Serious dog help needed!

[ninny]

Okay what do i do with this dog.

She is a lab border collie mix and her prey drive is through the roof. She chases cats and anything that moves. She also likes to eat chickens. She has killed one hen mauled 2. She broke out of her outdoor kennel this morning and tried to have chicken for breakfast. She is very uninterested in obedience training. She is also very nippy. She the first dog i've ever had this much trouble training.

We got her as a four month old at the pound and she is now 9 months. She is the reason my lab lives. He loves her with everything in him. Its
kinda pathetic really. Her temperament is a very submissive yet sweet dumb dog.

Im pregnant and im very worried about her prey drive and a baby. Im also sick of her going after my chickens. The chickens free range and she is only out with them supervised yet she is way to quick some times for me to stop her.

I am thinking of get a shock collar for her. She knows the commands don't chase and leave it. She just gets in a mood and blocks me out.

Rehoming her is on the table at this point. I just feel like i failed her. That and ill break my labs heart.

Any advice? My baby is very much on my mind when it comes to this dog (juney). Id never forgive myself if she hurt it.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Time for Cesar Millan- or rehome her. I think those are your only 2 options.

 

[texasgirl]

She needs more exercise!
Obviously you wont be able to in your condition but someone needs to get this dog running every single day. She could easily run a few miles a day.
If she likes frisbee or ball I'd say to do as much of that as possible.
I personally think she would do excellent without using a shock collar if she gets enough exercise each day.
Exercise is so underrated but is absolutely THE most important aspect to raising a dog, IMO.
A tired dog doesn't go around looking for trouble. It wouldn't hurt to keep her kenneled (indoors or out) when she is not being supervised/exercised.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Me, too - check for a border collie rescue in your area, unfortunately, it sounds like the best solution for you and your family - sometimes things just don't work out

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

I'll have to agree with everything above....Border collies (and crosses) are VERY active AND prone to nip. They need a job and to be kept very busy (and tired)....plus you will have to find out how to be more assertive and dominant toward the dog to earn its respect. Its not something that I can tell you about on a thread. I suggest finding help...maybe there is a helpful dog trainer in the local 4-H or one that the vets office can recommend?

Best of luck! You shouldnt have to deal with a silly dog. The dog should look to you to see what is acceptable.

 

[Crusty McPottydoodle]

We have a friend with a pitbull cross and he always says, "a tired dog is a good dog". I agree with trying a ball or some other form of fetch. This is how I kept my German Shepherd exercised. He would fetch that ball as many times as he could convince me to throw it. Using one of those ball flingers is great, less strain on you, the ball goes farther and more exercise for doggie.

Border Collies are working dogs and very smart.

A woman I know got a border collie/husky. She got him a bunch of toys that you fill with food that require him to figure out how to get it. This is how he gets fed every day. It keeps him occupied and out of trouble.

Maybe this is something you could try.

 

[NoseyChickens]

Quote:
I agree. I wouldn't mess around with a dog I couldn't trust when it comes to my kids.

 

[PortageGirl]

Yep, I thought my Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix was dangerous to kids and animals till I observed him from a second story window, trying to ‘herd’ some pre-schoolers at about that age. Before that I thought he was being aggressive, the second story view showed that he was trying to herd not chase, but didn’t know how all that well.

Herding dogs like Border Collies actually are dogs with fairly strong predator instincts but who have enough intelligence (LOTS of it in fact) to be trained to channel that instinct into working WITH people to ‘herd’ instead of chase and kill. Your dog needs some serious training whether she’s interested in it or not, and serious exercise. My dog never killed chickens though, once they do that it’s difficult to stop. Still, good training and plenty of exercise will go a long way.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

We had an Australian Shepherd, which are high energy working dogs as well. As a puppy, she was a PSYCHOPATH! Running, jumping, chewing, nipping, she was driving us crazy! We held out, not being ones to rehome, and she settled down as she matured. So many times with herding/working breeds like these you just have to sit out that "crazy butt puppy stage". We lead a not very active lifestyle, the dogs are left inside most of the day and when we do go outside it is very relaxed. We loved our Aussie and miss her dearly, if you can withstand this puppy stage for a few more months, you may see the complete transformation from a fuzz ball of energy, into a fun loving, and extremely intelligent animal. It is worth the wait!

Until then? Training and exercise. A professional trainer is worth every penny, a true professional trainer, not the "Petsmart" trainers.

 

[Worn]

With free range chickens, you probably want to re-home her. Also if you're concerned about the dog with a baby.

If you want to keep her, I would suggest a training collar. I like the Dogtra brand. I would also suggest keeping your chickens in their yard, or putting up one if you don't have one. I'd also put a strand of hotwire around the base of the yard. You can still free range your birds, just when the dog is in a kennel or crate.

I raise Labs and it's always been a battle with the chickens. The hotwire keeps them out as well as any predators.
Good luck.