I have had it with my dog eating my chickens

[okieglory]

My dog just ate ANOTHER chicken and that was one that had already survived a dog attack. (it was my favorite). Now we keep wings clipped and only one chicken my dog won't kill and we don't know why. they hop the fence over so does anyone have any ideas, maybe how to train my dog or something?

 

[Katy]

Uness you are willing to build a pen that will keep your chickens seperated from the dog nothing is going to change. The dog is just doing what most dogs will do if given the chance.

 

[bturbo87]

Well I have two dogs but they are little shih tzus but I have a dog next door who is big enough to catch my chickens. He actually caught one of my new ones yesterday and left it in my drive way. He thought it was a squeaky toy and once it stopped squeaking he left it only. but right now I am actually taking some string and wire over the top of my run.

 

[okieglory]

okay, i have the chickens fenced off but there is no top on it so the can hop out yeah they dont fly they hop cause we keep there wings clipped and our new puppy we are already getting it used to my chickens so we dont have this problem in the future.

 

[muell112]

Build an enclosure your chickens can't get out of/your dog can't get in and/or keep your dog inside and/or keep your dog on a run outside. Dogs are naturally predators and chickens with clipped wings are easy prey. I never let my dog (~45 lbs) interact with my chickens period. Even the best of training isn't guaranteed to overcome a dog's instinct. I'd just say don't put your chickens in a situation where that's going to happen, esp if it's happened before. I think it be a lot easier to enclose your chickens instead of the massive training it will take to break your dog of that habit, and training is not a guarantee unless you are really good, like Cesar Milan. Just my two cents - let us know if you want suggestions on enclosure ideas.

 

[theoldchick]

I never trust a dog around a chicken. If the dog is not voice trained he's on a leash at all times. My GSD is never allowed around any stock with out a leash-seems kinda silly in the country but he can not be trusted. He's kept in his yard with plenty of toys and so forth and I make sure to spend time with him each day. He's not a house dog- will stand in one spot and not move. Spent 2 years trying to get him desensitized to floors. Took me 6 months to get him to walk on the driveway, but he's totally happy on grass and dirt.

Make your chicken pen dog proof-there is information here about building coops. I understand your frustration. Bad enough when the neighbor's dogs come over-but your own dog!

 

[gabby3535]

Certainly NOT your dog's fault!
I'd figure out how to protect my chickens better.................
how high is this fence they 'hopped over'?
And PLEASE do not 'punish' the dog......he/she was only doing what comes naturally.
I have never heard of a dog 'trained' not to kill chickens.......not by 'tying a dead chicken around it's neck' (!), nor shock collar.
I've had dog's and chickens for years.........and consider it my job to keep them separate.........
and, if by chance, a chicken "were" to fly over the 4 foot fence around my yard.......(where the dog's are confined when they are
outside).....and one of them killed the chicken.......it would be very sad.......but I would NEVER blame my dogs!
My fault alone...........

 

[PortageGirl]

My dogs and my chickens have always free ranged over our property. Yes, that's right, my dogs do not get tied up, nor do we have a fence, nor do my dogs eat my chickens. Ok, the one German Shepherd we had -might- have done so, he wanted to more than once when he was a puppy, but he was raised with (by?) the Cocker Spaniel who taught him manners. The dogs were trained to stay on the property, I've seen that Spaniel chase a neighbor cat off the property and stop where the driveway ended. The cat ran on and the dog sat down and looked sad with his paws at the edge of the driveway. That cat (Cricket by name) LOVED to torment him that way cause you KNOW he knew the dog wouldn't follow.

It takes patience, and consistency, and calm cautious training. First, they never go outside when the chickens are loose without a leash. When you walk them near the chickens, and they react to the chickens, you say nooooo, (say it don't yell it, don't get them freaked out) You reward with treats and/or voice, you insist on good behaviour, you reassure, you praise, you give firm, not freaked out No's. It's a huge pain for as long as it takes. You can NEVER skip the leash bit if the chickens are out, for as long as it takes for the dog to learn, and you can NEVER freak out and add to the frenzy, because as someone said, they think the chickens are just big flappy squawky squeaky toys and they all need to learn to coexist. Once they're calm around the chickens while they're inside the pen, then you can try carefully while they're outside the pen... Thing is, the fact that they've already learned to act on the squawky toy idea, it's going to be harder still. But it's not impossible.

I admit the Spaniel set the example for all dogs to follow, and his acceptance of the birds was passed on by each dog's attitude long after he died at 17 years of age.

On the 'tie the dead chicken to the dog's neck' thing? Well, I HAVE seen it work, years ago my grew up together best friend's grandfather did it to their cow dog when she went after the chickens once, and she was horribly embarrassed by it. Ol' Sophie never ever got close to the coop again as long as she lived. I think it only works on a certain kind of dog though, not all dogs are smart enough to be embarrassed by it like she was, and Grampa caught her the first time and humiliated her with it immediately, yours has lunched several times now so I think it'd be a waste of time and stench. That old dog would walk a mile to avoid the hen house forever after that incident though.

 

[jjthink]

Arghhh...this makes me so upset. None of your birds should have suffered this fate, and most certainly not a single one after the first one (which we'll call the wake up call). It's good that you are posting to find out what to do - I truly don't want to discourage that and I commend you for posting - but I wish you and others in the same boat had taken measures to ensure their safety the second you knew you your birds were at risk. The info is abundantly out there on how to do this. Indeed not a one of us should have chickens without doing the research first.
Very simply,
Dog = Predator
Bird = Prey
Keep them from this moment forward beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt separate as your dog now has a 'taste' for birds and cannot be trusted.
I'm really sorry to be so blunt but believe me, it was a lot harder on your dead birds. It is our job to protect them. Maybe I've just read one too many stories like this today. I'm sorry. I hope not to anger you but to help provide the urgent motivation to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
JJ

 

[okieglory]

The fence that separates my dogs and my chickens is about 5 feet high. We might put up some more fence to make the fence higher but we can't afford to cut down the tree that's in the way and by the stuff to make an in-closer for the chickens, so right now it is just a fence, no top. The wood holding the fence together is what they hop on to get out. When we let the chickens out we keep my dog inside and block the door so no one lets the dog out. Jjthink you have not angered me don't worry I understand whatever it takes to keep the chickens safe. We do understand not to punish our dog because it's her instinct and we might try to tie a dead chicken to my dogs neck if you all would recommend that and it's not to insane.