It's a sad day in our home.

[keesmom]

I suggested this as the OP stated it had to go tomorrow. Finding a GOOD home in less than 24 hours is very unrealistic. I hope the OP takes some time to think about this.

It is a very sad situation.

As did I.

If it were my dog I wouldn't even consider parting with him/her. I would consider it to be my fault for letting the dog stay with the birds unsupervised, and the simple solution is to not let it happen again.

 

[Melabella]

Good Luck in your decision. I hope that you can think of something that benifits you, your wife, your dog and your chickens. 12 years is a long time. I pray for your strength in realizing that you must take care of both animals. Hope your wife can calm down and forgive her, life is too short to hold onto anger towards an animal...far more stressful things in life.


Blessings to your family,
MB

 

[cafarmgirl]

Many, many, many a dog will go after chickens if it wasn't raised with them. Chickens run, they make noise, it trigger's the chase response. Even a dog whose always been good around chickens can have a stupid moment and react to something and before you know it you have a slaughter on your hands. All the more reason I see to keep dogs and chickens separate.

I honestly can't imagine getting rid of a dog I'd had for 12 years. Yes, I would be very upset to see my birds killed. But at the same time, it's my responsibility not to put the dog in that situation. I'm not trying to sound horrible or mean or condescending or however it may come across to some... that is not my intention at all. I just hate to see someone get rid of an otherwise good dog that they've had so long when there are ways to make it work.

Put up a kennel and run for the dog, keep the chickens in a good coop/run, put dog on a tie-out or an overhead zip line.... theres just lot's of things one can do. I'm very sorry it happened but I do hope your wife will rethink the situation.

 

[Lifestudent]

Good Luck in your decision. I hope that you can think of something that benifits you, your wife, your dog and your chickens. 12 years is a long time. I pray for your strength in realizing that you must take care of both animals. Hope your wife can calm down and forgive her, life is too short to hold onto anger towards an animal...far more stressful things in life.


Blessings to your family,
MB

Thank you everyone for your input. I will take all this into consideration, and will have a talk with my wife before I do anything. I didn't have much time when we found out because I had to go to work, and we were both very upset.

Melabella, thank you for your prayers. I need this. She has been a good dog, and I don't want to get rid of her either.

 

[theoldchick]

I'm not going to take her to the animal shelter, and I'm not going to just dump her out. Hopefully by tomorrow my wife will be calmer. Keeping her chained works for me, but my wife wants me to get rid of her. Yes, I would be honest with anyone we give her to. It really hurts to have to make a decision like this.

Jdywntr, Shasta is about 35 pounds so she's not a large dog. Animallover505, what I mean by going crazy is we found 6 chickens scattered throughout our back yard. Three of the surviving chickens were hiding between a shed and our house where she couldn't see them. I would really like to keep her, but restrain her from getting to the chickens, but right now my wife is very angry. I'm having to think things out before I actually take action.

You are between a rock and a hard place. I've been the ticked off wife so I can understand her sentiments. I had my husband's prize Treeing Walkers rip into my coop of prize Rosecombs, and let me tell you I was ready to kill the entire troupe of dogs right then. I actually had the 30-06 locked and loaded only to have the lead hound give me his big round eyes as I approached. Then he rolls on his back with tail tucked between his legs.

I didn't kill the dogs but I stayed angry for quite some time-blame the Irish in me. To this day I don't know how the @#$! the dogs got out of their yard and into the coop. We finally put up electric wire around the chicken coops. And if I had my way I'd have razor wire all over the place.

Unfortunately, we eventually had to get rid of the hounds because they were more interested in killing chickens than hunting raccoon. It was a rational decision based on the dogs lack of performance. I spayed and neutered the entire lot of them and found suitable non-chicken homes for them.

Our next lot of Treeing Walkers pups were exposed to an aggressive rooster at a young age so they had no use for chickens when they matured. Still, we made sure the chickens were off limits for them.

Anyway, the wife will calm down. If she's a red-headed Irish woman, heaven help ya! Might help if you present her with new chickens-once you get your dog under control.

 

[jdywntr]

I'm not going to take her to the animal shelter, and I'm not going to just dump her out. Hopefully by tomorrow my wife will be calmer. Keeping her chained works for me, but my wife wants me to get rid of her. Yes, I would be honest with anyone we give her to. It really hurts to have to make a decision like this.

Jdywntr, Shasta is about 35 pounds so she's not a large dog. Animallover505, what I mean by going crazy is we found 6 chickens scattered throughout our back yard. Three of the surviving chickens were hiding between a shed and our house where she couldn't see them. I would really like to keep her, but restrain her from getting to the chickens, but right now my wife is very angry. I'm having to think things out before I actually take action.

I hope everything works out in a way that is best for you and yours. I know it can't be an easy decision.

 

[Melabella]

You are between a rock and a hard place. I've been the ticked off wife so I can understand her sentiments. I had my husband's prize Treeing Walkers rip into my coop of prize Rosecombs, and let me tell you I was ready to kill the entire troupe of dogs right then. I actually had the 30-06 locked and loaded only to have the lead hound give me his big round eyes as I approached. Then he rolls on his back with tail tucked between his legs.

I didn't kill the dogs but I stayed angry for quite some time-blame the Irish in me. To this day I don't know how the @#$! the dogs got out of their yard and into the coop. We finally put up electric wire around the chicken coops. And if I had my way I'd have razor wire all over the place.

Unfortunately, we eventually had to get rid of the hounds because they were more interested in killing chickens than hunting raccoon. It was a rational decision based on the dogs lack of performance. I spayed and neutered the entire lot of them and found suitable non-chicken homes for them.

Our next lot of Treeing Walkers pups were exposed to an aggressive rooster at a young age so they had no use for chickens when they matured. Still, we made sure the chickens were off limits for them.

Anyway, the wife will calm down. If she's a red-headed Irish woman, heaven help ya! Might help if you present her with new chickens-once you get your dog under control.

what a nice honest counter response. you also made me laugh...Ah what we animal lovers go through!

MB

 

[Lifestudent]

Theoldchick, she's Korean which isn't much different. I'm part Irish (our family was kicked out of almost every country in Europe) which made for some interesting "conversations" our first year of marriage.

 

[theoldchick]

Theoldchick, she's Korean which isn't much different. I'm part Irish (our family was kicked out of almost every country in Europe) which made for some interesting "conversations" our first year of marriage.

I can imagine! I'm Irish/English married to a educated redneck! He learned right quick not to mess with the 'Irish Rage'!

 

[NYboy]

Dog run, if money is tight check craigslist for used chain link run.