Weimaraner and Chickens - need help

[lady chicken whisperer]

All weims have different attitudes and demeanors, depending on how they are raised and what theyre parents were like. Im not sure what suggestions I would have now about the dog, but I wonder if it would have been different if she would have let the dogs and chickens interact from the start? Maybe keep the dog on a leash and walk it close to the chickens, disciplining it when the dog acted up.

We have two weims now, the older one was around the chickens from day one and never even considered bothering them and we do take her pheasant hunting. Her puppy was also raised around the chickens, and although she is a REAL pheasant hunter (and everything else, she points butterflies in the yard) she also doesnt bother the birds. Occasionally if the chickens run she might chase one for the sake of it, but she never actually catches them or harms them.

Just because they are bird dogs doesnt mean they cant be around any type of bird, they just have to be trained what birds are pets and what birds arent.

 

[lhrbeauty]

Thanks so much to all of you for the ideas. I'm going to pass these on to her and see if they might help in thinking about things to do with her dog to help him. As I mentioned, I love him dearly, but he clearly loves her the best of anyone. These ideas might give her some different thoughts about what to do in working with him. Merry Chrismas and Happy Holidays to all of you!!

 

[FinsUp]

Quote:
Wow...that made me laugh!!!

Our Lab does the same thing! Girls hate it.

I don't think chickens and dogs have very much to do with the breed as they do with the dog. As you can see there are quite a few "birdy" dogs that hang great with chickens (ours thinks he's a rooster, and it's HIS flock).

 

[lhrbeauty]

Maybe if we just teach the Weimaraner that he can lick the chickens butts, that will suffice. I think that's the way we should go

. That mental picture made me laugh too. Don't let the dog lick your face after he licks the chicken butts.

 

[Hound]

Hot wires around the coop.

 

[spamela]

Hi, I'm the bad chicken mom. My Weimaraner, Dante, is the chicken killer. He managed to off a Campine breeding pair, a bantam buff cochin breeding pair, 2 Dominiques, 2 RIR, 1 brown leghorn, 2 black stars, and two maran & cochin mix breeds in a matter of no longer than 15 minutes. Most of which I'm sure was spent pulling the chicken wire from the run.

 

[bikerted86]

I have a young GSP who is a hunter, Basically he has learned that the chicken run is off limits. He will still point on occasion but gets the comand "no bird" and moves on. About the collar I have several friends that have used E collars in dog training and have noticed when the dog doesnt have it on or it doesnt work, the temperment and responsiveness of the dog goes out the window. Also execise helps but so does obediance training (beyond sit and lay), It will boost confidence and the willingness to please (like not killing your birds). But you have to be strong and remember a hunting dog will most likely never be friends with your chicken. The dog probably thinks it is doing you a favor until it learns otherwise. I say a healing stick and seeing how the dog acts around the chickens.

 

[cheri222]

Yes but now she has advanced from licking butts to eating poo.

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

I have two goldens. While there is nothing cuter than a Golden puppy (in my opinion!) they are hunting dogs. They are not ripping the stuffing out of their toys to amuse me, they are killing them! My dogs and chickens are not friends...there are no dog/chicken games that end well for the chicken! The chickens are family members that the dogs are not allowed to stare at or touch.

I feel strongly that all dogs need an outlet to express their breed characteristics. For hunting dogs it's not enough to just walk or run them. I take my dogs in the woods every morning for a mile and 1/2 hike and they "hunt" everything....luckily catching very little! Rain, shine, snow...we go every day. They need it.

The hike is about letting them "hunt" and teaching them to obey me and ignore their instinctual need to chase if I ask them to. But if they didn't have this outlet would they chase my chickens instead? Probably...they need to hunt something. It's their nature.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

no chickens lost to dogs