@EllenWolfe , My current dog, a newfoundland and every dog I've had prior to him were trained to sit and wait until I say "Okay"...including with their own food. My dog is also trained not to take treats/food from strangers unless I say "Okay". He will sit and stare at me if someone else offers him something, waiting for my command (my previous dog, a great dane/bull masstiff/rottie mix wouldn't take food from strangers at all...even with my "okay"). He doesn't bother with chicken droppings at all and won't touch their food either.
Have your pup sit and stay until you have placed his food down and had the chance to stand up and take a step back. Don't allow him to rush at it and push you aside to get it (speaking from getting shoved over by multiple 160-180lbs dogs prior to training). If he gets up before you've said "okay" then give him quick "aht-aht" and have him sit back down and stay until YOU say. Do this with every feeding. "Leave it" is another important command. This should apply to everything you don't want him to have. Put him on a leash and when he goes for the chicken poop or scraps, give the leash a little jerk, simultaneously tell him to "leave it" and then redirect his attention to something he can have.
I would also recommend not just putting the scraps out there until the chickens are actually around to eat them, like a treat right before they go to roost when they're getting closer to the coop for the night anyway. Food being left out is too much of a temptation for the vast majority of dogs and unless it's during a training session, he should be kept away from the scraps entirely.
Have your pup sit and stay until you have placed his food down and had the chance to stand up and take a step back. Don't allow him to rush at it and push you aside to get it (speaking from getting shoved over by multiple 160-180lbs dogs prior to training). If he gets up before you've said "okay" then give him quick "aht-aht" and have him sit back down and stay until YOU say. Do this with every feeding. "Leave it" is another important command. This should apply to everything you don't want him to have. Put him on a leash and when he goes for the chicken poop or scraps, give the leash a little jerk, simultaneously tell him to "leave it" and then redirect his attention to something he can have.
I would also recommend not just putting the scraps out there until the chickens are actually around to eat them, like a treat right before they go to roost when they're getting closer to the coop for the night anyway. Food being left out is too much of a temptation for the vast majority of dogs and unless it's during a training session, he should be kept away from the scraps entirely.
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