My dog is a chicken eater, don't know what to do

[centrarchid]

Getting off mission a little

 

[centrarchid]

She can be trained, but doesn't like treats much. But we figured out she loved kind words and touch, so she is definitely trainable and it should go more smoothly now.

Please, I'd love more breeding tips! Our cousins have bred dogs a bit but mostly we're just researching and doing it ourselves. We also have a friend who's a vet and he's giving us advice.

We're planning to put temperament first on our priority list when searching for a stud dog. Is that a good idea?

We'd appreciate anything!


We're working on basic obedience and she's getting pretty good, when she wants to. I'll start training around the chicken coop (while they're locked in) soon!

Can you post picture showing how dog looks at chickens?

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry, so true about getting off track.
Lots of good advice here, and some varying opinions, most based on personal experiences, also all interesting. @centrarchid does have experience training dogs with poultry!
Mary

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Pretty sure all states the minimum age for cats, dogs and rabbits is 8 weeks. Which means youll be stuck with puppies for at least 2 months.

I don't see the point in breeding (especially just for the 'puppy/circle of life experience') when you're already having training problems with just one dog.

Not to mention you've got to figure our what to do if you can't get rid of the pups. At least when people hatch too many birds or do the 'circle of life' experience with farm animals, you can eat what you're stuck with.

Even if you're fine with predators snagging an occasional bird, you need to make the pens stronger because you have a dog that actively will kill birds if you're not there to stop it.

 

[PioneerChicks]

That's good news!



I have no actual experience breeding dogs, although I've read about it and have a bit of experience with some other kinds of animals.

For any kind of animal, I think it's important to not breed an animal with something "wrong" with it. That could be wrong temperament, not able to be trained, physical problems, and so forth. For animals that are supposed to be a certain size, shape, and color you should consider those points too. You should also consider what the animal is used for, and make sure it is suitable (a laying hen that is a good layer, a meat chicken that grows fast, a sled dog that can pull sleds, a herding dog that does herd sheep, a farm dog that behaves properly toward livestock, a pet that behaves properly as a pet, and so forth.)

I know there are some health tests recommended for dogs, and I know that the list varies a bit from one breed to another, but I do not know the list for any specific breed. For a mixed breed, you should probably check the list for both parent breeds, and also check whether there is an extra list for that mix.

For me to breed an animal, there are several "most important things," and I will not breed the animal unless I have all of those points. For a dog, it would include temperament and health and trainability, and likely some details of appearance as well. There are so many good dogs in the world, I see no reason to breed one that is lacking in any major point.

Before breeding her, I would also learn about the necessary steps: how old the female should be before breeding, how the actual breeding works, how long she'll be pregnant, whether you will need to care for her differently during that time (food, exercise, vet checkups, etc), how the birth is likely to go, what the most common problems are, what to do about those problems (which vet is open in the middle of the night on a holiday?), how she should feed the pups, how to feed the pups yourself if she does not, what age to introduce other foods, toilet training/cleaning, when to wean, what age the pups should go to their new homes, what vet care they need at what ages, how to recognize what things are problems and what is normal, and so forth.

I would also consider how to sell the pups.
You will need to find people that want the pups (word of mouth? sign by the road? sign on a bulletin board in a store? craigslist? online puppy-broker site? personal website?) You might take deposits in advance, or wait until the pups are old enough and sell them then. If you take deposits early, you need to decide how people will pick which puppy, and you might spend time photographing each one and sending updates to buyers. You might let people pick their own puppies, or you might ask what traits they want in a puppy and try to match puppy temperaments to buyers' needs.

Also check the laws in your state, because some have minimum ages at which pups can be sold, and some might have other conditions as well.

The owner of the male will probably charge some kind of stud fee, so find out what that is (might be in dollars, might be pick of the litter, might be something different.)

Some of these have a "right" answer (like the usual length of a pregnancy), but many of them have several possible answers, so you need to find the answer that works for you. Many people have strong opinions about some of these points, which usually go against someone else's strong opinion, so take that into consideration too

I've researched the matter a bit, thinking I might at some point want to breed a litter of puppies, but so far I have not actually done it. There are too many points where I do not yet have an answer that satisfies me. But that's why I've got such a long list of points to consider.

Thank you so much Nat! We'll look into all these points. I'm bookmarking your post. Thanks again!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Can you post picture showing how dog looks at chickens?

Yes, I'll try to get one today.

 

[agold23]

Your dog is half herding half bird dog retriever- both breeds have high prey drives. Better management on both parts is important, whether that be fencing, long leads or ecollar. You could reach out to a trainer and see if they can help you, I’d opt for the R+ training route before ecollar training. You’ll probably never be able to trust the dog alone with the birds now that it’s got a taste for blood. Good luck!

 

[NatJ]

Pretty sure all states the minimum age for cats, dogs and rabbits is 8 weeks. Which means youll be stuck with puppies for at least 2 months.

https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-laws-concerning-minimum-age-sale-puppies
This article, dated last year, thinks that only some states have laws about the minimum age at which puppies can be sold. (I have no idea how well they did their research, so I would suggest that any person check the laws for their own state, rather than completely trusting any such list.)

 

[PioneerChicks]

Lots of people have questioned our breed choice and plans to breed. Please keep in mind that I mean this post very kindly!

Yes, we know she is a hybrid. But Aussiedoodles are a good match for our family's lifestyle. Kids, lots of people, energy level, etc. And my dad is opposed to a shedding dog in the house, and poodles/doodles don't shed much, it's in their genes. Lots of people resent them because they are a hybrid, but our family politely disagrees.

Even though they aren't a pure breed, I'm sure you know that doodles are really popular right now! We don't expect to have much trouble rehoming her puppies, but we do have plans for getting the word out. They will be enclosed and will not have access to the chickens without supervision.

We are breeding her to make some money, to get some experience, and because we simply love baby animals!

Most importantly, Rosie is not just for breeding. We love her and she is easily the most beloved pet in the family!

 

[agold23]

we bought her for over $1000 to breed her, and have spent a couple hundred on her since.

For the love of god, please do not breed your mutt. There doesn’t need to be more doodles in this world, this is coming from someone who works at a dog kennel/daycare. It’s obvious your knowledge on responsible breeding is limited which is ok! There are tons of online resources as well as books and first hand experiences about ethical and responsible breeding- and breeding a doodle is not responsible breeding! There’s a lot that goes into proper breeding, health testing, genetic testing, lineage/pedigree tracking, titles, finding a sire and so much more. It’s best to enjoy the dog you have now instead of making 5-10 more of them just because you think she’ll be a good momma dog.