Hunting dog Harassment?

[jjpiper]

I am finishing my coop. See my BYC page for details. I have 2 dogs. The Labrador Retriever I don't see as a problem other than keeping outside and away from the coop fence. My other dog is a German Shorthaired Pointer from Champion Bird Hunting Bloodstock. She is possessed with hunting, finding and killing all birds. She will even chase butterflies and leaves if they flutter in the wind because they look like birds. My dilema is will she have to be completely screened from the chickens. If she can see them she will whine and pace and not stop focussing on them. She already does this with wild birds. She will even go back to the same bush days after nearly catching a bird in it to try again. Obsessed. Will this scare the chickens enough to be a problem for their health. I can keep her away from the coop fence (kenneled) but she will be within sight of the coop and presumably the chickens will see her. She will definitely be focussed on them. What do you all think?

 

[havi]

I have the same problem. I have 4 dogs that just love any and everything that moves. They also chase butterflies and leaves. Ive had to put my coop behind our shed or the dogs would go nuts trying to get to them. This may not be something you can do though. Maybe putting a tarp or something else on that side where the dog can see the coop. Put the cover on the chicken coop though. Is that making any sense to you?

 

[Brindlebtch]

My chickens are wary but have become very used to my dogs. They don't want to interact with them, but they are not afraid of the dogs, really. Of course I keep them strictly separate and they only see each other through the fence, and my dogd do not hassle them or act aggressively.

So I think as l you GSP can't get close to the fence and act predaceous your chickens should be OK or will get used to her being around. Just my 2 cents.

 

[PurpleChicken]

I have a Short Haired Pointer/Pitt mix. He's grown up around chickens and pays no attention to them. My girls would hang out with him.

 

[mountainchick5]

I have one bad dog chicken eater, spaniel mix, and one daschund that thinks she's part of the flock. The spaniel has been taught to not go anywhere near the chicken yard. I wouldn't trust her left alone for a second though. I've seen collars or devices that you can use to keep the dogs at bay.Like a rock with a sensor that makes a high pitched sound. Though I haven't used these. A dog trainer told me to teach the dog to "leave it".....I hardly think that would trump the instinct of the dog. Out of sight -out of mind seems best, if you could ensure the dog would never meet the chickens. I don't know if that would be possible. I don't know if the chickens would think they were constantly being hunted or if they'd get used to the dogs "antics" I hope you find a solution. Post and let us know what works out for you-you're not the only one with a bird dog AND birds.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

We have a Boxer and a Chihuahua/Rat terrier mix. We THOUGHT the Chi/RT mix would be the one wanting the chickens but he could care less while the Boxer is the one doing the predator circling. Sooo this weekend we planted posts and yesterday we put up a fence around our coop area to keep the dog(s) away from the chicken coops period! I call it Fort Clux instead of Fort Knox, and I told my husband that I have to find someone to make me a sign that reads "Fort Clux" to hang on the gate!

 

[Riven]

Divide and conquer will be your best bet.

If you can put a fence to keep the dog from being right next to the coop that's best, then if you can plant some shrubs or do a privacy fence so she can't see them all the time, the whining alone would drive me insane.

My uncle's always had GSH's and I've told him they are just a crazy breed, he'll argue that they're great hunters, so much instinct, and I tell him yea, not good for anything else though! It's our little "battle" we used to have as I used to raise weimaraners.

My dog's yard is separated from the chicken pen by heavy 1X3 wire, but it was driving me crazy the dogs would dart at the pen and the chickens would scatter, and if the call ducks are mating or drake are arguing... they just went crazy. So having grown up on a farm and having used the fencer to correct our Komondor from jumping the fence ( the breeder used hot wire to fence in where his dogs exercised as well) ... we just lowered it. They don't dig, lay, or really go too close to the divider fence anymore. Usually it only takes one zap and they learn to stay away from it. Some people might think it's cruel, but it's no different than bark collars or those underground fencing collars people use except that it teaches boundaries with a wire instead of a heavy collar jabbing into their neck and burning holes in their throats ( yes it happens, as a vet tech you saw it way to often )

Good luck, instincts can be hard.