need ideas on how to raise a dog not to kill my chickens.

[mabhera]

I had raised dogs in the past but usually I rescued them as adults. Kept the ones that behaved good. But now the story is diferent because I have chickens. i don't want to risk my chickens trying to help this rescue and I don't want to have to worry he will escape and chase my birds. I already have dogs I cant trust with chickens. This is a puppy of almost 2 months. Survived being eaten alive by maggots (gross). Believe me ....those maggos ate live flesh not only dead. He had those things everywhere....skin infection, parasites. Well, he is bald in a lot of places so i know that if i leave him in a shelter they will put him down. I had to help him with the maggots ( grosses thing i had done in my life)....so i don't plan on letting someone to kill him without him having a chance in life. The vet told me the hair will regrow....but now i have to teach him to be a good dog. HELP!!! If I screw him is my fault now!!!!! Please share your wisdow on how to raise him properly. He looks like is going to be big....I'ts a mutt. Thanks

 

[FireTigeris]

Lemme point you to the other discussion on this.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ining-a-new-pet-dog-to-coexist-with-our-flock

Here's one of them- can't find the one I was helping in.

Basically the pup is going to get lots on on-leash time.

With a pup that young I would be using treats and the command 'come' every time the pup comes - pup gets a treat.

You also might conciser 'come' training 'no' command- that is my dog when told 'no' stops and looks at me, then 'comes'

Remember 'come' is a "safe" command it always brings good things, never punish your dog during or after a 'come' no matter who or what he/she just ate/peed on whatever- otherwise you are teaching 'come' means bad things.

DO the 'come' practice on leash near the chickens and reward lots.

eveintually chicks are secondary to pleasing you for now- when the pup is older 'leave it' or 'whoa' commands can be taught, for now, 'come' 'sit' and 'no'

 

[mabhera]

I sit with the chickens around us and i play with him. If he focuses on me then he gets treats....if he focuses on chickens gets a no. But he is so baby he does not knows the meaning still...But he will. because of his condition I had to keep him apart form everything in a cage until the infection was cured. Yesterday was his first day out and he ran like crazy. Today he was mellow...but playful (puppy). He needs a name...but I'm bad to name pets.....keep changing name until I find one that fits. Maybe call him koodo. Well...at least he focuses on me never leaving away from me. Lets see....thanks for the link.

 

[nzpouter]

2 months old is a great time to start and train a dog. Pretty much what has been said, always on leash, plenty of corrections, main focus of the dog has to be YOU.

.... and remember, it's only a pup, accident happens.... but don't let it turn into a habit.

 

[mabhera]

He likes to bite a lot (like any puppy). He bites my pant leg and pulls, he bites my hands.....etc. I correct him only when he hurts me..but wondering If I should stop this behavior or not. He found a feather and was bitting and playing with it....i told him no and took the feather away. Maybe if he gets fun playing with feathers will start to chase the providers. I don't know if I am so conserned that I see those small things as future problems. maybe I am getting paranoid

 

[dainerra]

yeah, you are over-thinking a little bit with the feathers. When he starts grabbing you/pants/anything you don't want him to have give an "eh" and give him something you want him to play with. It goes a long LONG way toward teaching him what is/not appropriate to chew on.
Always on leash around the birds. Remember that he will still be a puppy till he is almost 2, later if he is a large breed dog. Only after that amount of time can you start to guess that he will be safe around the birds, especially unsupervised. My boy is 8 and I don't trust him unsupervised, just because he is a dog.

 

[mabhera]

I had a wonderful dog that I compleatly trusted with my birds, the sheep...but no with cats. He learned to leave them but you can see in his eyes he wanted to chase them. He was really calm around my pets, Protected but was gentle at the same time. One time i had a party at my house and I saw my cousins boy (2 years at the time) hit him hard in the face. I was so angry I wanted to send home him and that parents that did nothing to correct him...and that dog placed his head under the boys hand and rubbed his head under his hand....didn't run, didnt went back in fear...he just returned love. I lost him this christmas...killed in a dog attack by 3 pitbulls. My neighbor does not live there, he just goes to feed them and the dogs are wild....They have killed my fathers sheep, my first group of chickens, other neighbors pets and my last straw was my dog. Told him if i see them again in my property he should consider them dead. I know There are dogs like the one I had....with that instint...that something that makes them special and wise. But None of the ones I have raised are like that. Only the strays....the street wise strays...I need to relax...and just work with koodo .let's see what he becomes...

 

[cafarmgirl]

yeah, you are over-thinking a little bit with the feathers. When he starts grabbing you/pants/anything you don't want him to have give an "eh" and give him something you want him to play with. It goes a long LONG way toward teaching him what is/not appropriate to chew on.
Always on leash around the birds. Remember that he will still be a puppy till he is almost 2, later if he is a large breed dog. Only after that amount of time can you start to guess that he will be safe around the birds, especially unsupervised. My boy is 8 and I don't trust him unsupervised, just because he is a dog.

X2. Especially the part that, as a large breed, he will be a pup until he is at least two years old. Many, many people expect way to much from very young dogs. So it will be a long time until you know whether or not he can ever be trusted around chickens. That's a lot of time for mistakes to happen and bad habits to start. The way around that is to make sure he never has access to the chickens. Either keep the chickens fenced or the dog fenced or the dog on a leash. Many dogs can and will learn to leave the chickens alone. Some cannot ever be trusted. I have a pup I raised with my birds and a dog to whom the chickens were a new thing. Cow dog and a rottie. With consistent training and with no opportunity allowed for them to fail, ie being left alone with the chickens, both have learned to ignore the chickens. My previous dog had prey drive through the roof and even at 9 years old was one that could never be trusted no matter how long I spent training her.

Good luck with your pup. If you are consistent and keep him and the birds separated while he learns you will have the best chance at success.

 

[mabhera]

He just found out the chickens are treats dispenser....nasty. I'm keeping him on leash while I work my rutine with my chickens. That is watching, cleaning, feeding, ....well everytime I need to do something with the birds. I correct him each time he tries to follow a bird. I have noticed my birds don't see the dogs as danger....they act normal around him. I feel the pressure...the outcome of this is my work or my fault. I'll keep working with the few time I can spare. I'm working in come , no, and his name. He is starting to respond to his name and to come...but maybe he is not that smart.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I had a wonderful dog that I compleatly trusted with my birds, the sheep...but no with cats. He learned to leave them but you can see in his eyes he wanted to chase them. He was really calm around my pets, Protected but was gentle at the same time. One time i had a party at my house and I saw my cousins boy (2 years at the time) hit him hard in the face. I was so angry I wanted to send home him and that parents that did nothing to correct him...and that dog placed his head under the boys hand and rubbed his head under his hand....didn't run, didnt went back in fear...he just returned love. I lost him this christmas...killed in a dog attack by 3 pitbulls. My neighbor does not live there, he just goes to feed them and the dogs are wild....They have killed my fathers sheep, my first group of chickens, other neighbors pets and my last straw was my dog. Told him if i see them again in my property he should consider them dead. I know There are dogs like the one I had....with that instint...that something that makes them special and wise. But None of the ones I have raised are like that. Only the strays....the street wise strays...I need to relax...and just work with koodo .let's see what he becomes...

I would call Animal Control on those pit bulls ASAP. If the owner doesn't even live there and only comes to feed them, the dogs are killing other animals in the area, etc, why haven't you done anything about them yet??? If I were you I would shoot every one of them, especially after they killed your beloved dog. They are a menace, pure and simple.