Savingdogs-Saving the chickens

[calendula]

Sorry about your roo SD.

 

[Farmfresh]

Sometimes things like that just get you so off guard. You start out a calm happy morning and then BAM some crappy thing happens and so much for happy morning.

Don't feel bad about not processing the bird either. I have been known to bury one from time to time for the same reasons and everyone around me thinks I am a heartless carnivore!

About the dog I also have sympathy. We had a AKC Siberian Husky for years and Sasha had MAJOR prey drive. Nothing was safe. I still loved that dog, but she was so much extra work for us because of that drive.

 

[savingdogs]

She knows she is in the "dog house". I just feel so stupid. I should have known she would take advantage of the dark. She has been "good" out there with the chickens when I am standing there watching. But she knew I could not see her. I did not think about one of the chickens being outside when the sun wasn't up yet. Poor Scratch was out early guarding his hens. He was such a gorgeous chicken is what makes me really mad. And that I let her get a fourth one to kill makes me really upset at myself. I just hate going out on that slippery path when it is wet and muddy to walk the stupid dog on a leash and I was lazy.

 

[moolie]

 

[Icu4dzs]

When she had the chicken in her mouth, you should have given her a swat she won't forget. Once they don't have the evidence, they won't know why you swatted them. If you rub the dead chicken in her face and swat her, she will definitely get the idea.
She is only doing what she does by instinct but you can TRAIN her not to do it.
I'm sorry for the loss of your roo.
PRIORIY: ROUTINE

//BT//
Trim sends

 

[savingdogs]

When she had the chicken in her mouth, you should have given her a swat she won't forget. Once they don't have the evidence, they won't know why you swatted them. If you rub the dead chicken in her face and swat her, she will definitely get the idea.
She is only doing what she does by instinct but you can TRAIN her not to do it.
I'm sorry for the loss of your roo.
PRIORIY: ROUTINE

//BT//
Trim sends

I did all those things. She knows. I actually smacked her WITH the chicken too. And I don't usually hit dogs, she knows she committed a Grave Error, I reserve corporal punishment for only the very baaaaad and Bandit has only been smacked by me once before in her life (with us). I have been working with this dog on this for three years however, karelian bear dogs have a very strong independent streak and strong prey drive. Last time she killed a chicken I thought I "cured" her, even though I didn't trust her. This is the first time I caught her in the act of killing, Scratch died as I was taking him away from her.

But apparently I trusted her too much, even so. Actually I didn't think any of my chickens walked around outside in the dark, I just had not seen them doing that before. I need to start locking them in if they are going to do that.

 

[Windyhillfarms]

I have dobermans and their prey drives are insane. This may sound harsh, but this is how I cured them of that issue. Take dead chicken and put on a rubber mat. Wrap said carcass in an electric fence. Leave out where dog can get to it. Dog picks it up, gets shocked ... has never looked at a chicken again, in fact, she makes a HUGE wide circle around them. The male dobie actually picked up the carcass twice before he got the message and I have had no problems since ...

 

[Britesea]

doesn't sound harsh at all. The shock is painful, but not damaging, and some dogs will need more than one lesson. My friend was in the kitchen and she heard her Lab make a yip... then another... and finally at the third yip she went to investigate. Apparently her pet hedgehog had gotten loose, and the lab had tried to pick it up not once, not twice, but three times-- each time getting stuck hard enough to make him yelp. Dumb as a box of rocks I sez....

 

[savingdogs]

I would have put that chicken in an electric sac this morning had I owned something like that. I'm not opposed to aversion training one bit.

 

[Windyhillfarms]

I prefer to let my animals basically teach themselves, that way the lesson holds whether I'm around or not. My horses, if possible, I set it up so they learn themselves. If not, they learn they have a choice. Do what mommy wants or she's going to make me do <fill in blank>. The dobies I have learned are so very sensitive. Generally, if I just ignore them it makes them want to just crawl in a hole until I'm happy with them again. However, anything with prey drive and the control of that generally has to be taught with them teaching themselves. They are all fully "attack" trained for lack of a better term. I have an "off" button for them, which I need since they are just aggressive, plain and simple, and if I didn't have them, they would have been euthanized. But when they get their eye on something and that prey drive kicks in, especially if they are in their "pack" not a whole lot stops them.

One idea might be if you process your chickens, perhaps aversion training through that? The left overs?