Maybe new dog-any experience with Golden Retrievers?

[briter30]

I am sooo impressed with other people's Golden Retrievers near the chickens/ducks! How awesome! I wrote in an earlier post that my GR would kill a chicken in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. They don't like cats either. I think it is more of a game to them. But they are WONDERFUL to all people, strangers, etc. who come visit us. They may bark for a second (not an aggressive bark) when a stranger, service man, etc. approaches the house, but in a few seconds they are licking them to death.

 

[duckinnut]

Well let me start with that I have a Golden and for his entire life was schooled in retrieving and retrieved many waterfowl albiet is now retired. That being said when I first got chicks he did try to grab some a couple of times and a firm no was good enough.I'm sure it was hard for him to understand why but his trust in my NO is what I wanted and that was that. Now he could care less about them. But I say that because he is who he is and every dog is different both in drive and how they are trained. I am a firm believer in solid basic training, accomplish that and you will have no major problems. A dog will almost always test your will(leader of the pack thing). Sit is sit,no is no not maybe. People are the problem with ill mannered dogs,dogs want to learn and please. Dont teach them what is to be expected and you can bank on the unexpected. Have ground rules on how the dog will be trained,be firm and most of all CONSISTANT. Nothing will confuse a dog more when he gets conflicting info from different people which almost always lead to bad behavior. They will get away with what they can with certain people if not enforced. But Consistant teaching the dog will understand what is expected with everybody.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
Sadie is obsessed with our cats. We have one cat whos probably around 7ish now. Sadie will put the cats whole head in her mouth and the cat just sits there. It's cute to watch, the cat will even groom the dogs head.

 

[Orange Ribbon]

My Golden Retriever, Ben, is a reformed chicken killer. As a youngster he thought they were chew toys. The first time we had left him outside, and although our birds were inside a fence, the little sucker found (or made) a hole just big enough for a chick to come through and sat beside the pen pulling them out one by one. When I got home he was throwing one up in the air over and over. Little birds were all over the yard. After a little heart to heart talk he let up on them--for a while. Then one day I was outside with him, the birds were out in the yard and the phone rang. I ran in to get it and when I came back out Ben was trotting across the yard with something in his mouth. I yelled, "BEN!" He stopped, looked at me, opened his mouth and a little chick jumped out of his mouth and ran off. That chick grew up to be an Ameracauna rooster with one hip higher than the other and he walks crooked. Doesn't seem to bother him and he is the big daddy of the chicken yard. Even the other roosters move out when he comes around. Anyway, it took me awhile, but I finally got Ben to understand to leave them alone. All our birds are grown now and he just wonders among them nosing their butts. I wouldn't trust him enough to not keep tabs on him, but he does okay.

I also have Zippy a terrier mix that acts like they don't even exist, and Cody a German Shepherd who stays out with them all the time unsupervised and he never has offered to bother them. Some dogs just can't be trusted no matter what, but a young dog is more apt to get into trouble with them. Older dogs understand their people better and know what is acceptable or not. But dogs that listen are not born like that, you have to work with them.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Would love to have seen that! Ben with chicks! and I can just see the mouth open and a chick hop out!

 

[JoieD]

We picked up Max, our Golden Retriever at a shelter about 13 years ago. He was about 6 months old. Max has killed the neighbors cat, Several feral cats, numerous rabbits,etc. However when the kids raised rabbits for 4H he left them alone,even the favorite we let run around the yard. He also doesn't bother our cat, actually loves on it. . I was worried about the chickens, but he has only shown curiosity. I have had a lot of animals in and out of this house and the one thing I do is feed them together. Treats are good. One for Max and one for the rabbit or chicken or cat. Max loves corn and I will never forget sitting in the backyard cleaning the corn with the rabbit and Max sitting side by side waiting for a scrap. Then the next day I saw him with a wild rabbit in his mouth.

 

[Ole rooster]

Briter30, have you ever spent anytime "in training" with your dogs. Sounds as though you put all you trust with training in the electric fence. Have they had any obedience training at all?

 

[Beekissed]

My lab mix, Jake, is so funny when it comes to chicks. We observed him lying out in the yard one day with all 20 CX chicks snuggled up to him and with one between his paws getting a thorough licking.

One day I had a chick die from getting squished under a broody and I gave it to Jake. He took it delicately with his lips, for all the world like a polite guest that accepts something they'd rather not eat. He just sat there with these little legs jutting out one side of his mouth and looking uncomfortably worried....finally I told him, "For heaven's sake, Jake, you don't HAVE to eat it!" He then dipped his head and gently deposited the chick on the ground and walked away.

Great chicken dog...great dog all around!

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Quote:
So sweet, I can just picture his sad little face like "Really Mama, what do you want me to do with this?"

 

[Beekissed]

He almost looked worried, like it was a test and he didn't know if eating it would mean failing or not eating it would....he just wanted to please me in some way!

To understand why I'd even give it to him, you need to know that Jake is the reason I had to move my birdfeeder. I kept finding pieces of songbirds in the yard....a little drumstick here, a head there, a wing over in that direction. I thought it was my tom cat until one of my sons spied the dog jumping up into the air and snatching a bird as it left the feeder.

I just figured, if he liked those little birds, he may want to chew on this still warm specimen....I left it in the yard in case he would come back and dispose of it. He never did and I had to get rid of it.