help keeping the chickens away from the dog!

[scheelgrl]

I need serious advice! We put our chicken coop close to a german shepherd on a cable that allows him to run 20ft with 5 ft in either direction on the side. When we started free ranging tye chickies in the evening, they couldnt resist going over to investigate. Unfortunately, he has killed two chickens and a duck - ate them whole! I wanted to shoot him, but hes my boyfriends dog and he is helping keep predators away from the coop...problem is, he is a predator himself. For the past two weeks when i let the chickens out, i tie him up so he cant run down his cable to attack them....but im hoping someone has advice on how to teach the chickens to stay away from him. Rehoming him or moving him is out of the question. He requires steel poles sunk in concrete, he is so strong. Any advice is more thaan welcome. Im at my wits end with this situation! And of course, a pic always helps so here he is eyeballing my babies....

 

[activia]

www.bestfriendfence.com

Instead of the cable

 

[dainerra]

there are a lot of threads here on training a dog to be around chickens. The set-up you are describing, though, is doomed to fail. chickens won't be reliable to stay away from the dog and an unsupervised dog is next to impossible to train to not bother the birds.

raining. training. more training. Just like cleaning the coop and scooping poop and all the other jobs that come with having a pet. The only thing more necessary to a dog than training is food!

You already know that he is excited with the chicks. Find the closest distance that the dog first notices the birds in the brooder. This might be in another room if he is one to constantly glance at the door. Put your dog on leash and get some extra special treats that he only gets for this work - bacon, grilled chicken (no spices!), hot dog chunks, etc. When the dog glances toward the birds, say his name and "leave it" If he looks at you, give him a treat - if he doesn't, give a light pop on the leash (think tap on the shoulder). When he looks at you reward him.
You can also teach him "watch me" the same way. You can practice this at random times though out the day. If you have a couple extra minutes while you're watching TV or whatever, just say his name, pause, "watch me" When he makes eye contact, then reward him. You can also (if you get in the habit of keeping a small treat in your pockets) catch him looking towards you say "watch me" and then reward. Or just praise him verbally.

Once the dog is reliably paying attention to you and the birds at a distance, move a little bit closer. If he absolutely blows you off, you're too close. Just back up a bit and begin again. Eventually you will be right amongst the birds. You can then start at a distance or with a long line (20' leash or so) and work from there. I never ever leave my dogs/chickens loose unattended together.
I don't even trust Rayden
I don't mean I constantly hover over the dogs when they are out with the birds, but I am in the area and aware of what they are doing. Think of it as a small child. Even though you've taught them not to play with matches, would you leave them alone in the house with matches scattered all over the floor?

The most important part of the training is to set the dog up to succeed. Don't give him a chance to chase the birds. Don't give him a chance to disobey.

ETA: The best thing about teaching "leave it" is that it works for everything. Drop something on the floor and don't want the dogs to touch it? "leave it" See dog running toward a snake? "leave it" Lots of training and work, but it pays off!
Of course, some dogs just can't be trusted off-leash. Period. They are just too focused on the birds. In that case, just confine the dog when the birds are out.

 

[scheelgrl]

Dainerra, thank you so much for your detailed response! And i just love the picture! I guess i will start the training tonight....hes pretty head strong so wish me luck! I hope i can turn this situation around!

 

[dainerra]

scheelgirl, I just noticed that we used to be practically neighbors! My boy Rayden is from a breeder in Spencer; my mom lives in Cottageville (right outside Ripley) I grew up in Pt. Pleasant

One thing to be sure of - don't let him have access to the birds when you aren't there. An accident can really set back your training. I keep the boys confined when I can't watch them, especially Singe. He's only 1 1/2 and still a bit too wild.

 

[chfite]

Chickens aren't that smart. A fence to keep them away from the dog, might be a good idea.

Chris