds just do not do well with chickens, but all the same, good training can make all the difference. I have a BC, bulldog/boxer mix & Chiweenie. All are secondhand dogs. There are also goats, sheep, & cows, as well as chickens, but the dogs don’t bother any of them unless I ‘turn them on’ verbally to help me move them or separate somebody out. If you want to fix the separation anxiety in the dog, get him a buddy & try to choose a breed that will be less hyped around the birds. Your BC/pit (BTW, that’s a hyped up crossbreed!) clearly needs a job...ALL BCs need a J-O-B to be happiest. He needs something to DO. A buddy could help make him feel more secure (most dogs are social), but make sure the easy things are taken care of too. Is he neutered? Take him to basic obedience school. This will bond the 2 of you & give you both something to work on. Instead of feeling guilty, work on his behavior...lunging at anything unless asked to is misbehavior & needs to be corrected. Calmly, patiently, consistently. Even amped up purebred BCs can be voice trained to ‘turn off’ and not herd. Put in some work with him now & it will pay off later. And some canine company may help as well.

All good suggestions. He is not neutered, it’s on our to do list once we see the vet in July. Once he has his remaining shots and is neutered, we are signing him up for classes (most places around me require full vet records before allowing registration) Though I think we will be sticking with one dog!

 

[lbgreenfield]

I wonder why you rescued an older dog that has instincts and been bred for the exact reason to chase and kill. Adding the separation anxiety on top of it, you are taking on a monstrous task. Good luck. I don't think this dog is good for your situation. I'm surprised the rescue people would let you have him knowing you have chickens. Why don't you look into a Livestock Guardian Dog as a rescue. At least they have been bred for thousands of years to protect not chase or kill their livestock.

He’s 3, I wouldn’t consider that an older dog. We did not get him from an animal rescue or humane society. We got him from an actual dog pound with a dog warden that euthanizes dogs after 6 months. They do not do background checks, home visits, etc. He has a lot of issues, but we are willing to work with him!

 

[Mountain MommaWV]

I’m trying to rehome a pit rescue. My chickens stay inside their 30x20 run but my 5 geese and 7 ducks free range my backyard all day. I have to walk the dog on a leash but in evenings they go inside the run with the chickens till dark and I lock them all in the coop. My older dog has never had any interest in chasing any kind of bird and gets along great with them. The new pup tries
to lunge and run after them on the leash and after they are in the run will run at them through the fence. I’m trying to find her a nice Family but would consider keeping her if she could coexist with my geese, ducks, and chickens peacefully.

 

[BassBirdie]

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.

 

[rosemarythyme]

He’s 3, I wouldn’t consider that an older dog. We did not get him from an animal rescue or humane society. We got him from an actual dog pound with a dog warden that euthanizes dogs after 6 months. They do not do background checks, home visits, etc. He has a lot of issues, but we are willing to work with him!

3 is pretty good, still young enough to be perky but old enough that he shouldn't have puppy energy anymore.

I once got a dog from a county shelter too, though that shelter only gave dogs a week to find a home. When I called to ask if he was still available (I saw him online), they enthusiastically said yes and even put him out on a patch of grass when we went to see him, so he'd look more cheerful than sitting in a cage. We met him for about 5 minutes, paid $25, and off we went. They didn't ask us a single question about our suitability as owners - if you had $25, they'd give you a dog, no questions asked.

 

[DSill]

Hi, thanks for the kind words. I grew up with hunting dogs (Brittanys and GSPs) so I know all too well that a tired dog is a good dog! Haha. I've been trying to "tire" him out, especially before bed, with no luck. Tried having him chase me with a tennis ball, and he chases me for about 2 minutes then looses interest (goes off to hunt rabbits). Tried having him chase me while riding on the quad, runs off to sniff/hunt out a rabbit/squirrel/etc. He will get the zoomies and go nuts for about 3-5 minutes about every other day, but then plops down and doesn't want to move. I'm not sure if it's because he's not used to running/playing or if he's just bored and wants to rest. He enjoys walking, so I've been doing that 3 times a day.
I'm going to the vet July 15 (earliest appt. I could get), hoping he/she will be a good resource to help me or make recommendations for a behaviorist. Just trying to survive for now.

If you try everything with this dog and he isn’t changing after a few weeks, try to find him a chicken-less home. Try not to feel too guilty; there are loads of other dogs that need homes that might be better suited to your family. Your chickens are your pets and their welfare is important.

 

[Avian Allie]

Thanks for your reply. The dog has some separation anxiety issues so if I leave him in the house to go free range the chickens (and supervise them), he whines and is starting to become destructive. The dog pound didn’t know he had these issues. We’ve been trying to crate train him but it has been extremely slow going. I’m on Night # 6 of getting only 2 hours of sleep because of the night time whining/barking while in the crate next to me in bed (husband has been sleeping in our guest room). I don’t know what to do. I feel so bad for my chickens, this is causing me so much anxiety.

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.

 

[Jessie_james]

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