What to do about my dog

[Annabella]

Sharing the yard is a good idea. Since I lost a hen to my dog - I have my back yard segregated. Older chooks and dog share 2/3 (he was a puppy with them and doesn't attack them at all); new chooks share the other 1/3 (they came when he was 18mths old and he just wants them).
Its taken quite some months and the dog is better now with the new girls, he is allowed at times into their section with me and doesn't worry them, but I don't trust him at all.

 

[justbugged]

Years ago when my little darling was about a year old he, and our other chow mix went bowling for polish crested chicks. When I found them I have to say, that Mama came unglued at the Komondor puppy. I tied him to a fence post in the pasture and also tied the dead chicken around his neck. He spent the rest of the day there. I can say now that I would trust my dear Big Dog with my chickens lives. The Chow never looked at chickens again either. I think she had a big clue Mama wasn't happy. The Yorkies I have now on the other hand need their own homes. The puppies are very aggressive toward the chickens and the cats. I wouldn't never trust them with the chickens. I often lock the Yorkies in the house and then let the girls out to go bug hunting.

Another option might be to split the yard. The dog should do just fine with a 1/4 acre space as will the chickens. I don't know if that is possible, but still it an idea.

 

[Kansaseq]

My dogs cannot be trusted with the chickens, and have killed several over the years. It's usually due to lack of vigilance on my part; I do not blame them. I've come up with the solution of taking turns with the yard. The chickens get it the first half of the day, while I'm sleeping. I hang something on the door so if I'm half asleep, it will remind me that the birds are out there and to NOT let the dogs out. After I get up, the birds go back to their pen and coop, and the dogs can come and go as they please. This set up has worked well for me for many years now.

 

[GAchick]

So sorry about your loss. I wish I had a solution for you. I have two dogs. Neither chases chickens, although they will occasionally run through the middle of the flock to see them squawk and scatter. My dacshund mix used to lay in the bathtub with the chickies, when we first got them as day olds last year. She loves baby chicks... (likes to smell their butts...) The other dog is a GS sized rescue dog that my cousin had until she broke her hip and can't care for him. He is scared of any sudden movements... I agree, 13 year old dog has greater yard priviledges than chicks... Do the half day yard sharing thing for them...

 

[teach1rusl]

Even if you section off an area for your chickens/dog, you still need to spend a lot of time socializing/training your dog around your chickens, because there's always a chance that the two would meet accidentally.
There's no magic button. It takes weeks and weeks of you diligently working with your dog around your chickens. Does he respect you as pack leader; you mentioned he often doesn't listen to you on commands...in your opinion, is that because he wasn't really taught, or because he doesn't see you as the leader??? If he doesn't see you as leader, then honestly, the dog will probably never be okay around chickens.
If he does see you as leader, then he may be trainable.
For two weeks, sit with him HOLDING HIS COLLAR right there among the chickens. Within a few days, sprinkle treats around the two of you, so that the chickens come near. Have a command word ready, such as "nice" or "gentle" (only choose and use one word). If he's treat motivated, praise him and give occasional treats while he's sitting or laying there nicely.
After he's doing well with that (don't rush it), go for a week or two doing the same thing, but with him on a leash instead of hand-on-collar. Keep the leash short if he's iffy, and keep your eye on him the whole time.
If he does well with that, then go to walking around with him on leash, around/among the chickens, always using your command word and giving treats for postive responses. Once again, I would do this daily (several times a day) for a week or two, depending on whether he's complying.
Finally, progress to walking around with him off leash, using the same techniques.
Even if he's able to make it through all of these steps, I would not allow him with your chickens alone. I would sit somewhere and watch (but don't show that you're watching.
Dogs are only as consistent as we are as trainers.
And depending on what he's mixed with (labs are typically very easy to train, but the other mixes???), his prey drive may just be too high. Or if he doesn't see you as the alpha, then it probably wouldn't work either. But it's still good socialization for him, and important that he see your chickens as part of the pack, rather than something to be hunted, and it will most likely lessen the chance of another kill... good luck!

 

[Chickenmaven]

I am sorry that this happened. I was sad at the thought of your child crying over this.

My opinion is that you need to keep the dog away from the chickens. You said, yourself, that the dog is "ornery" and not very well trained. I do think that training a dog to coexist with chickens is possible IF the dog is a well-behaved and mild sort. I do not think your pup fits the bill - sorry. If you have such a large fenced area, it would be lovely if you could enclose a corner for your birds to range. They won't know that they are not "really" freeranging; I promise.

 

[hudsonmama]

Thank you so much for all the good advice. I really appreciate it. I love the treat can...I will definitely do that. The chickens love fruit, so that should be no problem. We always have some of that.

Yes, at 13 I have suspected Duke might be hard to train. He's a really sweet dog, but just a bit stubborn, and now that he's killed one (actually, a Buff Orpington like someone else mentioned), though I caught him before he could eat her, I think the excitement of catching her and killing her might be too much for him. He's always been our "watchdog" and also loves to chase things. Now he doesn't chase as much but he still will. He has a bit of arthritis in his hips, but it's only noticeable after a long time laying down and then not all the time. Otherwise you might not know he was older. He's pretty healthy overall and he was a pretty hyper youngster, so slowing down for him is really not very slow. He just sleeps more and runs less. ;-)

So I'm thinking of giving him the yard for the mornings, until noon or so, since he's already out for the night. Then the "girls" can be out in the afternoon/evening and in the hen house for the night/morning. I don't have a run for the chickens as our yard is already fenced in, but maybe someday I will make one of those moveable ones with wheels. But right now I have four kids six and under so simple is good! That's also why I can't usually be outside all day supervising the dog and the chickens together. I'm not sure it would work anyway. ;-)

Thank you and I will gladly soak up any more advice!

Blessings and Thanks!

 

[kiwi-chookn]

one of my dogs killed 14 hens,3 turkeys and 3 muscovies a few months back.
I was told to tie a dead chook around his neck.
Apparently it does work,I just dont want to waste a chicken!

 

[Heatherberry]

I have two dogs, a Giant Schnauzer and a Mini Schnauzer. We have had our chicks since they were two days old and tried right away to socialize the dogs with the chicks being in a brooder on the porch.


From day one the Giant never even looked crooked at those chickens. She can to this day roam freely while the chickens roam. The Mini on the other hand lives to go after anything that moves. He went after them in the brooder and he still now walks around their coop trying to intimidate them and lunging at them. Drives me crazy.

I took him out on a leash to "break"him of it. Whatever. He could have an shock collar on him, which we tried years ago for cats, and he has the highest level of tolerance for it. He is the most stubborn dog on the planet and I would bet lots of money on that. He will never be trusted with the chickens.

So, I let the girls out after the dogs have done their business in the morning. The hens get up until noon depending on my day. Then they get put back in their coop until about 6pm and out for a couple hours then to bed. It works for us.

I have noticed that the hens don't really range all day long. They will usually go off in a corner and nap or lay down, so to be put up for the afternoon really works with their schedule and ours.