I know its been a while since I posted but I thought I would share what happened over the past few days. We moved into a new house about a month ago which is fabulous and in a great neighbourhood. Nero seems to enjoy it although the lack of pool to cool off in but he has ample space to run around. It has a large back yard with a wire perimeter fence about 1.2m tall.

Nero is usually outside in the back yard by himself only for 15-20 mins during early morning or late evening so he can do his bizniz. Sometimes I'll let him out for the afternoon but being summer I dont let him in the sun for longer periods as it does get very hot. He usually comes in after first or second call.

Anyway I let him out 2 nights ago for about 20 mins at about 11ish. When I went back to call him in I heard the neighbour in a very soft voice "Umm excuse me, your dog has my chicken and it won't let go" Sh*t I thought, grabbed my slippers, his lead and climbed over the fence. He was just standing there staring at me, dead chicken clutched in jaws, like "Look what I got" . I grabbed him, pinned him down and it took a good 10 mins of trying to actually get him to release it. I picked him up and put him back over our fence and walked over to console the neighbour.

No sooner had a turned my back, he was back over and holding dead chicken. This time he flat out refused to let go, I tried everything I could and then remembered something about tickling the Nose which worked after a few seconds. I picked him up but as I went to put him over I stood on a stump or something that broke under foot, dropping me and him ontop of me. I was stabbed in the back of the leg behind the knee with the broken stump, landed with my back on another and in alot of pain. (That section of the neighbours yard is just shrubbery, vines and general jungle like sh!t) Meantime the neighbour had gotten the chicken after Nero dropped it and walked towards their house some 40m away. Nero darted after her but was just lingering from what I could see. I managed to pick myself up bleeding heavily and got control of Nero. It wasnt like a savage attack with feathers flying everywhere and teeth ripping through flesh, it was just a case of look what I got!

The neighbour was pretty upset to say the least, and I was at a loss for words, just kept saying "I'm so so so sorry" I really didnt know what to say or do. We talked for a few moments and I left with the murderer so I could get cleaned up. I had a large contusion and deep laceration which I had to remove bits of stump shard from. I have been wearing a bandage and walking with a limp since Friday.



This afternoon I was actually going to go visit with a bunch of flowers just to say sorry. I really felt horrible. The last 2 days I didnt let Nero into our yard at all. I woke at 6am to take him for his walk so he could pee etc.

We had visitors that were leaving and Nero snuck behind them and ran out. This is the second time he has ever run out, after the first time he would ALWAYS sit or stand by the door if it was open. Front door, back door, even his bedroom door, unless invited he knows hes not allowed out and never until today has he disobeyed. Anyway I grabbed his lead and went after him. He knew exactly where he was going and exactly what he was doing because he went to pee and then darted up the block, all the way round and straight into the back neighbours yard.

I wasnt far behind but I heard the inevitable sound of clucking squawking Chickens going frantic as I went in after him. I just about reached him as he ran back out with yet another Chicken in his jaws. All I heard as I ran out in pursuit was "OMG no no" I dont think the Chickens knew what hit them because he was in and out lightning fast!!

I gained on him as he reached the corner and managed to tackle him onto the ground. This time the Chicken was quite a lot larger and still alive when I got hold of Nero. I snuffed his nose and he released the chuck, which scurried off into some other neighbours yard, squawking and clucking as it went.

As I hit the ground I scuffed up my arm and tore my leg open again but the worse thing was I had dropped the lead just out of reach and I had Nero pinned behind my back. After much struggling, wriggling and shuffling I got his lead on and walked him home, secured him inside and went to rescue the poor Chicken.

The neighbour seemed ok about it and said accidents happen but both girls were in tears and I felt horrible that is had happened a second time within a couple of days. Hopefully this Chicken will survive the encounter and live to cluck another day.



So, my question. Apart from raising the fence height, what is the best way to deal with this. He clearly knows the cluckers are within biting distance and I cant exactly blame Nero for doing what is in his blood, Dogs do, what Dogs do...

Nero actually started crying after I brought him home today asking, "Where is my prize, what did I do?"




Yes before people start having a go at me, yes I know it was my fault, yes I shouldnt be so careless, yes I should get a taller fence. OK I get it so please let us move on.

Wow what a crazy few days! Other than getting a different type of fence (i'm assuming it's chainlink?) or putting him on a tether.... You probably shouldn't let him be outside alone anymore. And it's not blood thirst, that's prey drive! Hope you guys can get something worked out...

So sorry. I hope you are ok. I know that once Frankie knows where something is, he never forgets. He will go to that same spot for weeks looking for the creature he saw there last. I would go back to the door training to remind him that we don't dash out of the door, to prevent an escape like the last one.
Also would it be possible to get together with your neighbor and maybe bring him around the chickens (from a distance, secure and supervised) to do some stuctured training? Get his focus off of the chickens and back on you. Bring a favorite treat and practice a "watch me" and reinforce him staying with you and not trying to run after the chickens. You can't take away the prey drive, but he need not to obssess over the chickens.

Just a thought

I had always trained him well when it came to prey drive. When he was a pup (Still is, was 9months on Friday) and some "Prey" caught his attention I'd ignore it and continue walking saying AHAH! It worked so well that nowadays he wont even sniff if theres a Magpie or such in the road infront of us.

I did think the same about the supervised visits to KFC but I reckon I'll give it a few days before proposing it to the neighbours. Not too sure how susceptible they would be to that idea

arooroomom wrote:

Wow what a crazy few days! Other than getting a different type of fence (i'm assuming it's chainlink?) or putting him on a tether.... You probably shouldn't let him be outside alone anymore. And it's not blood thirst, that's prey drive! Hope you guys can get something worked out...

I never liked the idea of a tether, do they not get tangled all the time? Or are you talking zip line type?

No no I know it's not Blood Thirst, just his Blood Instinct to hunt thats all I guess feeding him raw chicken meat since birth won't have helped

Nero wrote:

I did think the same about the supervised visits to KFC but I reckon I'll give it a few days before proposing it to the neighbours. Not too sure how susceptible they would be to that idea

Ha ha ha......KFC.

Give it a few days, I hope they would be more open to that versus finding a dog in their yard with a chicken in his mouth. At least you would show them you are working on it and not encouraging it. Good luck

[quote="Nero"]

arooroomom wrote:

I guess feeding him raw chicken meat since birth won't have helped

I think maybe that's what's kicking in - he smells fresh food!

You could put a hot wire around your fence or something similar. My mom has a few dogs that will jump fences, so she has them wear a shock collar that will beep when they get too close to the fence and then shock them if they get closer. For a husky, make sure you get one with longer "prongs" (I think that's what they are called), so they can touch skin through all the fur or else he won't feel it. That or tethering him up. There are a number of husky owners who do that and don't have any problems with it. But I would make sure there are no anti-tie out rules in your area or you might get in trouble for it. I know there's one county near me that doesn't allow dogs to be tied out, but I don't know all the specifics.

arooroomom wrote:

Other than getting a different type of fence (i'm assuming it's chainlink?) or putting him on a tether.... You probably shouldn't let him be outside alone anymore. And it's not blood thirst, that's prey drive!

Agreed. I wouldn't even trust a tether with a very determined husky. I am also not a fan of electric fences/hot wires. I would simply never ever leave him out in the yard unsupervised. I'd also take more preventative measures to keep accidents like door dashing from happening by securing him in a room or on a lead when people are visiting/coming and going. Anytime the exits are liable to be opened, he needs to be under tighter control.

As for the blood lust idea, it's not entirely impossible. There has been some healthy debate on the subject on other forums I'm on. Very interesting actually. Talking about how making a kill on a certain type of animal can heighten the desire and instinct to hunt down and take out the same type of prey in the future. Think "kill switch". I have seen instances where highly prey motivated dogs go after everything under the sun until the day they make a kill. And after making that kill they then become focused on that specific animal from that point on and are not interested in other prey animals that they had previously been after. Now I doubt that is the case with Nero but I'm just saying, it's not impossible.

I think just being extra vigilant is all that is needed. Is there any reason you cannot be out there to supervise him when he is out in the yard?

The whole time I read this piece I was thinking of Adobo.

Chicken thievery was the exact reason how I came to acquire her at 17 months. At her young age any time she escaped from her previous owners property she was raiding the neighbors chicken coop. After the 3rd time her owner was on the verge of taking her out back and shooting her. Just so happen that the person that bought my previous home was a friend of Adobo's owner, he knew I was looking for another Husky. He contacted me and brought her over a few days after we finally got settled into over new home.

Sounds like you had a couple of rough days! I tie Reiko out, since I can't fence in my yard, as he would be able to just swim to the neighbours lol. But I only tie him out while I am outside as well, I wouldn't put it past him to some how get out of his collar.

My bf talked about getting chickens, I just laughed at him.