Help! Pesky dog eating eggs

[ccrow]

My mini Aussie has discovered she can go in the coop and help herself to a tasty snack

I mostly can prevent it but every once in a while she sees her opportunity and does it again. If my chickens are ranging, obviously I can't close them out of the coop... I'm thinking I could try some of the methods used to discourage egg eating in the chickens, like filling an empty shell with mustard or whatever. I just wonder if that would fool a dog, since they have a much better sense of smell than a chicken(do chickens even smell anything?

). Has anybody dealt with this?

 

[Folly's place]

My dogs can't enter the coop! She gets the reward (tasty eggs) before anything negative happens, so training won't be easy. Fencing!!! How about Invisible Fencing? Just prevent her getting to the coop and run. She may decide that chicken is tasty too. Mary

 

[swanny297]

Ecollar with shock and vibrate function watch some YouTube videos on proper settings and techniques. We train our GSPs with these from early on and if done right they are very effective, when I get mine out the dogs can't wait to get them on that's how you will know if you did it right I only have to use vibrate for any minor corrections.

 

[ccrow]

No danger of her deciding to eat the chickens; she's not that much taller than they are, and my BO hen chases her and has bitten her in the past

She isn't brave enough to challenge them, lol. I know it's really me that needs training since it generally happens when I forget she's outside, or if I get absorbed in yardwork or gardening. Seems like she thinks, 'oh well, I'm out here, might as well check out the coop'. Right now I have a bigger problem anyway, in the form of hungry foxes, so the chickens aren't ranging and the naughty dog doesn't have access. (Not to mention the naughty pointer pup who likes to chase the chickens and retrieve them.) I have no problem with using a collar on her but she only does it in stealth mode; if she knows I'm keeping an eye out, she won't go near it. That's why I was wondering about trying eggshells filled with something gross, so she'll have her negative reinforcement all by herself.

 

[kittycat1356]

At pet stores there is this spray called bitter apple spray. It stops animals from biting hands etc. You could probably use it on some eggs, people also use it to keep kids from chewing on their nails. Its thge worst tasting thing in the world. In my memory it didn't have a smell either. Good luck ^^

 

[Folly's place]

It might work to keep her from eating the egg, but also would possibly flavor the eggs. Yuck! Mary