What to do with the doberman...

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lrichter51

In the Brooder
Apr 10, 2022
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I am new to chickens here in North Texas, but already have problems with chicken math...I got 5 originally. 1 Easter Egger, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Barred Rock and a Golden Sex Link. I thought the Easter Egger might have been a boy, (we can't keep them in my city), so I took her back to the local feed store. The girl behind the counter didn't know anything about chickens. I came home with not only her, (I have since decided she is a her), but with 2 more baby brown Leghorns.🤦‍♀️

They have a nice coop and play area in the backyard. Unfortunately, we also have a lab and a European Doberman. The lab is calm, interested, but calm around them. The Doberman is a different story...He's VERY smart and VERY active. He believes it's his job to alert EVERYONE of squirrels and birds. The chickens are behind a fence as well as in an enclosed pen/coop with a roof. He can't actually get too close to them. He does however, go crazy because he can't get to them! Lots of patience has gotten him to be able to be outside with them for about 5 - 10 minutes at a time before losing his mind. The chickens aren't bothering my neighbors, but my dog is...

He is a sweet boy and we love him very much, (even with all of his quirks...and he has MANY)! Any tricks to help this move along so that I can have a happy life with both my chickens and my Doberman sooner rather than later?
 
Hello, welcome to BYC. Congratulations on your new chicks!
How old is your dobie? Has he had any formal training? If not, you might consider taking him to classes for a few lessons. He will probably respond pretty quickly. Once he learns the basic commands, it will be easier to quite him. Best of luck!
 
janiedoe said:
Hello, welcome to BYC. Congratulations on your new chicks!
How old is your dobie? Has he had any formal training? If not, you might consider taking him to classes for a few lessons. He will probably respond pretty quickly. Once he learns the basic commands, it will be easier to quite him. Best of luck!
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He's 4 1/2. He's had formal training both PetSmart and Personal Trainer. He is obedient when he isn't out of his mind! I know it's his breed...We are patient with him as he is just being a dog...and a good one at that...I just want everyone to get along...and FAST! Thanks for the kind words.
 
lrichter51 said:
He's 4 1/2. He's had formal training both PetSmart and Personal Trainer. He is obedient when he isn't out of his mind! I know it's his breed...We are patient with him as he is just being a dog...and a good one at that...I just want everyone to get along...and FAST! Thanks for the kind words.
Click to expand...
My next suggestion would be exposure and distraction.
I know it won't be pleasant for you and the neighbors, but with more exposure maybe he'll get bored? That's probably too optimistic. I know smart dogs are sometimes fixated on situations and objects of desire (chicks)
Maybe you can distract him by playing with him near the coop. After a while, perhaps the chickens will be associated with "play" and "happy" experiences.
 
Welcome to the BYC flock! :jumpy

Maybe try one person holding a chicken inside the fencing, and another person with the dog on a leash on the outside of the fence. Try distracting him with treats (good ones like cold cuts or real meat, whatever is his favorite), reward him when he isn’t paying attention to the chicken.

Do this for 5 minute sessions so he doesn’t get bored or overwhelmed.

Hoping when he sees you holding the chicken a bunch of times, he will start to understand they are part of your “pack”.

I would definitely not leave either dog with the chickens unattended. Good luck!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

I'm on my 6th adopted Doberman and she happens to be the first European. She was born in Serbia. They are VERY different from the American Dobies. Yes, extremely smart and busy describes them to a tee.
Do you run him off leash where he can just go as fast as he can and do whatever he wants and play Dobie style with other large fast dogs? I do this with Bella and it's the only want to knock a little steam off her energy levels.
You can typically tell the potential predators intentions around prey by the reaction of the prey. How do the chickens behave when he is just watching them? I had a chicken in the living room in a crate and Bella went right up to the crate and stared very intently and motionless at the chicken. Like this but with a chicken:
Bella and Mogwai.jpg
This would normally be a pre-attack posture. The chicken just looked at her and kept clucking softly. Bella just REALLY wanted to be friends with the chicken.
Soon after the 6.5 pound cat came up and stared intently and motionless at the chicken. The chicken started to really act distressed. The cat wanted chicken dinner.
You'll need to work hard with your boy daily and keep him on leash until you can trust him with the flock. I would suggest long hard runs each morning before starting training with him. That will help him focus better.
 
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