attacking farm animals

[mandmrabbitry]

Hi, I have a 4 month old that will not behave himself. he has been around the goats, chickens, and ducks since he was 6 weeks old. However, he will not stop attacking the ducks. We have tried every correction method possible, as well as hired a personal trainer. Its been a week since he attacked a duck (that i know of) and i thought he was getting better. Today, i left him alone for 5 minutes, by the time i came back out the door he had chewed the a duck almost to death. How can i teach him that he is to protect the animals, not kill them?

[Firstgenhillbilly]

Every dog is different. I think you need to increase the level of discipline. I use an old chocker chain and throw it at my dogs legs. It'll wrap around her legs and really scares her. Some people use a can full of rocks. You throw the can at the GROUND not at the dog. And it makes a loud noise a deters them.

The farmer I bought my dog from, ownes another dog that will listen to nothing less than a shock from his collar. Assume the alpha male role and take control of your dog. And your problems will go away.


It's also a young age to leave him with the stock. If his still to 'Playfull" at that aged. I'd pen him back up next to some goats. And put a few ducks in a pen close to that. And the dog will take the ducks into his "family"



my dog had a problem with chickens. She'd kill them on sight. Finally I caught her killing one. I pinned her to the ground. Growled a loud NOOOOOOOOOO! And tied one of the chicken legs to her collar. I let it rot there for a fews weeks. Gross? yes very. But the smell of chicken gets her so upset now. She won't go near them. Been six months and she gets along with the chickens now just fine.

[risestar]

Pyrs typically don't do all that well with birds and fowl, likely because it was part of their job description to kill and protect its flock from predatory birds and scavengers such as magpies.

You might be able to fix the problem with some work, but most people fence off the birds from the area the pyr has access to to eliminate it.

[Firstgenhillbilly]

Mine runs free range with several guineas, chickens, and pea****s. Never had a problem except when the chickens would get in her food. One pecked at her food and she bite it's head off. I punished her, now there is no problem. She does run all the wild turkeys out of my yard. How she tells the difference is beyond me.

IMO I believe the dog is not sure who is in charge. So she knows she's not supposed to attack the ducks. But she does anyway. Can the ducks get in her food? Or near her "private spot"? I keep a pen that only my dog can get in and out of. This is where I feed her and keep a dog house for her.

A LGD should guard and protect anything it's raised with. Be it sheep or ducks or cows. Anything the dog bonds with it should protect. Or it should at least let it remain "safely" in her territory.

[DPW]

As a young pup our Pyr ignored the chickens. I watched him around them for the first couple of months and he showed no interest toward the chickens at all. I thought "what a good dog." When he reached about 7 1/2 months he started chasing and chewed up a couple. That was about three weeks ago and I'm still trying to correct the habit.
Of course he completely ignores the chickens when I'm around. I believe we're making progress but it seems that sometimes he just can't help it. Poultry is simply a hard animal for dogs to ignore.
When I catch him I take him down by the scruff of the neck and growl. I hold him down for a couple of minutes then march him into his pen where he is locked up and ignored for a few hours. He hates being ignored.
The throwing of a noise maker at the feet has worked for me in the past when he started to chase the goats. But I never seem to have anything handy when I catch him going after a chicken. I may have to put a few things at different locations.
Only thing you can do is keep working at it. Don't give up.
Hillbilly, Blue Eye is just southwest of Branson on the Arkansas border on the way to Berryville. Loved the area. Hated the ticks and chiggers.

[Firstgenhillbilly]

As a young pup our Pyr ignored the chickens. I watched him around them for the first couple of months and he showed no interest toward the chickens at all. I thought "what a good dog." When he reached about 7 1/2 months he started chasing and chewed up a couple. That was about three weeks ago and I'm still trying to correct the habit.
Of course he completely ignores the chickens when I'm around. I believe we're making progress but it seems that sometimes he just can't help it. Poultry is simply a hard animal for dogs to ignore.
When I catch him I take him down by the scruff of the neck and growl. I hold him down for a couple of minutes then march him into his pen where he is locked up and ignored for a few hours. He hates being ignored.
The throwing of a noise maker at the feet has worked for me in the past when he started to chase the goats. But I never seem to have anything handy when I catch him going after a chicken. I may have to put a few things at different locations.
Only thing you can do is keep working at it. Don't give up.
Hillbilly, Blue Eye is just southwest of Branson on the Arkansas border on the way to Berryville. Loved the area. Hated the ticks and chiggers.




I hate ticks too. Thats why I raised up a guinea army. That and I burn my place off every winter. Now I can walk all over my ten acres in sandles and not get a single tick. I still get a chigger bite every once in awile.