HELP to teach new puppy not to chase chickens

[chickens really]

What I do is first teach the basics and have that trained...I have a key word...Mine is "OFF"...Being you train Dogs your one step closer than most people...I trained all mine with a Volley Ball and to not use their mouths...Only feet...Long lead and lots of praise when puppy does something correct..As they get older I set them up for failure and then we work on that area...Pups love to learn but have short attention spans...Once it gets boring I always end on a good note ...

 

[happyfrenchman]

I agree with the guys at the feed mill... . I would let the puppy in with the chickens as soon as possible so it acclimatizes to them and knows they are not to be messed with, but are part of the pack. Plus the puppy is too small to hurt them. They will all get to know each other that way. My dog will actually tell a new dog that the chickens are off limits. He tells the cats that as well. Dogs are pack animals. You are the pack leader, the chickens are pack members same as the dog. I do not "train"my dog. He is smarter than some people I know. I act like the pack leader (I am the pack leader) I tell him what I want him to do and when he does it, we are good. If he does otherwise I redirect him That should be all it takes.

 

[JaeG]

Basic obedience training is very important as is your puppy respecting you. And keeping them on a leash until they understand what their job is when around the chickens is a must.

Depending on the breed your dog may not be dependable/have enough maturity until 2-3 years old, and some dogs are smart enough to take full advantage of the opportunity that when their owner isn't supervising them they will have a go at the chickens even if they seem to ignore them when the owner is present. It all depends on your dog's character.

Our girl is submissive which makes it easy to train her. She knows she is not to touch my birds and I trust her to be in the same room when our hand reared birds are out (that includes our finches). But I wouldn't leave them unsupervised just in case.

All dogs have prey drive but you have to satisfy that drive in constructive ways such as playing fetch, making them search for their food in the backyard, making them find hidden toys/treats, playing tug of war and letting the dog win as that means YOU are providing the satisfying rush they feel when they get the toy so they look to you for a repeat of that feeling, not to other things such as chasing your chickens.

Good luck!