My German Shepherd/Basset Hound Killed Two of My Girls - What Do I Do With The Dog?

[CowGrrrl]

Yesterday I let my German Shepherd/Basset Hound cross out at about 7:30 to do his business. We have a large ranch (about 100-ac.) so I put Jack in the large chain-link pen. I only put him outside without a leash or anything during the day with close supervision because he has basset hound blood - if he finds a scent he'll follow to where only God knows. I guess he picked up the scent of two of our elderly hens (A Blue Cochin named Emily and a Mottled Ancona named Roadrunner), taking the last drinks of the day before going inside the coop for the night. I guess I didn't lock the pen door correctly because I heard the clinging of metal, loud barking, and terrified squawking. When I got out there I saw two bodies laying by the coop, and feathers scattered around everywhere.
Now Jack is in the pen outside (with the gate LOCKED TIGHT) and the hens' bodies in the ground. But my question is - what should I do with the dog? I'm not giving him away, putting him down, or any other cruel method.

Thanks for any advice.
Willow

 

[sourland]

Accidents happen. Do as you did before monitoring his freedom and making sure that he does not have access to your chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

I would research methods used to break dogs of killing chickens. This will provide a short-term backup to when future mistakes are made. Ultimately with training you should be able to allow dog to interact with birds, often without direct oversight. Start efforts by searching on "training dogs chickens". Several methods work but all take time.

 

[CowGrrrl]

Has anybody tried that method of wacking the dog with the dead hen's body?

 

[psychoroo]

Really? Beating the dog with a dead chicken? Do people actually do this?

 

[centrarchid]

Has anybody tried that method of wacking the dog with the dead hen's body?

I have tried similar in my hot-headed youth and found it not to be reliable. Impressing on dog you are mad is OK but it must be associated with act of harassing chickens. I let my dogs eat dead chickens but they must leave live ones alone. I am not sure the separate live versus dead versus chicken like we do. Training must involve live birds.

 

[CowGrrrl]

@psychoroo - I haven't tried this before, but have heard from people that have done it that it works.

 

[sourland]

I haven't tried this before, but have heard from people that have done it that it works.

It works to teach the dog to distrust you. Intervention while the dog is in the act of chasing/killing is another story as Centrarchid has indicated.

 

[Eggcessive]

I used a shock collar on my golden retriever after he injured 3 chickens that had flown over the yard fence, killing the 3rd. I don't like shock collars, but used one that time with the chicken's body in the yard. He wouldn't even look at the chickens after that, and now (2 years later) we keep a few inside the yard where he never comes near them. The collar has not been used since.

 

[psychoroo]

Dogs have relatively short memories when it comes to these things. If not caught in the act reprimanding them for something done in the past is useless.