They got Wilson.....

[amystours]

Dogs just got Wilson. I came home, and the rat terrier was chewing on his neck. He was still breathing. I hollered for DH to come finish him off, he didn't want to do it, so his friend that was over here did it, then plucked him and cleaned him. I couldn't watch.

Friend tried to convince DH that Polish were good eating. I'm gagging just thinking about eating him, don't think I could do it, not to mention he's nothing but a nugget anyway.

The part I feel really bad about is that I kicked the dog away from him. She hollered, so now I feel like crap about it. Just hope she doesn't want chicken anymore.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm sorry for your loss...
If it had been my dog, he'd still be in orbit.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

In the past when I had a dog that ate or chased chickens, I'd gave him a boot too. Important: this must occur WHILE the bad behaviour is happening or the dog will not associate the punishment with the slap.

Though not politically correct, I believe that there is a time and place whan a slap on the behind can be an effective tool to teach a dog NOT to do something. Pain is an effective teacher: when was the last time you placed your hand on a hot stove? Or got your hand slammed in a door?

Though not the method to teach a dog anything else (come, sit, stay, fetch, etc.) as you want the dog to want to please you, I feel no problem with slapping on the behind for chasing a chicken. Keep in mind that wolves and dogs in packs will be violent to each other to teach stuff.

You'll have to do this maybe three times and the dog will remember for a lifetime. After that the threat of pain (a raised voice) will be all that is needed.

You also have to take a positive role in teaching the dog what you want him to do. Keep in mind what the breed was bred to do. Possibly teach him to chase the things he should i.e. raccoon. How? Cut the tail off a roadkill animal and (using a stick and rope) lead a trail the dog can follow (on your side so the dog doesn't follow your scent) and give the tail as a reward to the dog for finding it. Gross? yep.

Terriers were bred to hunt. I just watched a show of a guy using dogs on jackals in South Africa. The little terrier went down the hole and chased the jackals out. Then the rest of the dogs got the jackals.

Let me repeat: the best method of teaching a dog is positive reinforcement. For stopping bad behaviour: 1. intimidation (grabbing by the head and looking in the eye, cupping hands face up on both sides of the head. Even picking the dogs front feet up if needed). 2. yelling: dogs respond more to tone of voice and the look on your face than the words actually used 3. grounding: tied up or in a crate

Dogs can be violent and dangerous: you must reinforce
that the MUST listen whether or not they feel like it. They must also be educated just like children. Some of this is just meeting new and strange people i.e. police uniform,
children, seniors, etc., meeting other animals: horses, cats, chickens, and being taken to other places. This breeds confidence. Dogs fear what they do not know and some attack what they fear.

Very important: if the dog is doing something bad, and you call him to come to you, and he comes, He is a GOOD DOG. He listened. Especially when distracted. It's very easy when you are upset to train a dog not to listen to you.

This story was told to me by a lady I know and it illustrates the point. She had just gotten her dog, a beagle mix. The dog would run outside and take off down the road. (She lives in the burbs with farmland nearby.) When the dog came home she'd get him in the house than scold with a fly swatter. The dog is afraid of the swatter and did not associate running off with getting scolded. He did associate getting scolded with coming when called. She trained him not to listen.

I got my dog last December and spent many evenings taking the dog to a nearby schoolyard and letting him run loose (with a 50 ft rope: you won't catch the dog but you can step on the rope). The dog being a year old untrained Doberman mix loves to run and range far from me (150 yards). I call the dog and give him a treat of cheese, and generous praise. Now the dog can run loose around the house (and is tied up if unsupervised), and if he goes to the neighbours I call him. If I call him to come twice and he doesn't, I go after him. To continue calling is to reinforce that he doesn't have to listen. He would eventually come and cower before me fearing the look on my face and tone of voice. Because he came, I praised him (much to the dog's surprise) and leashed him and walked him home. Now he listens much better and am working to teach him other useful things. The dog is a natural guard dog and we had to teach him not to bark at the neighbours.

Next lesson: I'm looking for a fox or raccoon roadkill....

Take the time and effort to learn about animal behaviour, get dog books from the library. Use the natural behaviour of the dog to your advantage and not as a disadvantage.

good luck and godspeed

p.s. this is more than you asked for but I wanted to give you my complete way of thinking

 

[amystours]

I absolutely value this! My neighbor who used to have chickens said that once they get the "taste", the chickens will never be safe again.

I hope not, she was removed from the situation WHILE she was chewing on him, so perhaps she does associate the chickens with something "bad"...