It's a sad day in our home.

[Lifestudent]

We've got her on a tie-out for now. We may go to a dog run later, but this will work for now. We're both calmer now and are thinking more rationally. We've also decided that next spring when they start selling baby chicks again we'll buy some more. We really couldn't bear to part with Shasta, our dog, either. We're still sad, but that will take time to pass.Thank you everyone for your concern and for your suggestions.

 

[daoustaj]

Find a way to keep both. Youve had your canine child for over a decade. Get a electric fencer for around the chickens, or if you dont care to keep your chickens locked up maybe separate the yard

 

[jak2002003]

I was shocked when I saw your post that you wanted to get rid of a pet dog you have had for 12 years because it made one mistake! I am so glad you are calmer and decided to keep her for now.

I know from personal experience how you feel after something like that happens. My dog was raised with my pet chickens since she was a puppy. They all lived fine together, often the chickens sleeping with the dog of the front lawn. My dog would protect them from cats and other animals. I could trust the dog 100 percent for 2 and a half years. She is a small poodle mix breed dog.

Then one day I came home to find something had triggered the predator instinct in the dog and she had killed 3 chickens and injured several others. She was in the process of doing it when I got home from work and she was like a different animal - like a wild predator. She would not listen to me and when I tried to pull her away from a chicken she tried to bite me!!!! she had never shown any aggression before. She was so hyped up and her eyes were wide and wild looking.

I was heartbroken - more for the shock of what my little dog had done than for the chickens. I felt the human / dog relationship had been ruined.

Now I always tell everyone, not even the best trained dog can be trusted to be left alone 100 percent with any smaller animal. Something could trigger that predator switch in their brains and they revert back to their nature.

After that time she has never tried to get the birds again - and is back to her usual lazy friendly self. But I make sure never to let her alone with the free ranging chickens, and lock up the chickens in their run when I have to go to work.

I think after a week you both will have calmed down and then you can take measures to keep the hens safe, and the dog away from temptation! Can you make a large run to keep the birds in when you are not home?

I wish you good luck for the future.

 

[Mattemma]

All dogs have this potential. Better to control the dog to prevent another rampage, or put it down if don't want to deal with it.Next dog will be a risk as well.Me, I would work with the dog.Having it 12 years you must like it.

 

[Lifestudent]

Let me make it clear. I did not want to get rid of our dog. I did need to discuss this with people who would have ideas how to handle this. My wife wanted to get rid of our dog, but she has cooled off now. She is still upset, and will be for a long time. I appreciate all the input I've gotten here. Jak2002003, we just started raising chickens this spring so our dog didn't grow up around the chickens. I do know what triggered her predator instinct though. Our rooster was injured, and she had been going after him. When we got home from church our dog was calm and wasn't bothering the other six hens we still have. The fact that your dog hasn't gone after your chickens since encourages me.

 

[chkn]

I wouldn't get rid of your dog. You just need to keep them separated.

 

[Lifestudent]

My wife is still upset at our dog, and mentioned the other day that a lot of it is missing our rooster and the hens. Yesterday I found someone not too far away who has some roosters the same age as our hens (hatched out this spring) for sale so we're going there tomorrow afternoon. The healing is beginning. It'll be nice to hear a rooster in the yard again. We still have 6 hens so he'll be a happy rooster. They have a variety, but we're thinking about the golden wyandotte they're selling.

 

[Firefighter Chick]

I bought a wireless fence for my dogs and they respect the boundaries. You could also get a hard wired fence, tie out, or a pulley/run system

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I've got an 11 yr. old lab and a 3 yr. old coon hound. The lab was born on our bedroom floor and he's king of the house. The hound came later. But both of them came long before the chickens, which arrived this past summer. I knew when we got the birds that I had to make sure the chickens were protected from the dogs. I wasn't about to change the dogs access to the outdoors because I wanted chickens as the dogs were there first.

Dog's do dog things. Like go after animals and birds. Our lab has genetic instinct to go after birds so we knew right from the beginning that we had to keep dogs and chickens separate. The chickens have a fenced area to run in and the dogs are inside our house if we are away from home. No chance that the dogs can get to the chickens without us being aware.

I'm glad you're keeping your dog. At age 12, he doesn't have many years left and it would be terribly sad to see him lose his home and family for doing what comes naturally and instinctively to him. The chickens should be fine providing you provide them with a fenced run and make sure the dog doesn't have access to them while you're not at home.

 

[Chickenfan4life]

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.

I am so much the same that it is creepy. My dad's ugly, stupid, spoiled, worthless, Labrador got into the coop and killed 5 chickens and left them scattered all over the place, uneaten. Just played with!

I was literally begging my dad to either get rid of the stupid dog or just kill it! But, no, my dad kept her. And, hardly a month later, she killed 5 more chickens. They were in the same state as last time: uneaten, just killed and left in the yard! Well, I was fuming now. I was ready to grab a rock, a metal pole, a chunck of wood, anything, break her head open with it! I know, I know. I sound evil and violent, but I just hate dogs that kill for pleasure! Ever since then, me and that dog, never get along. I literally never do anything affectionate with that dog. The most I do is feed her because that is my chore. If it was up to me, that dog would be dead or in the pound.

It will cost you a lot of heartbreak if you keep the dog. She will just kill more chickens, just like that dog that I just wrote about, and it will be even worse the second time around. I am sorry for the situation.