Im just devastated

[dacasodivine]

You do have options other than rehoming the dog. You can run fence along the ground a foot or two from the run and cover with rocks or dirt. Or, dig a trench of a foot and bury the wire. Or you can put a strand or two of hotwire. Or, you can do what I do and train the dog. If you read my post "my dog killed two of my chicks" I was given some good advice on trainer her.

I want to be able to free range my chicks so I am training her. I don't agree with the poster who worries that once they kill, you can't trust them with people. There is a difference in going after prey and attacking people. This is not my first dog with a high prey drive but neither dog would dream of going after a person.

 

[S0rcy]

If you are seriously not that attached to the dog, then yes, he should go to a home where he and you will not be stressed by the situation.

 

[jkcove08]

You might want to check at you local hardware store and see if you can find some log ground stakes to hook over the bottom wire and push into the ground. We actually dug a trench around our run and covered the bottom with dirt to keep things out and the chickens in. I have had my own dogs kill some of my birds and it is not the dogs fault. That is just the way they are. It takes a lot of scolding and yelling and a few other things sometimes to stop a dog from attacking chickens. Most of the time it starts out as play and then they just get carried away and end up killing them. The biggest thing is dont be mad if you leave them unsupervised. I have a coon hound that will totally ignore the guineas and turkeys as long as she is out on her tie. She did kill a guinea that flew into her dog run though. I dont think she would have killed it if it had stayed calm but of course it went nuts when it flew in and that was all it took to get her excited. That was the birds and my fault, not hers. I guess that is why I have so many birds, you will have to expect a few loses once in a while and even though it is so hard each and every time you do learn from it and make a better coop. The only animal that I sold instantly what a donkey that stomped on one of my ducks last year. That poor duck didnt have a chance and was doing nothing wrong. The donkey was sold the very next day. Remember that corgis are herding dogs and that was probably what the dog started doing and then it just progressed to far. Good luck and if you need some mixed full size or banty eggs let me know. I have a bunch. Jenn

 

[Denece&Lacey]

The dog banged into the fence until he made a hole between the barn and the chicken wire. There are stakes in the ground and all of that. He actually killed everything we had except 1 chicken and 2 quail. It was a massacre. Had he just killed 1 or 2 would be different. He broke into the barn. I cant watch them all day because I am at work. He even drug some of them out of the barn. This is something he will definetly do again. He wouldnt bite a human though. I trust him around my kids. I just wouldnt ever trust him against a chicken again at all.

 

[Denece&Lacey]

I think the dog is going to the country to live at my sisters. She only has horses and other dogs!! I think it will be a good thing for him (and me). I really was attached to him. I am just mad right now. If I want to have chickens this is what I feel I have to do.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Part of being a responsible owner of any living being is to think ahead and plan, and you still end up rethinking and reconfiguring.

I've got 4 weimaraners, German all purpose hunting dogs. I've got another four golden retrievers and an 80# husky along w/taking care of a 45# husky for someone else.

I know I have to protect my geese and chickens, along w/the pheasant and quail when I get those later this year. I'm using chain link fence, lined w/hardcloth and homemade runs out of wood, two kinds of chicken wire and my neighbors love to leave their dogs loose.

I've also got cats and forgot to mention I'll be raising meat chicks for two months this year. I work two jobs so I've got dog pen/runs and dog crates, along w/a very watchful eye.

So far its all working and I'm determined to keep it that way but I'll never give up any of my dogs- and I'm enjoying this forum, group of people and have always loved birds so its got to work properly.

I think the trouble I'll be having will be from the neighborhood loose dogs so I'm keeping that in mind as I configure the pens for the birds.

We also have too many very large ravens that I'm really thinking on...part of why I'm going to be learning how to tame and keep a good rooster or two in separate flocks to protect his hens.

Oh, forgot to mention the border collie pup and the aussie cattle dog from the pound...I'll be training those two to be my/the bird helpers...but never left unattended, instinct is instinct but you can work with it. (I'm constantly watching the weims w/the cats even though they live happily together, you just never know)

It is devastating when destruction happens in our lives. I would talk w/your children about this, try to ensure they come out of this with a sense of ability to overcome and control most situations, to prepare and think ahead. They might even research w/you what breeds of canines are best with livestock of any type, etc. Big hugs to you and your family, Cheryl

 

[shnookey]

I went through this today. We have 2 pugs and 2 Boston Terriers. The Terriers were locked up, but broke out. Once the pugs saw them going after the birds, they joined in. It was total masacre. So so angry. We are building a dog run tomorow with chain link.
To keep the dogs in and from busting through the chain link, go to Pet smart and ask where the electric collars are taht are for parimeters. You put this color on your dog, and little parimeters around the dog run. When the dog tries to pass the parimeter you set up, it gets a shock!!! They are suposed to learn pretty quick with that. And would keep them from trying to dig or bust through the fence! I love my dogs. And refuse to get rid of them. But after this, they are getting lockered up!!!! Very upsetting!!!! They were my babies!!!

 

[Double-T-Family-Farm]

i have two beagles and a walker(my coyote hunting dog), and a house dog and i have only had one problem with them getting out and killing animals.. the walker got out once and chased them but didnt kill them just barked..i think he was just playing.. and my female beagle just had babies and she killed two ducks and brought them back to puppies.. but shes been with them now and doesnt even bother hurting them.. and the house dog helps protect them from the cats lol

 

[Chirpy]

I just want to say how sorry I am that you lost your chickens and that it was from your own dog. I lost my favorite chicken to my dog last year. I love my dog ... I love my chickens. There was no way I was getting rid of my dog. It was my fault that I didn't have proper fencing at the time.

Anyway, if you feel you can rehome your dog to your sister's then that's probably the best decision for all of you.

If you can't bare to get rid of your dog then here's a couple of ideas that may help.

1) Train, train, train. Everytime your dog even looks at your chickens you need to verbally take his attention away from them. (Corgis are working dogs .. he needs to be doing something like herding cattle or ducks or something so it will be harder with him than other breeds.)

2) Use a shock collar. You can be a long way away and discipline your dog anytime he goes near the chicken coop. You need to make sure that you pick a 'do not cross' line and always use the same line before shocking the dog. Meaning like ten feet from the coop or five feet from the coop, whatever.

The only problem I've had on the two dogs that I trained with a shock collar is that they were so smart that they knew if the collar wasn't on ... they could get away with the undesirable behavior ... little twits. Over time they did learn and stopped doing the bad stuff even without the collar.

3) A paintball gun can be very helpful. I would never shoot from a close up distance and always aim low and toward the rear. Even just kicking up the dirt around the dogs feet can be effective.

Finally ... dogs will chase and kill other animals for lots of reasons... almost no dog will then turn on people for any reason.

 

[Denece&Lacey]

I appreciate what everyone has said. I really do like the dog. He is still at my house. I was more mad at him a couple of days ago than I am now. We want to start over with more chickens. I am afraid of this happening again. It was not a pretty sight. I am the one that found them and had to deal with the chickens, dog, kids crying etc.... I was devastated. I do feel responsible. I feel like now that he has done it he will look for any way possible to get them if I get more. I dont trust him now. I work during the day and cant watch them all day long. I wish I could. I have to feel comfortable that I can leave and not come home to a massacre again. If my sister or someone in my family could take him I wouldnt feel so guilty. I have a yellow lab also who is on a shock collar because he gets out and runs off. I may check into getting another collar to go to the same system. I really hadnt thought about that too much. His keeps him in our yard but one time the battery ran out and he somehow knew it!! I would be afraid that would happen with Jack and he would get the chickens!!!!! Im going to be working on my fence nonstop until I get more chickens. I have had some ideas. My husband has fixed where Jack got in and he wont get back through there. I am afraid if he wants in bad enough there will be nothing stopping him!! What a dilema!!