Rooster Terrozing My Dog

[Sorrelfur]

So our chickens and rooster free range, we've noticed they're healthier and happier that way. They have a coop they can go into but they rarely do. I don't mind them free ranging, except for 2 reasons.

One, they poop ALL over our porch, cars, trailer, etc. Anywhere and everywhere

And two, the rooster harasses my dog and outdoor cat. My jackchi has a small pen he goes into in the front year to get some fresh air and relax. But the rooster comes up and will just peck at him through the bars or try and steal his food. Sometimes he just sits there taunting my dog to get him to bark. So how my dog has a barking issue everytime that rooster comes by and NOTHING quiets him down until I chase the rooster off.

I like the rooster, it protects our hens, but I cannot have it harassing my dog like this, making him bark, eating his food, etc. Any advice?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your only 2 options are pen them up or get rid of the rooster. I fence off areas I don't want my chickens to go. Thankfully my dogs chase the birds off if necessary. I have seen a rooster try to take a peck at a dog a time or two, but he quickly loses his courage.

 

[Shadrach]

This dog, is it an inside the house type dog?
You can train a dog not to bark if it's just the barking that bothers you.
You could get rid of the dog or the rooster.
You could enlarge the area that the dog uses when it's outside. You would need to work out how close the rooster has to be to get the dog barking.
If your rooster does his job well with the hens then he's an asset in my view; a dog that you can't stop barking is a liability on the other hand.

 

[Sorrelfur]

This dog, is it an inside the house type dog?
You can train a dog not to bark if it's just the barking that bothers you.
You could get rid of the dog or the rooster.
You could enlarge the area that the dog uses when it's outside. You would need to work out how close the rooster has to be to get the dog barking.
If your rooster does his job well with the hens then he's an asset in my view; a dog that you can't stop barking is a liability on the other hand.

I will not get rid of my dog. That is not and option. And in all honesty the rooster and chickens are my dad's not mine. He won't get rid of them and I won't get rid of my dog. My dog was here before the rooster.

I've been working on training him not to bark but he's one hell of a stubborn dog. Especially when the rooster is near that just sets him off and he ignores everything else. He was well trained and not a barker until the rooster harassment began

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I will not get rid of my dog. That is not and option. And in all honesty the rooster and chickens are my dad's not mine. He won't get rid of them and I won't get rid of my dog. My dog was here before the rooster.

I've been working on training him not to bark but he's one hell of a stubborn dog. Especially when the rooster is near that just sets him off and he ignores everything else. He was well trained and not a barker until the rooster harassment began

Could you hang a tarp or blanket on the side the rooster likes to bother your dog? You could also try things like owl, or hawk decoys to deter your chickens from coming near the dog. Definitely keep the dog. I have a Chihuahua rat terrier mix who like to bark occasionally.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't believe the dog is being stubborn. It's natural for a dog to protect his territory from intruders, and if this rooster has hurt him, fear is also now a factor. You need to do something to protect the dog and his territory, and not just to your satisfaction, but to the dog's. In other words, he has to not just BE safe from the rooster, he has to FEEL safe. You could put up a fence or hardware cloth, but as long as he can see (and possibly hear) the rooster, he will not feel safe. So @oldhenlikesdogs's suggestion of a tarp that the dog can't see through is probably your best bet, if both animals must remain. Also keep in mind if they do get together one of them may seriously injure or kill the other. Good luck!

 

[ValerieJ]

Seems to me you need to limit how close the rooster and hens get to the house. If you don't want the mess on your deck and cars, and you don't want the dog to bark, why not put up a fence around the house that keeps the birds out? The dog is barking because the rooster is coming after him. That is his defense mechanism. I wouldn't want to train my dog not to bark when she senses danger. Her bark is my first line of defense too.

 

[Sorrelfur]

Seems to me you need to limit how close the rooster and hens get to the house. If you don't want the mess on your deck and cars, and you don't want the dog to bark, why not put up a fence around the house that keeps the birds out? The dog is barking because the rooster is coming after him. That is his defense mechanism. I wouldn't want to train my dog not to bark when she senses danger. Her bark is my first line of defense too.

While I would live to put a fence around our front yard to block off the chickens and rooster. Our front yard is like half and acre big. It would cost an extremely lot of money to put a fence our house to block them off. They used to go in this LARGE pen we have for our ducks and geese. But they can 'fly' out of it.

 

[ValerieJ]

Put them in the pen and clip their wings.

 

[Sorrelfur]

Could you hang a tarp or blanket on the side the rooster likes to bother your dog? You could also try things like owl, or hawk decoys to deter your chickens from coming near the dog. Definitely keep the dog. I have a Chihuahua rat terrier mix who like to bark occasionally.

I do like the idea of a tarp, to block off what he can see. He's a jack Russell chihuahua mix