How To Train Your Dog Not To Kill Chickens

[9FingerDoc]

Spot on advice! I used that after my service dog, that's right my highly trained service dog, killed my juvenile flock. It takes time and effort and a willingness to work to get your dogs to live peacefully with your flock.

 

[truegrit44]

I had a chicken killer years ago and left a dead chicken tied to her collar for DAYS, didn't help one bit. My easiest solution was to rehome her..........

 

[9FingerDoc]

I understand. My problem is the culprit is my service dog. It was extremely out of character for what he did. Any other ideas would be great!

 

[AuntMouse]

My father, born in 1917 but no longer living, taught us the carcass method of breaking a dog from killing chickens, or other farm animals. It may seem gross and cruel, but it really does work. We grew up with German Shepards and other mutts. If one ever killed a farm animal, chicken, duck, rabbit..... We tied the dead animal snugly around the dogs neck. We removed the collar and tags (this was, for our dogs anyway, a way of not belonging). The dog was then chained near or to the coop, pen, hutch (where ever the dead animal came from) (of course providing for the dogs physical needs). We ignored the dog for the entire day and night. Would not look at it, say its name on interact with it in any way. The next day the dead animal was removed and the dog was given a test with the living animals. If the dog made no aggressive actions toward the living animals the collar and tags were returned the dog was given a few pats and told "good dog" for not being aggressive. Then lots of positive attention whenever the dog was near the living animals and not showing any aggression. All of our farm dogs that have been disciplined in this manner were not only cured from killing farm animals, but they would not tolerate any other dog or wild critter from harming the farm animals. They learned that to be a part of the farm "pack" they needed to look after and protect the farm animals.

Say what you may, the old trimmers got the job done without killing the dog and making the dog into a true farm member that protected the farm without harming the animals. If the dog were to have failed the test ( none of ours ever did) it would have the same dead animal tied to it again....... I assume if the dog was a repeat offender or never gave up killing the farm animals, it would have been culled (in those days shot). That has never happened to any of the very many dogs we have had over the decades.

 

[Mountain Lori]

I've recently developed the same problem. I have 2 dogs - a female Lab/Shepherd that I adopted as a one-yr old and a male Pyrenees/Lab/Border Collie, that I adopted as a six week old pup. The 1-yr old was introduced into my existing flock, as my older dog had cancer. I used the older dog as a mentor, to settle her down a bit, and with just a few corrective measures to break focus when she became overly intrigued, I let her roam unsupervised with the flock. Never had a problem.

I got the pup after my old dog died, and trained him the same way. It's been 3 years and I have never had a problem. I even leave the chickens out to free range while I am away at work. I have never worried that they would be in danger from my dogs.

Then one day it happened. About 3 weeks ago, I walked to the end of the driveway to meet the school bus and when we returned, there was my 3-yr old jerk laying in the yard with a dead chicken about 5 ft away from him. WTH? I've never seen him chase them. Never seen him watch them. In fact, he's never shown any interest what-so-ever. So, I made excuses... Maybe he found it dead already. Maybe the other dog killed it (she does follow them around the yard) and framed him. Maybe it was an accident - there were no puncture wounds - he wasn't EATING it... But, after a scolding, I tied him up for a few days and worked him on a leash, 'breaking focus' again. The problem was that he wasn't the least bit interested in them and there were no corrections for me to make.

So, I figured it was a one-off thing from whatever circumstance and let him roam free, but kept an ear and an eye out for trouble and kept him inside when I wasn't home. My girls are out from sunup 'til sundown and I can't be out with them all the time, even when I am home. Today, 3 weeks later, I just happened to look out a window and spot one chicken squawking and running out of a covered work-area where the girls like to hang out and there was Pullo (dog's name). At his feet was another dead bird. This time he really got what-for. I made him sit and threw the bird at his feet. When he went to smell it, I shouted "No!" and did the Caesar neck jab. I did this repeatedly. Next I put him on his back and wrapped the bird around his neck and made him stay that way for a while. Then I tied him up again and put the bird into the burn barrel. I am so ****** and don't know what to do. The dogs are supposed to guard the chickens, and I keep 2 dogs so they can back each other up.

It's quite wild out here. If the dog is tied up, he's a sitting duck for other predators - bears, cougars, coyotes, wolves. I can't keep him that way or even penned. Summer is so short here, my girls deserve every second of freedom they can get. They're generally cooped up from November to April, and the bugs, weeds, and other yummies are just getting good now.

IF I had read this thread first, I may have tried the collar of shame, but I've already burned the carcass.

Any other ideas?

 

[centrarchid]

An idle mind is the devil's playground. Promote interest in a foe. My dogs when bored are inclined to be problematic but does not always mean with respect to birds. What I do to help control is get dogs into patrolling perimeter where they get into sniffing and looking for someone to drive off. I also go out with them at night to go on short walks. We check pens, hens roosting on ground with chicks, and around pond. They do such on their own routinely but having me out with them makes the effort more exciting. This engages them mentally. Getting into a raccoon or opossum every now and then helps let off steam.

 

[Mountain Lori]

Ya. I don't doubt that boredom may be a factor, but there is plenty for them to do. They have about 100 acres of 'wild' to roam - I had to install a radio fence two years ago because my neighbor liked to invite them into his heated garage and feed them, and they were never home - and I mean NEVER!... grrrrr. But they still have lots of space and interesting things to explore. They drive off wildlife and neighborhood dogs. They chase and catch squirrels and dig up moles and martins. They do the perimeter patrol first thing every morning and several times during the day.

This last incident happened shortly after their morning patrol. I just don't get what has changed. I've never actually caught him with a bird in his mouth or under his feet and am still thinking that maybe it's the other dog. She sometimes kills squirrels and doesn't eat them - just leaves them lying around. I almost wish I'd find a dead bird while he's tied up; that way I'd know for sure. Right now he is guilty by proximity.

Funny thing is, I specifically chose him because of the Pyrenees; I wanted the guardian instinct. But now I'm wondering if he's not just confused - Pyrenees/Border Collie/Lab - he probably doesn't know whether to guard them, herd them, or fetch them.

They do come with me every night when I put the girls to bed, do a head count and close up the run, but maybe extending that to a full perimeter patrol might enhance the pack thing.

 

[srpchickens]

Dog training has nothing to do with shame.

Dog training starts the day you bring a pup home.

The dog learns the sit, down, leave it, come and 'at ease' commands, all day every day for the first few weeks.

You place the dog's meal before it, and command a 'sit' and gently push it's butt to the floor.

when the dog moves, you raise the food bowl. It does not eat until you say 'at ease'

After it figures out how to sit and stay sitting until told otherwise...you work on down. And then you place the bowl across the room, and practice, sit, down and come.

Then you put something desirable on the ground and say leave it, and come. and enforce it with a lead if need be.

I have hunting dogs...bird dogs. Taught to find, point, flush, and retrieve birds. And they walk right by my chickens because the day I put a chick on the floor I said leave it.

The trick to dog training is not abuse (beating it), not shame, not stuffing it in a kennel, or tying it up. It is simply laying down the ground rules, and being consistent and firm.

Once you allow a dog to break a command, it begins training you.

Once a dog starts training you....you have already lost the battle.

 

[Mountain Lori]

Quote:

The trick to dog training is not abuse (beating it), not shame, not stuffing it in a kennel, or tying it up. It is simply laying down the ground rules, and being consistent and firm.

SRP Chickens. Thanks for the advice. My dogs are trained to 'wait' until given permission to eat. That is the daily ritual. I place the food on the floor and command them to wait until I release them. I can go about other business and even leave the room. One time I even forgot that they're waiting, probably half an hour at least, and they still didn't move. They are generally well-behaved and come, sit, stay, get back, leave it, and drop it are not issues. I can take anything away from them - even deer parts during hunting season. They will heel without a leash. So, dog handling and training is not usually my problem.

This dog shows no outward interest in the birds - when I'm around. From the day I brought him home, at 6 weeks old, he was taught to leave the hens alone. I did by this redirecting his focus, if he showed any sign of fixating.

I don't beat my dogs. The Cesar 'neck jab' I spoke of is just a touch, while making a corrective sound. I HATE tying them up - that's why a dropped a grand on two radio collars and enough wire to enclose 100 acres of raw forest. Now THAT was a labor of love - who would have guessed there'd be so many ground wasps. I don't own a kennel and I don't have a dog run.

I am not tying him up to punish him. That phase was over as soon as I took the bird away. I am tying him up so the birds can free range in safety. He definitely did not like it when I put the bird on him, though.

Just looking for some psychological insight and some different approaches here. Like I said, I've had him from 6 wks of age, he was neutered at nine months, and he's now three years old. Why is this happening now, and what can I try that I haven't already tried?

 

[KerenR]

So do I understand that I should not allow my Black and Tan to chase or follow the chickens? I have been taking my 8 week old out there every day with a leash to make sure he isn't showing signs if aggression, but I should not allow him to follow them around?