Predator? Nah!

[valreegrl]

I let the puppy out in the backyard just like every morning. (GSD, 5 months)
His usual spot is to lay outside the chicken run and "play" with his favorite girl, our Delaware named Tinkerbell.
She will actually put her feet through the fence and let the puppy lick them. Not to mention they run together up and down
the fence line.

However, the fence keeps them separated and although we have been working on "my chickens" I still wouldn't trust him.

Getting back to this morning, I pass by the window and notice something odd.
The pup is not outside the run.....he is INSIDE!!!

Of course, I went running full tilt.

By the time I got to the coop, puppy was scared to death, and my girls were standing all around his legs like, "Hey! Whatcha doing in here?"
I couldn't believe it. The look on his face was priceless. I pulled him out and he took off for the door like something was about to eat his little butt.

Now, we need to work on the run this holiday weekend since it has been compromised

The predator!

 

[Flippacase]

thats a cool looking dog!!! What kind?

 

[mandelyn]

Aren't Shepherds cool? You never really know their intentions, and the puppies find themselves in some pickles with that classic "confused" face!

Ricca wants to play with the chickens, her favorite thing is scaring creatures. Squirrels top the list. One time I let her out and some baby squirrels were at the bottom of a tree. She charged them full tilt, I tried to stop her, but she got to them too fast. They didn't run, just sat and looked at her. She sat down and stared at them, threw her feet down, barked.. like was she saying "This only works if you run!!"

She watches my chickens, makes faces at them... but they've gotten so used to her, they don't fly around or squawk or wing flap... so she's bored with them. Logan, I'm not sure about him. He watches them, but he seems to have a more predatory eye about it.

My dad's old Shepherd Tamiya would charge geese to make them fly. Never snapping, never going for any one of them... just charged right into the thick of a flock to send them in all directions. She never bothered with ducks, apparently they didn't react the same. She also walked into a Walmart unattended.. hopped out of the truck window to look for my dad, goes walking right through the sliding doors, looking for him. She got stopped up front and they called the Police, who came and took her to the station in this small Alabama town. My dad went to get her and she was sitting at the front desk eating french fries with the Deputy on duty.

The Shepherd he had before her was an "Island dog" on Martha's Vineyard, she would see my dad off to work, then she'd walk down to the sandwhich store and sit outside the door. Tourists would feel sorry for her and feed her sandwhiches all day. Then she'd go home, a little before dad got home from work. Or she'd be waiting on the beach, with a 10ft circular spot cleared for him, since no one wanted to sit by her.

Shepherds are the best with just a wee bit of training! (better with a lot of training!)

I wouldn't trust your boy totally with the chickens... but if he got a scare from them, he'll remember. He most likely won't attempt to get in with them again. But if he could get in, something else might be able to!

 

[KKatknap]

Good story.

Beautiful dog!!

 

[joebryant]

I'd start trusting him with the chickens now. I'd let the chickens out into the yard where he plays and let him know that it's their yard too. That's what we did/do with our two corgis, and there has never been a problem. He just needs to understand that the chickens are part of the "family" too.

 

[THough1956]

Beautiful Dog!! It is a shame you did not get a picture with her with all the chicks around her feet. Now that would have been funny!

 

[valreegrl]

@Flippacase....he is a White German Shepherd.

@mandelyn.....they totally are. This is our first, after watching friends/family members enjoying them. I can definitely say, we are Shepherd people for life!

@KKatknap....thank you! We love him too.

@joebryant....I think we may now after this. Supervised and on leash of course. I think he has proven that he is not a chicken eater!

@THough1956....my only thought was to get him out of their run

But a picture certainly would have been awesome! I will try to snap one of him and his "chicken girlfriend" playing.

 

[Plain Old Dee]

We used to have a german shepherd/mastiff cross. We got our first chickens when he was just a few months old - but he was already HUGE and very clumsy. He got in the chicken pen and was chasing a chicken. Before we could stop him, he killed her - by stepping on her! His mouth never touched her. He seemed so devastated at what he had done - and we hadn't even said a word! I think all he wanted to do was play - if it had really been prey drive he would have tried to catch them with his mouth.

We decided to run an electric wire around the pen, about six inches up from the bottom. This would keep him from digging under the fence. The first time we charged the wire, he nosed up against it. Of course, he got the shock of his life and lept straight up in the air. Being just a puppy, he still had issues with peeing when frightened. When he peed, the pee hit the electric wire and he got zapped again!

It was MONTHS before he would go anywhere near the pen. Even when we would let the hens out in the yard, he never chased them again. I think by then he considered them part of his "pack" and he was more interested in protecting them. He got chasing out of his system by chasing off the predators that visited all too frequently because we were in the middle of a heavily wooded area.

 

[MaggieRae]

Quote:
I'll just share my dog story now... My dog is german short haired pointer, and she is a trained death dealer for all things small and furry. AKA- she's dad's bird dog. I let my chickens free range when ever I'm there to watch them, so they've made a habit of rushing to the door because I'll let them out if only a couple feet away while I change waters and whatnot. I tried to shut the door, because the dog was loose, but one little chicken got out. I didn't notice but the dog did. I finished my chores and did the mandatory head count before going out (They usually line up according to breed for this, I don't know who taught them that.

It's cute though). I was missing a chickn!

I run out and am sprinting around the coop. Then I see. I run up to the dog, preparing myself for a dead Lily, but lo and behold, what's down there? Lily napping just dandy between Shiner's paws. Shiner was keeping her near the coop for me.

I choose to believe Shiner herded the bird and returned her to coop because I had let the chicks walk all over her when they were young. But who knows?

She's a smart dog. Maybe she just understood that these were like the cats. You touch them and they don't approve and the dog gets in trouble. She gets the weirdest look on her face when the old blind cat will jump on her back and just sit there, but she can't do the same to him??

Anyway, that's my story for the day.

ETA- pics of the offender
The mob that occurs when the door is opened

And Lily, the grumpy girl after her escape didn't go as planned.

This is her, now. Notice the exact same glare...

Sorry, I

pictures.

 

[valreegrl]

@MaggieRae

That is awesome! And definitely what we are striving for. Harmony.

My Dad also had a bird dog when I was growing up (Springer Spaniel). She hunted with him often, however she had the softest mouth. Not a puncture to be found.

Knowing her prey drive, you would think small animals wouldn't stand a chance. But, same scenario as you, although with our bunnies.
She loved to lay down and let the bunnies cuddle with her. If they moved to far, she would herd them together and push them back under her again.
It was amazing!