The trainers really have to be well trained, don't they?
Sorry, passion kicking in again. Up the game. No breakfast for Ben. Now, on a lead. leave it means ignore a moving object, what I tossed! (ball, toy, etc) , come to me and make eye contact. Treat, or a handful of his breakfast, or throw a different toy and let him fetch it! Wait it out, it may take a bit for him to give up on a moving object. Only say "leave It" once. Next, go to the chickens on lead. When he LOOKS at a chicken, say "leave it!" wait for him to come to you and make eye contact. BIG TREAT or, throw a ball! Now ... I read your post about him grabbing the tail feathers. IMO, after you know he knows "leave it" he will still grab chickens in your absence. He was a gun dog. He needs to re-learn to never touch feathers. So...once you know he knows leave it when he even looks at a chicken, IMO, it is now fair and necessary to use a remote trainer. I'm in trainer mode now and won't mince words or fluffy it up. Be sure you know how to use the collar. NEVER use it in anger. Dogs are pretty darned smart, so don't go buckle a collar on only when you have time to train. You'll only teach the dog not to eat chickens when the collar is on. I tape a piece of lead to their regular collar. Put the E collar on an hour before training so there's no association. Set it on Med. Have a pocket full of treats. Duct tape your mouth if needed, just watch. Stay way far away, uninterested. If he looks at a chicken, give a collar correction. Every time he looks at a chicken, give a correction. Try really hard to not let him notice you. If he happens to come find you to tell you that the chickens shocked him, give him a big reward and "good leave it!" This is so hard to explain.I'll shup now.
