How did YOU train your dog to leave chickens alone?

[aoxa]

Jim,

The shock collar does not seem to puzzle my pup at all. She has a high pain tolerance, and if anything it's like a grown dog biting the pup in training. That's what my farm dog trainer explained. It has been the #1 tool that has helped us. Clem is definitely not sensitive like your girl.

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

Aoxa,

Your Pyr was a big baby. I'm sure shock collars can be used responsibly. But, I have enough problems restraining myself from checking or dogs when they ignore me. It's best if I stick to treats.

Jim

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa,

Your Pyr was a big baby. I'm sure shock collars can be used responsibly. But, I have enough problems restraining myself from checking or dogs when they ignore me. It's best if I stick to treats.

Jim

What would you do if they weren't food motivated? Clem is not. She won't accept treats (unless it's meat).

I've tried every trick I've read. She is very bull headed!

 

[aoxa]

This one here is a godsend. He is so good with the birds. However, he hates the sheep. I am not sure why either. Maybe because they don't respect his personal space? He doesn't react to the birds flogging him. He grunts when pecked in the eye and walks away.

 

[loanwizard]

I actually can partially agree about the shock collars.

I have trained, or been lucky in the training of 6 dogs, failed miserably with one, and have not used on the puppy.

I use it as an extension of my arm, which may be wrong. I don't leave the collar on so the dogs know what they mean, again wrong.

I only use it high enough to get their attention. Right- meaning this is correct, not sarcasm.

When they give too much attention to a subject, a quick no, or my chicken.... if that doesn't get their attention zap.

I usually retrain every once in a while when they get too froggy with ignoring the come command, and use it extensively in the field with my beagles, but usually stay away from it as a general rule.

The one I screwed up with, I think there is something wrong with that dog. My girlfriend rescued her 5 years ago as a puppy. She had always lived in the backyard in the city, a yard fenced by a wooden privacy fence. We found out that she had been getting out by neighbors and assumed she was getting out of the gate. I took her to the farm and put her in a fence made of cattle panel. She is Boxer/Great Pyrenees mix and climbed it. Next I put electric at the top and bottom. She hit the electric, backed up then cleared it. I used the collar, she felt the jolt.... well it took a while (hours) for her to come back home. Well I put her in a 10x10x6 kennel fence.... climbed it. Then I put a roof on it.... chewed and pulled the chain link apart. Next, took her back to town. Got a call from the warden that he witnessed her go through, yes rammed her chest through the wooden privacy fence and jumped on an old lady (thankfully a friends mother), not in anger but in greeting I suppose.... Now, she stays inside.

Anyhow, I do not hold myself out as a dog trainer, only share my experiences so that others may or may not point out what I may or may not have done right or wrong. Bottom line, I don't have the ordinary predator problems of coyotes, coon, possum, etc which I attribute to the dogs, or their smell.

 

[aoxa]

I actually can partially agree about the shock collars.

I have trained, or been lucky in the training of 6 dogs, failed miserably with one, and have not used on the puppy.

I use it as an extension of my arm, which may be wrong. I don't leave the collar on so the dogs know what they mean, again wrong.

I only use it high enough to get their attention. Right- meaning this is correct, not sarcasm.

When they give too much attention to a subject, a quick no, or my chicken.... if that doesn't get their attention zap.

I usually retrain every once in a while when they get too froggy with ignoring the come command, and use it extensively in the field with my beagles, but usually stay away from it as a general rule.

The one I screwed up with, I think there is something wrong with that dog. My girlfriend rescued her 5 years ago as a puppy. She had always lived in the backyard in the city, a yard fenced by a wooden privacy fence. We found out that she had been getting out by neighbors and assumed she was getting out of the gate. I took her to the farm and put her in a fence made of cattle panel. She is Boxer/Great Pyrenees mix and climbed it. Next I put electric at the top and bottom. She hit the electric, backed up then cleared it. I used the collar, she felt the jolt.... well it took a while (hours) for her to come back home. Well I put her in a 10x10x6 kennel fence.... climbed it. Then I put a roof on it.... chewed and pulled the chain link apart. Next, took her back to town. Got a call from the warden that he witnessed her go through, yes rammed her chest through the wooden privacy fence and jumped on an old lady (thankfully a friends mother), not in anger but in greeting I suppose.... Now, she stays inside.

Anyhow, I do not hold myself out as a dog trainer, only share my experiences so that others may or may not point out what I may or may not have done right or wrong. Bottom line, I don't have the ordinary predator problems of coyotes, coon, possum, etc which I attribute to the dogs, or their smell.

You shouldn't have the collar on them for any long period of time, as the prongs can burn their skin after 24 hours. I put it on only when I'm there to use it if necessary. Once I fell down the stairs and accidentally shocked her along the way. I'm sure that confused the heck out of her.

I do use it very similarly. It was a last resort to be honest.

 

[Scott H]

You don't throw a e-collar on and start punishing. It needs to be introduced in training like any other training method.
Example.
When I taught our poodle to heel off the leash he already had been taught the heel command on the leash and knew what was expected of him. He was about 6 months old then. I took him off the leash and said "heel" and he heeled for awhile and then stepped out in front of me and "played catch me if you can." Took me about 20 minutes before I got him back on the leash.
Got the e-collar out and repeated the scenario. As soon as he started to get the least bit away from my side he was given THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE NECESSARY and was given the command to heel. As soon as he started to get back into position the voltage was reduced to nothing and he got praised for healing. Didn't take him long to figure out that by my side is where it was the most comfortable. That's why I like the Dogtra collars, the correction stimulus is infinite, and you apply just enough correction to get results. There can be absolutely no pain for your dog.

The instructions tell you to put the collar on the dog and let them get used to it. When the dog is totally relaxed, start to turn up the stimulus knob until the dog picks up his head and looks around like, "what that?" That's the level you train your dog at, just enough they can feel something.

 

[aoxa]

You don't throw a e-collar on and start punishing. It needs to be introduced in training like any other training method.
Example.
When I taught our poodle to heel off the leash he already had been taught the heel command on the leash and knew what was expected of him. He was about 6 months old then. I took him off the leash and said "heel" and he heeled for awhile and then stepped out in front of me and "played catch me if you can." Took me about 20 minutes before I got him back on the leash.
Got the e-collar out and repeated the scenario. As soon as he started to get the least bit away from my side he was given THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE NECESSARY and was given the command to heel. As soon as he started to get back into position the voltage was reduced to nothing and he got praised for healing. Didn't take him long to figure out that by my side is where it was the most comfortable. That's why I like the Dogtra collars, the correction stimulus is infinite, and you apply just enough correction to get results. There can be absolutely no pain for your dog.

The instructions tell you to put the collar on the dog and let them get used to it. When the dog is totally relaxed, start to turn up the stimulus knob until the dog picks up his head and looks around like, "what that?" That's the level you train your dog at, just enough they can feel something.

For sure Scott. I never just threw it on her. I had a trainer working with her. She introduced to collar, not me. She's been working with farm dogs for 20 years. I owe her a lot, as we were hopeless. Clem was not working before she stepped in. It wasn't that she was bad with the chickens, she just had zero respect for us and any basic manners. She was given too much freedom and not enough direction, and we were at fault. Now we are turning that around and are getting so much more out of her than we ever thought possible.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

What I like about your post, Aoxa, is that you explained how you used the collar as PART of your overall training program and not as your sole training method. I see a lot of people who use or suggest it as the only thing they are doing to train their dog and just pushing a button over and over. Now THAT will really confuse a dog.

Each dog is going to need a tailored training strategy based on what works for him and what motivates him. I think if you decide to use a collar it should be a considered decision and used appropriately which is clearly what you are going. Training a dog that is not food motivated is tricky!

 

[Scott H]

Quote:
My post wasn't aimed at you or any of the other posters. Just my clumsy way of communicating.

I just hear of people who do just put on the collar and expect a well trained dog.