My chicken was attacked by our 9- month old puppy

[Coop Lady]

My Louise was attacked by our 9-month old puppy Otto....I have a large coop but every now and then I let her and Thelma free range in the yard while i am watering my plants..needless to say i went in to answer the phone and when i went out the door he busted past my legs and beelined for the girls...he chased her back in the coop and clamped right down onto her mid section from behind..I had to place some hard blows to get him to release....her left leg is outstretched and will not relax, it has become cool to the the touch...i treated her wounds and placed her in a laundry basket under a heat lamp....any suggestions? i am new to raising chickens...i am very concerned about her leg being cool versus the other leg being warm...this is so upsetting, thanks for any input...

 

[dracoe19]

I would keep her inside and keep an eye on her. The biggest damage a dog usually does is crushing damage which is internal where you can't see. Her leg maybe cool because of shock or possibly the limbs circulation has been cut off. Try feeling to see if there is any broken bones like her pelvis or upper leg. Just make sure she is comfortable and hydrated. It's something that she could bounce back from in no time or could result in her passing away. I have lost chickens to my dog before. He has killed them before I can even intervene though :/. Keep us updated and good luck.

 

[Coop Lady]

thank you so much.....even though im an RN...i feel helpless....i am familiar with humans having vascular disease that produces cool extremities..but i am afraid her bloodflow is compromised which we both know can lead to worse things..otto was clamped down on her tight..keep your fingers crossed for Louise!

 

[Coop Lady]

Sadly Louise did not make it through the night...thanks for your input

 

[Fly 2006]

Aaaaw, sorry about your chook

 

[Coop Lady]

Thank you! Happy news to report......I got a new friend for Thelma...a pretty 16 month old Rhode Island Red...who I named
"Red"...i also bought three 2-day old chicks, a lavender orpington, blue laced Wyandotte and of course I had to get another Buff Orpington who I will call Weezie in memory of Louise..

Thelma laid her first egg today!!!

 

[yo burrill]

Sorry you had to go through that!!! I am still working with my 8month old boxer on proper behavior around the chickens. A big part is putting them on a long leash and getting after them when they start the chase and treats when he comes back to you. My puppy now will listen and I can call him off if Im out there. He does well till the chickens start running then he gets all excited thinking they are fluffy play toys. Now we are working on Him laying down in the run so that the chicks can come to him without him spaszing out. I went through this with my older dog and he now doesnt pay any attention to the chickens.

 

[suki'smom]

Shock collars work wonders with chicken killing/chasing dogs. They must be properly used along with training of course but they work wonders on bullheaded dogs.

Happy to hear your flock is coming together and doing well.

Best wishes

 

[Fly 2006]

Coop lady, PLEEEEEEEEEASE don't put a shock collar on your pup

take the advice of Yo burril and take time to train your dog using reward based training, that way your dog will learn to live happily around your chooks not be scared stiff to go anywhere near them! I always wonder if the people that so readily put a shock collar on their dogs and say it's just a little shock would try it out on themselves!!!! We used to look after someones spaniel and because they couldn't be bothered to spend time training they bought a shock collar, they gave it to us to use

my husband put it on the lowest setting and shocked himself, he nearly fell over!! The dog has grown up to be a nervous little thing who is constantly looking worried incase he does something wrong, these things should be banned, as you can tell I feel very strongly about this issue and make no appologies for it!

 

[yo burrill]

Shock collars have their place but they still have to be used with proper training to get the outcome you want. For all but the most stubborn of dogs consistent training with positive re-enforcement is all you need for a well rounded pet that is not scared to death of doing something wrong. You want your dogs to love and protect your chickens not be scared to death of them. With that said there are some dogs that the prey drive is just too strong and they can never be trusted around small animals shock collar or not.