my own dog is the predator :(

[randomchick]

I am a huge dog lover, and a big advocate for finding the right fit between home and hound. If you don't want to risk it happening again, I would suggest finding a better suited home for the dogs needs. You don't want to take out unnecessary tension on the dog, just for being a dog, and you don't want to have to coop the birds all the time.
just my opinion.

 

[vicki2x2]

Quote:
Constructive criticism is always apprciated but am pretty tired of people coming back and telling me what a bad trainer I must be. I used to show and train dogs professionally so I am not a complete moron in that area.

This dog is not just playing with the chickens and accidently killing, she is eating them...in my opinion she is not going to change. If anyone thinks better they can come get her and let everyone know how may chickens it cost until the same conclusion is reached.

I did lots of research and based on that research and the GP dog my parents owned, that I grew up with, decided a GP was a good choice and determined a young puppy would be best.

Since she was born on a farm with goats and chickens and cats running around I "thought" with proper adjustment to my place, she would be likely to work out with my chickens and cats.

And I will find her a home that is "better fit" ... WITHOUT

CHICKENS to kill as she is, otherwise, a wonderful dog.

In your last post, you didn't give a lot of info, so for what you gave, I think it the poster was trying to be helpful. They would have no way of knowing the info you just posted.

I happen to think that most puppies, and if I remember correctly, your dog is just a pup of 9 months or so, correct me if I am wrong, is still not trustworthy with something like chickens. Not without either a human or an older trained dog to watch over them.

Without knowing all the factors, it is hard to say exactly why your dog did what she did. We don't know what could have triggered it. I am not saying this is your issue, but the breeder/trainer we got our boy from had a dog in for retraining because he was killing and eating chickens too. Turns out he was very underweight. The owner thought he should be "nice and trim" like that, when in fact, he was 20-30 pounds underweight and starving! His coat was yellow, from the lack of nutrition. After a couple of months of feeding as much as he wanted, gaining a lot of weight, he was no longer interested in the chickens, like he had originally been. He had been eating them because he was hungry. Again, not saying that is YOUR dog's issue, just that there can be many factors and it is hard to figure out a dogs problem without knowing them all.

 

[possumqueen]

Quote:
Constructive criticism is always apprciated but am pretty tired of people coming back and telling me what a bad trainer I must be. I used to show and train dogs professionally so I am not a complete moron in that area.

This dog is not just playing with the chickens and accidently killing, she is eating them...in my opinion she is not going to change. If anyone thinks better they can come get her and let everyone know how may chickens it cost until the same conclusion is reached.

I did lots of research and based on that research and the GP dog my parents owned, that I grew up with, decided a GP was a good choice and determined a young puppy would be best.

Since she was born on a farm with goats and chickens and cats running around I "thought" with proper adjustment to my place, she would be likely to work out with my chickens and cats.

And I will find her a home that is "better fit" ... WITHOUT

CHICKENS to kill as she is, otherwise, a wonderful dog.

I have trained professionally, too, and I've kept chickens and dogs. Never together.

You have to make your own decisions (with help from all our wonderful advice, of course!!). And it's a tough decision to make.

No. She's not going to change. You can -- maybe -- make her behave around your birds WHILE YOU ARE THERE, but you can never trust her around them when you are absent, or even when your back is turned. She's a predator, and now she knows what that means.

But she's also good with your kids. Dogs like that are invaluable because they aren't just thick on the ground at the best of times. That would make it very hard for me.

You do need the hugs, dear. Consider them sent to you!

 

[tstefanick]

Reply to the dead chicken around the dog's neck: I've heard very conflicting results with this techniqe. A friend did that with a lab that liked goose. The dog appreciated very much having his lunch conveniently tied around his neck. But still continued to kill other geese. Don't think I'll try that. Going to work on rehoming the dog.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

No. She's not going to change. You can -- maybe -- make her behave around your birds WHILE YOU ARE THERE, but you can never trust her around them when you are absent, or even when your back is turned. She's a predator, and now she knows what that means.

Exactly my point! Thank you. She is wonderful while I am around, stays right beside me....leave her alone for a few minutes and she sneaks in the back gate and kills. I purchased/raised her to be a LGD. I do not need a pet so will find her a more suitable home. Am not having any more chickens killed, not fair to them, but never said I was going to KILL her. Geeesh.

She is very well fed , always has chew bones and regular beef bones to chew on.

But she's also good with your kids.

I do not have any kids. I live on 3 acres so hard to clicker train when the dog is chasing something an acre or two away. Maybe a shock collar would work but she is very smart and I would have to be around hiding for most of the week and cannot do that.​

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Exactly my point! Thank you. She is wonderful while I am around, stays right beside me....leave her alone for a few minutes and she sneaks in the back gate and kills. I purchased/raised her to be a LGD. I do not need a pet so will find her a more suitable home. Am not having any more chickens killed, not fair to them, but never said I was going to KILL her. Geeesh.

She is very well fed , always has chew bones and regular beef bones to chew on.

But she's also good with your kids.

I do not have any kids. I live on 3 acres so hard to clicker train when the dog is chasing something an acre or two away. Maybe a shock collar would work but she is very smart and I would have to be around hiding for most of the week and cannot do that.​

We have been having a problem with our two GPs as well - doing the same thing - behaving in front of us then taking off into the woods, doubling back, and killing and eating everything they could catch (all of our ducks, peacocks, chickens freerange). They are about 8 months old and we've had them since they were 5 weeks old. So we started keeping them in the large fenced back yard which only created a new problem - they were killing and eating the ducks and chickens that would fly over the fence or the chicks/ducklings that would come through the picket fence.

We have, however, discovered a wonderful solution that seems to be working. We bought long tie lines and staked each dog out right in the middle of where the flocks hang out to feed, dirt bathe, and sleep under bushes. They have not bothered a single bird. The baby chicks can be seen crawling on the dogs while they sleep and the large birds (ducks, peacocks, chickens) eat all of the dogs' food while they just stand there and watch them. Somehow, they seem to now realize that the birds are their "guard". We are hoping soon that we can remove the tie lines and let the dogs roam free as our two GSDs and Catahoula do - all of whom help guard and herd and protect our flock. We are surrounded by thousands of acres of woods filled with every predator - we have no neighbors - our dogs must be working dogs, free to roam and completely trustworthy. Many of our birds don't even sleep in the coop which is closed at night - they sleep outside, many with the dogs under the carport or in the bushes and trees.

One final note, I strongly disagree with the statement "once a chicken killer, always a chicken killer". Our GSD, Scarlett, was killing and eating ducks when she was about 6 months old. The ducks used to stay in a fenced yard but the Mallards would fly out and she would catch, kill and eat them. Once caught in the act and worked with, and we let the ducks start freeranging, Scarlett never bothered them again. She is now, at a year and half old, our best LGD/chicken dog. She loves the baby chicks and tends to follow them around the farm and sleep where ever they are gathered. She goes in the coop every evening and keeps the peace when all birds are returning and roo fights break out or roos start jumping hens - she breaks up fights, pulls roos off, noses everyone up onto the roosts, and counts the baby chicks.

So, yes, a dog can be worked with and can learn to guard and protect even if they started out a "chicken killer". We leave all 6 dogs completely unattended and unsupervised and they are the ones in charge of watching our flock.

The GPs, now that they are staked out near the perimeter of where the woods meet the "backyard" have been very successful in keeping the bobcat away - which used to watch and wait for an opportunity to run out of the woods, into the yard, and grab a chicken. So, on our farm, our 6 dogs are truly working livestock guard dogs.

 

[blackjack1]

The picture I posted is a good friends of mine dog that I had for 6 weeks and he learned very very quick that the birds are off limits. I also have 2 hunting dogs and neither one of them will kill harm or chase any of my birds!! But like I said before if the bird gets in the kennel with the dogs they are free game. So I would say that any dog can be trained to not harm your birds no matter the age.
I have always been told the dog it only as good as it is trained!!

 

[ruth]

I took this pic this evening at one of the feeding stations - all 6 dogs were there - Rex, as always, watching the sky for hawks, and Scarlett watching the baby chicks.

 

[chickenannie]

I talked to a guy recently who had 3 GPs and GP mixes guarding his pastured poultry on his farm. He felt that some of the dogs work well, and some don't and it has more to do with the individual characteristics of the dog. He had some that killed chickens or wandered away that he had to re-home, but they gradually got these 3 good dogs (GPs) that are great poultry guardians. My 2 cents...

 

[substandardtim]

Quote:
that is a wonderfull pic.