Guest Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Does anyone else have a problem with their dogs and chickens not getting along? I have three dogs, two of which just want to chase the chickens and I suspect if given the chance make a meal of them. I have to make sure they are in seperate parts of the garden with the gate shut if the chickens are out of the run. I've tried introducing them with me holding the chickens, so they can have a sniff etc, but nothing seems to work. Any ideas? Hi Angie - sorry, but I felt this subject needed to be in the Chickens section and have moved it there. The Eglu section is for topics that concern the Eglu. Anyone replying to it, will do so in the Chickens section instead. Hope I haven't caused offence - Kate (moderator) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parmaviolet Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 We don't have a dog at the moment, but do have lots of dog experience having grown up with them. (I'm sure someone with dogs and hens will be along soon) Hens are a lot more resilient and able to cope than their size suggests, but in the first instance it might be worth using the sort of tactics used when introducing a baby into the family. Make a lot of fuss of your dogs, get their favourite treats( bonio, sausages, whatever is their fave) go into the garden with the dogs on leads, keep praising them all the time, feed them their treats. Let the hens wander round the garden. One of the reasons that it may not have worked before is that with you holding the chickens, you appear to be giving them the top status/extra attention that your dogs think is theirs by rights. I think if you do this every day for a week, giving all of your attention to the dogs and none to the hens, the dogs will realise that their status is not diminished and that the hens pose no threat. Of course, some dogs never get used to hens and you might have to come to terms with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Are they either large dogs or of the terrier variety if small? If so you may have to continue to referee when both dogs and hens are out together. Some dogs do have an instinct to hunt and unfortunately you might have to accept that. Have you tried looking at dog behaviour books? It might be possible to use some sort of aversion therapy which with persistance might prove a reliable long term solution. I know someone who posts on this forum keeps a rare breed of dog and sounds quite into dogs so hopefully if she reads your query she might have some suggestions. From the hen point of view, if a fox can kill a full grown hen then sadly a dog could as well - what you are doing at the moment with keeping them separate sounds sensible. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo M Posted November 29, 2004 Share Posted November 29, 2004 The tricky bit for you I think is the fact that you have 3 dogs. Anything over 2 and they already have a pack and that pack mentality will take over - it's not their fault, it's just what happens so you have to try to break that. Even so I don't think I'd leave 3 dogs unattended with the chickens, even if you manage to get some kind of reluctant ceasefire when you're around I wouldn't trust the dogs not to let instinct get the better of them. I only have 1 dog and she's very used to other animals but even so, she gets the better of herself every know and again and chases the chickens. Try to keep their territories clearly defined for a while and I would disagree with the advice about feeding your dogs around the chickens - even if it is a treat they may start to recognise the smell of chickens with food and you don't want that. Start introducing them with the chickens in the run once the chickens are settled, bring the dogs to them, ask the dogs to sit and keep them still as long as you can and let them get introduced. Then take the dogs away again. Give them the treat when you are back away from the chicken and they have followed your command. Remember not to tell them off if they can't sit still by the chickens, just turn round and take them back away again. Keep doing that calmly and with minimum fuss for as long as it takes. I'm sure you recognise your dogs' moods so if they don't relax and seem to be used to the chickens don't take the chance that they are friends yet. Once they can sit the other side of the run without jumping and scratching at the run, then you can do the same on the lead with the chickens out, working up slowly to having them off the lead around the chickens. But like I say, with three of them I wouldn't ever leave them unsupervised. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicki Posted November 29, 2004 Share Posted November 29, 2004 I have 2 hounds and have more or less given up on the idea of having both out together. Hounds live for food and both spend lots of time round the run trying to hoover up any thrown out food or even reach it from inside with their tongues. I think the old beagle would not be too difficult but the otterhound is obsessed. I have seen her growl at the beagle to keep away from 'my' hens. She is large and I think one grab would see off a hen. Gladys and Beryl are completely unfazed by them now and I hope they will dish out a few pecks which would really help but its a different matter outside. If the hens run the dog will probably chase. I let the hens out for an hour or two before bedtime and keep the dogs shut in the yard as I am too much of a coward to find out what would really happen. Also in January I am likely to get another otterhound - not a puppy so the problem may get worse. Still the girls seem happy enough in the run with lots of greens and look very fit and healthy. Nicki (stumped) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 We have a Staffy. She is very interested in our girls but although we would never leave her alone with them we think we will get her to accept them. Last year we had a kitten which Lilly would of eaten with pleasure at first. We used to have bonding sessions every day. We allowed the cat to run free while Lilly was musseled. After time Lilly became bored with the cat and accepted he was here to stay.Then we allowed her off the lead and soon the were playing. Now they sleep together in the same bed. But god help another cat in the garden. We have now started the same trick with the chicks. Lilly sits watching with her lead and mussel on while the girls wonder around her, sometimes so near their feathers ge up her nose. Lots of praise and patting helps to calm her down. Soon we will let her off the lead, but still musseled. Lilly is allowed to sit by the chickhen run (we have connected the omlet run to our old dog pen with a top on it, which the girls can get their heads and necks out through the bars) where lilly allows the girls to peck food outside the pen. I have to say three dogs will be differcult so I would bond them apart at first. but I think time would dictate how much you could achive. But I think when you allow all three back together you would be back to square one. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Well I'm afraid it gets worse. we have an otherwise well behaved black labrador who always seemed too interested in the chickens. We got to the stage when we could be in the garden with 3 chickens and the dog out but didn't feel safe leaving them unsupervised. Sadly I was getting ready for a busy day up in London with the kids to get to breakfast club and onto the train by 8 having put more food out for chickens and got the eggs. you can spot the excuses because I forgot to put the eggport lid back on. The kids came home from school to find the dog with achicken in her mouth and chasing another. Bottom line was that we had one chicken less and some traumatised kids and chilminder! We didn't feel safe to leave them together and we were right. I still havbe hope to get them to live in harmony in the future but don't suppose I will ever dare. we now have a replacement for Mandy- Milly Molly and life goes on- don't leave your dog if you aren't absolutely sure!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mEGGan Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 We too have a year old black lab who will wander around aimlessly without looking like he wants to give chase but if one of the girls flutters a bit quickly it's like something goes off inside him that he can't help and he runs at them. He gives up quickly when I shout and creeps back wagging his tail apologetically! I would feel awful if he did get one because it's the dog's instinct to chase I guess so I can really imagine how you are feeling Shelagh. We have been putting him on a long line in the garden and stopping him in his tracks with a firm no which has definitely helped as he hates being told off. But 3 dogs might be a bit trickier although I have a friend who uses an electric collar on her 2 dogs to stop them chasing the cat which has really helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted December 4, 2004 Share Posted December 4, 2004 Hi We have a wire haired fox terrier. The chickens think she is great and don't seem the slightest bit worried baout her. She ignores the chickens if they are out of their run. she does however prowl round the run if they are shut in. If you look in the gallery, the album called NHS, you will see Georgina and the dog studiously ignoring each other! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 (edited) I've just been reading through old postings in the forum and have come across a couple of postings by Val on the subject of dogs and chickens. She seems to have the same luck as Richard in that her dogs get on really well with her girls - Chickens and other animals and Chickens, not so dumb. I think that a lot of the topics at the back of the forum get overlooked and sometimes it's worth doing a search for keywords to see if anyone has posted anything previously which might be of interest . I agree with the other postings though - always be vigilant. You can never be sure what an animal is going to do. Edited February 28, 2005 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickengeorge Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 i look after the neigbours dog and it almost lives at my house but although it has only been one day after a peck on the nose she seems scared of the chickens and they are now easy with the dog being around and are not bothered about her being there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imogen Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 I've got an 8 year old English Springer Spaniel, and being a Springer, she certainly doesn't act her age (her head got stuck in a kitchen chair yesterday - honestly! ). She's a gentle dog but she does snap if she feels threatens and she hates strangers (ever since our house was burgled when she was a puppy, and she tried to fend them off by herself) and anything abnormal so she does bark sometimes. At the arrival of the chickens, we took her out on a lead to see them in the run and she pretended she couldn't see them at all at first, but by the second day, she realised they were there to stay and so she grudgingly accepted them into the family. She's a great fan of eggs (though luckily, she's never got hold of one before I have) and she often pokes her head through the eggport when I try to collect the eggs. We havn't had any trouble with her and the chickens - in fact, during the first week, she kept giving them balls and leaving toys around their run, until she realised that chickens don't play the same games as dogs do! She does, however, try to put the wind up their tails so to speak, and does have a good sniff of them, but generally ignores them when she's in the garden (though when they escaped into the house she looked extremely disgruntled!) and has thankfully never barked. I think the chickens are probably more threatening to Holly (the dog) than Holly is to them, because when she's eating a biscuit outside and the chickens innocently run round the corner to see what she's got, she sometimes looses her nerve and drops the biscuit and then creeps around the chickens (because she's a bit of a wuss) so we have to make sure they don't bully her. She did snap at Florence once when Flo tried to snaffle some of her doggy kibble, which is understandable, but we told the dog off, and Florence didn't seem in the least bit frightened or worried. I think we've been lucky with our chicken-dog relationship, but I do believe that you really have to take it very slowly when introducing the dog to the chickens because they are not natural friends and chickens seem so intriguing to dogs. I can safely say that if Holly wasn't such a gentle wuss and a baby then the chickens would have sunstained some serious injuries. Ooo sorry for such a long post!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Hi My girls cornered the dog today and scared her considerably. Our 10 year old wire haired fox terrior was sniffing around the base of the drainpipe (where we sometimes have rats coming into the garden) and Doris decided to go for her. head down, iwngs out charge! Georgina was backing her up a couple of feet behind. The poor old dog didn't know what to do - she just stood there in the corner and looked worried. Doris pulled up about three feet from the dog and just stood there, eyeing her up. I shooed the girls away and rescued the dog; I have to admit that my concern has always been that the dog would damage the hens. I hadn't considered that it might be the other way round ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhona Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Hi I also have three dogs and have only had Sage and Onion for 12 days, they are inquisitive and are going up to the fence in the area they are but the whining to get near them has ceased, I try not to pet the hens whilst the dogs are in the garden so they don't lose face so to speak, and make sure they get plenty of fuss when they are good and basically ignoring the hens. Plenty of treats and love has so far worked for me. I am certain though that eventually the novelty will wear off with the dogs and they may live in harmony(but certainly not without me in the garden so I can hollar if any including hens misbehave) good luck and hope it settles soon for you Rhona Sage Onion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 very pleased to see this thread today, lots of good info and tricks to try... our youngest lab is VERY interested in the girls. he has scratched the grass under the eglu so he can fit his nose in to sniff them! He is quite nervous of them I think but he has been around the hen house since we put it in. he keeps growling at the girls... although he definately knows he's done wrong we had said tonight we need to treat the hens the same wayas we treated him when he arrived. LOTS of attention for him and none for the girls.... at least not while he's looking! I am a little worred that the girls will get mega stressed though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisonf Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Hello, Was very interested to see this discussion as we are thinking of getting a couple of puppies in early summer but were wondering how they would react to the chickens. We are hoping that if chickens are there first then the dogs would not feel threatened and they all could become friends (over-hopeful?!). However, our preferred choice of breed is the beagle and I am not sure if they could overcome their natural urge... Has anyone introduced puppies to their established chickens? Alison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickengeorge Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 my neighbours dog has taken a likeing to eatin chicken poo! any ideas to stop its discusting habit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 This type of behaviour is called coprophagia and no one knows why they do it. My brother's Labrador did it for a while but we found some tablets at the pet shop which did seemed to stop it . Sorry I can't remember what they were called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 What about chickens eating dog poo? I still haven't got my chickens yet and don't have a dog either so it's not a problem I face but I used to live next door to a farm and their chickens often used to wander around the farmyard having a little peck at the sheepdogs' poos. When I do get my chickens should I be prepared to see them eating my cats' poos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 Red I have got a cat and I have never seen the chickens eating cat poo...........Yukkkkkkk ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parmaviolet Posted March 27, 2005 Share Posted March 27, 2005 Alisonf, I grew up always having two or more dogs around & really missed them after leaving home. Os and I love Beagles and used to dog sit a friends beagle 3/4 times a year. They are a fantasic breed and we've been on the verge of going for it for the last two years but because we wanted to get a bit of travelling done we rightly put it off. At present, we make do with a mad Springer who is our god-dog (like a god son, only canine ) who we dog sit for a lot, but not since the girls arrived. Funny, now we have June and Audrey the lure of overseas travel has worn off a bit (before we got them, we had been planning a two month trip to Cambodia and Vietnam ) even if we could get someone to look after the girls, I wouldn't want to leave them Perhaps getting our own Beagle is a closer to reality now! Thank god for chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Hello! I too had a problem with my dogs and chickens. Two of the dogs were fine, the third, (an extremely naughty small black Pug!) kept on chasing them - not trying to hurt them, just thought it was brilliant fun! My friend lent me a dog training collar called a Master Plus - it was brilliant. Basically it is a little black box that you fill with citronella (which is completely harmless but has a very strong smell) which fits on the dog's collar and a remote control that you hide in your pocket. When the dog is being naughty you press the remote control and the box squirts a blast of citronella under the dogs chin. I only used it a couple of times and he was instantly cured. It got the point that I didn't even have to put it on him, I just held it up and showed him or made a hissing noise like the collar and he stopped dead in his tracks! That was about 4 weeks ago and he hasn't chased them since. I would really recommend this collar, but they are terribly expensive but I know some vets rent them out so its worth asking. Good luck! Olivia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 30, 2005 Share Posted March 30, 2005 oh now I like the sound of that collar! Other ones that have been suggested have been electric ones - like the ones to stop them barking.... didn't like the idea of zapping my pup I don't mind the idea of poofing him tho!! I've been away for a few days and Pete says Jasper is getting better so we will see... only time will tell and all that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickengeorge Posted April 1, 2005 Share Posted April 1, 2005 my chickenas havent eaten dog as far as i know, but.. the thought of it is discusting!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted April 5, 2005 Share Posted April 5, 2005 right, this darn dog is driving me BATTY!!!! he is a little devil. We are trying to introduce him slowly and on his lead etc and he looks all sweet and kind, wagging his tail and sniffing the girls.... then devil!!! he just opens his mouth and SNAPS!!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr @ him he is fine now when the girls are in their green run but in their big run, he jumps over (amazing how high a dog can jump if he puts his mind to it!) and in he goes! snap snap snap the girls don't seem too bothed by him (apart from the biting them bit) for the main part. I am seriously considering spending the (!!) £135 for this squirty collar. Tonight.... I head woofing from the garden after the girls were safely tucked up and went out to find out whta the crazy hounds were up to and there is Jasper, the youngest dog, stuck in the run! he's jumped in but he can't get back out. *not imressed* the other dog on the other hand is an angel. he's been fab and the girls are very relaxed around him. his party piece is to march right into the green run with the girls! they don't seem in the slightest bit bothered and he stands there waggling his tail and looking very pleased with his new trick! the youngest one though.... *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
