Dogs and Chicks....

[Vickilynn45]

I have three dogs- a big male Boxer and two mutts. We take the chicks out daily under supervision and let them play for about two hours. The coop and run are about done so it won't be much longer and they will be able to stay out all day when it's warm- they are almost a month old. Anyway, we are all really careful about keeping the dogs in while we play outside with the chicks, and we even have a sign we put on the door while out so no one accidently lets them out at the same time. We have had our boxer outside with us, and we make him lie down and he seems to love the chickens. He'll lick them and watch over them. (We had a tiny feral kitten that he 'mothered' from the time it was born- he loves little things.) But.... today, my daughter got distracted and brought a friend out the back door to see the chicks and let the dogs out too. One of the mutts, who I knew would go after the chicks, did. She was so fast, and surprisingly the chicks managed to race under the porch before she caught them and we were able to grab all three dogs and bring them back inside. I about had a heart attack it scared me so much- and of course my daughter was upset about her mistake.

My question is: Is there a way to find peace between the dogs and chicks- can they be taught to leave the chickens alone, or is it an instinct/drive that some dogs have that can't be fixed? Of course we will use hardware cloth and predator proof our coop and run, but there will be sometimes I will be outside and will let the chickens free-range in the yard, and I'd love to be able to let them do it while the dogs were out too. It's such a worry. Have any of you been able to train your dogs to leave the chickens alone, and if so, how did you do it? The thing that bothered me was that my boxer seemed to get caught up in the frenzy, so I don't know that he will ever be able to be around them without being on a leash too. If I have to always be careful and keep them separated, I will.

 

[MrsVsChicks]

I am interested in hearing response to this as I am in the process of acclimating my golden to my chickens.

Thank you for asking.

 

[SilverFire5467]

With the dogs already full grown, it will be very difficult. Personally I have trained my grandfathers golden not to touch my birds while he was about a year and a half old. All i would do is use my voice and scold him if he chased them, one time the hen he was chasing (just for fun) ran right to me and he stopped and froze when he realized i was in front of him. After that scolding he never touched them. But I think it depends on the dog, he only wanted to play, your dog doesn't sound like it would just be playing. I'm not sure i would ever trust him with them myself.

 

[cary 1973]

what you will want to do is bring one dog out at a time have it on a leash and adult who can handle the dog make the dog lay down be calm and submissive if he gets excited or shows signs of being excited take him out that moment its had to describe what to do you bit its neck with your hand thats what a alph dog dose like i said hard to explain maybe watch a few dog wispers shows you will see. oh ya during this time let a few of the chick out to do what they do but make sure the chicks dont get in the danger zone. cant garentee they will ever be best of friends but my candi was obessed with getting my desert tortis and we did this everyday for a week and now when hes out she no longer sits by his gated yard and wine and bark and try to get in at him she ingnores him

 

[cary 1973]

I would never turst them unsupervied and make sure the coop and run is dog proof inculuding digging under. and chicken wire will not keep a dog out hardwar cloth is the best to use

 

[chickiemomy]

getting my first chicks this week, with a German Shepherd in residence, so will soon learn by first hand. but recall a neighbor some 30 years ago who had a Great Dane. When he first got his chicks, he made the dog lay down, and then placed the chicks on the dog's back - keeping the dog under control - let the chicks have the 'run' of the dog - until the dog learned the chicks were not for chasing. I've since seen dog whisperer episodes where Cesar trained dogs to not chase small animals using similar techniques - dog under control, relaxed state with immediate feedback for any unwarranted attention in the small animal. he placed the small animal (think I recall rabbits) virtually under the dog's nose & all over. what does he say - "Exercise, discipline, then affection"

that said - several dogs together can easily be distracted from lessons and forget their manners. best to not rely on training - but sounds like that's a plan you already have. You also probably already know some breeds are more into chasing than others - think terriers.

Fortunately my shepherd is really into watching - he's quite a gentle guy -except not reliably well-behaved around other dogs, sigh- but he's great with our cats!

good luck - it's stressful when pets don't get along. (or sibs either for that matter!! - ah life's little challenges! ha,ha)

 

[HousyRunner]

I've had my dog out with my new chicks and by introducing them slowly, they seem to get along fine. My guess is that some of it has to do with breed and temperment, and some with training. Mine's a four-year old lab mix. We let the chicks out first for exercise and foraging. When they became comfortable being out, we brought in the dog, first on a leash, let her watch and then smell the chicks. Then we held her by the collar and then let her off leash or collar, but made her lie down to watch. She proved more curious, not aggressive (although she loves to run), and now she mothers them--licks them, herds them, watches over them. They quickly got used to her and got to walking over her, pulling at the hairs of her coat--all of which she tolerated with a bemused curiosity. The cat got introduced next. Met the chicks first while they were still indoors in the brooder, then outdoors from a distance, then up close. In doors she checks on the chicks and then goes away to lie down or do something else. Outdoors she just watches them. I can leave her indoors with the chicks for ten minutes or so, but I wouldn't leave her (yet) alone with them for a couple of hours or outdoors unattended. Now we have a second cat who is much more of a bird hunter and she will be introduced with still more caution.

 

[Vickilynn45]

Part of the problem with Alli, the main problem dog, is that she was a dog we found starving on the Reservation. We rescued her and she is the most loving loyal dog, but I'm guessing she probably did a lot of hunting to survive. Our boxer is a lover boy, but like a PP stated, once they get in a group, all bets are off. I will have to give some of these ideas a try with close supervision- maybe with my husband working with me on it. Thanks everyone!

 

[Dingo]

what you will want to do is bring one dog out at a time have it on a leash and adult who can handle the dog make the dog lay down be calm and submissive if he gets excited or shows signs of being excited take him out that moment its had to describe what to do you bit its neck with your hand thats what a alph dog dose like i said hard to explain maybe watch a few dog wispers shows you will see. oh ya during this time let a few of the chick out to do what they do but make sure the chicks dont get in the danger zone. cant garentee they will ever be best of friends but my candi was obessed with getting my desert tortis and we did this everyday for a week and now when hes out she no longer sits by his gated yard and wine and bark and try to get in at him she ingnores him

Dominance theory has been disproven, the only reason it works is the same reason breaking a horse by forcing it down and standing over it with a whip works- you can break anything with intimidation. And recommending that someone use physical force, which can lead to a nasty bite, is begging for more trouble.
Anyway,You coule do some counter conditioning an desensitization(CC&D). Counter conditioning is taking a stimuli(the birds) and changing the impulse(to chase, or kill) to a more acceptable behavior. Desentization is to get the dog to stop having such a strong reaction to the birds. The two tend to go hand in hand - D may occur as a side effect of CC
Here's a video on basic CC&D.

You can also incorporate Its Yer Choice into your training. IYC is like leave it but is not cued and helps a dog learn impulse control. Because it's not cued you dont have to constantly nag your dog, but it should be kept on a random rate of reinforcement to encourage the behavior once it's understood by the dog.
If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
And here's a video showing a some IYC.

 

[FuryanGoddess]

I have a German Shepherd and she goes nuts over the chickens. She thinks the guinea pigs are her puppies, but she wants to EAT the chickens. Snaps at them and runs around their coop/run. Just runs circles. I wouldn't trust her w/ them.... too much a prey animal. She LOVES chasing birds.