Thanks. I feel a little bit better after reading all of your kind words. I won't get rid of my dog. I was just really really angry when I wrote that and it just felt good. He's basically a good dog, just not really an asset around the property, you know. He is well-trained overall, but has no protective instinct, and of course, kills birds. We do not hunt, so his retrieving abilities are totally squashed, and we live in the burbs, so he doesn't get to run around and be distracted by a lot of other things -- for him it was an instant "crazy eye" as soon as we got the chickens. He was obsessed. I tried to stay on top of him. My husband should have given him some training, in hindsight, because he really obeys my husband. My husband has been out of town a lot. This was my first lab and I will never have another. I'm just not a labby person.
I thought for sure it would be my terrier who would give us trouble.,
He hunts and tries to kill anything he can (birds he can catch, rats lizards, worms, a family hamster and a family parakeet, etc.). But he was pretty easy to train with the chickens. I just told him "get off" every time he started showing interest and he found something else to do. Go figure.
I didn't like killing the two injured ones, but had to do it. It was really a bummer. I have to tell my daughter in a few hours. Two of the kids should be okay with it, but my little girlie is going to take it hard. As far as they will know, these hens died instantly, although, unfortunately, this wasn't the case.
I'm just really really sad, and angry at the same time. Not a great mix of emotions.
Thanks, you guys.
