What would do this kind of damage? UPDATE POST #65!

[bkreugar]

Unless a dog is caught IN THE ACT punishment is ineffective. A dog is not going to relate "chicken parts" and a beating to killing chickens. If you looked at the pictures, these are small dogs so "beating it with a 2X4" would severely injure if not kill it.
This would be considered abuse, regardless of where you live.

This I found to be true. We ended up with a german shepard cross puppy about 3 years ago.She was a castoff. I am NOT a dog lover, but the kids and dh had wanted a dog for a long time. I had been resistant, but caved. As puppy grew she went thru about a 6 month period of "playing" with my chickens. EVERY time I bodily picked her up and was aggeressive with her. I was ready to get rid of her all together. A lot of family disharmony for that stretch of time. However.... As she grew up after about the 6 th time in that 6 months that I DID get her IN the act. She stopped. Now she completely ignores the chickens and can be trusted with them. Still not a dog lover, but I can hear the difference in the dogs vocalazations, and she will use a certain yip that tells me SOMETHING is messing with my chickens. She is never wrong and only makes that sound regarding my chickens.

I have "heard " the dead chicken or chicken parts theory when i was ready to get rid of dog. Lots of people told me it worked, I never tried it. But catching her IN the act and yelling at her to leave MY chickens alone, that worked for me and this dog. Since I DON"T have tons of expereince with dogs, I can't say if it works with all dogs, I tend to think it is varies greatly depending on dog. I didn't use a 2 by 4 just my voice and hands. I picked her up yelled and screamed and then threw her down. Again I am not putting myself out as a dog trainer, just saying I know catching them in the act DOES work, but took more than once.

 

[chefman4u2]

I agree with catching them in the act, I have had quite a few dogs and when you do a verbal "spanking" it can be enough. You can't make it a short one though, scorn for at least ten minutes. I never knew a dog could cry, but my last dog cried and I couldn't stop fast enough and she never did it again.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I'm not going to kill Odie! If he was attacking my children or myself that would be a reason to harm him. But it was a chicken, not a child.

I have secured my coop and made it very hard for him to try to dig his way in again. He has been around and sniffing, as has my own dog, but so far so good. I did talk to my neighbors and told them what he did. They apologized and offered to pay for the chicken and the damage. This is my neighbor that is giving me his old wooden swing set so I can convert it into a coop for my growing flock. I really like my neighbors and do not want any animosity between us. I also like Odie, he was just doing what dogs do, so I made it as close to impossible as I could for him to dig under the fence.

Again, I'm not saying I would shoot the dog, I was just replying in defense of someone who said that was one option. Another member said, "Guns are not always the answer" and I agree, but that person was not saying you had to do that... just that it was an idea.

 

[adgcountrygirl]

This I found to be true. We ended up with a german shepard cross puppy about 3 years ago.She was a castoff. I am NOT a dog lover, but the kids and dh had wanted a dog for a long time. I had been resistant, but caved. As puppy grew she went thru about a 6 month period of "playing" with my chickens. EVERY time I bodily picked her up and was aggeressive with her. I was ready to get rid of her all together. A lot of family disharmony for that stretch of time. However.... As she grew up after about the 6 th time in that 6 months that I DID get her IN the act. She stopped. Now she completely ignores the chickens and can be trusted with them. Still not a dog lover, but I can hear the difference in the dogs vocalazations, and she will use a certain yip that tells me SOMETHING is messing with my chickens. She is never wrong and only makes that sound regarding my chickens.

I have "heard " the dead chicken or chicken parts theory when i was ready to get rid of dog. Lots of people told me it worked, I never tried it. But catching her IN the act and yelling at her to leave MY chickens alone, that worked for me and this dog. Since I DON"T have tons of expereince with dogs, I can't say if it works with all dogs, I tend to think it is varies greatly depending on dog. I didn't use a 2 by 4 just my voice and hands. I picked her up yelled and screamed and then threw her down. Again I am not putting myself out as a dog trainer, just saying I know catching them in the act DOES work, but took more than once.

You are right about this... It does depend on the dog and how much it wants to be part of the family. I love pretty much all animals, so it broke my heart when my dog killed one of my chickens, but it was dead when I found it, and he didn't seem to understand why I was mad at him. I caught him attacking one, and that is when it started to sink in. The third time he messed with one of my roos, he only pinned it and didn't puncture the skin or anything. (It looked more like he was trying to keep it from leaving the yard, but I yelled "NO!" anyway, and he hasn't messed with one since.

 

[pawprint2104]

Yours is the most rational post I've read through this whole thread. I'm glad you found your culprit and resolved the conflict without hurting the dog(s) and/or damaging your good rapport with your neighbors. The cameras were a great help, too. I would hate to lose one of my girls to predators. I learned alot with this thread. Thanks

 

[Vries]

My buddy set up an electric cattle fence around his coop to keep coyotes and foxes out so I'm sure you could use it to keep a pesky *** dog out of your pen and it wouldn't cost u more then a couple hundred bucks either that or grab your dog beater and get at it lol

 

[Vries]

I would also get pressure treat 2x6 and place it along the bottom of the pen on the edges to keep the animals out

 

[zazouse]

I agree with catching them in the act, I have had quite a few dogs and when you do a verbal "spanking" it can be enough. You can't make it a short one though, scorn for at least ten minutes. I never knew a dog could cry, but my last dog cried and I couldn't stop fast enough and she never did it again.

You are soo right, i never lay a hand on any of my dogs, fussing at them is good enough and in order to break a dog from hurting chickens you have to catch them in the act.

I have raised many pups up to be around chickens, i have 4 in training now, they are great with the birds , but i had to be there when they decide that today was the day to play with the birds even though they never bothered them before, you can not teach a dog to leave the birds alone if you are not there to stop them everytime they decide the birds are play toys.