My fox repellent - anyone with fowl and dogs please comment

[Kleonaptra]

Ok so this is Simon





Hes a maremma shepard X lab that I rescued from the pound. Over the first few days I felt kinda like I brought home a cane toad....No more fox problem but a great big dog problem! He tries to chase EVERYTHING! I was worried he might have lived rough and hunted but I know now he hasnt because he pounced one of my pekin girls today, man, I thought it was all over rover but she submitted and he just nibbled her neck....quite gently in fact! I was freaked out but at least I know he doesnt know what to do when he catches them. He was reprimanded and stays on a chain while the ducks are out. He is a great farm and family dog. I dont know if he'll ever get used to them, We may be on a roster system forever now, but anyone with dogs and ducks, let me hear your stories!

 

[justplainbatty]

Ok so this is Simon





Hes a maremma shepard X lab that I rescued from the pound. Over the first few days I felt kinda like I brought home a cane toad....No more fox problem but a great big dog problem! He tries to chase EVERYTHING! I was worried he might have lived rough and hunted but I know now he hasnt because he pounced one of my pekin girls today, man, I thought it was all over rover but she submitted and he just nibbled her neck....quite gently in fact! I was freaked out but at least I know he doesnt know what to do when he catches them. He was reprimanded and stays on a chain while the ducks are out. He is a great farm and family dog. I dont know if he'll ever get used to them, We may be on a roster system forever now, but anyone with dogs and ducks, let me hear your stories!

I brought home a black lab,around 4 months old late one summer. I kept him in a lot but as he got older, I started letting him out loose for potty breaks. I was training him by leash and shock collar for the whole perimeter of our 20acres. As winter ended, I thought he was well trained, but it was time for my chickens to free range again. He did that little play jump at them, I shooed him away and didn't think much of it. Until, he killed a chicken. He was just playing, he didn't eat it, his play was just too rough for a bird. I admonished him, he hung his head, I watched him a little more closely. Well, he did it again! Now I have to do something! So I started leash training him with the chickens using the "leave it" command. When I got more chicks, I raised them in the living room on the pool table just above his dog bed. I would make him lay down on his side, he was good about that. I would hold baby chicks in front of him, up to his nose and than let the chicks walk on him. I gave him much praise for listening to the "leave it" command and allowing chicks to peck him everywhere, including his eyes. Chickens became part of his pack. He began to patrol the hen house and would mark the area as his. I had him trained and off leash on our property and he never killed another chicken. He did go after coyotes and other things, he was a good chicken watch dog. One day, I turned around to see him chasing a rabbit. Before I could utter his name, he ran into the road from the ditch, and got hit by a pick up truck doing 60mph down our dirt road. He was a great dog, he just forgot the boundary one day. He was 3 years old. RIP Pirate.....

 

[Kleonaptra]

I brought home a black lab,around 4 months old late one summer. I kept him in a lot but as he got older, I started letting him out loose for potty breaks. I was training him by leash and shock collar for the whole perimeter of our 20acres. As winter ended, I thought he was well trained, but it was time for my chickens to free range again. He did that little play jump at them, I shooed him away and didn't think much of it. Until, he killed a chicken. He was just playing, he didn't eat it, his play was just too rough for a bird. I admonished him, he hung his head, I watched him a little more closely. Well, he did it again! Now I have to do something! So I started leash training him with the chickens using the "leave it" command. When I got more chicks, I raised them in the living room on the pool table just above his dog bed. I would make him lay down on his side, he was good about that. I would hold baby chicks in front of him, up to his nose and than let the chicks walk on him. I gave him much praise for listening to the "leave it" command and allowing chicks to peck him everywhere, including his eyes. Chickens became part of his pack. He began to patrol the hen house and would mark the area as his. I had him trained and off leash on our property and he never killed another chicken. He did go after coyotes and other things, he was a good chicken watch dog. One day, I turned around to see him chasing a rabbit. Before I could utter his name, he ran into the road from the ditch, and got hit by a pick up truck doing 60mph down our dirt road. He was a great dog, he just forgot the boundary one day. He was 3 years old. RIP Pirate.....

Oh that is so awful Im so sorry. Its a story I needed to hear though, so thankyou for telling it. I was afraid if my boy ever did kill I would never train him out of it now I have lots of hope for Simon. Hes 4 but I think he is still young enough to train.

 

[justplainbatty]

Oh that is so awful Im so sorry. Its a story I needed to hear though, so thankyou for telling it. I was afraid if my boy ever did kill I would never train him out of it now I have lots of hope for Simon. Hes 4 but I think he is still young enough to train.

Thank you. I think labs want to please their master more than they like birds, especially if the other things are still for the chase or on the menu. Very best of luck with your dog and chickens.

 

[Going Quackers]

I have a lab, she's fine with the birds but definitely with any prey animal(and dogs are considered that) watch, now being part livestock guardian dog you have an advantage... those are meant to be with herds, flocks etc..

I would work on the pouncing issue, that could result in a dead bird unintentionally but still dead is dead. Dogs can be wonderful protectors of flocks but caution always used. I don't fully trust my lab with my calls, they seem to entice her incredible fetching instinct worse than any other bird or animal here... she ignores most other birds though.

 

[Kleonaptra]

I have a lab, she's fine with the birds but definitely with any prey animal(and dogs are considered that) watch, now being part livestock guardian dog you have an advantage... those are meant to be with herds, flocks etc..

I would work on the pouncing issue, that could result in a dead bird unintentionally but still dead is dead. Dogs can be wonderful protectors of flocks but caution always used. I don't fully trust my lab with my calls, they seem to entice her incredible fetching instinct worse than any other bird or animal here... she ignores most other birds though.

Thats interesting about the calls. My partner says its cos the ducks are spoiled...Fat and shiny! He got used to the pigeons in a few hours. He's barking at the chook right now...He just wants to chase em! Looks like its going to be a roster system. I know the pouncing is dangerous I was just relieved it was only a pounce, not a pounce snap.

 

[jessarndt]

I will be trying this with my Dog! Thank you for sharing

 

[Honey Maid]

I've had chickens since 1993 or 94. I've had at least a dozen, or more, dogs since then, at one time I had 9 all at once. I've not had one chicken killed by a dog, had one maimed once, but she lived. That one, my GSD was pretty young, and would get excited when someone drove up the driveway. Well, he grabbed the chicken in his excitement, then dropped her, she had to get some stitches but was okay.
Another time, my, at the time, 9 month old Doberman, though chickens were toys. She did not chase them, but one time one one must've squatted, in front of her. I caught her holding it down between her front legs. The chicken was just sitting there, happy as a clam, not struggling or anything, while the dog was plucking feathers off the chickens back. Neosporin and isolation in the garage for awhile fixed that chicken. That dog never bothered with the chickens other than that. That dog was great, my goats in the flowers, she'd chase them out, 'Killer' our rooster would get after me, or guests, I could tell her to, 'Get Killer', she'd chase him off, but not touch him.

We also had a Queensland Heeler that loved baby anything. When we had baby chickens, we'd put the, outside in an enclosure, he'd lay right by them.

 

[Kleonaptra]

I've had chickens since 1993 or 94. I've had at least a dozen, or more, dogs since then, at one time I had 9 all at once. I've not had one chicken killed by a dog, had one maimed once, but she lived. That one, my GSD was pretty young, and would get excited when someone drove up the driveway. Well, he grabbed the chicken in his excitement, then dropped her, she had to get some stitches but was okay.
Another time, my, at the time, 9 month old Doberman, though chickens were toys. She did not chase them, but one time one one must've squatted, in front of her. I caught her holding it down between her front legs. The chicken was just sitting there, happy as a clam, not struggling or anything, while the dog was plucking feathers off the chickens back. Neosporin and isolation in the garage for awhile fixed that chicken. That dog never bothered with the chickens other than that. That dog was great, my goats in the flowers, she'd chase them out, 'Killer' our rooster would get after me, or guests, I could tell her to, 'Get Killer', she'd chase him off, but not touch him.

We also had a Queensland Heeler that loved baby anything. When we had baby chickens, we'd put the, outside in an enclosure, he'd lay right by them.

Thanks for sharing! (I like your signature)

Simon is still on a roster. He comes out with me to do stables and let the horses out, then goes on the chain and the ducks get let out. He stays on most of the day but comes out the back with me. I think he gets walked more in a day than most dogs do in a week!

Today the ducks did a big loop around the house to the front lawn - their usual path through the back porch blocked by Simon - and proceeded to fossik quite near to him. I sat with him a while, saying he was good when he sat calm and firmly saying 'no' when he snapped and jumped at them. The fact they are not frightened seemed to fully infuriate him and he had to stay on the chain when I went out the back as he nipped back to try and get a duck! I think he is just young and headstrong. Im surprised he is as good as he as after being in the pound. I have faith he will get used to them.