About 6 years ago we got a English Springer Spaniel from an animal shelter. She was from a puppy mill but we believe she was also trained as a bird dog. She has killed a few chickadees and another small bird since we have had her. We also have a black lab who is 3 which we have raised from a puppy. I am really not worried about him as much as I am with the spaniel.
We got 21 guinea keets in the mail today ( our first time raising any fowl!) and we did everything we needed to once we got them. Right now they are in their brooder in the basement with the heat lamp keeping them nice and warm. We used an old dog crate, some chicken wire and cardboard to keep them contained.
The spaniel is the only one that ventures downstairs (the lab is to scared) and when she smelt the keets she went wild. She laid down by the crate and sniffed to no end. I was very nervous about introducing her to the keets but I knew that the sooner the better. I had one of the babies hop onto my hand and I cupped it in both hands while the dog sniffed. She sniffed for a bit the pawed at my hands. I put the baby back to scared that the dog would attack and kill her and it would be my fault.
I know that I can train the keets and the lab to get along but the problem is that not only is the spaniel a bird dog but she is also a little blind. To make it even worse she almost completely deaf.
I'm not sure what I should do. Any ideas would be much appreciated!
We got 21 guinea keets in the mail today ( our first time raising any fowl!) and we did everything we needed to once we got them. Right now they are in their brooder in the basement with the heat lamp keeping them nice and warm. We used an old dog crate, some chicken wire and cardboard to keep them contained.
The spaniel is the only one that ventures downstairs (the lab is to scared) and when she smelt the keets she went wild. She laid down by the crate and sniffed to no end. I was very nervous about introducing her to the keets but I knew that the sooner the better. I had one of the babies hop onto my hand and I cupped it in both hands while the dog sniffed. She sniffed for a bit the pawed at my hands. I put the baby back to scared that the dog would attack and kill her and it would be my fault.
I know that I can train the keets and the lab to get along but the problem is that not only is the spaniel a bird dog but she is also a little blind. To make it even worse she almost completely deaf.
I'm not sure what I should do. Any ideas would be much appreciated!
