Hiker- So sorry about your cochins. The best thing, just keep the dog under control at all times. I have a dog, cutest lil choc lab you've ever seen. When I first got chickens 2 years ago I thought I would train her as a livestock dog. I showed her peeps when we first got them, she played with them and I really trusted her with my chicks. Well one day ginger ended up killing a chicken. Honestly I think it was by accident, but to her it then became a game and now I honestly can't trust her. I still love and adore my ginger but she is always kept on a lead when she is not with me and not around the chicks as she was before. Dogs are meant to hunt, especially if you have a hunting breed and just can't get rid of the instinct.
I agree with keeping your birds and dogs separated. It's just common sense.
I have a great lab named Sam; he is more of a kid to us than a dog. I know that if I left him alone with the chickens, he probably would *at some point* chase and kill the chickens. I know this and I keep him away from them.
As much as we would all love to pretend that our dog is different from other predators, the truth is your "Sweet Puppy" has it in him somewhere... it's just a matter of time and setting until you see the wolf come out.
I have a 2 yr old aussie and 3 yr old ACD that I would NEVER EVER trust with the chickens. Both are kept in separate fenced areas. When I let the chicks out of their run to eat a little grass at night, I sit in my chair with a stick to keep the chicks from getting too close to the fence the dogs are in because I know if a chick sticks it's head through the no climb fencing on the dogs side, I could lose a chicken.
My red heeler/shihtzu mix (looks like a red heeler with short legs) has grown up with the chicks from the time he was 8 wks old. I used to take him out to the brooder with me and he loved to lick poo off their toes.
Last time I took him out to the coop with me, he got pecked on the end of his nose when he tried to sniff. I could probably train him to be nice to the chicks since he's so young but would never leave him alone with them.
I am sorry for your loss. It has happened to me too and I am sure countless other BYCers.
I dont think tying a dead chicken around a dogs neck will work because it is in a dogs nature to hunt; the chickens are kind of like a game to them.
I have done the method mentioned about putting the dog on his back and putting a chicken either on him or in front of his face. My dog doesnt pay AS much attention to the chickens anymore but I would NEVER trust him or any of my other dogs around the chickens. My rotti tries to lick them but she is just too rough so it would be very easy for her to accidently kill one.
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Conversely...if you have a dog-killin' chicken don't tie the dead dog around the chickens neck...unless the chicken is really really big or the dog is really really little it'll probably kill the chicken and then you'd have a dead dog and a dead chicken to deal with.....it might work out for some kind of stir-fry with cheshnut slices, though.