Our dog attacked the chickens today....should we get rid of her?

Thankfully she didn't kill any of them! Have you tried having a professional trainer come out? If you really don't think you can ever train the dog, then maybe you should find a new home for it. Or maybe you can keep it on the leash when she is out.

I know this is a little extreme, but what about a shock collar? When if gets close to the chickens, give her a little shock. I have used the shock collar on my dog a few times because of her excessive barking. Now, all we have to do it show it to her and she stops barking. It is very quick and we don't use it on her anymore. I do know of one people who uses the remote shock collar on their dog at the dog park because it was attacking a lot of dogs and it doesn't attack other dogs anymore.

So there is a couple of options for you. I hope you find a good solution!

haha, wow people really don't get the chickens can't be pinned. I'm assuming that the chickens are your familys business correct? I really respect that. I know that in most chicken farms, they pin like 5 chickens in one pin and they live miserable lives. But free range is awesome if you can do it! Good for you!

That's unfortunate, and I understand that you can't get rid of the chickens, or put them in a pen since it is your livelihood. I own horses, so I've always lived near, or have known many farmers, and ranchers, so I can seen where you're coming from.

Someone suggested that you find a new home for her, and get another smaller dog that would be less inclined to go after the chickens, and I think that would be a good last resort. After all, it's really hard to fault a dog because it only did what was natural to it. I think that you should try some training, someone suggested using a shock collar, and I do approve of proper* use of a shock collar. However, they do not work on some dogs. Some are too 'soft' meaning the lightest touch will make them fall apart, and many are too 'hard' who don't give a care(my dog's grandmother. Look up 'Tough *****' in the dictionary, and you'll see a picture of her XD)

If that does not work, you could invest in a long check cord, or a flexi lead. I have my dog trained so that I shake the leash, and he moves in a big circle around it so I can exercise him, and monitor his movement while he does so. Alas, my horses are not so inclined to listen as well when I should be longing them instead.

*There is a lot of abuse with the training tool that I do not agree with at all, like with training Labrador retrievers for retrieving competitions. There's nothing worse than watching a comp, and seeing a dog mess up, only to fall to the ground cowering in fear because if they'd done that in training, they'd be in pain at that moment.

However, when properly used it is a great training tool, and it can be used to save a dogs life, like in Snake Breaking. As I tell people with snake breaking, you have a choice of shocking(unavoidable pun, as I mean shocking as in surprised) the heck out of your dog for a moment, or having your dog laying in a vets office, in indescribable pain after they got a little too nosey with a rattle snake.

As you can tell most the ones who answered have not lived on a farm nor depended on live stock for a living.Even after all these yrs i still regret shooting a young part lab i had that was killing my chickens. But he was killing my livelihood and like my neighboring farmers told me that more than likely he would eventually kill cattle as once they get the taste of blood it is nearly impossible to change them. Most farmers have had to shoot dogs for chasing there Cattle as so many are just dumped out in the country when there no longer cute puppies. As a dog running wild will resort back often to there ancestry of wild Dog. But i would more than likely find another home for your lab as unfortunately he has tasted chicken.One last word on dogs being dumped in the country ,right after they put a strict controll on having pit bulls inside the city almost every day driving around in the country delivering i would see Pit Bulls laying dead in ditches.

Yes, after voting on it with your children(with yourself abstaining) if the majority goes with finding a chickenless home for her, send her away (but close enough to visit the dog)

Get a small dog that is of a recommended breed that does not go in for bird hunting and keep the dog on a leash near the chickens or when walking off you property.

The poor dog. It's their natural instinct to chase or kill chicken. I use to have free dogs in the farm and it takes severe discipline to train them not to kill the chickens. They seem to live well with each other. I guess it depends on the bred. Yah, a new home might be the solution.

Who cares; we eat chickens but we don't eat dogs ! (Jokes aside)

You should have the chickens in a pen instead. Dogs need more exercise than chickens.

Maybe you can train him to stay near your house too instead of running out in the streets? That is; if you want to put the chickens in the pen.

don"t get rid of her! try a different form of training, like taking her up to the chickens, telling her no, then if she persists, do it again. be patient with her. try exercising her away from the chickens. But just try PATIENCE!

Chickens are yummy for the doggy's tummy.

maybe the chicken will defend you when you get rid of the nice doggy,

Getting rid of her is the easy way out.

Look into training the dog.

Edit: I apologize - I didn't see that. I do tend to skip over things.

In that case, I think it might be best to place her in a new home.

Are you serious?

What did you expect? Her to be perfect?

Put the chickens in the pen and give the dog some socialization or give her to someone who can offer that to her.