My Dog turned Killer

[jak2002003]

yes, she was wound up in the moment. As I said, she wasn't thinking past "That's mine! I had that!! Give me give me give me" That she actually growled means that you need to really step up the training with her. I would find a good animal forum and start working on basic obedience with her and starting her on NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free)

Thank you dainerra, you know a lot about dogs! She is very good at obedience. She is never even on a lead around my area and will run along side my bike, or walk with me. Her recall was fantastic (and still is, apart from that chicken day). She is food motivated and such a pig - always hungry, so its easy to get her to do anything for food. She is very submissive too. If I raise my voice at her, or even look at her and just say 'Ah' she will stop what she is doing and come to me and lay on her back or lie down. She knows lots of tricks and I take her everywhere with me. She is great with other dogs and kids. I take her to my local bar and she is so calm and just settles right down for a sleep on the chair next to me.

That is why I was SO shocked that day. She was like a different dog! I will start doing more training with her with around the chickens now. I had some chicks hatch today and they were in the brooder. My neighbour came to look at them and they were on the floor and my dog was only very slightly interested for a few moments, had a sniff of them and then lay down on the rug and fell asleep.

I think any dog can forget the best training in certain situations and revert back to a wild animal. I hope that was the first and only time it will happen with her.

 

[NoisyCricket]

I have 2 Mastiffs that are good with the chickens most of the time. They were not raised with birds. They killed one cockeral early on, that got into the yard with them when I was not home. For that offense, the deed was done by time I found them and they were no longer in "predator mode" so I just continued with our normal training. Normal training is basically asking them not to fixate on chickens, "watch" me instead etc.

For my girls, when they get in predator mode, the best solution has been to calmly and assertively put them down on their sides. Then hold the bird over them, rest it on their shoulder, etc. Basically, I was telling them that I consider the chicken to be higher in the pack then they are. Once they submit and relax - their eye softens etc, then they can get up and I still hold the bird above them until they can look at it without the fixated stare. I have had to do this twice so far.

The chickens now go in and out of the yard. The dogs are mostly locked in the yard, but are loose on the rest of the farm when I am available to keep and eye on them. What can still set them off is if a chicken goes into frantic "prey" mode, otherwise they are fine even unsupervised. Keeping the dogs exercised and mentally stimulated (or balanced, as the Cesar Milan would say), is important.

good luck!

 

[Nslangton]

I have three Labradors. 8, 6, & 4. They have been allowed to get whatever they can catch since birth. My chicks are a month old. They are obsessed with them. They drooled over the brooder and wagged their tails. The chicks went in the run two times. The dogs never leave the side, still drooling. It is like they cant believe mom is growing us snacks. My dogs were all born and raised here. They are very well behaved, but I would never trust them alone with a chicken. I also feel that once a dog kills, it most likely won't stop with any amount of training. You must have been sick over your hens. I am so sorry, but I think that it is time to permanently keep the dog away from the chickens or it will happen again. Good Luck.

 

[jak2002003]

I agree with you Nslangton. I will never let my hens out when my dog is about. But life is life, and one day an accident will happen - a chicken will find a way out the run, my partner will open the house door not realising the hens are out, a friend might let the dog out if I have a party, I might not close the run gate properly...........the list is endless.

So I will train my dog the best I can to leave them alone. But I will never intentionally leave chickens and dog together.

One of the other people that posted said they dogs still went into predator mode if a hen goes into prey mode. Well that can happen for all sorts of reasons, like if they see a bird of prey, or hear a loud noise, or they are fighting with each other......again list is endless.

No dog is safe with chickens 100 percent, ever more so unsupervised. I had been lucky as it could have been much worse. I also can't believe I got away with no problems for over 2 years. All good things come to an end I guess.

I just hope I can get into an easy routine that will be good for me, the dog, and the chickens. Life goes on, as 2 days ago some eggs hatched and I am now taking care of my new 6 young ones.


And here is my dog ...... looks like an angel...........hope she decided to behave from now on.

 

[Nslangton]

How cute. The new chicks are adorable and so is the dog!!! Doesn't seem like much of a killer though, lol. You are right things do change in an instant. You can't control everything. Just this morning my horse was out because I forgot to turn the fence back on after mowing yesterday. Latches, gates, doors, etc. can easily be left open. My chicks went out to the run for the first time. The dogs never left them all day. They did wag their tails, but I'm certain that is because the chicks look so tasty.

 

[centrarchid]

How cute. The new chicks are adorable and so is the dog!!! Doesn't seem like much of a killer though, lol. You are right things do change in an instant. You can't control everything. Just this morning my horse was out because I forgot to turn the fence back on after mowing yesterday. Latches, gates, doors, etc. can easily be left open. My chicks went out to the run for the first time. The dogs never left them all day. They did wag their tails, but I'm certain that is because the chicks look so tasty.

You have a very good setup to begin process of breaking dogs of targeting chickens.

 

[amberflea]

I would NEVER EVER trust your dog with the chickens again.. your dog has a high prey drive... (thinking some kind of terrier perhaps?). Even if the dog is OK with the chickens when you are there, when you least expect it the "prey drive" will kick in and the dog will go after them again... this is nothing against the dog... some are bred that way and they cannot help it when the drive kicks in (and brain disengages)... my dog would kill every chicken I have when I am not supervising, so she is in a secured area when I am gone... just one of those things you have to put up with...

 

[berserker]

Mmmmmm... I just have to say.... The power of blood.... Once the dog gets a taste of it it's over; that plus the fact that, as the previous post said, it may also have some predatory instincts from another breed. I had a similar experience in the past.

 

[centrarchid]

Mmmmmm... I just have to say.... The power of blood.... Once the dog gets a taste of it it's over; that plus the fact that, as the previous post said, it may also have some predatory instincts from another breed. I had a similar experience in the past.

I can not agree. Such statements reflect a lack of experience or effort to correct situation.


Over years I have had many dogs, several at one point or another killed chickens, yet I was able to break them of habit with minimal effort to point where dogs could be left with birds 24/7 without risk to birds. Guardian in place now is a German Short-Haired Pointer (a high energy birding dog) that killed a couple juvenile chickens over a year ago yet at this point is fully trustworthy with chickens now.

 

[berserker]

I can not agree. Such statements reflect a lack of experience or effort to correct situation.


Over years I have had many dogs, several at one point or another killed chickens, yet I was able to break them of habit with minimal effort to point where dogs could be left with birds 24/7 without risk to birds. Guardian in place now is a German Short-Haired Pointer (a high energy birding dog) that killed a couple juvenile chickens over a year ago yet at this point is fully trustworthy with chickens now.

I have to agree with the fact that I'm not the best dog trainer nor do I have to much patience with them, but in my experience, nothing that I was told to do worked for me; so, I had to end up geting ride off the dog. As a result, I do not let any of my current dogs come near chicken carcasses nor do I allow them to come near the place were blood from chicken I've put under the axe have fallen untill I wash the area good with planty of water. I haven't had any problems ever since I started folowing this rules.