Help. I have a dog problem

[chickenrun57]

I'm hoping you guys could help me out. I just got my chick's yesterday. When I let them out of the coop this morning 2 of our 4 dogs started to harass them and they took off back to the coop. I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to help keep the dogs from tormenting our chicks while they are on they're run and still little

 

[TerryPy]

Dogs and chickens don't mix. Some dogs are able to be trained; however that being said after years of doing obedience, showing and rescue I personally would not let chickens out with dogs unless the particular dog is known to be ok, i.e. my old Pyrenees but I wouldn't even attempt with my greyhound even if I thought she was trained.

 

[Toddrick]

They'll probably learn to ignore them by the time they are bigger. In the mean time if you are going to have the chicks out, make sure there is a fence between them. Maybe let one dog out at a time, and take some treats and work on dog training while the chicks do their own thing. Keep the dog focused on you and the chickens will fade into the background.

I have a fenced off deck and my dogs frequently watch as I throw bread to the chickens. Occasionally I throw a piece of bread to the dogs too. My dogs have learned that the chickens are under my care, like them. They pretty much completely ignore each other at this point, but with the fence they can get within a couple feet of each other to gain familiarity.

YMMV, but expose them in small doses to at least get them to the point where they remain calm when they see the birds.

 

[chickenrun57]

Thank you guys for the advice so far. We do have a fenced in run for the chick's. One of the offending dogs is going to reside in the backyard for a bit. The other offending dog has calmed down some. We have been lucky in having dogs that are easy to train so far.

 

[myhenSunrise]

I've got got a border collie and Australian shepherd mix, as does my grandpa. They are pretty hard to train with the chickens because they love to run animals, obviously. they still chase the chickens when they get loose and we are trying to catch them. My dog is pretty good with them, but there are the occasional incidents where she slips up and chases one around the barn. But I have a SLW chick that is about five weeks now, Bella, who follows me EVERYWHERE and Cowgirl will leave her alone, she knows not to cross me with MY chicks or hens in particular.

 

[alibabba]

Dogs and chickens don't mix. Some dogs are able to be trained; however that being said after years of doing obedience, showing and rescue I personally would not let chickens out with dogs unless the particular dog is known to be ok, i.e. my old Pyrenees but I wouldn't even attempt with my greyhound even if I thought she was trained.

yep. don't trust. for a loooonnnnngggg time. My dog is a hunter, she gets along with our cat, they even snuggle together, but still sometimes wants to "play" with cat. Cat can get away, chicks and chickens can not.

You can try training. Holding the the chick, so they can sniff and investigate while you let them know this is "yours". But never(like years) trust that you can leave the dog out and it won't "play" with the chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

Seek advice from parties with experience and success with keeping dogs and chickens. There is a lot of such people but many find it exhausting having to compete via postings with others with more emotion.

 

[fuggs]

I will chuck my penny worths in for what its worth. As a professional game keeper for 30 years, I have had to create unwavering trust in my dogs to not attack the birds I rear but on the contrary look after them.....So...first and many will not find this a comfortable idea, the dog/dogs have to learn respect to the birds.

It works nothing like us humans think it would.....

Usually this involved an electric fence around the birds. Yes uncomfortable for the dogs first, maybe second but rarely a third time.

Dog logic..if I go to grab a bird, ouch, its not nice. Result...."Best I leave them alone"...They dont identify an electric fence independent from the birds, its a simple logic association situation totally different to how us humans think/approach things.

I have never lost a bird to a working dog. Even had them bring birds back totally unharmed as they are so soft mouthed. Fox problems maybe [thats a different subject......] but never a dog, although in fairness close to it once or twice while training them, [Dogs not foxes...]

The old school was if a dog killed a chicken the chicken was tied around the dogs neck until it rotted off. Dramatic yes, effective yes, acceptable to us humans...depends what you are trying to achieve but believe me its a massive deterrent to the dog with that 24/7....NOT condoned....

Years ago, on the continent, they used to train dogs to be soft mouthed by getting them to retrieve thrown dummies [socks actually] filled with Teasels...and lots of other strange methods but I DONT recommend that. Nor electric collars except in very specific and rare circumstances. Its all down to dog psychology which is NOT the same as ours.

You can tell that the way some people talk to their dogs as if there was a human interaction...Just how many times do they need to call their dog to heel? Once in reality.....but cant get involved in that here, too big a topic.

So there is no reason why if YOU put in the effort your birds and dogs shouldn't co exist in harmony.

Its all about pecking order [no pun intended] and mutual pack respect. Cause strangely dogs will accept other animals as equal or dominant who are not dogs. They are not gender/breed orientated unlike us humans.

Get a good training book, read with caution whats on the internet and put your faith in a proper working dog trainers programme.

You CAN do it.
My Sprocker and Jack Russell dont have a prob with my chooks. In fact my old hen Gerty is not adverse to giving the JR a well aimed and painful snout peck for entering her food zone....yet the JR could easily dispatch her, but ISNT aware she could. Thats the difference.


Good luck. Get that book and fence.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

I will chuck my penny worths in for what its worth. As a professional game keeper for 30 years, I have had to create unwavering trust in my dogs to not attack the birds I rear but on the contrary look after them.....So...first and many will not find this a comfortable idea, the dog/dogs have to learn respect to the birds.

It works nothing like us humans think it would.....

Usually this involved an electric fence around the birds. Yes uncomfortable for the dogs first, maybe second but rarely a third time.

Dog logic..if I go to grab a bird, ouch, its not nice. Result...."Best I leave them alone"...They dont identify an electric fence independent from the birds, its a simple logic association situation totally different to how us humans think/approach things.

I have never lost a bird to a working dog. Even had them bring birds back totally unharmed as they are so soft mouthed. Fox problems maybe [thats a different subject......] but never a dog, although in fairness close to it once or twice while training them, [Dogs not foxes...]

The old school was if a dog killed a chicken the chicken was tied around the dogs neck until it rotted off. Dramatic yes, effective yes, acceptable to us humans...depends what you are trying to achieve but believe me its a massive deterrent to the dog with that 24/7....NOT condoned....

Years ago, on the continent, they used to train dogs to be soft mouthed by getting them to retrieve thrown dummies [socks actually] filled with Teasels...and lots of other strange methods but I DONT recommend that. Nor electric collars except in very specific and rare circumstances. Its all down to dog psychology which is NOT the same as ours.

You can tell that the way some people talk to their dogs as if there was a human interaction...Just how many times do they need to call their dog to heel? Once in reality.....but cant get involved in that here, too big a topic.

So there is no reason why if YOU put in the effort your birds and dogs shouldn't co exist in harmony.

Its all about pecking order [no pun intended] and mutual pack respect. Cause strangely dogs will accept other animals as equal or dominant who are not dogs. They are not gender/breed orientated unlike us humans.

Get a good training book, read with caution whats on the internet and put your faith in a proper working dog trainers programme.

You CAN do it.
My Sprocker and Jack Russell dont have a prob with my chooks. In fact my old hen Gerty is not adverse to giving the JR a well aimed and painful snout peck for entering her food zone....yet the JR could easily dispatch her, but ISNT aware she could. Thats the difference.


Good luck. Get that book and fence.

exactly,,,,, my dog would never, ever touch my birds,, even though he is trained to go after all kinds of squeaking, squacking and yacking critters,, the one thing he will not touch is the chickens,, i have one young hen who recently decided the grass WAS greener on the other side of the fence,,, if she strays to far, he will gently herd her back toward the fence and then lay and watch her until she wanders too far again and then herd her back again

 

[drumstick diva]

AS a BYC greeter, many of the new members start off by saying their dog, massacred their chicks, or chickens. I have always thought it was a big mistake to hold a chick up to a dogs face for him to sniff. The dog thinks he is being offered a treat - goodbye chick.

People with know how re: raising and training dogs, have skills at the ready. Newbies to chickens and maybe dogs do not. I like to tell them dogs and chickens should never meet. Dogs + chickens = dead chickens. You never hear about a chicken killing a dog though it might be a good thing.

I don't think the average new chicken person wants to spend the time and effort to really work with their dogs, who probably have no training to begin with.