my gander is bleeding from his leg help please

[ducklover87]

Hey Ducky, just catching up on the threads.  You poor soul.  How sad for you.  Was your pup chasing your neighbours´ livestock?   Pups are such hard work and so easily led.  What a bad experience for you, but that´s life, eh?

Just out of interest, a German Shepherd shouldn´t have a strong prey drive, as they´re a herding dog.  Once trained, they should generally do well.  Just sometimes the herding instinct in a youngster doesn´t know where to stop!

I have some fairly large mixed-everything dogs.  The have pitbull, german shepherd, poss lab, and whatever else in them, and when they were tiny pups they were always with the chickens, ducks etc to get them used to them.  No problems.
Then at 8 months they turned into thugs.   From time to time when we would leave the house, we´d come back to a dead bird.  Never eaten, just killed.  They would never enter the birds´ runs, but a bird would get out somehow and then get killed.  They killed a few pullets, 2 ducks, one I think was flying down to land and the dog bit it in the chest, because there was only one bite on her, must have got her heart.  They badly injured a turkey that I had to put down.  I did training on a lead, treats for ignoring, all the normal stuff, reprimand if caught in the act of showing interest, which was difficult, because actually they were more interested in the poop and the eggs!  Well, they grew up.  They´re now 2 years old, and although I don´t trust them totally, they´re absolutely fine with the chickens and geese, but I think the wagging tail of the ducks provokes attention.  The second duck to get killed was when we´d gone out, and came home to find dead.  It was the last bird that they managed to kill.  She was up the top near the house, she was a very inquisitive duck that would come over the fence looking for food.  The dogs were used to her, but this time....she was just too confident.  Just a couple of bites on her back.  Then they left her where she was.  Pups are hard work for sure.   You´re not alone!

We´ve built a run for the dogs and whenever we go out they get shut in it, sometimes for the whole day, as I still don´t trust them to behave themselves.  
But sometimes they surprise me.  The other day i saw my biggest dog (the worst with chicks) watching something intently.  It was three little tiny Brahmas that had found a hole in the fence big enough for them to squeeze through and there he was about two yards away, just watching them.  He´s improving. 

One of my neighbours here has a huge black year-old GS and it´s a terror.  If it gets out of its run at night it gets another neighbour´s birds out of their roosts.  Takes them home for breakfast. 

 Another neighbour here has 5 GSs and keeps chickens and horses and cows, and the dogs are used to herd the horses but they don´t touch the chickens.

A bit like a Border Collie.  Given enough to do, they can be great dogs, but some can be terrors.  Have you seen people training Borders Collies to herd Indian Runner ducks?  It´s great.  

Well he was a pup but not really. He was 10 months old when I got him. I have a chocolate lab that is amazing with my ducks and geese. And my german shepherd was doing so well and even kissing my week old ducklings i have. Yes I was doing leash training, having him watch my older dog with the ducks and geese when I did chores, and I had a few ducks that to come inside due to injuries and things and it helped him greatly. I've known lots of German shepherds with a high prey drive. German shepherds are more closely related to wolves than most other breeds are. Which is why some are just more of killers. No the Amish's cows weren't even in the field. He claims he was just trying to scare him and the dog I was fostering off but it was a clean shot from what I saw. Yes that's what they did. They killed them but didn't eat them or anything.

 

[livininbrazil]

I've known lots of German shepherds with a high prey drive. German shepherds are more closely related to wolves than most other breeds are. Which is why some are just more of killers. No the Amish's cows weren't even in the field. He claims he was just trying to scare him and the dog I was fostering off but it was a clean shot from what I saw.

Well to kill a dog when you just wanted to scare it seems like he´s a really bad shot!

And German Shepherds that have such a high prey drive aren´t true to the breed´s ideal. They aren´t actually any closer related to wolves than any other breed, they just look a bit similar. They´re a fairly modern breed developed in Germany, obviously, from shepherding dogs to be shepherds and guards, and became very popular. Unfortunately, when a breed of anything becomes popular, the original ideals get lost along the way. The same happened with Dobermanns, I used to breed them, but I used dogs from the older steadier lines, while there were many Dobes around that were far from the ideal temperament-wise and also in type. It was because they became popular and seople would breed any ***** to get a bit of dosh. It´s often good to go to a breeder of working dogs to get a true example of the breed.
Sounds like your lab is a good example, bred to retrieve birds without damaging them, they should have a soft mouth, so nice one with your lab!

But again, they´re not all like that.........

 

[ducklover87]

Well to kill a dog when you just wanted to scare it seems like he´s a really bad shot!  :/

And German Shepherds that have such a high prey drive aren´t true to the breed´s ideal.  They aren´t actually any closer related to wolves than any other breed, they just look a bit similar.  They´re a fairly modern breed developed in Germany, obviously, from shepherding dogs to be shepherds and guards, and became very popular.  Unfortunately, when a breed of anything becomes popular, the original ideals get lost along the way.  The same happened with Dobermanns, I used to breed them, but I used dogs from the older steadier lines, while there were many Dobes around that were far from the ideal temperament-wise and also in type. It was because they became popular and seople would breed any ***** to get a bit of dosh.  It´s often good to go to a breeder of working dogs to get a true example of the breed.
Sounds like your lab is a good example, bred to retrieve birds without damaging them, they should have a soft mouth, so nice one with your lab!     But again, they´re not all like that.........

He shot down and across a field and cow pasture. That's what I don't get. If it was me and I was trying to scare away an animal I'd shoot up in the air not directly at it. But I try not to dwell on them facts, it won't bring him back so why worry about things that will just be upsetting? That's how I see it. Oh I see. I can't remember where I picked up that they were more closely related but I guess they were wrong haha. Thanks he's a very good boy. He's almost like a mother hen when I brood babies in the house. He loves to watch over them and give them kisses lol

 

[ducklover87]

My goose Amelia hasn't really shown much improvement other than its scabbed over now. We are having a bad ice storm right now though. Been freezing rain for about 3 days. So with this weather I'm just assuming its taking longer to heal because she's trying to stay warm. My duck Cheese still hasnt healed completely.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My goose Amelia hasn't really shown much improvement other than its scabbed over now. We are having a bad ice storm right now though. Been freezing rain for about 3 days. So with this weather I'm just assuming its taking longer to heal because she's trying to stay warm. My duck Cheese still hasnt healed completely.

Could be in this horrid weather your having. It doesn't look like there is infection does it? and poor cheese, can you pick up some Veterycin spray at TSC? so good to spray on the wound a couple times a day really does help.

 

[ducklover87]

Could be in this horrid weather your having. It doesn't look like there is infection does it? and poor cheese, can you pick up some Veterycin spray at TSC? so good to spray on the wound a couple times a day really does help.

No there isn't an infection as far as I can tell. It doesn't seem warm to the touch or have any signs of infection. I picked up some the other day and have been using it once a day. I could apply it a bit more though. Regarding Cheese, she's been inside for quite sometime and still has a bit longer in the house, will she be OK to just let back outside when the time comes? I'm worried about the weather difference. I know she's a duck and all but going from 70 degrees everyday down to 20 or lower is a big change.

 

[Miss Lydia]

No there isn't an infection as far as I can tell. It doesn't seem warm to the touch or have any signs of infection. I picked up some the other day and have been using it once a day. I could apply it a bit more though. Regarding Cheese, she's been inside for quite sometime and still has a bit longer in the house, will she be OK to just let back outside when the time comes? I'm worried about the weather difference. I know she's a duck and all but going from 70 degrees everyday down to 20 or lower is a big change.

She needs to go through a transition of temps. do you have a room or porch that stays around 40-50 I'd keep her there first and after maybe a week transition her back out. Extreme temps can affect their health. I'd also do the Veterycin at least 2X a day that way your covering it morn and evening before they retire for the night. I know your work schedule doesn't always lend itself to those times so just when you can.

 

[ducklover87]

She needs to go through a transition of temps. do you have a room or porch that stays around 40-50 I'd keep her there first and after maybe a week transition her back out. Extreme temps can affect their health. I'd also do the Veterycin at least 2X a day that way your covering it morn and evening before they retire for the night. I know your work schedule doesn't always lend itself to those times so just when you can.

No I don't have any place like that. Maybe some trips outside for tiny bits at a time? Slowly introduce her that way? Ya I'm actually on the sleep shifts right now so I'd be able to get to them in the morning when I get done at 9 and at night before I go in so at like 10:30ish. But she still has some time to heal before she goes out.

 

[servpolice]

Ive a germanshephard cross english bull terrior and she never toached the geese since puppy coz if she did i would smack her

 

[servpolice]