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Barnyard Buddies:  dog vs chicken- what to do?  |
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nursekat424
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Crystal
Frazee
MN
USA
99 Posts |
 Posted - May 11 2011 : 7:40:12 PM
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We got a new puppy awhile back, have been trying to introduce hime to chickens and train him not to chase/hurt/kill them.
Well today my DD's let the chicken out of the coop for free range time and didnt know our puppy was loose, she thought she had him chained up. so he killed one of our chicken.
Now what do I do? i have read, and been told by several ppl to tie the dead chick around his next for a few days, i think this is horrible, not just to the dog but to my kids who really loved the chicken. but....if that is truly the only way to stop him from doing it again, i may have to try it.
any suggestions? anyone else had this problem? i really really really dont want to tie a dead chicken to him. i know it's his nature, he's a lab mix, and he's just doing what he was bread to do. but i dont want it to happen again either. thanks so much.
Hugs,
Crystal |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 05:20:20 AM
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I have NEVER heard of tying a dead animal to your dogs neck. I wouldn't really go with that, personally-I mean, how does that teach them not to attack it? If I had something dead and rotting hanging from my neck, the next time I saw it I'd probably want to kill it as soon as I could! LOL. Have you tried crating the dog around the chickens until he can be calm around them? Or crating chickens AND the dog and putting them inside like 10 feet away, then 9, then 8, until he can be beside them without being agressive, then letting one out, then the other, etc., etc.? It's going to take commitment and a close eye, but I'm sure it can be done!
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 05:39:24 AM
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Crystal,
I agree with Megan on this one. We have rabbits and introduced our dog Molly to them slowly. We left the rabits in their cages and put them in the yard with her. Slowly she has taken a liking to them and now thinks they are her buddies. If the dog is young, you can train him by rewarding him everytime he is calm around the chickens. I would leave a leash on him and bring him around the chickens and make him sit or lie down and be calm, then reward him. Repeat and reward and then repeat and reward. He will associate being calm around them with a treat or reward and will eventually do it on his own. Good Luck!
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
Happy to be a "Raggedy Ann" in a Barbie World!
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White
Not my dog, but it can be done! |
Edited by - Fiddlehead Farm on May 12 2011 05:54:30 AM |
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nursekat424
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Crystal
Frazee
MN
USA
99 Posts |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 06:50:04 AM
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That's a pretty extreme form of "training". Theory is the dog gets so sick of the smell/cumbersome-ness that it won't do it again. Have never seen it and don't really think it proves anything to the dog.
For very young dogs, like under 2 years the best thing to do is training and supervision. As with all kinds of training, it doesn't happen overnight and takes dedication and consistency.
The BEST thing you can do is set it up and then catch the dog BEFORE he
makes another kill. Then reward like crazy when he comes to you. Strong reward might be a piece of cheese. I don't recommend hot dogs.
This may take a few months or few years
My animals have been broken of this thanks to a very mean rooster who flogged everything. So even both our outside cats don't bother .
Our dog chases, but she is a herding dog and will just corral and treat the chicken like a toy and lick it. She takes greater pleasure in watching for them to group up. She'll then run full force into the group and watch them scatter. It is kind of funny, and the chickens are "kind of" used to it.
A good training tool is the shake can. Take something like an empty Pepsi or beer can and fill it with 15 pennies. Tape the top closed. When you see the dog getting close to the chickens, shake the can to distract, shout NO! then call him to you for a reward. Or you can lob the can in his direction. Point is, he doesn't see it coming from you and will be distracted enough for you to provide an acceptable reward.
Hope this isn't too confusing. We tried the can method for our dog and her bad car chasing.
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 07:47:02 AM
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what a great idea annab, i will try this also. my thought for our yorkie is a training collar. the boy is out of control with rock chuck insanity. he would dig into every hole and disappear. so we are buying a humane collar. i hope to find one with warning sound and vibration for him. then i can train him. since the dog already experienced this behavior its harder. there are great ideas here already and more to come i am sure. i just know i cannot chase run or catch my dog. he hates pain. so i am hoping this works for him. i would not use it with out the vibration warning. that way he learns to choose. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2011 : 08:54:30 AM
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once a dog has chased down, caught and killed another animal, it is extremly hard, if not impossible to break the habit, all dogs have prey drive, some alot stronger than others, and when the prey runs and makes noise, it is more fun for them. The safest thing you can do is keep the dog and chickens separeted at all times, cause otherwise you will never be able to trust the dog completely again, good luck...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 5:17:07 PM
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Yes to that too.
Our dog keys in on the cat every time he brings something half alive into the yard. It's especially bad if he brings up a baby bunny that is still crying . I hate that poor pathetic sound, and it drives the dog nuts 'cause to her it sounds like a squeak toy.
When she plays, she demonstrates the "kill" response, so I know its there. She also has the prey drive when anything runs. Deer season is always a challenge 'cause she'll take off like a rocket. |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 7:23:36 PM
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Our dog is trained for fetching and has a "soft" hold so as to not hurt the bird he's retrieving, so thankfully whenever he gets ahold of one of the chickens he just "holds" it down till we take it away :) We've always been pretty near to him when it happened, so I'm not sure what he'd do if we weren't around to take it from him.
Good luck, it's a tough one!
http://troutwife.blogspot.com/
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sissarge
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Linda
Montgomery
Texas
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2011 : 2:10:41 PM
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| Yep, my Father-in-law use to raise dogs and he said if one gets a taste of blood, then its almost impossible to change it. My dog Hercules, got one of my chickens, and chewed it up, so I would not let him out of the fenced in yard unless on leash, but he continually tried and one day jumped the fence, that was it. I was lucky enough to find someone to take him, but warned them not to let him around animals. I had taken him as a pup on leash into the coop and to the barn, to get the feed, he was always with me, finally could let him off leash,and he never bothered them, nor the ducks or the turkeys, he was so sweet, ride with me on the Kawasaki mule and go fishing with me, but one day, the hen fluttered and the race was on, he chased the hen, and the roo chased him and I chased them all, even the Tom Turkey chased right along with us. He ran from me and tried to hide, we have 15 acres, so he really took off to the woods Took me a coupla hours to find him. Well he has a good home now, but just not with me. I know that Anna is right, the "kill" response is there. If you continue with him, you will alway have to watch him and trust comes hard. Tina is right also, because the fluttering that the hen did set him off. Good luck, and hope you make the right decision for you and your family. Farmgirl #946 Linda |
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Rejena
True Blue Farmgirl
149 Posts
Rejena
WY
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2011 : 8:21:36 PM
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I have a sad story about the tying a dead chicken to a dog. When my Dad was growing up his dog had killed one of the family's farm chickens. The farm manager decided to do this method and forced the dog to have it on for several days. The dog went mad and they had to put it down.
I highly recommend AGAINST THIS METHOD!
www.violetacresfarm.com
"Kid Run Boer Goat Farm" |
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nursekat424
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Crystal
Frazee
MN
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2011 : 11:21:04 AM
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oh that is sad, I think we are going to put a kennel in the coop and have him there for nap times during the day. that way he can be around them constantly untill he just ignores them. Thanks megan for this idea. once he completley ignores them we will move onto leashed with them in the yard etc... Thanks fort he suggestions and comments. if anyone else has any other ideas let me know. thanks again.
hugs,
Crystal |
Edited by - nursekat424 on May 21 2011 11:21:36 AM |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 07:36:39 AM
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wow what a good idea putting him in kenneled with them. i would never have thought of that. let us know how it works. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 08:14:50 AM
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Crystal- Just watch for stress in the dog and the chickens. Sometimes doing the kenneling without contact works and sometimes it can cause increased aggravation and stress. I hate to say it but it might be one of those situations where the dog might not ever be trustworthy around birds. I think you are doing an excellent job in trying to make sure to give the best possible outcome, but please just keep an eye on both species.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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Bensgrandma
True Blue Farmgirl
227 Posts
Alexis
White Oak
PA
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 10:24:52 AM
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Our two older dogs loved chickens. We had a cockapoo mix that would chase a chicken down and hold it until we able to get it. She never hurt it. I am sure we didn't teach her other than yelling like crazy to drop the chicken. Our sheppard mix was great at softly retreiving and returning chickens to the coop. It was funny. She also stole all the kittens from the mother cat and took them to her bed to lick them clean. Mother cat was not to happy about that one. Neither were the bunnies that she would bring home and leave on the porch. She never hurt any of them. They were just really, really wet from all the licking.
We have a male yorkie now and he would kill anything that he could get a hold of. I wonder if it is a male thing since our girls nutured anything they could get.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HugsandStitches
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ACharmingExperience |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 1:19:31 PM
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I knew of a person who did the chicken around the neck thing and she said it works BUT I would never do that. I'd rather re-home the dog! We now have 3 dogs and one of them is on the 'out' list for killing one of my turkeys. She did initially play with the birds, but she totally massacred this turkey. Anyway, that has been about 6 weeks ago with no more incidents, but dogs ARE predators and we watch her very closely. All of my poultry are penned/fenced.
We can never have a terrier (even a Yorkshire) as they are bred to kill small prey. That is just what they are made to do. It doesn't mean they'll all do it, but they do have a greater likelihood of doing so. If you've ever seen a terrier watching a small pet or small prey, you can just see the drive in their eyes. Not that it's a bad thing...it's just not good for the chicken farmer!
I value our poultry above other animals because they sustain us reliably with food, so I am extremely careful about the type of dogs we have, and I do try to keep all of the poultry fenced.
But, because your dog is a puppy, it may still be trainable. And, you may just have to face the fact that your birds may need to be enclosed to a degree. We fenced off a very large area (including an orchard) for our layers. The meat birds also have a very large area to live. We had to fence them in for our own sanity! Tired of finding poop everywhere, eaten crops, etc. It is also for their own safety, too. I have found that everything needs its own 'area' to keep your sanity about you.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 3:03:25 PM
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Crystal, I'm sorry but in MHO, crateing a dog who has killed a chicken already in the chicken area is on the edge of cruel, its really no differant than teasing him with the chickens," you can see them up close, but you can't get to them", this is a tragedy waiting to happen, and it probally will, I hope not, but I have worked with dogs and livestock all of my life (and its been a long one,lol), it is extremly rare to break a dog from being a predator once its happened. You have a Lab mix, which is a bird dog, and do you know what the other half is, some breeds should never be around livestock, period...I wish you all the luck in the world, but it may be best to re-home him to a family without livestock or any small pets.
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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nursekat424
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Crystal
Frazee
MN
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2011 : 05:35:00 AM
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his mom is lab/husky mix and dad is lab/rottweiler (we think) mix. here is a pic of him
He herds the kids alot. but he is getting better. we just dont have the fencing or cash @ the moment to make a large enough run for the girls.
Hugs, C |
Edited by - nursekat424 on May 23 2011 05:37:37 AM |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2011 : 06:56:21 AM
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thanks for the input tina, i learn new thoughts every day. here a page ago i thought ok good idea. now i hear your side and again i am thinking. crystal he looks like a sweet heart for sure. sherry
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2011 : 09:04:01 AM
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Crystal, its the husky and rotti that have me concerned, he MIGHT become ok with livestock/poultry when you are standing there, but then what about all the times you are NOT. Would you have to keep him penned or crated during those times, if so, you will end up with a frustrated dog, who will start taking that out on anything he can, can you take food from his mouth, because if you can't, that tells you you will not be able to save anything he catches, ( (the food/toy/prize guarding, can become more dangerous with time, even if it has not started yet). I really don't want to see that for all your trying and work with him, does not pan-out in the end, and the dog ends up being euthanized or worse, cause remember if he goes to the neighbors and goes after their livestock/poultry, you are legaly responsible...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Barnyard Buddies: dog vs chicken- what to do? |
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dog vs chicken- what to do?
