Our dog was naughty--She's at it again :( :( :(

[sparkles2307]

Well, after a year of free-ranging our ducks with the dogs and never having a problem our dachshund has gotten herself in deep doo-doo. She has never even looked wrong at the ducks, they always got along and she treated them as fellow pets not to be messed with.
One of our new ducklings must have gotten out of the pen thru a teeny hole...and Emma (the mini dachshund) must have eaten it. That must have set her off because when we got home not only were we down one duckling, but my 2nd female (7 weeks old) was dead and ripped apart, and Sax, my precious Sax who I love so much had all the flesh ripped off of his back down to the bone and was huddled, shaking, under the grain cart while the dog proudly pranced around him. The dog got beat with the corpse of the female and the kids and I cried in the house while DH put down my Saxy. How could she do that!? For a year they lived in harmony, why would she flip like that!? I love dogs, but DS (5) was so upset about the ducks that he told me he wants the dog gone, NOW, and he wont even look at her now.
I had to stop DH from shooting her.
I am going to start looking for a new home for her, we cant have a bird-killing dog on our budding bird farm!
Meade duck wont even let me in the pen right now she's so distraught over this whole thing, losing a baby and her mate in one day.
I know this stuff happens to everyone at one time or another, but my own dog!?

 

[Chickenmaven]

Sorry to hear about this. What a terrible thing for the whole family to go through!

Dogs eat birds. The more we can share this, the more everyone will understand it.

 

[Boondachs]

Wow sorry for your chicks but never ever leave a hound loose around anything it could kill. Getting upset at the dog and rehoming her is a mighty big step even if it did kill your birds, although it was bad behavior on your dogs part, I don't believe the responsibility falls on the dogs shoulders. good luck with all.

 

[Karrie13]

I am so sorry for your loss.

It hurts when your loved dog kill's your birds. Our mini schnauzer did the same thing to 7 of my chicks. It took me a LONG time to look at the dog myself. I do not trust that dog at all and he keeps away from me. Guess he senses I would rather he not be here. Good luck on finding your dog a new home.

 

[sparkles2307]

It wouldnt be such a shock (the dog killing the birds) if she hadnt been peacfully living side-by-side with these ducks for a year now. I dont see why she just flipped a switch.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I'm sorry - what a terrible thing for you and your family to have to go through. I think it's harder when your own pet causes the damage. I think Dachshunds were bred to fight vermin underground - something must have just flipped her switch that day. I'm sending hugs your way - for all of you - your little dog included. Good luck with what you need to do for your family.

 

[Boondachs]

Quote:
yeah that does stink... but with a hound, especially a Dachs, it is abnormal for them to "peacfully" lay next to anything, she just reverted back to her natural insticts for what ever reason.
just yesterday, my two dachs got a little too rough with my beagle because they went into attack mode when the rooster got too close to the dog yard. So in their excitment, they started nipping at the closest thing- my beagle...now I need to look into seperating them

just life dealing with animals though.

 

[Ducklove334]

I'm so sorry!

I can't imagine how you feel, I'm WAY more attacked to my ducks than I am the chickens, honestly, I've had no problems with predators and my ducks so far (been almost a year into it)

escept that something got one of my incubator hatched babies the other week

 

[sparkles2307]

IMO re-homing is a bit extreme, but DH is going to kill her if I dont get her out of here. Not just trying to get rid of the problem so I dont have to deal, trying to keep DH from over-reacting (he always does) and doing something stupid. I am going to put every effort into finding the perfect home for her, and if that fails we will look into some kind of containment for her - even tho it chaps me to see a dog leashed all day.

 

[gypsy2621]

I unerstand your frustration I truely do.
Now I have to ask a question and maybe think on this before you do anything rash with the dog.

Could this possibly be a case of mistaken deeds?
Could something else have gotten the birds and she was just trying to protect them? making sure nothing else got to the last duck?

I know it may be a streatch but stranger things have happened. and I know they can and will flip in a heart beat, but I would think about what ever might have gotten there first.
Could someone elses dog gotten in while you were away, usually one dog doesnt do this much damage unless they have done it before, or there is an accomplice
I dont know that I would trust her again around the birds,I dont think I would be so quick to rehome her either not knowing the full extent of the circumstances.