THey are all DEAD... and it was my own dog

[HathawayHens]

You are better off to fence a separate area for you dog or chickens to keep them apart. A muzzle could cause your dog to overheat, and it does not sound like either of you are planning a good life from this point forward. If you can't physically keep her away from them without all kinds of stress to you both, rehome her and do everyone a favor. It is not fun to keep a dog you no longer enjoy, IMHO. Good luck though, this is a tough call.

 

[17roses]

First off I want to say I am very sorry about your chickens. That must be very hard.

We have 2 chicken killing dogs we keep in a fenced area. I was not willing to give up my chickens or my dogs so a fenced area is a good compromise though it is a compromise. We still lose the occational chicken but that is only because the chicken enters the dog area. I dont think the muzzle will work because chickens are too much fun to play with. Punishing my dogs would be pointless, they would just wait for me to not be there. Even in wild dogs the leader must be present to enforce the rules. Just my 2 cents worth. I hope you find the right solution for you.

 

[Dar]

I am not going to mention names.... but a few here seem to think that I am being neglectful, and that I did not each my dog "manners"

well I hate to tell you that my dog came into this house with chickens and was raised with them from the beginning....and was taught impeccable manners.. as I said she was considered as a therapy dog for disabled children and the elderly (not to be confused with a service dog) .. however the sound of the suction machines was over the top for her and she would act up...

about a month ago when we got the 2 new puppies her manners and training started to go backwards we are hoping its a adjustment phase with the new puppies...

and we are not talking about a 100lb lab here.... we are talking about a 9lb min pin... most of my chickens out weigh my dog.... so yes a muzzle would be very effective.

and yes she will be undergoing some intense training till her mind returns... but when we are outside as a family doing yard work where all eyes will not be on her every move yes she will be on the zip line and muzzled.... and if the temp is to high she will be in the house in her crate in the AC...

 

[HathawayHens]

Dogs cannot sweat, they cool by panting. If you can't find a basket muzzle that fits her, you are better off to just leave her inside... she could very easily overheat and die.

I have seen this on many occasions. You obviously love her and don't want that, so I just wanted to warn you.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
ordered the basket muzzle this morning from my vet... and he agrees with my plan and took a few blood samples while we were there to rule things out... he seems to think that this is a regression issue with the new pups and will sort it self out with some retraining

 

[nzpouter]

Quote:
I knew of a few good farm dog who started killing stock when they're having pups, I think part of it is the necessity to feed the litter and instinct..... it stops when the pups are weaned.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
eh..who cares what those people think...

 

[Morgan7782]

I am so sorry for your loss

I lost one of my BR hens a few years ago to a German Shorthair Pointer. She was wonderful and ignored the hens when people were outside with them, but I made the mistake of going inside for one second and came out to a very proud bird dog, and a chicken with a broken neck. Thank gosh it was not gory, but I was heartbroken, and learned my lesson. I have 2 six week old chicks now, and a 3 year old neutered pitty, who interact through the run fence, but never when nobody is outside.

P.S. I also taught my dog the command "Don't Touch" and "Leave It" both of which he knows well enough I can throw him bacon, have him catch it, say don't touch and he drops it. That has been a wonderful help. I would suggest teaching something similar.

 

[yellek77]

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. My blind disabled weiner dog killed one of my young chickens on Saturday. I thought she would not harm them since she can't see and she can't run, but I was wrong. I really don't know how I'm going to let my chickens free range in my yard and have all my dogs. I guess they will have to take turns, which makes it harder for everyone. Why can't we all just get along?!!?!?!

 

[AinaWGSD]

I did not mean to imply that you are mistreating the dog here, I don't believe it to be true for an instant from any of the things you've posted. If I were in your shoes, you can bet me and my dog would not be on "speaking" terms for at least the rest of the day (I would have to shut them in the crate or the back porch except to go outside to potty, otherwise I'm afraid my patience would be overwhelmed by my frustration and anger) and my dogs would be avoiding me like the plague because they think I'm awfully scary when I'm upset whether I even look at them or not.

Personally, I do not think a muzzle will be a very effective solution. Dogs are very good at getting out of them, even when properly fitted (although a basket muzzle is often harder for them to get off and does not carry a great risk for overheating) and as anyone who works with aggressive dogs will tell you, a muzzle does not prevent a bite it just makes it a little harder. As to the training issues you are currently having with her, I'm sure it is just the stress from the new pups. Any major changes to the family structure are going to result in a backslide of manners and training. Every time we've ever brought home a new dog or foster dog my current dogs have had some sort of training issues (usually minor) and when we brought our first baby home from the hospital my extremely well trained 10 year old dog regressed to the point of pooping in the house. And even the best trained dogs will kill chickens given the chance. I don't think that this tragedy had anything to do with you being "negligent" in training your dog. It's just one of those unfortunate things that can happen when we keep both predator and prey.