Turns out I love them more than I thought!

[BigBlueHen53]

SIL had an extremely strong willed GSHP. He would periodically approach the invisible fence line testing the collar. Once the battery/beeping diminished he would bust right through, but he was a Houdini in all things. Our last golden breached the fence twice. Both times the Princess was away for the night, and I think Dani went looking for her. I turned off the fence, and both times she returned early in the AM.

Lol. Whoever coined the term "dumb animals" was referring to their inability to articulate verbally, not their inability to problem-solve!

 

[Rothy_058]

This is quite an issue!

Further to my comment on P.4 of this thread....it seems to me that we create many potential problems for ourselves in our choice of dog breed and the decision to keep chickens at all if we know that our 'best friend' is never going to be a friend to our feathered friends! - yeah, I know it won't sit well with many and maybe it's why nobody else has said it.

I know there are a lot of variables and things aren't always so clear-cut and that circumstances and things beyond any individuals control are often in effect in these
matters....blah...blah...but equally in other cases a pause for thought and reflection before buying that puppy...or "i wonder how 'Spike' would react to the new chickens?" would save a whole lot of death as well as heartache and expense for the owners.

Then again, companies like IF would probably go out of business...

 

[ValerieJ]

I remember that one breed that figures out the invisible fence was the German Shorthaired pointer - they run through the fence so quickly that they hear the beep and already over the shock zone.

I dunno...my Ruby runs like a greyhound, and whenever she has breached the fence, she has let out a yelp.

 

[ValerieJ]

I would get an invisible fence but, don't even have invisible dogs. Still....

 

[ValerieJ]

This is quite an issue!

Further to my comment on P.4 of this thread....it seems to me that we create many potential problems for ourselves in our choice of dog breed and the decision to keep chickens at all if we know that our 'best friend' is never going to be a friend to our feathered friends! - yeah, I know it won't sit well with many and maybe it's why nobody else has said it.

I know there are a lot of variables and things aren't always so clear-cut and that circumstances and things beyond any individuals control are often in effect in these
matters....blah...blah...but equally in other cases a pause for thought and reflection before buying that puppy...or "i wonder how 'Spike' would react to the new chickens?" would save a whole lot of death as well as heartache and expense for the owners.

Then again, companies like IF would probably go out of business...

An electric wire on the chicken fence line works too. Poor Ruby got too close and got shocked for real. That shock is nothing like the wimpy shocks of the IF system, (my system is actually Pet Safe IF). Now I have also been shocked by that fence and let out a squeal, but Ruby is a drama queen and rand all the way around the front and back yards, about 1.5 acres, crying all the way. I wouldn't be able to get her near the chickens if I wanted to.

 

[blackandtan]

Sorry for your losses, but it’s great that the others are recovering!
My neighbor and I both have chickens and both our hubbies talk tough about chickens, and killing them, or getting rid of them or whatever...and guess who is ALWAYS the one to get most upset when they’re hurt! Lol. Mr hard-heart is actually a marshmallow

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sorry for your losses, but it’s great that the others are recovering!
My neighbor and I both have chickens and both our hubbies talk tough about chickens, and killing them, or getting rid of them or whatever...and guess who is ALWAYS the one to get most upset when they’re hurt! Lol. Mr hard-heart is actually a marshmallow

Yup. Guess who holds the chicken and who wields the axe when we have to cull a dying bird.