i never thought my own dog would fall into this category (UPDATED PG.8

[emvickrey]

An old remedy to teach your dog not to kill your chickens is to tie the dead chicken to his collar and let it rot there for a little bit. It will deter him from going near your flock. I have never had to use this tactic and glad for it but I hear it works.

 

[emvickrey]

Dogs will be dogs. If it will run they will chase it. It takes alot of training to teach one not to. My dogs will stop on a dime if I tell them to if they're chasing something. Cats and squirrels seem to be their favorite. I truely beleive my dogs knew english. When we get a new animal I tell them they live ehre now and to protect them. They will leave them alone. They will lay amoungst the chickens while they are roaming. All except for the St. Bernard. He needs more training. One that will not chase them is a Lab. She is a bird dog but in her case she protects them. A skunk was trying to get into the coop one night and she fended it off. She also got sprayed but she chased it away. She keeps all the wild animals out of the yard at night.

 

[DiVon80]

Quote:
Love Australian Cattle dogs!!!! Have owned them for many many years." Actually looking for a tiny blue female".
Just to let you know these are the ultimate(IMO)working dogs and a bored dog will find his own job if you don't give him one. Any way free range chickens will probably find other predators. We are dealing with red tails. Just some thing to note about training heelers they do not respond to hard military type training. They will actually do the opposite. Work them with all positive and praise. I know what you are saying when I lost my first girl it was bad and now I can not even recal the day. Its been put out of my mind. My boy chance lived 18 years. Cattle dogs are also hard to rehome they get so attached to there person...I would rethink this you would be suprised what cattle dogs can do. We were having pit bull issues here(The fighting kind) Another man in the neighborhood saw my heelers and got him one. Got in a debate over heeler verses pit. Well guess who walked away a believer the pit. HA! The pit is a bite and hold, the cattle dog just plain fast. Bite the pit in every angel had the pit so frustated it was funny. Anything that has the tenacityto bite 1500#s of wild bull in the outback of Australia got to be good.

 

[fargosmom]

Well I'm glad Cowboy found a home with cows and a job to do. Sounds like a win-win.

 

[BellLisamo]

thank you!!

 

[emvickrey]

DiVon80
I certainly hope you really didn't fight your dog on purpose.

 

[Davaroo]

My dogs killed and destroyed two flocks before I declared the dogs the victors. No more chickens for me, at least not until I get an electric fence.

 

[emvickrey]

I am soo sorry to hear that. I owuld definately put up a fence to keep the dogs out. An electric fence may not kep your chickens in but the dogs out. the chickens venture out of the area the dogs can still get them. I owuld put up a more secure fence. Wire or wood and dig a trench and set the wire or wood in the trench and bury it so they can't dig under either. Wire would probably be better to put in the ground. Wood would rot.

Good luck

 

[Chickenaddict]

I had a female blue heeler we picked up at a swap last summer. She was 9 months old and had never been around chickens. I got her for a companion for my lhasa apso who was very lonely with the added bonus of teaching her to herd the chickens back in the yard if they strayed into the neighbors. What i did was took her out back several times a day on a leash walking around the chickens. I did this for a few weeks conststantly. Then i used treats to get the chickens to come to me while she was sitting next to me, if her pupils dialated i knew she was getting hyped up to chase them or kill them so i'd yank the leash and tap her nose telling her no. After about 3-4 weeks she was golden. She could roam the yard without the leash and she wouldn't even look at them, she wouldn't herd em either tho due to my fearless cochin roo attacking her face. I ended up having to rehome her because my other dog wouldn't tolerate her whatsoever so to get back at me for getting him a friend he began peeing all over the house and furniture. She was a very smart girl and caught on really quickly and it broke my heart to have to rehome her but she ended up going to a wonderful farm where she is being trained to herd cattle and is living a happy life. I am glad you found your cowboy a good home too.

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
wow maybe cowboy and your gal are at the same farm? LOL

No, cowboy went to new mexico