dog tried grabbing chickens. reason for it and a solution to stop it?

[cluckingheck]

i was checking everyone and my brother’s dog typically follows me down to the barn. usually she’s fine around the chickens, but for some reason she attacked atlas while i was right there. i was feeding them out of my hands — not throwing the treats — so i don’t think it was her being food aggressive? i don’t think she was being protective, either, because atlas wasn’t even near me and he actually had his back turned to us. did a prey drive kick in and she acted on it? she’s a red heeler/lab mix.

i was recording them eating out of my hand when it happened, so i managed to get a little bit of it.

https://imgur.com/a/M6CL1lE

 

[chicken3fly]

dogs are chickens natural predators

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Too bad you didn't get the dog in the shot. I'd be curious if it was focusing intensely before it snapped. My guess is it was doing some guarding. My Aussies occasionally will do something similar if they think someone else is getting goodies. Watch the dogs face the next to see if it's staring.

Prey drive is usually triggered more when running, but you never know. If you see the dog focusing on the birds that's the time to address the behaviors.

 

[cluckingheck]

Too bad you didn't get the dog in the shot. I'd be curious if it was focusing intensely before it snapped. My guess is it was doing some guarding. My Aussies occasionally will do something similar if they think someone else is getting goodies. Watch the dogs face the next to see if it's staring.

Prey drive is usually triggered more when running, but you never know. If you see the dog focusing on the birds that's the time to address the behaviors.

yeah, i have no idea. Last I know she was just laying down behind me and not paying any attention to the chickens. I do know, though, Atlas was the only one with his back turned to me and her and that’s the chicken the dog snapped at. That’s why I was thinking it was more of a prey drive thing kicking in. Who knows what was going on in her head

poor atlas is really skittish and this about scared him half to death.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess now you know to watch the dog. If it starts to focus on a bird, that's when I address the dog. Usually just a "hey", or "knock it off", and maybe slight poke with a finger, works here, but my dogs know those terms.