Dakota and the Chicken

Well, life with a LGD in training is certainly difficult and interesting. As I have said before this dog is going to be a great dog in the future. Right now she is a good dog that is still learning and trying to stifle her puppiness. She has this thing about my smaller pullets. The big chickens she ignores, but the little ones seem to cause her great distress or excitement (not really sure which at this point). It has been suggested to me by those in the know that she is actually using her tremendous Pyrenees "mothering" instincts. I am not sure if she feels like she needs to put these little birds in a "safe" place or what but they are a great temptation to her to do something with. As I was in the goat barn yesterday morning, I hear my 3 year old "Kota leave that chicken alone!" So, I come running out to find a very soggy little pullet and Dakota running in the other direction. I swoop up the little chicken, tackle Dakota grab her throat and growl to the best of my growling ability "Mine". Dakota was then placed in the goat pasture. The little chicken was very wet and minus a few feathers (methinks the puppy found a new game...plucking chickens). I placed the little bird back in the coop to recover. It took Mama Bird all day to circle up her scattered younguns. She had them all together and ready to go back to the coop except one. I saw the little one but couldn't get it to come down off the roof of the chicken coop. Later, while making my last rounds of the evening Dakota found the little chicken. It had come off the roof and was down on the ground trying to figure out how to get back in the coop. Dakota chased in into the old chicken coop and I followed right after her. As soon as I said her name she sat down...not touching the bird. I scooped up the little chicken and placed her in safety with the rest of the flock. Maybe Dakota is finally understanding that the little chickens are mine. Maybe she is taking her mothering instincts too far. I am hoping that once these little pullets get some size on them that she will leave them alone like she does the big chickens, which she completely ignores even when they are running all around her. I don't know, I am still trying to figure out this LGD thing. Blessings from the farm, Kat