Puppy keeps attacking chickens

[User635240]

I got a rat terrier/ jack Russell mix in January, to control the rats in the barn. She's 10 months old. She hasn't been very useful in getting rats but consistently goes after the chickens. I think three hens have been killed and every chicken in her area has signs of their neck being chewed on and tail feathers missing. She knows she's not supposed to ("don't chase the chickens!). I have to crate her even if I leave the barn for more than 10 minutes. I'd get rid of her but there's a long wait list at the pound. How do I train her to stop?

 

[Kiki]

She doesn't know she isn't supposed to chase the chickens if she is still doing it.

Keep her on a leash at all times.

 

[Yardmom]

Although your pup's breeds were originally bred for rodent control, that doesn't mean a pup with that breeding is going to instinctively kill the rats and only rats.
It sounds like the pup has a good prey drive as can be common with this breeding. You will need to spend a considerably amount of time with her on the leash teaching her rats are prey and chickens are not. It may be a long time (if ever) before it is safe to leave her unattended with chickens. Good luck with teaching her the rats are the bad guys, but chickens are to be protected. She is still a pup and needs you to teach her what to do.

 

[Folly's place]

On leash training first, a very good 'leave it!' command response, and then a longer leash, and finally a shock collar (used as a long leash) while working with a trainer.
No puppy starts by ignoring chickens! It depends on training, months of training. Worse, you've started her learning to play with the birds, lots of fun for any dog, especially a terrier type. Start over from ground zero, and expect to take more time!
mary

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Our dog was a rescue and we weren't sure how she would react to the chickens when she arrived at our home. Upon letting her in the backyard though she ran circles around our coop. Fortunately we didn't have the birds out at the time so no one got hurt. So for the next week or two I don't recall the specifics I took her out everyday to the run on a leash and simply stood there until she calmed down. When she calmed she was rewarded. And I continued to just stand there until she laid down out of boredom. I stopped this practice after she could walk out there and was just bored of them. After that all interactions with the chickens out remained on a leash. Giving a firm "no" when she expressed any interest. Then on leash but without me holding it and finally no leash at all. My dog is now actually afraid of my chickens because they will attack her. But she is no longer a danger to them.

It's a process. And it all starts with good training. Once the dog learns to trust your leadership you will finally be able to trust the dog. But do not expect a miracle. You must be firm yet understanding. I'm convinced that there are no bad dogs just poor trainers.

 

[Penpal]

Training, training, and more training. A harness works better than a collar for this type of training because it gives you control of the shoulders. Also, people pay me to train their dogs (train the human).

If you know what a clicker is, use it.

First train "leave it". That means don't touch that thing. Start with dog on 6 foot leash, walk by something interesting, say "leave it" and walk away from them bait. but do it by walking directly away so that you are pulling the puppy in a different direction, different from your walk. Have treat in hand. As soon as the puppy turns from the bait, (click) praise and give treat. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Play the game in the house. Use a toy as bait. Use the dinner dish as bait. When the puppy always leaves the bait alone go outside with longer leash, 20 feet. You need to keep collecting the leash in your hand and letting go depending on how close you are to the dog. Don't let her pull. When she comes to the end of the leash and keeps going, change the direction of the walk so that she is being pulled and has to follow you. When she understands that she only has twenty feet, walk by the bait. Have the leash up in your hands so you can pull her away if need be. Praise and treat.

At some point you start omitting the treat and just using praise. Usually, we would now let her get the bait every so often, but since she will never be allowed to get the chickens, you might want to not do that.

When you feel she is reliable, use a chicken as bait, making sure you can pull her off instantly if she disobeys. Repeat with the chickens over and over using a really good treat.

 

[User635240]

Tha

Our dog was a rescue and we weren't sure how she would react to the chickens when she arrived at our home. Upon letting her in the backyard though she ran circles around our coop. Fortunately we didn't have the birds out at the time so no one got hurt. So for the next week or two I don't recall the specifics I took her out everyday to the run on a leash and simply stood there until she calmed down. When she calmed she was rewarded. And I continued to just stand there until she laid down out of boredom. I stopped this practice after she could walk out there and was just bored of them. After that all interactions with the chickens out remained on a leash. Giving a firm "no" when she expressed any interest. Then on leash but without me holding it and finally no leash at all. My dog is now actually afraid of my chickens because they will attack her. But she is no longer a danger to them.

It's a process. And it all starts with good training. Once the dog learns to trust your leadership you will finally be able to trust the dog. But do not expect a miracle. You must be firm yet understanding. I'm convinced that there are no bad dogs just poor trainers.

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

[User635240]

Oh my goodness, thank you @Penpal @Ninjasquirrel @follys place @Yardmom! This dog really needed basic training. We practiced leash walking yesterday and she picked it up very quickly and was very proud of herself. I didn't realize how untrained she was and how important that is. She's in a crate now all day except 3x / day for walks. She seems a lit more comfortable and calmer with the structure. The wakeup call for me was that my prized Icelandic rooster chose to roost outside the barn two nights ago, as the puppy had roughed him up at least 4 times.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Oh my goodness, thank you @Penpal @Ninjasquirrel @follys place @Yardmom! This dog really needed basic training. We practiced leash walking yesterday and she picked it up very quickly and was very proud of herself. I didn't realize how untrained she was and how important that is. She's in a crate now all day except 3x / day for walks. She seems a lit more comfortable and calmer with the structure. The wakeup call for me was that my prized Icelandic rooster chose to roost outside the barn two nights ago, as the puppy had roughed him up at least 4 times.

Good! Sounds like you're getting the hang of it. But remember once outside the crate to keep the leash on. You need to be able to address any issue quickly and effectively. Best of luck

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh my goodness, thank you @Penpal @Ninjasquirrel @follys place @Yardmom! This dog really needed basic training. We practiced leash walking yesterday and she picked it up very quickly and was very proud of herself. I didn't realize how untrained she was and how important that is. She's in a crate now all day except 3x / day for walks. She seems a lit more comfortable and calmer with the structure. The wakeup call for me was that my prized Icelandic rooster chose to roost outside the barn two nights ago, as the puppy had roughed him up at least 4 times.

The dog should not be in the crate all day. She needs exercise.