My puppy is my peeps new predator!

[Mary Chapman]

I have an Aussie English Mastiff mix and a Golden Collie. One is recently 2 and the other will be in Nov. They finally about 2 months ago were allowed to be in with the chickens. They are still puppies and puppies will try to play with them. They are however scared of the geese because they've been bit. But that's a good thing because they can be in the pasture with the geese and never go near them. I still do not 100% trust them as puppies will be puppies. Just give your dog time. It will get older and with persistence on your end it will get better.

 

[DoeAndGander]

great suggestions here! Just wanted to say best of luck and thank you for being a responsible pet owner. It will take a lot of time and patience teaching a bird dog not to hunt but it has been done. Keep us posted on the progress!

 

[featherhead007]

Animals know better than us humans do. For now keep them seperate but, be careful! I love my dog too but I love my flock as well... Now after 2 years my dog won't bother my hens, rather, protect them. Yes I no longer have a rooster

 

[Willowspirit]

It might take a while but teach her "leave it". Both breeds of her mix are very smart. Start teaching her with a toy. Put it on the ground and when she goes for it step in front of her and tell her to leave it. I had an inbred yellow lab that went after everything and this worked but I had to re teach everything I wanted him to not touch.

You are making a good point here. Many dogs don’t generalize well, so you have to make sure they understand to obey commands in every situation. Leave it means leave it at this place, 3 ft from this place, 20ft from this place, etc.

 

[CaptainSamH]

Thanks for all the help everyone! Will the your suggestions a try! Hopefully, she will improve and eventually not even think about the chickens

These previous posts have great advice and a lot boils down to timing, patience and work. That age of dog can be tough with or without chickens - a lot of training and re-training and impetuousness. If it helps, we have a cattle dog/border collie/black lab mix who has a tally of 6 chicken kills (long story involving well-meaning young children who accidentally left a door open in the early days of our chicken ownership), but none since the new batch of pullets (and one rooster) joined us. Granted she is no puppy (almost 9 years old), but we let her sit with us outside the cordoned off, heated baby chick zone, where she could see them, see my daughters interacting with them, hear them and smell them, but not get to them. She would start off twitchy, but when she sat calmly, I'd give her a treat and a "good girl". I'd repeat that every time I saw her get interested in them but back off or ait back down. It was a few months before they could all be outside free-ranging together, but they are now and the rooster even jumps on her (she is not a fan of this). Good luck!