Help. I have a dog problem

[alibabba]

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.

Geez, "Instead of a cross, the Albatross was hung around my neck"

 

[Mini Meat]

My opinion on dogs and chickens is that you can not teach a predator to respect prey. What you can do is claim that prey as your own and make sure the dog understands he is not to bother your prey. For this to be successful, the dog must have respect for you as alpha.

 

[Primo]

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.

So true. Reminds me of all the hook shy bass in my 3 acre pond. They don't know the plastic worm is not real, they just know it will deliver one hell of a sting to the mouth and stay away.
As someone else in this thread stated, most people are unwilling to train themselves first. You must never miss a chance to correct your dog. Not even once. Dogs are wired to look to you for what is ok and what is not. Slip up once and they think it is ok. Start over.

 

[MakelaNJoe]

every one has their opinions and they are all entitled to that! however in my experience it truly depends on the dog, i have 6 dogs 3 Chihuahua and maltese 2pits and a heeler i can trust all of my dogs with my chickens except for the heeler (he is my husbands dog and was around 9 years before we got together) he is a hunting dog he loves birds! no matter how much i work with him i would NEVER trust him alone with the chickens. also i agree to never hold a chicken in front of a dogs face its like saying "this is a snack for later" my husband decided to "introduce" the heeler to one of my pullets in this manner within 2 days that dog managed to sneak past company and right to that open coop and only killed the one chicken my husband decided to stick in the dogs face to "meet" i dont know if its true or not but its almost like he remebered THAT chicken! this heeler isnt aggresive towards animals just has a natural taste for birds i cant blame him just know to keep my lovelies safe, what amazes me though is said heeler gets aling with all other farm animals pigs goats cows etc hes a great herder!

 

[Primo]

every one has their opinions and they are all entitled to that! however in my experience it truly depends on the dog, i have 6 dogs 3 Chihuahua and maltese 2pits and a heeler i can trust all of my dogs with my chickens except for the heeler (he is my husbands dog and was around 9 years before we got together) he is a hunting dog he loves birds! no matter how much i work with him i would NEVER trust him alone with the chickens. also i agree to never hold a chicken in front of a dogs face its like saying "this is a snack for later" my husband decided to "introduce" the heeler to one of my pullets in this manner within 2 days that dog managed to sneak past company and right to that open coop and only killed the one chicken my husband decided to stick in the dogs face to "meet" i dont know if its true or not but its almost like he remebered THAT chicken! this heeler isnt aggresive towards animals just has a natural taste for birds i cant blame him just know to keep my lovelies safe, what amazes me though is said heeler gets aling with all other farm animals pigs goats cows etc hes a great herder!

What i bolded is the key. Takes far more than 2 days, and a dog cannot be allowed to sneak past during this "training time". I understand where you are coming from, but what i feel many people don't understand is the discipline and commitment they must show, not just what they try to instill in their dogs, but with themselves. Every dog is different, but you must show that same displine with them all. I am not harping on you here, also keep in mind an old dog can learn new tricks.......

 

[MakelaNJoe]

i hear you LITERALLY! this heeler is an AMAZING dog at 13 years old i taught him to shake!! myself and mr bullit could definetly use some more training! my husband didnt do any training with him AT ALL! when i moved in this dog only knew one command sit hes learned alot in the 4 years ive been around i just dont know if hes trainable in this matter... he used to retrieve ducks and quail etc i dont think he kills on purpose just doesnt know how to be easy enough...

now as i read through this i realize he is totally trainable i just need to train myself first! lol

 

[ambabya]

I have 3 dogs. I do think 2 of the 3 would have been okay, but my mini dachshund loooooves to kill chickens. Then they all get excited... It's bad.

After trying all sorts of training and farmer tricks, she still tries to get at them.

Two years later... Enter electric fence. One shock and they won't even go near the run.

 

[alibabba]

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.

Really. I just did it last week so the dog(a serious scent hound) would know where the pathetic peeping was coming from and could just relax. Which she did. A No Joke Coonhound. I protected the chick...because I am "No joke, also" I know my dog, and animal behavior in general. I can't speak for the other jokers...

People need to be sensible. Hard to find in humanity I know... So in summary, I concur! Unless people have skills an experience...not your first little lab puppy that runs away with you at the park and jumps on every human entering your foyer (you have no skllls, lol)

 

[nzpouter]

.... let me get this straight... you let the chicks out with the dogs with no prior training...?

 

[chickenrun57]

I let the chick's out of the coop and into their fenced run area. The dogs follow them around on the outside of the fence whimpering all excited. I just heard about the electric fence today from a friend at work. I think it might be just what I need. Hopefully it will keep them back and not so interested in the birds. Thanks for all the advice i knew joining this website would be s good thing