Dog Probs

[4H gal]

Well she did it again!!!

My Australian Shepard killed 2 pullets and one rooster! She has never done this EVER!! And now if she is ever left by herself she is caught in action a few minutes later. I want to know if there is anyway I can break her from this habbit she has gotten in too. I need some advice.

Thank You

 

[acman]

Once a dog tastes blood its hard to get the taste out if you know what i mean.

 

[daneblackburn]

Punishment has to be quick after the deed and a very intense punishment.

 

[chickenperson77]

Is your dog braking into their cage or are they free range?

 

[NikSmith]

Take a dead chicken and tie it to their neck/collar for a few days. Until it starts to smell. I personally have never done this, but my father in law said that they had done that with their dogs. It just takes one dead chicken tied to the dog to teach it. It will start to smell, and so will they, and then they won't do it again!
I'm still trying to figure out a way of how to introduce my dogs to the chickens! I've also read that you can have someone pin down the dog, and someone hold a chicken on top of the dog. Everytime the dog tries to fight/escape/eat it, you discipline it. You are teaching the dog to be submissive, be Below the chicken, and that the chicken has the power. Not that a chicken would have a clue what's going on!
Hope this can be of a help!

 

[JenifferHartman]

Good lord.. pay no mind to them. I have a 3y/o Weimaraner. When we first started our flock with day old chicks, they were introduced to each other from day one. Always in my presence. I would let the chicks play in the yard, I was sitting there with them and had hold of my dogs collar. If the chicks got close to him, I would say "nice boy" and praise him. They would eventually start climbing on him and he would just ly there. It's daily training. You can't just punish or scould the dog after the fact for a natural behavior and expect it to change over night. Dogs are hunters. They have to be tought to be gentle with them. Weimaraners, in particular, are bird dogs.. My chickens free range. He now heards the chickens and they follow him around the yard and are not phased by him at all. I have never had a problem with him harming my chickens. I hope that helps! Good luck

 

[bobbi-j]

Well she did it again!!!

My Australian Shepard killed 2 pullets and one rooster! She has never done this EVER!! And now if she is ever left by herself she is caught in action a few minutes later. I want to know if there is anyway I can break her from this habbit she has gotten in too. I need some advice.

Thank You

There are plenty of threads here on BYC (you'll find most of them, I think, in the Predator and Pest section) on training dogs not to kill chickens. They have nothing to do with tying a dead chicken around their neck, or beating the dog with it. They have to do with leash training, and teaching the dog to ignore the chickens. Do some research and plan on spending a lot of time EVERY DAY with your dog until she learns that she is not to pay any attention to them. As I'm sure you already know, Aussies do have a high prey drive, and are high energy, herding dogs. Does she have a job to do? Do you take her out every day and work with her, or is she penned up for a good part of the day? Until you are comfortable that she is safe around the chickens, I would not let her out unsupervised if the chickens are out. Keep her kenneled or in the house while the chickens are out, or keep your chickens penned up while she's out. It's not going to be a quick fix, but with most dogs you can break this habit. There is an old wives' tale that "once a dog has tasted blood, it will continue to kill'. It's not the blood. The dog has discovered this really fun flappy, squawky, running chew toy. Did you notice that the birds were not eaten? I would guess that your dog did what most do - catch the bird, (it's a lot more fun than frisbee!) play with it until it's dead (aw, no fun anymore!) and then catch another one.

Good luck. I truly believe that you can do this. I see you're in 4H. Maybe you can get materials on training your dog and make her your project for next year.

 

[Angry Farmer]

I tried tying the dead chicken to my dogs neck and he just started eating it. My dream was free range but I just can't do it with these dogs (who are also free ranged). So I fenced a yard for the chickens and criss-crossed wire over the top so they can't hop out. It's working but the dream is dead. Face it, if the dogs and chickens are both out you'll never be able to relax again.

 

[bobbi-j]

I tried tying the dead chicken to my dogs neck and he just started eating it. My dream was free range but I just can't do it with these dogs (who are also free ranged). So I fenced a yard for the chickens and criss-crossed wire over the top so they can't hop out. It's working but the dream is dead. Face it, if the dogs and chickens are both out you'll never be able to relax again.

I have to respectfully disagree. Our last dog NEVER was a problem with the chickens. Ever. I could totally relax, knowing he was out there with them. He was a black lab, hunted ducks and pheasants and knew the difference between the birds he was to hunt, and the birds he was to protect. With proper training, MOST dogs can be chicken-proof. Of course there are some dogs that are not, but I believe that most can be trained. Even high prey dogs. How many dogs do you have? Multiple dogs can also get into a pack mentality and will go on killing sprees. Even dogs who are trained, when with other dogs may get into that pack mentality of chasing and killing. It sounds like you are making the best of your situation by separating dogs and chickens. Can you build a kennel for the dogs and let the chickens free range for part of the day while the dogs are locked up?

 

[Angry Farmer]

Yes, if my dogs never killed a chicken I'd be able to relax too. But those of us who've been through the nightmare will never fully trust the dogs around the chickens.