Raven Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 My lovely newfy pup has taken to chasing my chooks and if he catchs them starts plucking the feathers out He has been around them since arriving and this is a new behaviour for him. I have now locked the chooks up but I do want to start letting them roam again. Do you think it might have been because he was confined for a month after getting a tick or are we starting to go through the naughty teens??????? Thanks in advance Sharon and her wayward Newfy Digi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygwild Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 My lovely newfy pup has taken to chasing my chooks and if he catchs them starts plucking the feathers out ;) He has been around them since arriving and this is a new behaviour for him. I have now locked the chooks up but I do want to start letting them roam again. Do you think it might have been because he was confined for a month after getting a tick or are we starting to go through the naughty teens??????? Thanks in advance Sharon and her wayward Newfy Digi I'm not too sure how to stop him from chasing the chooks but my aunty found a way to stop her dog killing her chooks. She used to train her cattle dog by tying any chook he kills around it's neck for a week (yes until it stank rotten) and it seemed to work for her as he doesn't do it anymore. Sounds gross I know but if it saves the rest of the chooks it was worth it in her case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 The only safe way is to have sep areas. Your chooks can roam in a well fenced area & all live happily ever after Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygwild Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 The only safe way is to have sep areas.Your chooks can roam in a well fenced area & all live happily ever after I find the problem with that is you will still get the occasional chook that runs away or manages to escape. You can try the spray water bottle trick I guess and give him a spary to let him know he's not allowed to do it, but whatever you do you'll have to be firm and repeat it if he does it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I doubt water spraying will override prey drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceilidh Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I'm not too sure how to stop him from chasing the chooks but my aunty found a way to stop her dog killing her chooks. She used to train her cattle dog by tying any chook he kills around it's neck for a week (yes until it stank rotten) and it seemed to work for her as he doesn't do it anymore. Sounds gross I know but if it saves the rest of the chooks it was worth it in her case This sounds like the old 'rub their nose in it till they understand'. Sorry, I have way too much respect for my dogs to do anything like this. Please lock you chickens up when the dog is loose in the yard, far kinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavmad Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 A friend of mine has just bought six chooks. Her old cattle dog (who had a vestibular?) earlier on doesnt bother to chase them but when I took Stella and Cooper over, they thought it was a great game. When they had the chook cornered, they would just stand there and look at it. They had no idea what to do next. Needless to say it only happened once. I won't be able to take them over again unless she has them locked up. Chickens and dogs who like to chase them just dont mix unfortnately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) I used to own chickens and I always kept them separated from the dogs in a secure pen. If I let them out the dogs were locked up and vice versa. In my experience dogs and chickens don't mix and it's far easier just to keep them apart. I also agree with Ceilidh regarding tying dead chooks around a dog's neck. IMO that sort of thing is in the same category as rubbing noses in urine and poo, yanking heads off with check chains and alpha rolling, old school barbaric training methods that thankfully most educated dog owners no longer employ Edited January 6, 2009 by Miranda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 (edited) Thanks everyone for the advice. Yesterday I actually usd a Check Chain for the 1st time with Digi. We went down stairs and every time he would try and get to the Chook Enclosure I would give a quick tug with "No, sit". I continued for a good 10 mins and will do it every day. This morning a chook was out of the enclosure (they can escape) Digi ran down and went to chase , I quickly got the check chain rattled it over the balcony and this stopped him. Like I said this is a new behaviour that's only started this week, and I think with time he will start to behave as he did before around the chooks I'm not too sure how to stop him from chasing the chooks but my aunty found a way to stop her dog killing her chooks. She used to train her cattle dog by tying any chook he kills around it's neck for a week (yes until it stank rotten) and it seemed to work for her as he doesn't do it anymore. Sounds gross I know but if it saves the rest of the chooks it was worth it in her case I would never do this to any animal Edited January 7, 2009 by Raven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Like I said this is a new behaviour that's only started this week, and I think with time he will start to behave as he did before around the chooks Possibly. Personally I would never allow a dog to run with chooks unsupervised, if one of them startles and runs off flapping and squawking this could easily trigger prey drive in your dog and I doubt that rattling a chain will stop him. If I were you I'd fix the chook pen so that they can't escape and keep them apart, but of course it's entirely up to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken-f Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 (edited) I'm sure most people wouldn't want them unsupervised for that reason, but chickens often escape and roam. I know mine does all the time!! The flapping gets my dog excited, but she hasn't done anything (yet). I'm just lucky my dog doesn't attack them. They were both just sitting around relaxing (within 1m of each other. it was rather cute) Edited January 7, 2009 by Ken-f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Can I ask what is the meaning of Prey Driven? I get what you are saying Miranda but the chooks can squeeze through small openings, I'll have to go and check what I can do to keep them inside their part of the property. Ken, That's what Digi did before he was confined for a month. He never chased them and use to keep a watchful eye on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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