Best way to introduce new dog to chickens

[busybeelee]

We lost our beautiful, gentle great Dane to cancer recently. We decided to adopt a sixth month old puppy from the humane society. What is the best way to introduce him to the chickens? They say he is a Catahoula leopard which is a herding dog. How do I teach him to leave my girls alone?

 

[ryanhodapp]

I have beagle mixes and they were here first. But when we got our first chicks, they were in the dog cage in our dining room. The dogs could sniff, hear, see, etc. My kids would hold a little chick and let our dogs go nose to nose. They dont bother the chickens now at all.

I would use a leash and introduce them slowly. Increasing minutes each day. Then try keeping the dog on leash, but let go.

I dont know anything about your breed of dog, but that is how I would do it.

good luck and enjoy your new pup!

 

[FireTigeris]

I would train "Come, No, Sit, Leave it" - first - then leash train, then take him out and use both verbal and physical (LEASH) commands- you might not want to use food rewards when he ignores the chickens, I would use a attention/physical reward.

Or...

you could bring your best chicken in a cat crate inside and reward him however you please when he ignores her... might be more traumatic for the chicken tho-