My dog killed my whole flock

[jadethedoula]

First of all, let me just say, I know that this is MY fault, not my dog's. He is a dog after all. He had the opportunity and he took it.
My 6 week old chicks apparently got out of their basement brooder today and we found all of them with broken necks in different parts of the basement. I'm so sad. Loved these little girls.
My dog is a very mellow and obedient dog. I have worked with him a lot to get him used to being around chickens. He's been trained well. He doesn't even look at them. He hangs out regularly with them under human supervision. They will even walk on him and he doesn't even lift his head. I did this training with him because I worried about this scenario. I never let him be alone with them, even though he acts totally indifferent to them for years. But the first time in all these years he has had unsupervised access, and he killed the whole flock.
I confronted him with the dead bodies and shamed him heavily. He is sleeping on the porch tonight, and tomorrow I will reintegrate him to the pack. It makes me sad to shame my dog and see his sad little face, but hopefully he will be more hesitant if he ever gets another opportunity.
Anyway, let this be a warning to anyone who thinks their dog is safe around chickens: do not let your dog have access to your chickens without your supervision!
I hope this never happens to you.
RIP Sister, Snow White, Mud Puddle and Lullaby

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks are can be more difficult for dogs to resist than are adult birds. Your dog was not ready, which should not be generalized to all dogs. That is one of the more difficult components of chicken dog interactions. I like to setup so I can observe them together without dog knowing it.

One of my polishing techniques is to allow chicks and dog to interact under supervision in house with slick floors. Chicks are most inclined to flap about which will push dog's tolerance. Birds will poop on floor.

 

[naadarien]

As tough as it is, if hours passed since the chicks were killed, punishing the dog is fairly useless. They don't generally know what you are punishing them for if too much time has passed. Even if you show a dog the chicks, if they died merely because the dog is bigger and stronger, but not because of some primal urge to eat them, a dog still not likely to make the link. Like showing a 2 year old a broken plate. They know the broken plate is bad but not always why. Chalk it up to a lesson learned for you and move on.

I would agree with the previous poster. Chicks are likely too much for many dogs. We have corgis and I fully expect the dogs to try to herd the chickens when they are older. In the meantime, the chicks are put into a dog kennel of some kind to give the dogs a chance to sniff them, watch them, see their excited behavior, and give the chicks a chance to get to know the dogs, but accidents can happen even with the best of training and intentions. This sounds like one of those instances. Sorry mama.

 

[jadethedoula]

Thanks. I appreciate the dog training feedback.
I guess I will try again with a new batch of chicks on Friday.

 

[blinkk]

My husband has done chicks/dogs before. He’s trained many dogs to be around chickens with this tactic. This isn't for everyone and some people think it's harsh (you're just soft), but it works.

If your dog intentionally kills a chicken/chick he knows he shouldn't have, and if hours have passed, you still have an opportunity to show the dog what he did was wrong. Take the dead carcass and tie it to the dogs collar for some days. Let the carcass begin to rot so those great dog olfactory senses can pick up the smell. The dog will be uncomfortable and complain, but that's the point. Put the dog in a situation of discomfort, so he knows that next time if he kills a chicken, he's going to get punished by smelling the rotting animal he killed for a week.

It's rough, but it works. And usually it only takes once- the dog learns VERY quickly.

 

[Meller]

I put a hotwire around my garden and chicken run. My dog gets close and she will learn, yea its a little mean, but better than destroyed garden and dead chickens. She learns really fast what that wire means, I could probably unplug the fencer.

 

[Muddy]

I trust my dog with my chickens. One I trust 100%, the other, more like 80% because while she does chase on occasion, and I worry she could hurt them if she got too excited, as she's still pretty young.

However, I don't ever leave them alone with chicks, because they are just too small, defenseless, and dogs seem to react differently to little things than they do to bigger ones. Dogs and chicks have always made me uneasy. When I'm watching one will ignore the chicks and the other will mother them. I trust the one that ignores them more. But it would be so easy just to pick one up and "play" with it.

I'm so sorry about your loss though, and having to deal with your dog.

 

[cosmo1104]

As tough as it is, if hours passed since the chicks were killed, punishing the dog is fairly useless. They don't generally know what you are punishing them for if too much time has passed. Even if you show a dog the chicks, if they died merely because the dog is bigger and stronger, but not because of some primal urge to eat them, a dog still not likely to make the link. Like showing a 2 year old a broken plate. They know the broken plate is bad but not always why. Chalk it up to a lesson learned for you and move on.

I would agree with the previous poster. Chicks are likely too much for many dogs. We have corgis and I fully expect the dogs to try to herd the chickens when they are older. In the meantime, the chicks are put into a dog kennel of some kind to give the dogs a chance to sniff them, watch them, see their excited behavior, and give the chicks a chance to get to know the dogs, but accidents can happen even with the best of training and intentions. This sounds like one of those instances. Sorry mama.

I know this is the expected norm in dog training, but I just don't agree. When I train dogs, like my really bull headed stubborn white boxer, if they do something wrong/tear something up, the minute you show it to them, they cower and and seem to "know" they messed up. There are generally no words needed. They know. That being said, I agree that catching them in the act is much better. And I like centrachids plan on training and will incorporate it into my training.

 

[milola]

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If you haven't ever seen these dogs point out the guilty party watch this. It is hilarious. And hopefully the link will work.



Edited: It doesn't work. Check out you tube "who is the guilty dog"

 

[Baymule]

My dog got hold of a young rooster. I scolded him and he ran under the deck. I terrorized him the rest of the afternoon by beating the deck with newspaper and yelling BAD! BAD! BAD! Finally my DH came home. The dog was sure his daddy would save him and joyfully ran to DH. ha! DH held his collar while I beat him with the newspaper yelling BAD!BAD!BAD! and shoving feathers in his face. The dog nearly dragged DH off the deck. He learned his lesson from that moment. Right now if I offer him a feather, he ducks his head and looks for an escape route. i trust him completely with the birds.