I have been crying my eyes out all day. I left the dogs (Schnauzer & Shih Tzu) with our chicks for 5 minutes and they killed 2. I could not believe it. We've been acclimating them to be around each other and the dogs have been perfectly behaved when we are around. The second they had an opportunity, they took it and now I'm devastated. I honestly never gave it a second thought that the dogs would do that when we've been getting them together for weeks. The chicks are almost 3 months old and are a pretty good size by now. I thought for sure they would hold their own if they did come under attack. Now I feel like my own dogs are predators and I am ready to give them up. Our Schnauzer recently bit my 7 year old in the face so I guess I should have known something like this could happen.
I feel so responsible that I "let" my babies be murdered when it did not have to happen. The sad part is our chicks are so tame and trusting that they probably did not even see it coming. I was able to hold one before she took her last breath, but it has been so hard today for myself and my boys. We've all been crying and under severe emotional stress at the loss. I know many people here have suffered the same fate, so if you have advice about forgiveness towards the dogs or what you did in the same situation. I did not read through too many other threads because I'm a basket case. Please forgive me if there are other stories I missed that might help me through this. My husband wasn't of too much console because he did say the dogs were here first and they are naturally predatory towards birds (especially the Schnauzer). He is really angry at the dogs (don't get me wrong), but he does try to reason with other views to consider besides my own.
I think if the dogs and chicks were raised together at a younger age (the dogs are 7), this might not be such a huge issue. I can't even look at the dogs right now and the rest of the family is not interested in giving them more chances either. Especially when they have turned on the kids in the past.
Heartbroken in CA
I feel so responsible that I "let" my babies be murdered when it did not have to happen. The sad part is our chicks are so tame and trusting that they probably did not even see it coming. I was able to hold one before she took her last breath, but it has been so hard today for myself and my boys. We've all been crying and under severe emotional stress at the loss. I know many people here have suffered the same fate, so if you have advice about forgiveness towards the dogs or what you did in the same situation. I did not read through too many other threads because I'm a basket case. Please forgive me if there are other stories I missed that might help me through this. My husband wasn't of too much console because he did say the dogs were here first and they are naturally predatory towards birds (especially the Schnauzer). He is really angry at the dogs (don't get me wrong), but he does try to reason with other views to consider besides my own.
I think if the dogs and chicks were raised together at a younger age (the dogs are 7), this might not be such a huge issue. I can't even look at the dogs right now and the rest of the family is not interested in giving them more chances either. Especially when they have turned on the kids in the past.
Heartbroken in CA
Last edited: