Author Topic: should we get a dog? (Read 6816 times)

jward · « **Reply #15 on:** May 30, 2015, 09:37:07 pm »

Re hens - mine are that tame that they will sit down and let my dog sniff them. He's nuzzles them all over and then goes on his way. He has such a mothering instinct that he sneaks into the pen when I'm with a farrowing sow and even starts licking the piglets dry.

My local farmers two working dogs are always pottering around the farm with the hens, geese, and quail that he has without any bother too.

Surely if a dog is brought up and taught that it doesn't chase them from the start then it won't get into that habit from day one and become set in it's ways thinking that it's perfectly acceptable. Personally, I'd expect any working farm dog I have to be completely safe around all animals.

Kimbo · « **Reply #16 on:** May 31, 2015, 09:26:47 am »

Quote from: landroverroy on May 30, 2015, 08:19:09 pm

Quote from: Kimbo on May 30, 2015, 05:14:33 pm
I cant agree re hens.
Our local farmer friend comes to our house most days with his very quiet and obedient working border collie. But despite all efforts to date (over the last 6 months) she relentlessly chases our hens and almost killed one a couple of weeks ago. They make her see the red mist. We now have to put the hens away when she comes or keep the dog by our sides.

Kimbo - I rather think the problem there is the dog's owner! He obviously has not got his dog under control, and it's difficult for you to shout at, squirt with water or otherwise discipline someone else's dog. To allow a dog to carry on doing something "despite all efforts" is actually teaching the dog that it can do exactly as it likes! Surely, if it were your dog, you would not allow it chase your hens as and when it wanted, while you pointlessly shouted at it? And if someone else brought their dog to my place and it uncontrollably chased my animals, I would insist that next time it either stayed in the vehicle or was put on a lead.

Thank you for your advice.
I rather thought that my use of the phrase " despite all efforts" indicated that all of us had used various and multiple efforts to teach this otherwise totally obedient collie not to chase the hens but clearly I was mistaken as you believed that we were standing and pointlessly shouting at her. Isnt language a curious thing?

Kimbo · « **Reply #17 on:** May 31, 2015, 09:29:53 am »

Quote from: Me on May 30, 2015, 09:19:29 pm

Quote from: Brendon21 on May 30, 2015, 08:22:43 pm

Kimbo, I'm not called Brendon - just the name of our cottage. I'm a girl.....

So is the wedding off then?

Yes Im afraid it is!! Sorry Brendon, no offence but I was looking for a chap! ( for the avoidance of doubt: this is a "JOKE". Im not looking for a chap. Im happily married already...to a man, btw!

)
(and for the avoidance of yet more doubt: when I last checked I was a woman too!)

shygirl · « **Reply #18 on:** May 31, 2015, 10:20:13 am »

a lot is down to how you bring them up. our terrier is fine with our hens aslong as the atmosphere is calm. we are tough on him if he slips up, he picks up on excitement so he doesn't visit the hens with the kids but is fine with me. he needs watching with young goat kids but is feared of the adults. we haven't got sheep at the moment. hes still a work in progress at 2.
wouldn't be without my dogs ever.
id choose an easy breed if its your first dog. many dogs will help with a few sheep if you have control of them. even my pigs used to help herd the sheep

yes really.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #19 on:** May 31, 2015, 11:31:48 am »

Quote from: shygirl on May 31, 2015, 10:20:13 am

even my pigs used to help herd the sheep yes really.

All six of our piglets used to help the collie dogs bring the sheep through the paddock

Kimbo · « **Reply #20 on:** May 31, 2015, 11:57:49 am »

who knew " Babe The Sheep-Pig" was true story!!

Katrina · « **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2015, 12:04:40 pm »

I understand where you are coming from Kimbo. I have 3 dogs. 2 of them wouldn't dream of going near chickens and really pay no interest in them now. The 3rd dog (Kai) just gets the red mist and I wouldn't trust him anywhere near a bird. They have all have been treated the same and have tried everything. Kai is a very well behaved lad otherwise, very well trained. I have pictures of him asleep with the lambs (and no I don't leave him unattended with them) it's just chickens that absolutely drive him crazy. Hence we can't keep chickens or let him near any. It's a Kai thing rather than a general dog thing.

landroverroy · « **Reply #22 on:** May 31, 2015, 02:07:23 pm »

Quote from: Kimbo on May 31, 2015, 09:26:47 am

Thank you for your advice.
I rather thought that my use of the phrase " despite all efforts" indicated that all of us had used various and multiple efforts to teach this otherwise totally obedient collie not to chase the hens but clearly I was mistaken as you believed that we were standing and pointlessly shouting at her. Isnt language a curious thing?

You're welcome Kimbo.

Sorry if I misunderstood what you were saying,

but I took it to mean that you were advising Brendon not to get the pup because her hens wouldn't be safe because your farmer friend couldn't control his dog when he visited you, and it nearly killed one of your hens. I took it to mean that this normally obedient dog was therefore out of control when near your hens, in which case what else can you do but shout at it if it's got to the stage that you cannot physically stop it?

(Possibly your use of language is not as clear as you believe.

)

landroverroy · « **Reply #23 on:** May 31, 2015, 02:13:28 pm »

Quote from: jward on May 30, 2015, 09:37:07 pm

Surely if a dog is brought up and taught that it doesn't chase them from the start then it won't get into that habit from day one and become set in it's ways thinking that it's perfectly acceptable. Personally, I'd expect any working farm dog I have to be completely safe around all animals.

Exactly.