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

[Michelle new]

hello!
I see that this is an older post but it is presently relevant to me. I read/skimmed the majority of the conversations but I don't know if i missed if any particular shock color was mentioned or recommended. I have been researching them and will be purchasing one this week when I can across this site. I thought I'd ask

Thanks

 

[dainerra]

shock collars are something that you actually need to be trained to use correctly. If you're lucky and have a dog that catches on quickly, you might get lucky enough to simply teach your dog that it hurts like Heck to look in the direction of the chickens.
If you aren't lucky, you end up with a dog that thinks that all chickens must die because they cause him horrible pain.

Training is the best bet and actually isn't complicated, though it can be time consuming and isn't a quick fix

 

[Sarahal88]

My rooster trained my dog not to chase chickens real quick.

 

[ILuvMyFlock]

Sometimes it takes rehousing...

 

[Lion67]

So I have been working on "leave it" with my newest puppy a lot and she is still not picking it up. Also my chickens are going to be 4 and a half this Sunday so they haven't been allowed in the house in a really long time. It started raining today so I let the dogs (we have 5 total) out of the pen outside (two at a time) so they could go inside. Immediately my pup and her brother gave chase and she actually managed to catch one and rip several feathers out of my favorite hen. How do I correct this behavior when the chickens are not allowed in the house and "leave it" isn't working? I read the one post with all the great advice but I am still unsure of how to make her stop chaseing them. Some days she will listen and leave them when I give her the command but other days like today she completely ignores me and uses her brother to trap the poor hens. I will be muzzling her from now on if she can't learn to behave herself and i would prefer not to do that. Please help! My chickens would sure be grateful lol

 

[cassie]

Chickens and rabbits really bring out the prey drive in dogs. The only thing I can think of is to buy/rent a shock collar and set the dog up. Zap her when she tries to chase. You might try a throw chain. A throw chain is made from something like a large choke chain. Attach a number of small noisy things like keys etc. to it. When the dog starts to chase you throw the chain at the dog and hit it. It won't injure the dog but it will startle it and hopefully distract it. A loud shrill whistle might be worth a try, too. The nice thing about the throw chain and the electric collar is that the dog will associate both with its behavior and not with you. Oh, make sure the dog does not see you throw the chain and does not see you pick it up. You might also put the dog on a very long leash. A length of clothesline rope with a snap on the end of it is one possibility. Jerk sharply when she starts to chase.

 

[dainerra]

shock collar can really backfire if your timing is off and especially if you haven't already trained the dog on how a shock collar works and what the correction means. You can make the dog think that the pain is coming from teh chickens and cause the dog to basically swear a blood feud against all things poultry. A "get them before they get me" attitude.

The key to teaching both "leave it" and not to chase chickens is simple - you have to have the dog on leash until a firm foundation is laid. Then, once the dog is reliably ignoring the birds on a regular leash, go to a long line leash. Then, and only then, can you consider whether or not you have a dog that is going to be trustworthy offleash when the birds are out.

Another thing to consider is that a muzzle will do absolutely nothing to stop a dog from killing chickens. It simply means they won't do it with their teeth.

 

[cassie]

I mentioned the shock collar because it was one of the things I could think of that can be used remote and that the dog will not associate with you. I didn't make it clear, but it goes without saying that before using a shock collar you have to learn how to use it properly. That said, I wouldn't ever trust the dog with chickens if he was out of my sight. You need to figure out how to keep them separate. BTW, verbal commands don't always work because when dogs are really intent on something, they won't hear a thing you are saying.

 

[dainerra]

the key to all "leave it" and similar commands, especially dealing with prey drive, rests on the owner being aware of their surroundings and giving the command BEFORE the dog becomes focused. Many novice owners and trainers don't know how to recognize the first signs that they need to step in and redirect the dog. They wait until the dog is actively engaged and THEN try to get the dogs attention.
Hence why it is important in the early stages to make sure that the dog is on leash.

Cassie, you would be amazed at how many people believe that the correct way to use an e-collar is simply to put it on the dog and "light 'em up". I had a co-worker that bought an invisible fence for their wandering lab. They put the collar on the dog, turned it to max strength and then threw the dog's favorite toy across the property line. Repeat until the dog refused to even look at someone holding a toy because he didn't know what was causing him pain or how to make it stop. He associated it with his favorite toy instead of leaving the yard.
When that no longer worked (took less than 5 minutes) they tried dragging the dog to the property line on leash. More panic. Then put the dog in the car and drove him out of the yard.
Ended up dumping the dog at the shelter within a few days. Dog was so terrified that he wouldn't leave the house even to potty. All he knew was that horrible pain occurred whenever he went outside.

I've even seen people give that exact advice on "crittering" a dog - turn it to max and correct them for even looking at prey.

 

[User395221]

the key to all "leave it" and similar commands, especially dealing with prey drive, rests on the owner being aware of their surroundings and giving the command BEFORE the dog becomes focused. Many novice owners and trainers don't know how to recognize the first signs that they need to step in and redirect the dog. They wait until the dog is actively engaged and THEN try to get the dogs attention.
Hence why it is important in the early stages to make sure that the dog is on leash.

Yes. I've been going to dog training with my dogs for years and many of the "problems" are because the owners don't realise what they are doing. It REALLY helps to have an instructor who can point out to you things you are doing that you might not even realise you are doing. Much of formal dog training isn't about the dog, it trains us how to interact with the dog. For example, where they start at my dog club is just getting the dog's attention, and rewarding the dog when it looks at you. That's the starting point for what dainerra's mentioned. If you keep your dog's attention, and slipping him rewards for that attention, he might be less interested in those chickens and very interested in you. If you've ever watched a working sheep dog, they never take their eyes off their owner. We need to work on the same kind of focus and attention in our dogs, that they look to us as to what they are supposed to be doing. In a nutshell, ignore bad behaviour, reward good behaviour. Don't chase or yell when they do something wrong, just stick them on the lead, distract them into doing something you want and then reward. Again, if you can see that body tense and the little eyes focus on the chook, turn in the other direction and start rabbiting on about some bit of nonsense, get the dog's attention and then reward. Hopefully, they'll forget immediately what they were honing in on and hone in on you. Have a good "bribe" food. Find something they'll leave anything for and come running to get. My former dog would come running if I said "cheese", one of my dog comes now if I say "dentastix".

As dainerra said, you have to keep him on leash until he's learnt how to behave. It can depend on the dog as to how easily (or if) they can be taught not to chase/bother but if you learn how to get the training done, it will be much easier.