How do I train my dogs to be chicken friendly?

[Young MacDonald]

Last Friday, I was in the same spot as you. I was terrified that my dog, an 8 year-old black lab, was going to attack our new chickens if they were ever in the yard at the same time. She was circling their run every chance she had and staring at them with her tongue hanging out ... drooling.

We've also had some chicks in the house in a brooder box -same deal, staring at them and waiting. We tried to hold them in our hand to show her they were pets and the second my son put one on the floor, she tried to attack it and eat it. Last week, my daughter tried it again when she took a chick in the yard and showed it to the dog. She (the dog) tried to eat it.

So Friday we took the 4 week-old chicks out of the house and had them in a dog kennel in the yard. She sat by the kennel and did her lip-licking, "I want to eat you" stare. Meanwhile, we let the the older chickens that we've had living outside in the coop and run out into the yard. They were right next to her walking around free, but she was so obsessed with the baby chicks that she didn't care at all about the older ones. So each day since then, we've been watching her around the older chickens. She has absolutely no interest in them!

Then, Saturday, we moved the babies outside into the coop & run. Yesterday, we let them into the yard, and she was curious, but did not lunge at them like she did back when they were off limits. Today, she followed the baby chicks, ignored the older ones, but did not attack anybody.

So maybe distraction will work for you too?


edited for typos

 

[Uppity Peon]

I came across this video on Youtube.

Some dogs are harder to dominate than others, but they must have absolutely no question you are the leader. You don't have to be cruel, just very firm and diligent.

 

[rubyjane]

I agree with silkysandra.i'm in that prosess now.i have three dogs of my own,two granddogs that come here almost every day.i've always had dogs and other animals.i've never lost a mouse,rat.hamster,oreven parkeets that ran around the house with a 100 pound dog

 

[Young MacDonald]

Well, distraction only works for so long - a week apparently. My dog killed a 5 week old chick this afternoon. She did it right in front of my husband.

So now I need to edit my profile to say 5 RIR

 

[nzpouter]

a one on one approach is best rather than trying to deal with all 3 at the same time.

Work from the most dominant down, take them with you when doing chores around your chickens, leash on, quick correction when they show interest.

Consistency and time is what you need to suceed.

 

[Kev]

It seems the two main "tricks" is to have the dog actually regard YOU as the leader and being able to accurately read the signals and knowing exactly when to correct the dog.

If the dog does not actually regard you as the leader.. well, he is not really going to respect you and do what he wants to do... eventually. Like many dogs will simply learn not to show any interest when someone is around because it'll get yelled at or whatever.. but when nobody is home for the day or weekend, well...... he's going to do what he wants to.

Misreading or misapplying corrections also seems to be a bad thing. Caesar makes a good point- you need to correct the dog at "step one"(a slight change like ears pointed towards chickens instead of "neutral" or backwards) instead of waiting until the dog is at ster 2, 3, 5 or 10- which is the previously mentioned- stalking and running around the coop.. that should have been nipped the bud instantly and every time.

If possible, try to get a dog that has lower energy or especially lower prey drive. It's the prey drive that makes it so hard to train most dogs to leave chickens alone. Dogs that readily chase tossed balls or rags have a high prey drive, for example.. it's the same stimulus as a running chicken.... one of the easiest dogs I ever had was a German shep looking mix.. he had ZERO interest in tossed objects.. if I tried throwing a ball he would just not even look at the ball.. just looked at me like 'huh?' when I tried to tell him to get the ball.. got him as an adult dog, was a city dog, never saw a bunny or chicken.. he was surprised at seeing the chickens, but was not interested in them at all. I'm sure many of you will understand I seriously loved that dog(he was wonderful in other ways but that ease and no worrying was SUCH a blessing......)

 

[Gonzo]

If you figure it out, let me know! I have 2 westies, and our male ALWAYS sits pretty when we walk by holding one like it's a treat for him! Lab's may be trainable, I doubt our terriers will be, because of their small critter hunting skills.

 

[ruth]

I have four dogs (2 GSDs, 1 catahoula mix, 1 Min Pin) that do not bother our flock of free ranging chickens, ducks and peacocks. I am now training two new GP puppies.

I simply take each new dog, on leash with me as I go in and out of pens and flocks of chickens and ducks, feeding and watering. If the dog trys to go for the chicken, I give a simple tug and say "no", "leave it". I also pick up a chick or chicken and pet it and show it to the dog and let it sniff and pet dog and pet chick and pet dog and pet chick - you get the idea. After a while, especially if I know my dog will mind me, and they all do, I take them without leash.

It's important that your dog not be fearful or resentful of the chickens and not just biding its time - but rather that he thinks of them as family. If they are only NOT going for them because they fear you, they will get them when you're not out there. Our flock is always free and loose and some even sleep with the dogs and the dogs will sleep in the coop with the chickens. The dogs just learned that the chickens were part of the family, just like the cats, and they all get along. I didn't have to train the cats just watched them and basically did the same thing - corrected them if they started toward a chick. So now I have 6 dogs of different breeds, and 2 cats who are always left alone with the flock and keep away predators. I have over 200 chickens, 50 ducks, 6 peacocks, 2 geese and 7 goats that all happily coexist.

I find that having the flock running loose around the farm has helped tremendously. When I first got ducks, one of our dogs killed 6 in less than a minute when we turned our back after letting them out for the first time. It didn't occur to me that she would think of them as predators or vermin and kill them like she does coons and possums - I thought she would just think of them same as the chickens. But, after that I did my little routine, took her in the duck pen a couple of times, introduced her and she hasn't bothered one since and that was over a year ago. Then the new GSD puppy caught and killed and ate 4 Mallards, one each day, when they flew out of their pen. We caught her on the last two, which were done at the same time, and fussed at her and then did the same routine, took her in duck pen. But that's when I decided that looking at the ducks from the other side of the pen made them less of "family" so when they got out, they were fair game. So, I just opened the gates and let the ducks go free and now they are all over the farm and the two prior "duck killers" are amongst them every day and have never bothered one since.

When people ask me how I keep predators away, I always say "The secret to keeping predators away is to surround your flock and farm with predators. What other predator, in its right mind, will want to run the gauntlet of dogs and cats?"

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Quote:

 

[brian8jr]

I have an Australian Shepard that is 8 months old and he started out trying to herd chickens and I didn't think I was ever going to break him of it but the best thing to do his keeping taking your dog down when you do chores and keep an eye on him and eventually the newness will wear off and they'll be just fine.