How do you train your LGD with Fowl ..?

[chickenzoo]

My GP had 9 puppies that are now 4 weeks old. Since birth my baby emu has walked around them and layed beside their kennel. As they aged I have been putting in baby geese and allowing them to sniff them but not bite at or jump on them. I am now introducing one of my Silkies to them. One pup got excited and pulled some feathers which I promptly remove from it's mouth after clapping sharply and saying NO. I do not allow them to bite or jump on the chicken, they can bow down like they want it to play, they can sniff her but no mouthing or tackeling. If one gets rough I clap sharply and say NO. They seem to get it and each day they will just take a sniff then go lay down around her. Being a Silkie she ignores them......

So what else should I do.....

How do you train yours?

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

Very cute puppy!!!! There are not many things cuter than a GR puppy! Sigh...I wish they could stay smaller longer!

I have had both my GR girls since they were puppies. They are from a hunting line. My older girl has a very high prey drive. Her sister likes to carry things around more than she wants to kill them!

When they were puppies they were only allowed to be near the rabbit if they lay down. They were older (4 and 2) when I got peeps for the first time a year ago. But it was the same thing...they had to lay down to be in the room where the baby chicks are. And if I held a peep up to their mouth I taught them to look away.

I do not let them stare at the chickens like they want to eat them.....no direct eye contact is allowed! That's the biggest thing I taught them. If they are not allowed to view the chickens as prey....they will accept them as part of their pack....and not dinner!

And no playing....as puppies they are learning boundries when they play as I'm sure you know. Chickens (unless it a really big mean one!) can't really communicate to the dog if it is playing too rough. To the chicken it's not a game....the dog is just in their space, moving fast and they are scared! In a pack the leader controls the play. If you don't allow the dog to ever play with the chicken, you are giving the chicken power over the dog. That's a good thing!

With this years peeps:

My baby girl with her bunny:

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You're already off to a good start.
Just continue giving them as much exposure as possible, and hopefully they will catch on.

It's a long process, and not all dogs will make good poultry protectors

Keep in mind they will be puppies for two years

I like to start them early also
This Maremma is 5 weeks old:

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

Sorry! GP, not GR!! Just as beautiful......maybe next time!

 

[Baymule]

Ummmm............maybe let 'em practice with foul fowl you don't want anyway??

Seriously, you sound like you are on the right track, keep up the good work.

 

[chickenzoo]

I trained my other 3 GP's with fowl, and they are great with all of them, but they were 3 months old or so when I got them, the female was the hardest. I was just checking to see what I should be doing earlier with these young ones to get them off to a good start.

thanks for your input, I like seeing what others ideas are on the matter.

 

[AKsmama]

I think doing what your doing is a great start, chickenzoo. Just exposing them to the animals while they are young is good. We got our GP when she was about 9 or 10 weeks old. . . it's a long story, but she was rescued and had lived in a house with a family with kids for three weeks before we brought her home, so she is very, very bonded to people, but she is doing ok. The funny thing is, she had never set eyes on a chicken until we brought her home. My husband was home and the chickens were out in the yard when we pulled up. Of course, since chickens are nosy, they came running over, and Cassie never growled, barked, whined, or anything. She just sniffed them. I thought that was amazing. Any other dog would have either been deathly afraid or viciously going after them, but she seemed to accept them right away. Now, that's not to say we don't still have to train her; she does get rambunctious, but she's not hurt anybody (yet) and has actually broken up some fights, like she is supposed to. It's an interesting relationship between LGDs and their charges, isn't it?

ETA: I'll bet your pups will learn quite a lot by observing the adults at your place. That's what everyone said when we got Cassie- "Oh, you need another dog to train her!" Uh, I don't have another dog, no one near me has a fowl guardian, and I'm not willing to pay someone to do it at their place. I think you'll find your adults will be the best teachers.