My dog killed my chicken :(

[FrankHomestead]

Your dogs hang their heads and cower because they are very good at reading body language and they know what's coming to them. Maybe they know why you are angry, maybe they don't, but that posture is an outward expression of fear and submission, not an acknowledgement of wrong doing.
A dog doesn't intrinsically know it's wrong to kill chickens, they ARE just following their instincts, that's how canids feed themselves, they kill things and eat them.

That said, of course you can teach dogs to leave chickens alone, quite easily if you know what you are doing. Training before they are ever allowed unrestrained access is the most effective way to go. Hours later punishment may give one the same result in the end, as eventually they will put two and two together, but personally I believe that method to be unfair to the dog.

No, not at all. my dogs show severe signs of guilt before I even know why. and if I don't discover something terrible they've done for a few hours, ya damn right they will have their consequences delivered to them on a silver platter either way. That's why I raise the BEST dogs. They do get plenty spoiled but never coddled, and I never put up with ANY out of control behavior.

 

[SunnyvaleMom]

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a terrible accident. Some dogs just have that hunting instinct and there's not much you can do. Hopefully you can find a way to forgive your dog and yourself, and maybe you can figure out a way to create a set up that will enable you ensure the dog can't get to any more chickens you may have in the future.

 

[BYC910]

Sorry your dog killed the chicken . I could say all kinds of things but it's all been said. Nothing is going to change the fact one pet killed another . Good luck I hope you get it figured out .

 

[centrarchid]

Your dogs hang their heads and cower because they are very good at reading body language and they know what's coming to them. Maybe they know why you are angry, maybe they don't, but that posture is an outward expression of fear and submission, not an acknowledgement of wrong doing.
A dog doesn't intrinsically know it's wrong to kill chickens, they ARE just following their instincts, that's how canids feed themselves, they kill things and eat them.

That said, of course you can teach dogs to leave chickens alone, quite easily if you know what you are doing. Training before they are ever allowed unrestrained access is the most effective way to go. Hours later punishment may give one the same result in the end, as eventually they will put two and two together, but personally I believe that method to be unfair to the dog.

My dogs are a lot smarter than you are used to. I know something is up based on the dog's behavior before the first sign of trouble. I have to go a hundred yard after coming across dogs before encountering location where dog acted up.

The rest you say I agree with.

 

[Steve J]

I'm sure my 5 dogs would have killed my chickens if they weren't accustomed to them , by having the chickens right next to them, with fencing between them. As it is they never tried to get in the chicken pen. And when I came home to find one had got in with the dogs, she was walking around with them and none bothered her. Very proud of all 5. Pretty good for a beagle, collie, coonhound, great dane/pointer mix and a pit bull.

 

[Geena]

My dogs are a lot smarter than you are used to. I know something is up based on the dog's behavior before the first sign of trouble. I have to go a hundred yard after coming across dogs before encountering location where dog acted up.

The rest you say I agree with.

Oh, I've had and worked with plenty of smart dogs. I agree, a dog will often show you when he's done something wrong. What I was attempting to point out is that cowering is not a reliable indicator of guilt. A dog might slink around and hang his head because he knows exactly what he has done to displease you, while another blameless dog might display those exact same behaviors due to random discipline being dished out to him on a regular basis. The cowering itself is an act of appeasement, submission and/or fear, and not necessarily an admission of guilt or a show of understanding.

 

[sourland]

Exactly. Dogs read us, and some will react based upon previous discipline. I have owned LOTS of dogs and only one (German Shepherd Dog) might have intrinsically known the difference between right and wrong.

 

[barred2rock]

If you don't catch a dog while it's actually in the act, there is no point in punishing it. It will have absolutely no idea why. It isn't the dogs fault it's in their nature. Keep the chickens or the dog locked up and you won't have the problem

I keep getting told I'm not training my dog because I don't punish her after the fact. Most people just don't get it.

 

[Suzi18]

You have to either catch them in the act or better yet reward them for the behavior you expect of them. If I catch my dog even staring or focusing on my chickens I tell him to " LEAVE EM " . I want him to totally disregard them .It took some time but it worked and he pays little or no attention to them now

 

[sannabelle]

In adding to the above post....set your dogs up to succeed! Don't place them in situations where they are going to get themselves into trouble. Train for the behaviors you want FIRST. Not- wait for bad behavior and then discipline.

Similarly to children, you don't leave knives and scissors all over the floor then scold them when you touch them. You keep them out of reach and teach them that sharp things are ouchie but x,y,z (toys) are fun and safe to play with.