How did YOU train your dog to leave chickens alone?

[loanwizard]

You shouldn't have the collar on them for any long period of time, as the prongs can burn their skin after 24 hours. I put it on only when I'm there to use it if necessary. Once I fell down the stairs and accidentally shocked her along the way. I'm sure that confused the heck out of her.

I do use it very similarly. It was a last resort to be honest.

I just put how I did things as an example to be constructively viewed. There is a lot of information and misinformation out there. I am far from a perfect human and far from a professional trainer or farmer for that matter.

Somewhere I heard to leave it on them so that they don't associate the collar to the pain.

I have the sportsmen collars for the beagles and for my big dogs, 3 gets their attention, sometimes 2. I have put it on my arm to experience it and it isn't bad. That said, I have put it against my throat, and it bites. I am not sure if the dogs throat feels like my throat or arm due to the fur.... but, I started on 0 and progressed til the dog pricks up it's ears and notices.

I have worked with all the dogs, and I am the only one who has used the collars. I am also the only one the dogs will obey the come command when they get wayward.... sometimes.

Admittedly, I haven't properly given them the time probably necessary to fully train them....

Anyhow, I am kind of guarded about having this conversation because I posted on here some time ago and you would have thought I was the Devil!

I have also heard that treat training a dog is not the way to go, but I live and let live.

Shawn

 

[Hayleigh Barnes]

i dont know that i would teach him to simply "lie down" and stay lieing down, those birds in the video pestering him pretty badly, and you can see his body stiffen from the discomfort/annoyence of them being there, one day when he is not feeling up to par he could very well turn and snap or worse to one of them. i would simply teach him to walk away and ignore them.

even in the picture you can see his ears are back, his head is lowerd as he is giving a sideways glance, he is not comfortible at all

He chose to go in there himself. If I dont let him in he whines until he can be there with them. Hes the same with quails and guineas. If he really doesnt like it hed walk away. He does that when our lorikeet annoys him too much.

 

[chickygrrl]

We have a rescue pitbull and were concerned about her and the chickens. What we have learned about dogs like her is that they need a "job". Henna (the pitbull)'s job is taking care of chickens. We started when they were chicks (and do this with every new batch)...every time we feed them, change the litter, play with them, etc, Henna is there. We show her that we are caring for them just like we care for her. At first when I would hold a chick and show it to her she would try to snap at it (her mouth just goes crazy when she first sees baby chicks but she has not hurt one). We tell her to "sit", "stay" "no" if she gets too close and praise her A LOT for just sniffing or watching. We make a point of giving her more attention than the chicks.

When we moved them to the coop we started by keeping the chickens separated from her behind snow fencing and supervising closely (started on a leash to be sure, but determined quickly that this was not necessary), again praising her for just watching (she could have easily jumped the fence or knocked it over, but the barrier was enough). She always goes with us when we go out to the coop when we "check the chickies" and she knows exactly what this means. When we decided to let them out to free range, we did this again with Henna on a leash and after that with close supervision, having her "sit" "stay" and just watch. Henna has since made it her job (no intentional training here) to round them up and get them back in the coop. She will chase them around the yard sometimes, but whenever she has managed to "catch" one, she is gently pinning it to the ground with her muzzle and has never hurt one. She has located lost and injured birds for us and helped find ones who have found some very interesting places to roost at night.

 

[Hayleigh Barnes]

He chose to go in there himself. If I dont let him in he whines until he can be there with them. Hes the same with quails and guineas. If he really doesnt like it hed walk away. He does that when our lorikeet annoys him too much.

As for the quails in the picture. He chose to lie down with them himself. I have no idea why he does it he just enjoys it. As for his ears being back. again no clue, you would think hes uncomfortable but he forces himself in their faces. Thats just banjo.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I never really taught mine to leave the chickens but my older dog whos two years old herds the ecsapes to the corner of the run so I can toss them back in
My other dog just copied the older
Would I trust them without me being out there yes and no yes for my older dog no for the yonger one lol

 

[aoxa]

I never really taught mine to leave the chickens but my older dog whos two years old herds the ecsapes to the corner of the run so I can toss them back in
My other dog just copied the older one.

Would I trust them without me being out there yes and no yes for my older dog no for the yonger one lol

That looks much more like playing than herding.

This here is herding. Wish I could get my corgi to do it.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I'm glad I found this thread, I would like to free range my chickens with the dogs out of their kennel. My dogs know the leave it command and I also have an e-collar as back up.

 

[aoxa]

I'm glad I found this thread, I would like to free range my chickens with the dogs out of their kennel. My dogs know the leave it command and I also have an e-collar as back up.

 

[gladahmae]

Thanks to everyone that has posted their experiences and methods! I've learned a LOT and hopefully will be able to put it into practice this spring!

 

[Scott H]

That looks much more like playing than herding.

This here is herding. Wish I could get my corgi to do it.

I would change that to chasing. Birds are stressed and just want to get back in the pen to get away.