Dog Chasing Chickens

[Salve&Fluffer]

I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that chases chickens whenever she gets the chance. She is not trying to hurt them, but I think she might by accident. I do not have any chickens now,but I will get some next year. I always walk my dog, Chispita, on a leash,but she sneaks out the door if it is opened too wide. How can I teach her to not chase the chickens?

 

[Rillion]

Salve&Fluffer :

How can I teach her to not chase the chickens?

I really don't think you can-- at least, not the point of being sure she'll never do it again. Your options are to lock up the dog, lock up the chickens, or both.​

 

[Kitsap Cluckers]

I am very strict with my dog and don't have this problem. She knows I'm the alpha and she should do as told. I work with her training several times a week and she knows commands like "leave it" and "halt" very well. Some regular training sessions could help, but won't provide immediate results. If I ever had an off-leash issue such as that, I would run out and buy a training collar. A quick zap after you say "halt" should remind your dog to mind it's manners. Some people don't like them, but I believe they are a helpful training aid when used properly and only as needed.

 

[AmyRey]

I'm sorry, Mods. I know you'll delete this.

Consider it done.

And I promise I'll be good from here on out, but darn if I didn't laugh aloud just typing that.

Stuff like that DOES make more work for us, you know. Save it for Random Ramblings, k?

~Lisa~​

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

That's cruel! It would not even work. What it would teach my dog is,"NEVER trust my owner."

 

[horsejody]

Salve&Fluffer :

That's cruel! It would not even work. What it would teach my dog is,"NEVER trust my owner."

Just ignore that post. Work with your dog around chickens. The best dog around chickens is one that ignores them. Make sure that you have taught your dog excellent recall and leave it commands. Then get the dog used to being near chickens without reacting. Whenever the dog reacts excitedly to chickens distract it. When it is ignoring them and focusing on you, reward it. If that doesn't work, try something different. You may or may not be successful. And FYI 90% of dogs cannot be left unsupervised with chickens.​

 

[Q9]

Quote:
As for the dog, just have the chickens in a secure run/coop. That should work (theoretically).

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Aren't spaniels traditionally hunting dogs? I would assume that the prey drive in them is fairly strong.

To prevent the majority of problems, I would ensure that the chickens are kept in an enclosed coop and run at all times. In addition, I would make sure that the run had some sort of underground reinforcement (such as buried hardware cloth bent outwards) all the way around to discourage digging.

If you have the time to teach and reinforce your teaching with your dog, you could always introduce her to the chickens while the dog is on a leash. If the dog lunges for the chickens, give your command for "No!" and do whatever you normally do to reinforce your command (some trainers firmly jerk the leash a bit to get the dog's attention). Repeat the training daily until the dog understands. Even with training, though, I wouldn't say that your chickens would be 100% safe around the dog.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I would and do keep my dogs in their own fenced area and the chickens in theirs.

You also need to consider other preditors as well. If your dog could get to them by getting out then they would/will get killed and/or taken by something else.

If you want your chickens to be somewhat free to eat fresh grass and bugs, then build a tractor or hoop coop so they at least stand a chance.

When funds allow, I'm going to complete a 5' x 12' cattle panel tractor so I don't have to worry about my eight girls becoming an easy dinner.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Until your dog is reliable don't give it access to the birds without you being there and having whatever control measures you need on. If your dog will 'leave it' on command then your voice might be all you need, but if you need a leash then do that. I had one dog I had to have on leash or with a fabric muzzle to be safe as she grew up. She just could not resist the temptation so it's my responsibility to see that she never gets the satisfaction or fun of getting a chicken till she grew out of it. As she is a LGD breed I was fairly sure she would grow out of this, not all dogs will. As noted if they are hunting breeds the trait may remain. Int hat case work on your leave it command and always be there so your birds are safe. However all dogs can learn to leave what their master has told them, it's just how strong a leader you need to be for that particular dog, they are all individuals. All basic dog training in obedience will help you in that regard. Also be sure the dog has enough exercise and something to do that satisfies their basic nature of instincts and drives so that they don't have to chase chickens out of frustration or boredom.

Chickens free ranging is your choice. I personally agree however those that state your birds are open to other dangers are also right. To me however it's worth it for them to have that time. Do what you can and feel necessary in your area to keep them safe. For me the dogs are it, they keep my birds safe, I have a team of 3 and now that they are all adult the team is fantastic and I have no losses. that was quite a bit of work for me to get there with 2 of them being rescues and one raised from a pup, but I now see the rewards. Lots of time, leadership, love and yes some negative reinforcement is necessary.

One very strong key in this however is for the dog to not continue to get a hold of chickens, or even think about getting after them without you redirecting them. You must prevent that, they can be turned around only if you prevent further occurrence until they are reliable. Training one day a week, or only when your out there yet her having free run to harass them while your not around will not work. And as silly as that sounds many rely on tactics like that. I do not agree even on just fencing the dog out. Dogs on the other side of a fence often get very frustrated and the hours spent honing their chicken watching skills for the time they get to chase undoes all the good training you can do when your with them. Better to have the dog somewhere else if you see that kind of behavior. Boredom and frustration are the two top things you need to deal with in all dog rehab, it's the cause of more bad behavior than not, with lack of consistent leadership being the rest.

JMO!