trying to get my ducks to be free ranged

[Dsterio]

i have always wanted my ducks to go walk out in the yard when ever they want but they can't because of my dog she is not a mean dog but she is a pure bred black lab living with mallard ducks as we all not black lab have a strong hunting instinct, she has never been hunting, but in the past we had some problems when the ducks got out, i will not put her in a kennel or one of those long cords, so i had another idea i want to make my ducks fly to get away from my dog not like wild duck but just getting in the air will get them away. but i don't now how to get them to fly I know this is an odd thing to do most people want the exact opposite, but i would extremely appreciated it you guys could help THANK YOU FOR HELPING i would like if you guys could have any ideas even if you don't know they will work or in u cant think of anything some other suggestion to help them be free ranged would also be greatly appreciated. and again THANK YOU

 

[Wobbles]

I would re-consider the flight to get away thing. The flight will kick her prey drive in to high gear. I have a german shorthaired pointer who is very triggered by the sound of wings. Bird dogs react to smell, sound and sight. So the best thing would be to train the dog the command Leave it. Or keep them apart.

Good luck!

 

[Orca5094]

Is the dog outside all the time? Maybe just let the ducks be out when the dog is inside (and maybe when the dog is out with them, be sure someone is there to protect the ducks). You cannot force ducks to fly, and most domestic ducks can't fly anyway since they are too heavy. You said yours are mallards though, so they should be able to, but if you encourage yours to fly that can also lead to them flying off too far and disappearing on you. I say keep them separate to avoid any future heartaches or problems. That's my advice.

 

[Darkwing4]

Perhaps find a bird-dog trainer to work with you or find videos on YouTube. Hunting Labs are trained especially not to chase live ducks. Work with your dog on a regular leash and then you can work toward one of those 12 foot training leashes. Good luck. My golden retriever is very good with my ducks but we didn't put them together for 10-12 weeks.

Depends on the dog, of course. A real hunter may never be safe.

 

[tinamarieallen]

I have a yellow lab and he has never touched one of my chickens or ducks and I let them free range. The only thing he does is make the chickens go back in the backyard. Otherwise he just sits back and watches over all of them.