Can a 3 year old husky be taught to not attack chickens?

[The Happster]

My 3 y/o Border Collie x Labrador used to chase them. She never actually got one, but came extremely close. I won't know what she'd have done if she caught one.
The Leave It command is invaluable.

I can trust her completely with the birds now. I leave her outside watching flocks of chicks for me, protecting them from any predators.
I was very lucky with my girl.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have two dogs. Both smaller “old lady type” dogs. One, the poodle cross, will listen if I tell her no but she was very tempted to taste one of our chicks when we let them run around the house briefly out of the brooder when they were smaller. The other one is a Maltese cross, a rescue, that to put it bluntly, is dumb as a doornail, would not trust her for a minute with the chickens. She even tried to pull a chicken by its feet out of my lap when I was holding it. Dogs are predators, chickens are prey. You would have to use your judgment with the individual dog and I know many dogs who are just lovely around chickens but those with a very high prey drive, like a husky, would be even more difficult to train.

 

[FloorCandy]

My grandmother bred, raised, and showed Siberian huskies my whole life, I’d say 80% of her dogs couldn’t be trusted with small (non dog) animals. My stepdad saw one of her dogs flash across the yard and leap into the tree branches and snatch a squirrel off the tree! She then proceeded to try to swallow it alive because she was afraid to stop running and smash it because she knew they wanted to take it from her. Huskies are smart and fast, and basically impervious to pain once triggered into pursuit of something. However, some naturally don’t care about anything and have no prey drive. If the dog is naturally docile toward them and shows natural dog curiosity, like looking and sniffing you could probably train it to leave them alone. Sometimes it depends on the individual dog.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

My 3 y/o Border Collie x Labrador used to chase them. She never actually got one, but came extremely close. I won't know what she'd have done if she caught one.
The Leave It command is invaluable.

I can trust her completely with the birds now. I leave her outside watching flocks of chicks for me, protecting them from any predators.
I was very lucky with my girl.

You also have a different breed of dog. That is good and makes an invaluable difference in this discussion.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Yep. Chase is a different instinct to train than kill in my experience. Some dogs have one without the other, some have both. some neither.

If the husky chases, or kills accidentally, that's different than a dogs that's killing for sport and knows EXACTLY what it's doing.

80% being untrustworthy sounds about right to my ears. They're great dogs... I love my girl with my whole heart. But they're very wild when it comes to small animals.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I was given an almost 3 year old female husky from an older couple who couldn't look after her any more, I have a flock of 14 hens in a large backyard and already have a jack russel and Doberman who were taught to respect the hens, but since huskies have such high prey drives I'm not sure if I could let her outside unleashed, has anyone had success keeping a husky and chickens together? I know they say that they have very high prey drives but then so do jack russels and mine has never shown any aggression to the hens

I have 2beagles that were 1&2yrs old when we got them i leashed them at first when we got them and just constantly took them by the chickens i loved on and petted the chickens while they were there and they just figured they were family at the beginning of this summer while we were working outside my daughter put them in the run with the chickens and our bunny so they wouldn't take off to the woods and forgot they were out there she was so tired and they were out all night when we went to feed the chickens in the am there was both dogs in the nestboxes sleeping with chickens and the bunny laying on and around them any dog at any age any breed can be taught new tricks you just have to take the time to work with them and it is not going to happen instantly so don't worry and don't be impatient

 

[Glaser Coop]

Poor old gentleman. He can’t come out and rule his roost Mama!

No he stays in and watches game shows, the other two are allowed around the chicken but only with a shock collar and me out there. I just know my dogs as a dog owner and chicken owner I protect everyone! The last picture has the entire pack sleeping.

 

[Glaser Coop]

I have 2beagles that were 1&2yrs old when we got them i leashed them at first when we got them and just constantly took them by the chickens i loved on and petted the chickens while they were there and they just figured they were family at the beginning of this summer while we were working outside my daughter put them in the run with the chickens and our bunny so they wouldn't take off to the woods and forgot they were out there she was so tired and they were out all night when we went to feed the chickens in the am there was both dogs in the nestboxes sleeping with chickens and the bunny laying on and around them any dog at any age any breed can be taught new tricks you just have to take the time to work with them and it is not going to happen instantly so don't worry and don't be impatient

Love this story! I know 2 out of 3 are ok with the chickens but I must be present. Every dog is different.. I know my animals behavior and who I know will just be naughty,

 

[Flockincrazy]

No he stays in and watches game shows, the other two are allowed around the chicken but only with a shock collar and me out there. I just know my dogs as a dog owner and chicken owner I protect everyone! The last picture has the entire pack sleeping.

Ok total cuteness

 

[Sire12]

Well it seems the general consensus is that they can't live together except in rare cases, I'll try for a while and see how it goes but if she doesn't change I know someone else who could take her it's a shame because apart from the prey drive she is really sweet and friendly natured