can you train a dog to not hurt your chickens?

[GOLDENSEABRIGHT]

good grief I cannot type today

 

[pnutj58]

Those "snacks," I think are one of the reasons my dog is so mild around my girls. She's never allowed to be with them without me being in the yard too, but I don't watch her every second. It's interesting to watch the parade. I weed whack or mow, the hens follow along behind (at a very safe distance) and pick through the short grass. The dog follows along behind the hens (also at a very safe distance) to clean up after them. It's gross to watch and know what she's doing. But, in another way, it's helpful in keeping the yard clean so I don't have to do it.

Had a little problem with auto-correct, there?

 

[6of6chicks]

Happy to find this thread! I'm a big dog lover, so I wanted to put my two cents of experience in.

I worked with my three year-old lab mix from the first day the chicks came home. My dog is predominantly lab, but there's a little terrier in her as well, so I knew that hunting chickens would be an issue. So I worked hard to train her, starting with initial "show" sessions where I kept a tight grip on her collar and got down on her level to show her a chick. She was instructed to be "gentle" (a word she already knows). If she stayed calm and just sniffed she got a treat. When she lunged she was verbally corrected. It just took LOADS of practice, but eventually she understood that chicks are not toys. I progressed to opening the coop doors with her there, then allowing her to be around the chickens when I went in the run. She can now be off leash and trusted not to hurt them. It will be a LONG time before I leave her unsupervised around the chickens (after all, I'm not completely naïve), but I think we'll get there.

My other main concern and reason for working so hard to train her is that I didn't want my chickens stressed out every time she was around. I have way too many hawks in the area to ever free range, so the chickens will always either be in the run or the tractor, but I didn't want them alarmed every time my dog was in the yard. All the training paid off - the chickens love my dog and run over to greet her when she's out. But they are still alarmed by OTHER dogs, which is good - they can tell my dog from other predators.

My mom's two dogs are over practically every day as well. Her purebred lab has no interest in the chickens. We could put one on her head and she wouldn't care. The other one is a whippet mix, and we will NEVER allow her to go near the chickens. I'm working to train her as well, but the hunting drive is just too strong in her. It's not her fault - it's what whippets are bred for. That just means it's my responsibility to make sure the chickens are protected from her when she's over.

I think it just depends on the breed, the training, and the time/effort the owner is willing to put in to socialize the dog with the chickens.

 

[Phoenixxx]

We just adopted a 4.5 yo doberman. The ad said "good with chickens and other livestock". Turns out, though, that he really wants to chase them - not sure whether for play or prey, but I think play. The shelter that had him for the past 7 months have a small farm. Higgins was very interested in the pigs and, as such, ignored all the other livestock. I don't have pigs

He's been with us for a week now and he's definitely making an improvement! I only work 2 days a week so I'm able to put the time in to train him. Funny thing is, while he has the urge to lunge at the birds outside, I can sit on the couch beside him holding a chick, or carry chicks in and out of the house right past him no problem! He did manage to get hold of a chick several days ago, was immediately reprimanded and hauled into the house. Boy, did he ever feel guilty! He stayed put in his bed while I doctored the chick. It was hours before he felt brave enough to ask me for forgiveness. I thought he was finally "broken" but next day, he lunged again.

The chick had only 2 tooth wounds on her. Considering how fast Higgins eats, if she was intended to be a "snack" she most likely would've been downed in one gulp, or at least chewed to death.

This morning, I had him sitting outside the coop but secured to a tree just in case. As all the little chickies and chickens ran out into the run, he stayed sitting and just watched them. I allowed him to observe, as he was looking around at other things (sounds), too; after many minutes, he got up and walked away

Yesterday, we (dog and I) were laying in the backyard. My chickens were loose, hanging out directly in Higgins' field of vision yet not once was he bothered to get up and give chase. Later on, though, I caught him stalking something... the escapee chicks had discovered a new part of the yard. Yep, he went for them! So, he's still unpredictable.

I've started bringing him babies to meet from my latest hatch. I'm hoping to replace his chase urges with a desire to protect as an additional tactic to leash and verbal corrections. After all, he is a guarding breed so I'm thinking it should help

 

[Phoenixxx]

I forgot to add, when I was little, we had a golden retriever. When she was about 5 or 6 years old, we moved to a place that came with chickens. While she did take a natural interest in them, it really didn't take much to get her to leave them alone. She even automatically helped herding them in at night! Then she would go around the property and collect all the free range eggs and bring them to us!

There was one incident, though, where we let a broody hatch a clutch. Our dog thought the babies looked like so much fun to play with, she had to bring them out! When they poked their little heads through the chicken wire, she grabbed them and pulled them through. Of course, this killed them, so when the first one came out not moving anymore, well, that was no fun, so she had to get another one. We lost 2 or 3 before she was busted and made to understand what she was doing and then all was well, the remaining chicks grew up unharmed.

Just came in from another round with my dobie. We were out and about for well over an hour. He did go for my rooster once, but it was kind of a lame attempt. Then he left them alone. At one point after that, he laid down about 8' from the coop and calmly watched the babies frolicking in the run. A little while later, he got up and just walked away! My coop is in the middle of the property, so we have to pass by going from backyard to front and front to back. With the exception of the one attempt, each pass today has been good!