my dog killed all my ducklings, and a guinea today

[milo2145]

I have a 2 year old great pyrenees dog, he is huge, about 150 lbs and up until today has been a great guard dog for the chickens, and has never touched any of them. In fact they all sleep with him under the house.
yesterday he killed all of my magpie ducklings, in one frenzied chase, then today my daughter accidentally let go a guinea keet she was holding and he killed that too. he didnt bite into any of them, they all looked perfect, he must have shaken them to death.
We are just so sad, I loved their little ducky faces and their flappy feet...

Anyway, I was wondering should I worry about him now he has the taste for killing, was he defending the chickens maybe?, also he growled at me when I tried to take the keet off him, which he has never done before, he has been a very gentle dog up until yesterday.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I am so sorry! I don't have answers but I would like to know because I was thinking of getting one of them as a guard dog for my chickens.

 

[BoerneChickens]

If the dog thinks they are "fun" to play with - squawking and flapping make them fun toys- he may not even be intending to hurt them - but a dog that big need to learn he can't "play" with your other animals. I personally would assume it will happen again unless you teach him it is not ok and/or keep them seperated. I would do a little research on how to train your dog to know that kind of play is not ok.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I am in the process of getting rid of two dogs that have gone from being wonderful, friendly doggies to duck and chicken killers. They have killed chicks of all ages, at least 15, and 3 hens (two of my favorites), and 4 ducks. There is actually, as I type this, a duck in the process of dying, and they mauled it worse than the last ones, so make that 5 ducks. And NOT ONE of these birds were eaten. The shock collar has had no effect, and it was NOT cheap. The worst part is that I wake up after a few hours of sleep and find the neighbor's dog in my yard helping them out, so they teach the behavior to others. The fun and excitement is contagious. One dog goes to the Humane Society tomorrow, sadly, as we've seen by her lack of remorse that she will not change.
The other dog I had high hopes for till today. Just sad.

I'm sorry. I've broken very few dogs of this once they start. Some do, some don't. You'll find you have a threshold.

 

[awheel11]

I'm so sorry for your loss!!

My dog has always loved my chickens, oh I hope she never does that!

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
Wow. Dogs don't show remorse, I don't know what you expect from them other than to be dogs? What's sad is that you apparently keep getting dogs and not training them to stay away from your fowl, and both the dogs and the birds are losing.

To the OP... you need to get on her training right now and show her that they are YOUR birds and not HER TOYS as this is what it seems she is thinking. She only killed birds that were NOT chickens? Maybe you haven't been clean enough with the ducks and the keets?

Very sorry for your loss!

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

This seriously worked for me, and I was a non-believer...... lol Maybe it can help you??

I got a blue heeler German shepherd cross from the pound..
look at Timber's innocent face!

Anyway, as a heeler and herder, he was very fond of chasing things in the beginning. I have raised dogs my whole life and am very dominant and alpha leader to all my pets here (and people too, lol) and have had no problem training any dogs.
Timber was very good about learning when the leader (Me) found it acceptable for him to act upon this instinct of his. He was learning to only herd and chase with commands and learning his boundaries with what was acceptable and what was not with the livestock here. He was learning pretty well for the first week or so, and responding appropriately.

He was really good about learning about the chickens and never bothered them when he was with me ( He is like my shadow, following me everywhere) but the first week, he would chase and kill the chooks when I was not there to have a watchful eye on him.

I tried everything, and even caught him in the act as I pulled up the driveway after work, and reprimanded him with a dead chicken that he had just killed. That weekend I talked to all the old farmers at a chicken swap, and they said, "Tie a dead chicken to his collar and let it rot off... He will never touch another." I was like.. "Sure... how is that going to work?"

I thought this was gross, and disregarded it, but after another week of the same thing--and coming home to him with my favorite hen and only female Guinea nearly dead and torn all over in pain..I decided to try it. I put them out of their misery with him sitting there listening to me berate him. I got a string and tied both to his collar. I left him outside for three days dragging their bodies around.. even left him out in the rain and he had to crawl under the horse trailer or go in the shed. After the three days of him looking totally miserable, I cut them off and gave him a bath.
Timber has never looked at another chicken. He averts his eyes from all the fowl.
Even if I give him his "herding" or "chase this" command toward a big rooster.....He makes a jump toward it to startle it and wont get close to it and wont look the bird in the eye.
I didnt think that this would work at all, but it really did for me. Thought I might suggest it~

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Given the chance my dog would kill the chickens by mouthing them or chasing them to death. I love both the dog and the chickens and have tried everything to train her not to do that to the birds. Shock collar included.

So, if the chickens are let out, she is either chained, kenneled or muzzled because she simply will not obey. The chickens make her crazy.

I can have her by my side but eventually she will get more hyper and I lose patience and kennel her.

Pen the chickens or keep the dog controlled somehow if you want to keep them both

 

[wsdareme]

Quote:
I believe this can work -- my DH had a dog as a kid that killed a chicken. They tied it around his neck until it rotted off -- and he never touched another chicken.

HOWEVER, any time a 150 pound dog growls at you when you try to take away food or a toy -- THAT IS A TERRIBLE BITE OR MAULING WAITING TO HAPPEN! And a 150 pound dog could kill a small child or toddler with a grab and a few shakes of the head.

I'm sorry -- the dog has to go!!!

 

[babsbag]

I have a friend who has a pyre that is a guard dog for her goats. When he was a puppy he killed a chicken. She took the chicken and held the dog down on the ground and did the alpha thing with him, all the while holding the chicken in her hand and kinda of rubbing it on him as well.

He was a puppy, so that might very well make a difference. He hasn't looked at a chicken since then. I have heard about tying the chicken to the dogs collar.

It would really concern me that he growled at you. He is too big to do that. I would find a dog trainer and talk to them about making sure your dog knows you are the boss and that growling is not acceptable, no matter what. You might be able to keep him away from the birds, but get a handle on the growl.

Good luck and I am sorry you have to deal with this. I have had my dogs kill chickens and parakeets. I just keep them apart. It is hard.