I trained my current German Shepherd Reynard and my late one Sturmz WHICH WAS PART WOLF!!! to not only be good to the chickens but to protect them.
Every day for about three weeks, I would sit the dog down and get eye contact. Then I would put the chicken in his face and say MY chicken. MINE, thats mine. Dogs get this but it takes repeated repeats. Sturmz lived 15 years, 5 with chickens and never touched one. Not only that he kept track of where every chicken was and when they would run off to neighbors and one would hide in bushes, he would go put his nose on it. When I would pull it out squacking he would drool wanting to eat it, never did eat one.
Reynard has been a year now, also no attacks. He killed a raptor that came to get the chickens one day while we were gone to work. found lots of feathers and big claws, nuff said about that! Wouldnt want him to have to go off to federal prison.
They both were raccoon fighters, Stumz killed three coons during his life. Not being part wolf, Reynard is not up to killing coons yet. He missed the fox out back by a couple inches. We are still figuring out the fox war. Fox carried off a 5 pound Pekin Duck.
We have a second dog, 100 lb German Sherpherd-Swiss Mountain, very gentle breed and easier to teach not to do this.
I often reinforce the "chicken or duck is mine".
Im sure there are breeds of dogs that cant be trained though. German Shepherds and definitely wolves are usually on that list though.
Every day for about three weeks, I would sit the dog down and get eye contact. Then I would put the chicken in his face and say MY chicken. MINE, thats mine. Dogs get this but it takes repeated repeats. Sturmz lived 15 years, 5 with chickens and never touched one. Not only that he kept track of where every chicken was and when they would run off to neighbors and one would hide in bushes, he would go put his nose on it. When I would pull it out squacking he would drool wanting to eat it, never did eat one.
Reynard has been a year now, also no attacks. He killed a raptor that came to get the chickens one day while we were gone to work. found lots of feathers and big claws, nuff said about that! Wouldnt want him to have to go off to federal prison.
They both were raccoon fighters, Stumz killed three coons during his life. Not being part wolf, Reynard is not up to killing coons yet. He missed the fox out back by a couple inches. We are still figuring out the fox war. Fox carried off a 5 pound Pekin Duck.
We have a second dog, 100 lb German Sherpherd-Swiss Mountain, very gentle breed and easier to teach not to do this.
I often reinforce the "chicken or duck is mine".
Im sure there are breeds of dogs that cant be trained though. German Shepherds and definitely wolves are usually on that list though.