South Carolina

[Joycats]

Quote:
That is wonderful! Was he trained when you got him or did you train him?

When we got him, he had only been with goats, so we had to train him not to kill the birds. He only killed one, a bantam, when he was a puppy, and ever since then he hasn't touched a bird

even eats and drinks with then sometimes (he's very find of layer mash

)

So can you share your secret of how you trained him to leave the birds alone? And how old was he when he finally "got it"? I have 2 pyr girls that are just a year old but nowhere close to ready to be left with the chickens. I'm pretty sure I've complicated things by getting 2 dogs at once. My thinking was for the dogs, having to fend off coyotes I wanted them to work together. But honestly I've tried everything I know to teach them that the birds are mine and they see them as big squeaky toys. They don't kill them all, sometimes they just hold them down and lick the feathers off. I can't leave them with the birds at all.

 

[Moonchild]

Quote:
Awwww.....it's so nice when everybody gets along!

I do believe I need one of those!

I'm so sorry about all your troubles...But if you decide to get a dog to protect, YOU must enforce the fact that the chickens and other live stock are family. I do believe that even if a strange chicken came into my yard she(piper) would kill it. Only because it's not family and she knows who belongs and who doesn't. I have a old cat that is a wild colored tabby, and my (can't stand them) neighbor down the street has a cat that looks just like mine, Well piper knows the difference and if it comes over the fence....well it's hunted. And Fences make good neighbors!!! I started with Piper when the chicks where very small She hates to be scolded so after a few times of saying NO, she let it be. and even learned to let me know if something was wrong! Oh Piper is an Aust x Chow mix (Chow really? yep this is where her protection side comes from) Aust is where her ablilty to obey commends comes from!...And yes she came from the Shelter at the great cost of $88.00 but she's priceless now!!!!

 

[RockerHen]

Quote:
When we got him, he had only been with goats, so we had to train him not to kill the birds. He only killed one, a bantam, when he was a puppy, and ever since then he hasn't touched a bird

even eats and drinks with then sometimes (he's very find of layer mash

)

So can you share your secret of how you trained him to leave the birds alone? And how old was he when he finally "got it"? I have 2 pyr girls that are just a year old but nowhere close to ready to be left with the chickens. I'm pretty sure I've complicated things by getting 2 dogs at once. My thinking was for the dogs, having to fend off coyotes I wanted them to work together. But honestly I've tried everything I know to teach them that the birds are mine and they see them as big squeaky toys. They don't kill them all, sometimes they just hold them down and lick the feathers off. I can't leave them with the birds at all.

Hold them down, and get a chicken to peck them hard a few times in the face. Kota got a healthy respect for them after that! After that, he didn't bother them. it doesn't actually hurt them, just lets them know that this squawky thing isn't a toy. If that doesn't work, a remote shock collar is an excellent training tool. That way, if the dog starts bothering the birds , give a little shock, and the dogs think that the birds did it, so they'll cease to bother them.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
So can you share your secret of how you trained him to leave the birds alone? And how old was he when he finally "got it"? I have 2 pyr girls that are just a year old but nowhere close to ready to be left with the chickens. I'm pretty sure I've complicated things by getting 2 dogs at once. My thinking was for the dogs, having to fend off coyotes I wanted them to work together. But honestly I've tried everything I know to teach them that the birds are mine and they see them as big squeaky toys. They don't kill them all, sometimes they just hold them down and lick the feathers off. I can't leave them with the birds at all.

Hold them down, and get a chicken to peck them hard a few times in the face. Kota got a healthy respect for them after that! After that, he didn't bother them. it doesn't actually hurt them, just lets them know that this squawky thing isn't a toy. If that doesn't work, a remote shock collar is an excellent training tool. That way, if the dog starts bothering the birds , give a little shock, and the dogs think that the birds did it, so they'll cease to bother them.

Already done that, plenty of times. Especially the chicken thing. Everytime I catch them, I hold the chicken and "preach" to the dogs and they hold their heads down in shame (until I walk away). They didn't like the chicken pecking them in the face but it didn't make any difference. I've tried the shock collars too. Stood far enough back so that she didn't know it was me. Everytime she'd put her nose close to a chicken I would zap her (on the highest setting), it didn't phase her. I've honestly tried everything. The last rooster they killed, I took him and coated him in cayenne pepper. Put him back in their pen and told them not to touch him (knowing as soon as I walked away they would). Well, they like spicy food. The big difference between these dogs and all of my others is that they don't seem to care much about what I think. They don't "aim to please". I can hurt the feelings of my other dogs and I've managed to train even my german shepards to live with and guard my birds. These great pyrs are very different. Dixie loves me and I have hurt her feelings, she cares what I think. Georgia couldn't care less. She loves pets and love but my opinion doesn't matter to her at all. She lives in her own world. If that's all you had to do to train your dog, consider yourself lucky.

 

[RockerHen]

Quote:
Hold them down, and get a chicken to peck them hard a few times in the face. Kota got a healthy respect for them after that! After that, he didn't bother them. it doesn't actually hurt them, just lets them know that this squawky thing isn't a toy. If that doesn't work, a remote shock collar is an excellent training tool. That way, if the dog starts bothering the birds , give a little shock, and the dogs think that the birds did it, so they'll cease to bother them.

Already done that, plenty of times. Especially the chicken thing. Everytime I catch them, I hold the chicken and "preach" to the dogs and they hold their heads down in shame (until I walk away). They didn't like the chicken pecking them in the face but it didn't make any difference. I've tried the shock collars too. Stood far enough back so that she didn't know it was me. Everytime she'd put her nose close to a chicken I would zap her (on the highest setting), it didn't phase her. I've honestly tried everything. The last rooster they killed, I took him and coated him in cayenne pepper. Put him back in their pen and told them not to touch him (knowing as soon as I walked away they would). Well, they like spicy food. The big difference between these dogs and all of my others is that they don't seem to care much about what I think. They don't "aim to please". I can hurt the feelings of my other dogs and I've managed to train even my german shepards to live with and guard my birds. These great pyrs are very different. Dixie loves me and I have hurt her feelings, she cares what I think. Georgia couldn't care less. She loves pets and love but my opinion doesn't matter to her at all. She lives in her own world. If that's all you had to do to train your dog, consider yourself lucky.

I was actually surprised at how quickly Kota got it, as Anatolians are famous for being very strong willed. Luke, my lab, however, killed 5 chickens and a duck before he finally got it. Now, he has another energy outlet: herding the chickens. If one escapes, he'll chase it back to the pen and hold it down with his paws until I get there. We didn't teach him that, I guess he picked it up from watching us

and yes, he's a lab. The first herding lab

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
Already done that, plenty of times. Especially the chicken thing. Everytime I catch them, I hold the chicken and "preach" to the dogs and they hold their heads down in shame (until I walk away). They didn't like the chicken pecking them in the face but it didn't make any difference. I've tried the shock collars too. Stood far enough back so that she didn't know it was me. Everytime she'd put her nose close to a chicken I would zap her (on the highest setting), it didn't phase her. I've honestly tried everything. The last rooster they killed, I took him and coated him in cayenne pepper. Put him back in their pen and told them not to touch him (knowing as soon as I walked away they would). Well, they like spicy food. The big difference between these dogs and all of my others is that they don't seem to care much about what I think. They don't "aim to please". I can hurt the feelings of my other dogs and I've managed to train even my german shepards to live with and guard my birds. These great pyrs are very different. Dixie loves me and I have hurt her feelings, she cares what I think. Georgia couldn't care less. She loves pets and love but my opinion doesn't matter to her at all. She lives in her own world. If that's all you had to do to train your dog, consider yourself lucky.

I was actually surprised at how quickly Kota got it, as Anatolians are famous for being very strong willed. Luke, my lab, however, killed 5 chickens and a duck before he finally got it. Now, he has another energy outlet: herding the chickens. If one escapes, he'll chase it back to the pen and hold it down with his paws until I get there. We didn't teach him that, I guess he picked it up from watching us

and yes, he's a lab. The first herding lab

I have a friend with 2 labs who guard everything on his farm - chickens, lambs, piglets etc. They are so gentle and sweet. I was surprised at their behavior, most labs I've been around are "bouncy" dogs but not these 2, they are all business.

 

[pinkwindsong]

Quote:
Pink - I saw on Facebook that the stray dog came back so they moved the donkey in with the baby and the donkey killed the baby. Very sad.

Good grief.. why in the world... I had jacks and jennies for years and never had one attack .. thinking in it I do know of one years ago that a friend owned that killed a baby goat..

darn Im sorry to hear that ... well thats two animals that need to go.. the dog and the donkey needs to be rehomed if he was here.. cant have them killing young'ens. it think she said it had killed one before.. hoped it was a fluke.. guess not.. shame..
so so sad..

thanks for letting me know and to Susanne and her family my condolences for the loss..

)O(
Pink

 

[tink]

We have a pit that we trained to guard our chickens. When we had babies in the house, we told him that they were his babies. We held the chicks and he smelled them and licked them and we kept saying that they were his babies. He now protected them and he will get in the middle of them when they are fussing with eachother! Maybe we lucked out but Titan does a great juob for us..Tink

 

[Larkspur88]

I can't trust my jack russells with my chickens. They kill them after a long chase. So I put my large rooster in the backyard the one who steals my food and comes in my house. I discovered the dogs are terrified of him after he brutally attacked them. So now I have a guard rooster who keeps them away from circling the coop.

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Quote:
I was actually surprised at how quickly Kota got it, as Anatolians are famous for being very strong willed. Luke, my lab, however, killed 5 chickens and a duck before he finally got it. Now, he has another energy outlet: herding the chickens. If one escapes, he'll chase it back to the pen and hold it down with his paws until I get there. We didn't teach him that, I guess he picked it up from watching us

and yes, he's a lab. The first herding lab

I have a friend with 2 labs who guard everything on his farm - chickens, lambs, piglets etc. They are so gentle and sweet. I was surprised at their behavior, most labs I've been around are "bouncy" dogs but not these 2, they are all business.

When we moved to the farm, we had a lab. Sadly, Blue had to be put down in June due to age. But while he was here, he would mill around among the chickens and not even look twice at them. My husband swore it was because Blue was old but I just think it was his temperament. We've always had labs and they are great dogs.