Help with a Great Pyrenees

[Somshine]

I could be way off here, but...From your description it doesn't sound like she is killing and eating them or killing for sport. It may be her own maternal instincts (sexual maturity/breeding age) from the incessant cheeping. I had pyrs for 20+ years, though not around livestock. I had a 3 yr old female that found a box with a litter of day old kittens that someone dumped. I took them in to care for them. She would panic when they cried and kept stealing them, walking around with them in her mouth looking for a safe place to hide them like they were her babies. She wasn't trying to kill them, but you know, tiny little things are particularly delicate. Just a thought.

They are just so discerning and vigilant though. It's hard for me to believe a Pyrenees does not know the difference between something "in its flock" being in distress or making content sounds. I just feel like she's entertaining herself and has decided there's no real reason why that's a bad thing. Clearly not in her nature and I think it can be corrected if done quickly.

 

[Somshine]

This guy can take an egg so gently in his mouth, take it out to the yard, puncture it with his canine tooth and carefully break the top open so he can lick the contents out instead of spilling it in the grass. If you're suddenly getting dead chicks at a rate that has you paying attention I don't think she's trying to mother them.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Especially these dogs! One of the oldest breeds and they're going to think how they think!

So true, I've met many pyrs and pyr owners, only pyr owners understand the pyr joys and struggles

 

[Somshine]

But my gosh I love them to me the way they are is preferable. And I've been working with dogs for 25 years on training and rehabilitation. And I've been self-employed since 2005 grooming. Which absolutely requires training and handling. They are still my type/pick of dog, although many dog owners may not agree

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

But my gosh I love them to me the way they are is preferable. And I've been working with dogs for 25 years on training and rehabilitation. And I've been self-employed since 2005 grooming. Which absolutely requires training and handling. They are still my pic, although many dog owners may not agree

Completely agree, I'll never be without one.

 

[Somshine]

Completely agree, I'll never be without one.

Everybody has their tribe. They get you, you get them. Dogs and different breeds work the same way

 

[Somshine]

Now that being said, this girl right here (Lyric), wanted them for lunch. Toys of the utmost. And she could hyper focus and never run out of energy. And she ended up being loose in the backyard with them looking out for them while I was at work. Dogs are smart and they can be taught. You've just got to find the right way to get through individually.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

My first thought was to ask what are you feeding her, and have you changed her feed lately? Several years back I was feeding 21% protein, and it seemed like my flock guardian dogs were always hungry, even though they had access to their food free-choice. A hungry flock guardian is Not good when there are so many little feathered meat bodies all around them. I switched to high protein dog food with meat (lamb, chicken, beef or whatever you prefer) as the first ingredient, and it immediately made a noticeable difference in their behaviors. A working dog always needs a high quality food, and though a flock guardian doesn't exert as much energy as a canine sports athlete, they are working dogs nonetheless. In addition, I agree with the suggestion to have bloodwork done on her. Not only would I request a standard blood panel test, but hormonal changes could also cause her behavioral changes, and so I would discuss this possibility with your vet too. If you have made no feed changes and blood work comes back normal, only then would I consider her chick eating to be a behavioral problem. As already suggested, don't allow her to be unsupervised around chicks until you have a better read on the problem. Since she has until recently been trustworthy around poultry and also because you adore her, even if the problem is behavioral, I would absolutely try to reshape her behavior to what it was before you consider rehoming her. But rule any medical reasons out for her recent behavioral changes before you proceed.

 

[Somshine]

Just for shits and giggles here is his current state. I recently had hand surgery and couldn't do the norm. Even had to do it with the left hand. He is temporarily known as my left hand man. He's never had his coat taken down like this and hopefully will never have to again. Took me about a week to get right with him afterwards ; that face... That's a Pyrenees right there. You suck right now, but we're still family...

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Just for shits and giggles here is his current state. I recently had hand surgery and couldn't do the norm. Even had to do it with the left hand. He is temporarily known as my left hand man. He's never had his coat taken down like this and hopefully will never have to again. Took me about a week to get right with him afterwards ; that face... That's a Pyrenees right there. You suck right now, but we're still family...

Yes the side eye of the pyrs