Golden retriever nightmare

[Baymule]

I was given a Great Pyrenees because she was left unsupervised on 3 acres with lots of free range chickens. Yup, they made great toys and she "played" with them to death. I don't know what those people did to her, but she absolutely HATES chickens now. Mine are always cooped and the few times one or more has got out the door, my GP is right on them. I have tried various things, but I got her after the damage was done and so far, nothing has worked. Otherwise she is a wonderful dog. You have your work cut out for you. Maybe you can kennel your dog while the chickens are out and vise-versa, until you can impress on her that the chickens belong to you and she is not to "mouth" them. There are lots of threads on here about training a dog to not chase chickens by some very knowledgeable people, do a search and study. I wish you the best with your dog.

 

[Agentsnake]

Hi- I was doing a search for basenjis and chasing chickens as we just adopted an 8ish month old abandoned basenji/border collie. Just curious - did you have luck teaching your basenji to not chase your chickens? We just want to know if it is possible, or if we just need to keep everybody apart? Did some preliminary positive training with her and one chicken, but not sure if it will stick - only have had dog for 6 days. Thanks!

 

[Henny1Penny]

I am writing this in hopes of helping others and helping their dogs. I am a veterinarian by trade and I love dogs. But I too have the exact same problem--A nearly year-old Golden Retriever Dog that is so excellent in every way, except that with increasing intensity she wants to kill my other animals through chase and rough play.

Raised right along with the cats, chickens, geese, goats, sheep from 8 weeks of age. At first she was intimidated by the animals a little, then she started worrying them (we are always out there with her and keep her very busy/entertained). Then she started trying to worry them to the point of separating them from each other chasing them down and mauling them to near death--very harsh playing with bruises, punctures, etc. Everyone's covered in Blu-Kote.

She gets that crazy look in her eyes and the switch flips and she is nearly unstoppable. On a leash she pulls at the animals and any correction or distraction is futile (you are fooling yourself if you think you can pull an animal out of prey drive). If tied up she has learned to bark obnoxiously at the animals. I fenced in my entire property myself with a post hole digger and sheep--goat fencing (a lot of work) and I want (and deserve) a harmonious animal set up on my property. I want to keep my dog.

I refuse to be jumping over gates, preventing my animals to free range, worrying about and separating animals, tying up my dog, etc. I was desperate. I started researching and I am taking the advice of what is probably the most famous and most awesome animal behaviorist ever: TEMPLE GRANDIN. You won't find a more passionate and compassionate animal advocate.

Temple Grandin states she despises shock collars for all training, with the exception of using them to stop predation and stop chasing (ie. cars, bikes). You cannot allow you dogs to prey on your or anyone else's animals. You cannot allow your dog to run out into the street and be killed. And these are the only justified and necessary cases for a shock collar. You notice I didn't call it a training collar, stimulation collar, static collar or any other euphemism. And neither does she. I felt nauseated and horrible to go buy this product. I purchased it at PetSmart, the 1000 yard $169 collar. I felt sickened by the collar's instruction booklet. They want you to shock your dog for everything. I shocked myself with it on the different levels to see how it feels. An unsettling electric zap.

Here's what's happening: I only put the collar on for about an hour at a time. I take my dog out and am with her at all times with her electric collar on. I put her out with all the animals (listed above). I say nothing--this is not my behavior--it is hers. When she flips the switch and goes into predation mode -- and goes after an animal -- she gets a zap. Her decision to engage in this behavior brings about pain.

We are on day 2. She will never be zapped for anything else. If she walks near the animals and acts normal she gets verbal praise. If she pursues them she gets punished with a zap. It is unbelievable the transformation. She gets it. My animals are learning too, that she is not going to chase them. This stops them from running, which makes her less likely to chase. They are calm and she is becoming calmer. I hope I can put this thing away in the future and never use it again. But right now it is saving her life, saving our relationship and saving my animals.

 

[Jackschicks]

I do Golden Retriever Rescue and usually have 4 sometimes 5 golden retrievers at my house, 2 of my own and 2 or 3 foster dogs. I, too, hate the shock collar but it is a very valuable training tool for select behaviors. My chickens and dogs do not free range constantly but are out only with supervision. When the chickens are out, the dogs are in the house, when the dogs are out, the chickens are in their run. Although the area where I keep the chickens is fenced separate from the rest of the yard it is just a 4 ft fence and the chickens can and do fly over it when they free range. To my dog Bob,(and probably to most Goldens) a chicken is a ball that moves and makes noise.

Previously, I have only used the shock collar to teach a dog to respect the fence (I had a foster who would rip boards off the fence and escape, make a run through the neighborhood and then come back and rip more boards off the fence in a different spot to get back in). He had learned to do it so quickly that he was gone before you could get to him, even if you were just a few feet away. The shock collar cured him of that in a few days and the folks who adopted him have never had that problem again.

I have just started using the shock collar with Bob (who has the highest prey drive) but I will honestly admit that it is easier just to keep the dogs and chickens separated. I don't expect my dogs to be livestock guardians, though.

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

I have been around many breeds of dogs and been a K-9 Officer. I would suggest that you buy a good shock collar. When you let the dog out watch it very carefully. The minute that dogs starts in the direction of the chicken where you feel he is truly after it hit the button and I guarantee he will stop immediately. After a few times of that he associates his chasing the chicken with that correction and end of story. Just a suggestion as I tried this on a pit bull that love to kill cats. Every time that dog showed a interest in the cat and started in the direction of the cat and I was sure he was stalking the cat I hit the button. After three times...Game Over and he lived happily ever after with us and the cats.

 

[Bonz]

A dog must know from the start what its limitations are. My golden retriever started training the first day my birds came as chicks. He was allowed to acclimate to the birds and was trained not to play or go after them. My birds sit with him and even include him in their dust baths and I trust him around them. But with that said he is never left alone with them and I am alway aware were he his when the birds roam my yard. Golden retriever's have a quick reflex to snap a neck with a quick movement of there head, I'm sure you have notice it in your dogs play behavior, even in play it will be deadly to your birds. I don't know if you can ever break her of killing your birds, separation may be your only choice. Golden retrievers are smart dogs and she's young, I would leash her and re- introduce her to your birds with you in control, your the pack leader she wants to mak you happy. Every time she has agressive behavior toward your birds isolate her and time out her, she's still a pup so I think you can change her behavior if she knows what lines not to cross.