Great Pyrenees puppy we got killed a chicken. Is it a lost cause or how should we train her?

[Adolfus Nile]

Unsure if this is the right part of the forum to post in but the title almost says it all. One thing to mention is that we had the dog for about a week and kept her inside with us mostly and then week 2 she went over a whole week spending the daytime while we're at work with the chickens. No problems until today she ate one. No real issues that i saw with the dog and the chickens and ducks before this besides she chased them a few times but didnt seem to be actually going after them.

 

[ShrekDawg]

How old is she? Puppies should not be left alone with the livestock yet. They’re not trustworthy enough. And even many adult LGDs have issues with poultry. They are FUN for them. They run and flap and squawk like squeaky toys. Sounds like she was just being a normal puppy and playing to me. It’s not a lost cause but I would NOT leave her alone with them any more until she is fully trained and can be trusted. I’m not 100% sure on the training part, I’ll leave that to others, but yeah. Good luck.

 

[Adolfus Nile]

How old is she? Puppies should not be left alone with the livestock yet. They’re not trustworthy enough. And even many adult LGDs have issues with poultry. They are FUN for them. They run and flap and squawk like squeaky toys. Sounds like she was just being a normal puppy and playing to me. It’s not a lost cause but I would NOT leave her alone with them any more until she is fully trained and can be trusted. I’m not 100% sure on the training part, I’ll leave that to others, but yeah. Good luck.

Shes only 3 months old. In retrospect it was definitely too early to allow her to run with them...she just seemed so well behaved.

 

[fluffycrow]

From where did you get her? Even the best bred LGDs aren't guaranteed to work with fowl. She was well behaved because well...genes. But a bird is very enticing. Training is key to a successful chicken LGD

 

[ShrekDawg]

Shes only 3 months old. In retrospect it was definitely too early to allow her to run with them...she just seemed so well behaved.

Yeah definitely way too young. But everybody makes mistakes so try not to beat yourself up over it.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Unsure if this is the right part of the forum to post in but the title almost says it all. One thing to mention is that we had the dog for about a week and kept her inside with us mostly and then week 2 she went over a whole week spending the daytime while we're at work with the chickens. No problems until today she ate one. No real issues that i saw with the dog and the chickens and ducks before this besides she chased them a few times but didnt seem to be actually going after them.

I have a Great Pyrenees - Husky mix. She killed at least 2 young pullets when she was about a year old. When dogs are young, they play... Everything is literally a potential toy. After losing those birds, I assumed she was no longer safe around any of my birds so I stopped trusting her around them. Then one day when she was about 2 years old, I had several pullets fly over the fence into the backyard where she was at... She completely ignored it. She just lazily watched them walk around the yard. She DOES get very overprotective of them... If she is outside and a hawk flies over, she will bark and go after it. This is a natural instinct for her. I didn't teach her this... So don't assume all is lost because she has simply acted like a puppy

 

[Adolfus Nile]

From where did you get her? Even the best bred LGDs aren't guaranteed to work with fowl. She was well behaved because well...genes. But a bird is very enticing. Training is key to a successful chicken LGD

We bought her from someone local that had a pair of pyrenees that produced a litter. Both of their dogs dont eat their birds. But we sent a sample in to get the genetics of the dog to see the purity. I think i can dedicate the time to training her

 

[Adolfus Nile]

I have a Great Pyrenees - Husky mix. She killed at least 2 young pullets when she was about a year old. When dogs are young, they play... Everything is literally a potential toy. After losing those birds, I assumed she was no longer safe around any of my birds so I stopped trusting her around them. Then one day when she was about 2 years old, I had several pullets fly over the fence into the backyard where she was at... She completely ignored it. She just lazily watched them walk around the yard. She DOES get very overprotective of them... If she is outside and a hawk flies over, she will bark and go after it. This is a natural instinct for her. I didn't teach her this... So don't assume all is lost because she has simply acted like a puppy

This is reassuring. I'll invest in some better toys and for the time being not allow her around the birds without watching her.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

So sorry you had to experience this, Adolphus. Same experience here, but I can't tell hubby nothing. What he and me call "training" are two different things.

I hope you work it all out. I love that breed though. As stated, not the GP's fault, they are big ole gentle giants playing around.

 

[TJAnonymous]

This is reassuring. I'll invest in some better toys and for the time being not allow her around the birds without watching her.

I think part of it too is your dog understanding expectations (in time) from you. My fenced backyard for my dogs backs up to my chicken & duck pens. So my dogs are around them (look but don't touch) every single day. If a critter (coyote, fox, coon, etc) shows up sniffing around my chicken pens, I let the dogs into the backyard with a firm "GET 'EM." Now, my dogs can't ACTUALLY get anything because they are confined to the backyard but a critter doesn't know that... It's enough of a deterrent and it works. When these events happen, my dog gets excited because she knows SOMETHING is going on. When she sees us chasing off the critter, she comes to understand that they aren't supposed to be there. She has learned over time to equate "GET 'EM" with "look for the invading critter." Now she barks and chases anything that comes around the pens, including hawks, stray cats, dogs, even squirrels. She knows and sees the chickens & ducks as "protected property."