Ok so I have a great rescue pet, she is a Heeler

[AllenK RGV]

Heelers are usually very smart but very hard headed. I've had my mix for 6 years and she still has no recall. I have several acres so she doesn't bother anyone. They are great dogs but require a job. I think mine counts the fowl to make sure they are all there. She takes predator losses personally. Allen, I would gladly take her BUT, my hard headed girl is very insistent that she be an only dog. I can only add fowl and cats. She loves her some cat. They make the most delicious tootsie rolls!

Yes I wish mine could find a job on our property. When she is in the house she is my personal assistant and doesn't think I can be without her. She follows me everywhere. My wife gets similar but less of her assistance. She needs to be around sheep or other livestock. Just not chicken. She is by no means a bad dog at all, just has some bad instincts.
She has been dumped now twice that we know of and I do not want her in a high kill animal shelter or adopted out to anyone in our border community as that would be a miserable life for this animal.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I found that sad too.

stupid is she can't learn not to kill chicken. She does get on with our other dogs fine and fears the cat.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Additionally, she would be a great asset for anyone who keeps their chicken penned. I free range mine. At the moment my chicken are still confined to their run and she does not harass them. Were I to start free ranging them tomorrow there would be issues.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Your post reminded me of the movie A Dogs Purpose.
btw, Heelers are work dogs and need a lot of activity to stay happy. Chicken killing may have been done out if boredom. More info about the breed: https://www.dogster.com/dogbreed/red-heeler

Yes she was bored when she killed my flock. I took an afternoon nap and woke up to a dead flock. She was great with them for 10 days before this event.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

My dogs aren't working breeds such as the heeler, but they are still very active dogs. I train them every day. We work on recall and listening 10 min each day. Training is an ongoing everyday type of thing. My dogs also go on long walks to tire them. You should be training away from the birds and then work your way around them - it sounds like you rushed the dog training and then left it alone before it was reliable around your birds.
20 hours of time will add up, but you don't have to train 20 hours straight. What should have happened was the dog should not have been left alone until fully trusted. Sounds like you let your dog loose to do its own thing before it was able to be trusted. This is no fault of the dog.
My in-laws have two heelers. Great dogs when they are busy. They will round up a ground hog on cue. I wouldn't ever trust them if my birds were out in the yard. They are heelers - nip at ankles and legs to herd animals. They will nip at people ankles to if not properly trained. I am sure a nip to round up birds becomes pretty fun to a herding dog - think of the frenzy that dog's mind must have been in.
My advice, research the dog breed before you "rescue" it. You are now handing it off to the next person. The poor dog. I do hope it finds the right owner. Good luck, I would vet the next person in line that this dog goes to - or your stupid dog will be a sad statistic as so many stupid dogs do without proper training.

For what it is worth, I had a few "stupid" dogs as a young adult - I did not know better. You learn and do better and hopefully make up for your stupidity with the next dog.

 

[AllenK RGV]

My dogs aren't working breeds such as the heeler, but they are still very active dogs. I train them every day. We work on recall and listening 10 min each day. Training is an ongoing everyday type of thing. My dogs also go on long walks to tire them. You should be training away from the birds and then work your way around them - it sounds like you rushed the dog training and then left it alone before it was reliable around your birds.
20 hours of time will add up, but you don't have to train 20 hours straight. What should have happened was the dog should not have been left alone until fully trusted. Sounds like you let your dog loose to do its own thing before it was able to be trusted. This is no fault of the dog.
My in-laws have two heelers. Great dogs when they are busy. They will round up a ground hog on cue. I wouldn't ever trust them if my birds were out in the yard. They are heelers - nip at ankles and legs to herd animals. They will nip at people ankles to if not properly trained. I am sure a nip to round up birds becomes pretty fun to a herding dog - think of the frenzy that dog's mind must have been in.
My advice, research the dog breed before you "rescue" it. You are now handing it off to the next person. The poor dog. I do hope it finds the right owner. Good luck, I would vet the next person in line that this dog goes to - or your stupid dog will be a sad statistic as so many stupid dogs do without proper training.

For what it is worth, I had a few "stupid" dogs as a young adult - I did not know better. You learn and do better and hopefully make up for your stupidity with the next dog.

There isn't much research to be done when you see a dog in need on the street. One that is abandoned hungry and in need of assistance. Sure I could have done more research and ignored this emaciated animal. Also for the first 10 days she was fine around the chicken.

Regarding her training, she is the smallest in our pack. She is highly trained. The pack is well trained. She is not an issue other than I won't ever trust her around my chicken.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

There isn't much research to be done when you see a dog in need on the street. One that is abandoned hungry and in need of assistance. Sure I could have done more research and ignored this emaciated animal. Also for the first 10 days she was fine around the chicken.

Regarding her training, she is the smallest in our pack. She is highly trained. The pack is well trained. She is not an issue other than I won't ever trust her around my chicken.

You didn't mention that you found her in the street. You said dumped two other times.
How would you know she is highly trained if she were dumped? 10 days while she was in your sight she behaved, but not once you took a nap? So, then she was only trained to behave while in your presence.
I don't know why you are mentioning the dog's size though - dogs don't care what size they are in the pack. That's not how their brain works - they are a dog and have a job to do.

Hopefully, you are able to find her a home that will fit her needs and tendencies.

 

[Mimi13]

My heart breaks reading this. I do love my chickens, but I love my dogs as well. I have 7 dogs, 2 outside and 5 inside. Two of our inside dogs are heelers, a blue male and red female. There is absolutely no way I could ever just “get rid” of one of my dogs, especially when what it did would have been partially my fault and you can tell that by their ages: 3 are 11, 1 is 10, the heelers are 6 and 7, and our LGD is almost 2.

It sounds to me that you are all your pup has. She loves you unconditionally - one of the great things about a dog. Please do your best to rehabilitate her, dogs are worth that. Also, working with an e-collar will be helpful. In addition, could you possibly put up a portable electric fence for your chickens? I promise the dog WILL NOT tangle with that. One zap and done.

FWIW, I have 3 labs, 2 heelers, 1 Catahoula and 1 Pyrenees. Only one of my dogs gives the chickens a second look and that’s my 11 yo male lab. He is old and overweight now, which helps me a bit. In his younger years he did hunt with my son. I definitely would have had to have an electric fence if I had had chickens then. But now, he only goes outside with someone. I will not let him out alone with the chickens as that would be setting him up for failure. Just knowing that he would love to get ahold of one of my birds is all I need to know. With one of us outside with him, he minds, and the birds are safe.

I really hope you are able to work something out in order to keep your red heeler AND your chickens. Best of luck to you.