Hero or Villain?

My Newfie is 18 months old and just starting to calm down. She’s got a strong prey / chase drive which is tricky as we have runner ducks and chickens. She’s caught a few when they wander into the wrong place, but mostly wants them to run if she catches them and doesn’t hurt them (not that they enjoy this, so we normally keep them separated). I’ve always caught her in the act very quickly so not sure what she’d do if she had one for a while.

She can see the poultry, but is separated by stock fencing. That is until Friday afternoon when we realised that she’d managed to get into the field they roam and had been in there for maybe 30 minutes. When I found her, there were no birds in sight, just lots of feathers and a single hen in shock who later passed away.

So she was in the bad books with the whole family - and I spent Friday night blaming myself.

On Saturday I spoke to my neighbours who told me there’s a big male fox in the area. He took all bar one of my immediate neighbours hens last Monday, and 2 of another neighbours before they saw him and chased him away on Wednesday.

So, my alternative theory is that she saw the fox at the birds (she’s always watching), and pushed through a gap I had blocked - which she’s never done before Friday - and chased off the fox. All birds have returned over the last 48 hours apart from a single duck - which maybe the fox has taken.

Or she pushed through and terrorised the flock and one duck is still in hiding.

I’m going with hero. She pushed over a roll of wire fencing and a plant pot, squeezing down the side of a shed to get to the field. She’s had that opportunity since 3 months old and never taken it… why now? 🦊🐓🦆

My Newfie is 18 months old and just starting to calm down. She’s got a strong prey / chase drive which is tricky as we have runner ducks and chickens. She’s caught a few when they wander into the wrong place, but mostly wants them to run if she catches them and doesn’t hurt them (not that they enjoy this, so we normally keep them separated). I’ve always caught her in the act very quickly so not sure what she’d do if she had one for a while.

She can see the poultry, but is separated by stock fencing. That is until Friday afternoon when we realised that she’d managed to get into the field they roam and had been in there for maybe 30 minutes. When I found her, there were no birds in sight, just lots of feathers and a single hen in shock who later passed away.

So she was in the bad books with the whole family - and I spent Friday night blaming myself.

On Saturday I spoke to my neighbours who told me there’s a big male fox in the area. He took all bar one of my immediate neighbours hens last Monday, and 2 of another neighbours before they saw him and chased him away on Wednesday.

So, my alternative theory is that she saw the fox at the birds (she’s always watching), and pushed through a gap I had blocked - which she’s never done before Friday - and chased off the fox. All birds have returned over the last 48 hours apart from a single duck - which maybe the fox has taken.

Or she pushed through and terrorised the flock and one duck is still in hiding.

I’m going with hero. She pushed over a roll of wire fencing and a plant pot, squeezing down the side of a shed to get to the field. She’s had that opportunity since 3 months old and never taken it… why now? 🦊🐓🦆