How To Train Your Dog Not To Kill Chickens

[Flfirecracker]

My lab and Jack were arond B.C. (before chickens). The lab is very tolerant of my flock and geriatric as well. Both have kept my flock safe at night from the free ranging ferral cats and coons. I will say the jack is never left un supervised when the flock is beyond the confines of thier coop.

 

[Drover]

I have used this method before with my australian shepherd that killed a few chickens- and it worked. Yes, dogs like dead things, but they dont like them tied to their neck all day. Especially when said dead thing is rotting. I only used the chickens head, and my dog hated it so much that he steered clear of chickens for the rest of his life!

 

[cbenson6820]

My shepherd killed several chickens and a duck within a month. I used the dead duck and a choke collar and the word NO! I just pointed to the duck and said NO! in a calm but stern voice and used the choke collar. It took all of 5 minutes to fix the issue. Now she stays outside with the chickens all day unattended and does not pay any attention to them.

I have used shock collars in the past but i have found that dogs that actually need a shock collar only listen while the collar is on.

 

[aggiemae]

This is not a prey drive or herding drive issue. I use high energy hunting dogs and always have. The dogs are expected to free range simulataneously with poultry (mine are juveniles) without supervision. Too many people that have read up on dog breeds but not actually put them through their paces are saying what can and can not be done. It is a combination of training and conditioning that is needed.

Keeping a dog penned up or in house except to use bathroom is not putting it through paces. Neither is keeping a dog for show purposes. Get to know your dogs. Develop communication so you have control. The dog needs a focus of interest that is not directly chicken / livestock oriented. Give the dog outlets for energy so it is not expended on poultry. You can realize a situation where poultry are safe like household furniture in the company of the dogs.

Where did you get the impression that I keep my dogs away from my chickens? Yes, one of our four dogs was very excited by the baby chicks. She was impulsive with lambs and goat kids too but she learned. Her prey drive (unusual high for the breed) was an issue from the day we got her, on the other hand, it has made her the "queen" of her flyball team.

In any case, I agree with you that a well trained dog should not need supervision around your own chickens (or other livestock) but experience has shown me that many, if not most, people don't train their dogs properly in the first place. If you disagree listen to how often most people say "NO!" before their dogs respond. IMO a properly trained dog would not have gone after the chickens in the first place.

 

[centrarchid]

Where did you get the impression that I keep my dogs away from my chickens? Yes, one of our four dogs was very excited by the baby chicks. She was impulsive with lambs and goat kids too but she learned. Her prey drive (unusual high for the breed) was an issue from the day we got her, on the other hand, it has made her the "queen" of her flyball team.

In any case, I agree with you that a well trained dog should not need supervision around your own chickens (or other livestock) but experience has shown me that many, if not most, people don't train their dogs properly in the first place. If you disagree listen to how often most people say "NO!" before their dogs respond. IMO a properly trained dog would not have gone after the chickens in the first place.

Probably less than 1 in 20 people have sufficient control of dogs. Unfortunately first part is training owners and that is more difficult than dogs. Owners to be targetted first are those with chickens.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Some dogs can be trained to be chicken safe, some just can't ever be trusted. There are shining examples of both extremes in any breed.

I raise and train my own ranch dogs from pups, no exceptions. I've never had one of my own dogs kill a chicken. In the OP's case, to be honest, I would never trust those dogs. No matter how many dead chickens they'd had tied on. A dog that hasn't been trained to livestock and who has a high prey drive is going to kill chickens. That's all there is too it.

WIth a lot of time, effort and committment and on an on going basis, training may improve the behavior. I'd still never trust them unsupervised for one second.

 

[aggiemae]

Probably less than 1 in 20 people have sufficient control of dogs. Unfortunately first part is training owners and that is more difficult than dogs. Owners to be targetted first are those with chickens.

We have a off leash huge dog park less than a mile from our house but I stopped going because of the stuff that goes on there. Dogs attacking other dogs, being aggressive towards people, running into the road and then there's that not picking up poop thing...

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have a pit-bull mix and three pugs. The pit and two of the pugs are rescues from local shelters with mixed histories of abuse. All four dogs are out in the yard with my 5 chickens everyday without any problems. In fact I once had a chicken attack a dog but never the opposite. Everyone guaranteed me that the pit would kill my chickens but she has never been a problem.

Here is what I personally recommend: The most important thing to focus on overall is controlling your dogs impulse control. Make sure that you can snap your dogs attention back to you even when they see something they want. (I can't snap so I use an "aht." noise) One of the best ways to work on this without a live animal present is during feeding. Do you free feed your dogs or do they eat at regular times? I would recommend taking them off of free feeding if you are doing that. Focus on training your dogs so they they will not eat anything unless you give a specific command. I set down all four bowls of food and make the dogs wait. They do not eat until they hear their own name and see a hand gesture. Also work on them stopping eating at a command and willing stepping away from their food. I say "Name, wait." and they stop and sit until told to continue. These skills help with impulse control in many areas of training. It takes time but it's completely worth it.

I would introduce the dog to the chickens on a leash and just sit and be calm. As soon as she starts to fixate on the chickens in any way other than simple curiosity or barks or is excited I would scold her with the same word everytime and immediately take her inside. With my dogs I brought them back when they were calm and started all over again. It took a bit of patience but within a few days all of the dogs ignored the chickens and now find very little interest in them at all other than a sniff here or there. The key is teaching your dogs that everything including those chickens belong to you and not to them. I never yelled or hit them or used a choke or a shock. None of that is needed. I just said no and took them away immediately at any sign of fixation or barking. Patience is the key and consistency. It sucks because sometimes you are busy and don't want to deal with it but starting and stopping will just make it worse.

Overall I would be a bit concerned about tying something dead to my dog. I would assume she would eat it and it also seems unsanitary to keep there for long especially in the hot summer. But, I am not knowledgeable in this method.

For fun, here is my dog Lou with a silkie chick.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I believe that any quick fix training method that it supposed to work in one day is unlikely to have successful long term results especially when you are dealing with instinct.

 

[aggiemae]

I believe that any quick fix training method that it supposed to work in one day is unlikely to have successful long term results especially when you are dealing with instinct.

I use the same method and have has a great deal of success even with dogs rescued from puppymills.

But wanted to add that even when a dog learns something new quickly it takes repetition to make a new behavior automatic. A well trained dog makes for a much better companion and training one is well worth the time effort it takes. BTW Lou is lovely!