HELP! Guard puppy killing chickens

[Nightcro]

I recently bought a half anatolian shep. Half great pyranese puppy. Its been going great the past month until today - he killed two chickens. He didnt try to eat them or anything just killed them probably playing with them. Anyone have experience training pups or any advice please help!

Thanks,

Jamie

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, I have experience. For now make so dog cannot get to chickens to maul them, at least while not under direct supervision. Dog needs to age out of this problem and a little training will be in order. Still have so dog can see, hear and smell birds all the time. Ideally for me dog would be confined within perimeter around where chickens confined.

 

[Nightcro]

So mostly the problem is age? A playful puppy? How long do you think it takes on average? I'm sure all dogs are different. He is 10 weeks old currently. When and what should we be doing for training?

 

[centrarchid]

18 to 24 months before fully trustworthy. I reprimand when pup / dog acts inappropriately. I grab muzzle pushing it down giving a low growl. Then release but resume if dog looks at bird again. Still not fully trustworthy until mature.

You can get protection yet at night when birds on roost and dog cannot get to them. Do not expect anything until pup is a good 6 months old and even then do not expect dog to fight anything tougher than a opossum.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Luckily your dog is very young....

It's still worse case scenario, and a horrible way for a guardian dog to start. There should be no expectation of a dog that young to do anything right lol.

Best thing to do now is make sure he never does that again, ever! He will learn very fast the chickens are off limits with some help. I used an electric collar to help my dog understand and it really works. Now she guards them ferociously, and she's a hunting dog.

I wouldn't let him with the chickens without a way to control him, leash, collar or something. I had an idea of crating my dog and feeding the clings all around her until she ignores them or something like that. It's a good idea, but I didn't need to do it because the shock collar worked.

I would say the more you can expose it to the birds with correction the better off you'll be in the future.


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[centrarchid]

Luckily your dog is very young....

It's still worse case scenario, and a horrible way for a guardian dog to start. There should be no expectation of a dog that young to do anything right lol.

Best thing to do now is make sure he never does that again, ever! He will learn very fast the chickens are off limits with some help. I used an electric collar to help my dog understand and it really works. Now she guards them ferociously, and she's a hunting dog.

I wouldn't let him with the chickens without a way to control him, leash, collar or something. I had an idea of crating my dog and feeding the clings all around her until she ignores them or something like that. It's a good idea, but I didn't need to do it because the shock collar worked.

I would say the more you can expose it to the birds with correction the better off you'll be in the future.


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Back off on the nevers. Some killing to be expected in early stages and does not bode poorly for dog's value later.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Luckily your dog is very young....

It's still worse case scenario, and a horrible way for a guardian dog to start. There should be no expectation of a dog that young to do anything right lol.

Best thing to do now is make sure he never does that again, ever! He will learn very fast the chickens are off limits with some help. I used an electric collar to help my dog understand and it really works. Now she guards them ferociously, and she's a hunting dog.

I wouldn't let him with the chickens without a way to control him, leash, collar or something. I had an idea of crating my dog and feeding the clings all around her until she ignores them or something like that. It's a good idea, but I didn't need to do it because the shock collar worked.

I would say the more you can expose it to the birds with correction the better off you'll be in the future.


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Back off on the nevers. Some killing to be expected in early stages and does not bode poorly for dog's value later.

I wasn't being completely negative....

I disagree about some killing to be expected though, different strokes I guess


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[Tomhusker]

I have a 16 month old lab who had never been around chickens. I take him into the coop with my chicks every day. I don't stop him from sniffing them, or even nudging them. But when his tail starts wagging faster I give him the command to lay down. Once he is down the chicks will come right up to him and even crawl all over him without any issues. He actually gets bored and naps sometimes.

Disciplined training of the pup will go a long way to making him a good flock dog.

 

[brookePA]

Agreed! I think with training that dogs make awesome chicken guards. Our dogs follow us everywhere (Velcro dogs as I call them), but since we live on a farm we're outside a lot. The hens have learned that the dogs won't harm them, and the dog learns to protect the hens. It's a thing! The thing that I have to watch is when friends bring their dogs over; my chickens arent afraid so I keep them penned during these times. Better safe than sorry.

 

[centrarchid]

I wasn't being completely negative....

I disagree about some killing to be expected though, different strokes I guess


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Different levels of experience.