baymule
Sustainability Master
@milkmansdaughter asked what I did to retrain my Great Pyrenees to stop killing chickens. It was not an over night thing. It took two years. Paris was free. She was left alone on 3 acres all day with free range chickens while her owners were away at work. They came home to dead, slobbered, chickens. I don't know what they did to her, but they must have punished her terribly. When she thought I wasn't looking, she charged the coop, snarling at the chickens. Whatever her former owners did to her, she blamed the chickens. She hated them.
This is her thread on BYH.
https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...heep-goats-or-chase-bears-hawk-post-26.23771/
Paris patrolled her yard, we lived in town on a city lot at that time. She kept all the boogers away, such as falling acorns, people who dared to walk down the street, people across the street at the tire store, the neighbors who walked around in their own yard, falling acorns, neighborhood dogs, cats, did I mention falling acorns?
By the location of the chicken coop, the chickens were protected because they were in HER yard. Even though we lived in town, there were possums and raccoons and Paris made sure they stayed away. Gradually she stopped charging the coop. She slowly became more accepting of the hens. I tried several times to take her in the coop with me, but she was scared and wanted out.
I got some chicks and when they were old enough to go outside, I put them in the run with a shelter. I would sit in the doorway watching the chicks. Paris came to me for attention and I praised her. Over the weeks, she learned that chick crumbles were delicious. I let her eat all she wanted-she utterly ignored the chicks. Slowly she learned that the chicks were MINE and that she should not hurt them. Every day she and I sat in the run with the chicks while she ate the feed. I had a crippled rooster in the batch that was easy to catch. So, making him the sacrificial chicken, I let him loose in the yard for a short time while I was in the yard with Paris. She sniffed him all over but did not hurt him. I praised her, petted her and let her know I was pleased.
It took so long to teach her not to hate the chickens because she was so screwed up when I got her. I never hit her. I spoke kindly to her, lots of baby talk, lots of love and attention. When she did wrong, I scolded and it pierced her like an arrow. It took time to get to that point. It took time for her to trust us, it took time for her to love us and it took time for a disapproving tone of voice to crush her.
I let the crippled rooster out during the day when I could be outside with her. Then I let him out and went inside, but watched through the window. I left him out for longer and longer periods of time. Finally the day came when my husband and I sat outside and let the hens out of the coop. Paris and our other dog Parker, ran and played all over the yard and never even tried to chase the chickens. Victory!
For a long time, I only let the chickens out when we were home, but finally left the house, leaving them out. Paris took care of them. Paris became a fine chicken guard.
She had killed chickens because she was left unsupervised with the ultimate squeaky toys running around. She was raised wrong, she was punished wrong, she was taught wrong. These dogs may start out perfect as puppies, but many hit 9-12 months, their "teenager" part of their life and just like their human counterpart, they get an attack of stupid. They need correction, guidance, supervised time and teaching. They do not need a beating. They sure don't need a dead chicken tied around their neck.
We moved 3 years ago to 8 acres and we got sheep. Paris had never seen sheep and only wanted to attack them. We started all over..... LOL
This is a thread for anyone who has or had a chicken killing dog to talk about how to retrain or tell us what they did to retrain their dog.
This is her thread on BYH.
https://www.backyardherds.com/threa...heep-goats-or-chase-bears-hawk-post-26.23771/
Paris patrolled her yard, we lived in town on a city lot at that time. She kept all the boogers away, such as falling acorns, people who dared to walk down the street, people across the street at the tire store, the neighbors who walked around in their own yard, falling acorns, neighborhood dogs, cats, did I mention falling acorns?
By the location of the chicken coop, the chickens were protected because they were in HER yard. Even though we lived in town, there were possums and raccoons and Paris made sure they stayed away. Gradually she stopped charging the coop. She slowly became more accepting of the hens. I tried several times to take her in the coop with me, but she was scared and wanted out.
I got some chicks and when they were old enough to go outside, I put them in the run with a shelter. I would sit in the doorway watching the chicks. Paris came to me for attention and I praised her. Over the weeks, she learned that chick crumbles were delicious. I let her eat all she wanted-she utterly ignored the chicks. Slowly she learned that the chicks were MINE and that she should not hurt them. Every day she and I sat in the run with the chicks while she ate the feed. I had a crippled rooster in the batch that was easy to catch. So, making him the sacrificial chicken, I let him loose in the yard for a short time while I was in the yard with Paris. She sniffed him all over but did not hurt him. I praised her, petted her and let her know I was pleased.
It took so long to teach her not to hate the chickens because she was so screwed up when I got her. I never hit her. I spoke kindly to her, lots of baby talk, lots of love and attention. When she did wrong, I scolded and it pierced her like an arrow. It took time to get to that point. It took time for her to trust us, it took time for her to love us and it took time for a disapproving tone of voice to crush her.
I let the crippled rooster out during the day when I could be outside with her. Then I let him out and went inside, but watched through the window. I left him out for longer and longer periods of time. Finally the day came when my husband and I sat outside and let the hens out of the coop. Paris and our other dog Parker, ran and played all over the yard and never even tried to chase the chickens. Victory!
For a long time, I only let the chickens out when we were home, but finally left the house, leaving them out. Paris took care of them. Paris became a fine chicken guard.
She had killed chickens because she was left unsupervised with the ultimate squeaky toys running around. She was raised wrong, she was punished wrong, she was taught wrong. These dogs may start out perfect as puppies, but many hit 9-12 months, their "teenager" part of their life and just like their human counterpart, they get an attack of stupid. They need correction, guidance, supervised time and teaching. They do not need a beating. They sure don't need a dead chicken tied around their neck.
We moved 3 years ago to 8 acres and we got sheep. Paris had never seen sheep and only wanted to attack them. We started all over..... LOL
This is a thread for anyone who has or had a chicken killing dog to talk about how to retrain or tell us what they did to retrain their dog.