Feeling Very Guilty...Need Advice

[Marie2020]

I have had chickens for three years and after the dog’s first introduction to them, he went wild chasing them until he finally grabbed one. He has not been allowed out worth them since. We have a fenced in area around the coop/run where the chickens stay until mid to late afternoon when they can free range and the dog stays inside. A shock collar might work but it’s better just to let them take turns being outside.

Thank goodness you're not using a shock collar. I don't use the crate anymore as it was only a temporary solution, but he really thought it was his own room, but can't erect where I am now it's not needed but he honestly loved having his own little room, dogs need space to. You've created a really nice space for those chickens

 

[lbgreenfield]

Hello! Just wanted to leave a book recommendation for you: I'll be Home Soon: How to Prevent and Treat Separation Anxiety by Patricia McConnell. Its a pretty short read but helps to ID the root causes of SA and gives some important tips on how to help resolve it.

Good luck! I have 3 German Shepherds who would gladly kill a chicken given the chance, so there is complete separation here (dogs have access to a fenced area that is removed from the chicken's area). You can train a dog with high prey drive to be respectful of your birds, but the level of management that comes along with that training is a lot for day to day life— if there's a solution that keeps them separated but still happy and safe, that's what I'd personally go for.

Thank you for the book recommendation. Anything helps at this point!

 

[lbgreenfield]

The dog is just getting used to being in a new home. It’s traumatic for them to be in a shelter which is likely why he whines while in the crate right next to you. I haven’t read all 18 pages of responses so I’m likely repeating some of the awesome advice it looks like you’ve gotten already. Hubby needs to take a turn with the dog so you can catch a break. Stick with the crate training if you think you need to. We put up “temporary” fencing for our girls. Whatever rolled fencing you can afford and just either t-posts or even electric fence posts (so easy to install!) to hold onto the fence. It’s very adjustable and will keep the girls safe and separated from the dog, which you won’t leave unsupervised for a long time. He will very likely mellow out and be their best friend OR just need supervision while around them.

Hi, thank you. I agree with the husband comment haha It’s been a bit overwhelming for me to handle all on my own. One of the reasons I wanted a dog was for the companionship when hubby is away/working/etc. since the chickens can only provide so much. Hoping things will level out after a few more weeks with the dog!

 

[getaclue]

You might consider a sturdy enclosed run for your chickens. Welded wire, and pen skirt so the dog can't dig under. Poultry netting, or a few strands of hotwire might be very beneficial too. With a hotwire, don't expect instant results. Sometimes they have to get zapped more than once to learn their lesson, but they do learn.

 

[BackyardBon]

I have not owned a dog by myself. I grew up helping to taking care of my dad’s hunting dogs (feeding, letting them out) but it’s been 12+ years since I’ve moved out, gotten married, etc. I did not assist my dad with training, unless he needed help with something (I was usually the go-to pigeon catcher haha).

I thought I knew how much time/effort to expect (I’ve no joke read 3 dog books and watched about 80 hours of training videos in the past 6 months) and thought I was mentally prepared to side-bar the chickens, but seeing how terrified the girls were of the dog with me, then having the chickens run away from me (when they’d always come up for lap cuddles) was so heartbreaking and upsetting for me.

I also VASTLY underestimated the amount of time and effort needed to train the dog, even with all the reading/prepping/etc. I’m feeling a lot of self-doubt/regret right now and am realizing that most of my/our summer plans will have to be cancelled because of the dog. Plus, with COVID restrictions still lingering, we can’t get him to a vet for his wellness exam, shots, neutering, grooming until late July/early August.

He is a good dog inside the house, a complete Velcro dog, who is very loving and friendly. When he’s outside the house, it’s like a switch is flipped.

The dog pound has a “return” policy so I have until June 22 to take him back, but he’d be going back to a concrete kennel, with no human interaction for 20+Hours of the day, so I’m feeling really, really guilty about the entire situation. I have no support from my family, friends, or husband (he wants to keep him, but works away from home for 10+ hours a day and is frequently gone during the weekends for his hobby).

Sorry to be long-winded, I don’t have anyone to talk to about this.

Sounds like you are faced with some sacrifices. Your sleep, former routine with your chickens, $$$$ and quite possibly your sanity for this new member to your family. You made a commitment to your chickens first. You have until the 22nd to make a concrete commitment to your rescue pup. Maybe the dog can be trained to cohabitate (my Bernese cross wanted to eat my chicks but now protects them as chickens) but unfortunately maybe he can’t. I have to mention the fact that you need to “put your own oxygen mask on first” and do what is best for you. We are all in different situations. That being said, I have found that chickens will quite easily get used to a new routine. What makes YOU happy/healthy? You need to do that. I hope you can find a solution that allows you to rest easy. Good luck!

 

[ajackalope]

Your best bet would be a trainer for the dog. You can also try desensatizing him to the chickens. Let the girls out and put him on a leash and bring him outside. If he doesn't react praise him and give him a treat. If he reacts, back inside. If he is calm there, again praise and a treat. It can take a long time but it does work. There are also pheromone collars for dogs and something called a Thunder blanket that can work for anxiety. Good luck.

 

[Chickenclaude]

Don’t give up on either! I have 3 pits and they are strong willed lovers...well worth the time and patience. My chicken have been loving free ranging but recently got a new chicken house. I have always kept the chickens in while the dog is out and vice versa. Over the past 3 months I’ve been able to watch the dogs while the chickens are out. I use a trainer collar with a beep...and a shock(which I’ve never had to use). The collar is on, they go to the side yard...the chickens are getting braver and don’t know enough to stay away. Slowly but surely they learn. Your dog only wants to please you. Good luck.

 

[swimmy44]

Hello all. This is slightly embarrassing for me and a long read. We have a current flock of 11 chickens (Five 2.5-year old hens and six 12-week old chicks). I am the primary caretaker of all of them, and I am very, very attached to my chickens and they are attached to me. My husband jokes that he thinks I love the chickens more than I love him sometimes.

We’ve been debating rescuing a shelter dog for almost 5 years now and we finally adopted a 3-year old border collie/pit bull mix who comes from an abusive home. We have had him for about 5 days now. The dog pound didn’t know much about his background. He’s a surprisingly good dog despite his upbringing (friendly towards people, is semi-house trained) but as we’ve come to find out over the past few days, he has a very strong prey drive when it comes to any animal (rabbits especially). We’ve done a very controlled (fully leashed) distanced introduction with the dog/chickens and the dog has lunged and pulled to get closer.

We are keeping the chickens in their run/coop for the time being and I am feeling INCREDIBLY guilty about it. The chickens are used to free ranging during the evenings and have been vocally complaining, making crying sounds, moping around the pen/coop. I feel so horrible and have been trying to spend as much time in the pen as possible but it has been difficult with the new dog (husband works a lot and I’m the primary care taker of the dog while working from home FT). It is making me so emotional and sad and almost resentful towards the dog. Am I being crazy? Over analyzing every move the dog makes? I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to my chickens because of the dog. Just looking for some advice from others on this...

Long story short, you need a different dog. It's hard enough keeping strange or neighbors' dogs away from your birds but to adopt/foster a dog at your home that doesn't get along with them may just not be the right dog for you. We always have Australian Cattle Dogs (all rescued) and they help not hurt the chickens - I saw my first ACD jump several feet into the air to grab a five month old pullet from the talons of a red tailed hawk who had grabbed it and was having trouble getting aloft quick enough. The bird survived and I LOVE telling the story. Take this pooch back and try a different one which can help you rather than make you nervous and aggravated. My second cattle dog regularly chased coyotes away! Herding breeds will herd anything!

 

[lbgreenfield]

You might consider a sturdy enclosed run for your chickens. Welded wire, and pen skirt so the dog can't dig under. Poultry netting, or a few strands of hotwire might be very beneficial too. With a hotwire, don't expect instant results. Sometimes they have to get zapped more than once to learn their lesson, but they do learn.

Hi. We already have an enclosed run for our chickens. 16x32ft. Partially covered with an anchored tarp roof. Hardware cloth buried 3ft deep around the pen. Poured concrete foundation posts. Hardware mesh covering all sides, including the top. Electric poultry fencing might work as well. We will look into it if needed!

 

[lbgreenfield]

Long story short, you need a different dog. It's hard enough keeping strange or neighbors' dogs away from your birds but to adopt/foster a dog at your home that doesn't get along with them may just not be the right dog for you. We always have Australian Cattle Dogs (all rescued) and they help not hurt the chickens - I saw my first ACD jump several feet into the air to grab a five month old pullet from the talons of a red tailed hawk who had grabbed it and was having trouble getting aloft quick enough. The bird survived and I LOVE telling the story. Take this pooch back and try a different one which can help you rather than make you nervous and aggravated. My second cattle dog regularly chased coyotes away! Herding breeds will herd anything!

We are willing to try with him. I think we need more time to get used to each other. He would be going back to an actual dog pound and most likely will be euthanized soon. I am willing to take a chance on him, while still taking care of my chickens!