How to TRAIN A DOG to NOT chase chickens? HELP! asap

bobhoke said:

Well nobody said we don't have the time. I believe the shock collar will be the option and I hope it works.

Click to expand...

If you do go with a shock collar, PLEASE research the appropriate usage. If the dog is in ANY pain you're doing it wrong. You want to use the lowest setting that will just get the dogs attention, similar to a light tug of a leash.

bobhoke said:

Well nobody said we don't have the time. I believe the shock collar will be the option and I hope it works.

Click to expand...

barred2rock said:

If you do go with a shock collar, PLEASE research the appropriate usage. If the dog is in ANY pain you're doing it wrong. You want to use the lowest setting that will just get the dogs attention, similar to a light tug of a leash.

Click to expand...

please get a trainer to show you how to first train your dog to the e-collar and train YOU how to gauge the correct timing for corrections. Then, step 2, is for the trainer to teach you to read your dog's body language regarding the chickens and when to correct in regards to that.
Basically, you are looking at a few weeks of training, at least, before you can even begin to work on training your dog around the chickens.

e-collars are great in the right hands but very few people actually use them correctly.

dainerra said:

e-collars are great in the right hands but very few people actually use them correctly.

Click to expand...

Can I also chime in with a warning/bit of advice? Suss out your dog's personality before considering going with that kind of physical deterrent. Stick it on the wrong type of dog and you could create more problems. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/pets/pets-pet-care-native-animals/know-your-dogs-mind/

If your dog is very food-motivated, I'd be trying an intensive (on-lead) 'ignore those chickens completely and you get some roast meat/schmackos (or whatever else she loves)" training regime. My former dog wasn't particularly food-motivated, but she'd do anything for cheese. It was an immediate attention-getter. You just need to do it, and do it, and do it, and do it, over and over so that the dog gets into its head that the chickens are not part of its day at all. It's boring putting in the work and it's harder with a "chaser", but it's doable. You might need to always carry your treat pouch with you when you go to the chicken house, but if "you're packing", the dog will be all over you and not the chickens. Just make it more worthwhile not to chase them and they'll do the alternative.

We have a very stubborn Standard Poodle. He isn't aggressive at all but very excited when we first got our chickens and would chase them and bark at them. As a last resort we got a shock collar. We started him out on a long leash and the collar on vibrate. Once we felt he had really made progress we did away with the leash and only had to shock him a handful of times. He now pays very little attention to them and even lays down by them and just watched them free range. Biggest thing I learned was to not even let him look at them for more than a few seconds. Not letting him focus on them stopped him from getting too excited.

standard poodles are bird dogs. it's normal for them to be very interested in chickens.

dainerra said:

standard poodles are bird dogs. it's normal for them to be very interested in chickens.

Click to expand...

Yes they are and I'm sure that's why it's been difficult to teach him to ignore them. But I must say he is doing great and now he is able to relax around them and not obsess over their every move. We are proud of him

Hi there,

I will be getting an "Aussiedoodle" in a few weeks, and plan to train as a therapy dog. he comes from a long line of therapy/service dogs. I also plan to train around my flock, but NOT expose him to them even initially until we have a few commands down:
WATCH/FOCUS (eyes on me)
COME
LAY DOWN/stay
I think with these three, they will serve as a great base for exposure to chickens as well as other obedience things.
I also will NOT be giving him toys that 'squeek', or look like animals that he needs to leave alone...
once he is good w that, I would like to teach other commands, including some shepherding commands, so that I can give the chickens more free-ranging freedom,, and the dog will have the satisfaction of bringing out the 'shepherd' in him, n resting the 'poodle' instinct...

in watching youtube videos on shepherding training, it looks like they take a dog that already knows the basics n then proceed to train around animals. makes sense to me. it's just like the professional trainers who train initially w no distraction,, then add more n more distraction; the chickens can be viewed as a "distraction" for the dog in training. then one can build on that training for whatever purpose; "leave alone", or befriend them or guard/shepherd them.... it boils down to their ability/desire to focus on you, not the distraction, and do the obedience task you give them to do, to please you!!

that being said,, I think for some dogs, it is just not their destiny to be near birds... I had to rehome my dachshund, sadly,, bc her prey drive was EXTREME. much as I tried (she is a grrreat dog in every other way), I could not train her to focus, or any command (she knew many commands very well),, but all of it just 'flew out the window', so to speak,, when it came to other birds--and cats...

this is my plan and I pray that it works! i'd appreciate any suggestions about something I may have missed?

allowing him to play with toys that squeak or that look like animals has zero effect on prey issues.

instead, focus of teaching him leave it, waiting for permission to get the toy as a reward, etc.