How to get my dog to stop attacking my chickens?

[JadeYChickens]

I have had my chickens since November of 2023, but recently I have taken in a rescue dog. The dog is an English Bulldog and she is older. She has been trying to attack my chickens and I am trying to keep her on a leash and have her be able to see the chickens from a distance to get used to them being there everyday. My Question is, is there anything else I can do to get/train my English Bulldog to stop trying to attack my chickens?

 

[21hens-incharge]

How old is "older"?
How experienced are you with dog training?

For mine it is a separate section of the yard for dogs.
I cannot have mine scaring the hens so my dogs and chickens never get close to each other.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Welcome to BYC!! If you go to "forum search" this is a topic (dogs with chickens,) that has many threads. I have a dog background, won't bore you with details but I do alot of "be nice to chicken" training. Fences within fences are how my chickens roam (dog/pup in training,) not able to get to them until fully trained. On leash, introduce close up, correct any lunging, re-enforce good behavior (sit, stay, watch.) It's a lot of work. Chickens running is what kicks in the prey drive so look to do a correction. Good Luck!!

 

[NatJ]

My Question is, is there anything else I can do to get/train my English Bulldog to stop trying to attack my chickens?

For any kind of training you want to do, try also doing it within sight of the chickens. This would include basics like heel, sit, stay.

This helps with general obedience (because more practice always helps with that), but having to calmly obey commands is also helpful with the general idea of being calm around chickens.

 

[Nym]

You are doing the right thing by using lead / leash management. Treating / training the new dog in your life as you would a puppy is key. It makes no difference to the dog's age. I've trained my own two dogs from young pups but I would train any age dog the same way. There could be a rather high hurdle, say, if your dog has had previous experiences with chasing and catching / killing birds. Tap into / heavily exploit your dog's chase drive by transfering it to a ball. Find a ball your dog loves and keep it only for training sessions. I hear Bullies are big on food, so maybe one of those balls that holds a treat will increase the value. My GSD x staffy had a fave monkey fist rope ball for a long time. It hung on a hook by the back door and to get it she would have to remain calm and sitting. Good luck!

My new puppy has suddenly taken an interest in our new hens.