Jewels Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 Another problem for me today, Actually it has been going on for quite a while but it cannot go on any longer. I have had my two chickens since August last year. I use to have two cocker spaniels, my darling boy cocker spaniel Alfie died last November but he was absolutely fine with the chickens and just ignored them, however my 6 year old FEMALE cocker spaniel Ella hates them. She will NOT go in the garden when they are about, she will only go in the garden first thing in the morning before I let them out of coop and she cannot see them or last thing at night when they shut away and she cannot see them. I think the chickens have scared her because a couple of times they have rushed up to her when she has gone out to "do her business" but they have not been horrible to her just interested in what she up to but now she scared of them. I have tried to take her on her lead into the garden lots of times with them and she gets very distressed and she just wants to go back in the house. Has anyone had this problem with a dog being scared of their chickens. I feel bad cos Ella use to be such an outdoor dog and summer will be awful for her if she cannot come into the garden. thanks again for any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherryblossom Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 We have had our two chickens for just over a month. For the first two weeks our dog would be very keen to get out to see them, and then would follow them around with her head up their bottoms. She started getting more anoyed with them when they she was eating watermelon and they came up and joined in eating it lol. And then a couple of weeks ago I heared a very odd chicken noise and the dog came running to the back door looking very sheepish. I assume they got fed up with a nose up their bottoms and pecked her. She now avoids coming out unless both hubbie and me are out and she will try to climb right up on our sholders if the chickens come close when we are sitting down. She yelped the other day when the chicken came near her, but it hadn't touched her! It anoys me that she is such a wimp, and I do tend to force her out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 could you try maybe letting them out one at a time? Or getting her into the garden first, playing with her a lot, her favourite game, maybe some treats then getting someone els to very quietly let them out and keep them down the other end of the garden with treats for them? That way maybe she can get used to them being out without them bothering her endlessly. Failing that you'll maybe have to limit their free range time so she can have the garden to hersrlf sometimes. Good luck, BeckyBoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 is there any way you can seperate your garden maybe with some omlet netting or a small fence/barrier? That way come the summer your doggy gets her own half and the hens get theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewels Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 Thanks, think we will have to fence an area off for the chickens with chicken fencing and then boarder that area with some bamboo-type fencing as well so she will not be able to see them and then she will come out into the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
