I don't know what to do with my dogs!

[greyhorsewoman]

Training techniques should 'make sense to the dog' (or horse, or whatever). I can't imagine how tying a dead chicken to their neck 'trains' anything. They chase LIVE chickens, that cluck and run, not DEAD chickens.

Anyway, violent methods of training are normally less than reliable. Prevention is always the best way to train... don't make something a part of the dogs behavior. Barking, harrassing or otherwise showing unacceptable interest of ANY kind toward chickens should be swiftly curbed. Don't wait till they 'manage to get in the coop.' (not speaking to anyone specifically)

As to helpful suggestions. ELECTRIC POULTRY NETTING! (or even a strand of electric wire) Our dogs don't bother our chickens. We put up electric poultry netting for other predator control The dogs have learned REAL QUICK to keep their distance from that fence! I think my corgi believes that those chickens are electrified !

Good luck. Keeping predators and prey living side by side can be challenging. (Ok, quick question ... how many of you have purchased SQUEAKY toys for your pooches and think it so cute when they play with, unstuff them, play tug of war with them, etc.? ... Just remember that is prey instinct ... one we laugh and join in with our pets.)

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

[First off, your dogs are NOT stupid, THEY ARE DOGS! Second of all, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your coop is safe and secure. If the dogs find a way in, then you haven't done your job properly.
And lastly, if you dont have the patience and time to properly train them, or enroll them in obedience classes, then you have no business having dogs to begin with.....]


Here we go again. Do we have to be so freaking aggressive when giving advice? And way to welcome somebody whose posted on here 7 times. No offense to most of you, but this forum is getting ridiculous. I know nobody cares about my opinion because Im one of 20,000 posters, but I was so excited to find this forum because I was new to chickens and it was so fun to find so many people who shared the same interest, and get so much valuable advice and read about the same situations I was going through, but some of you are downright rude, and you may be passionate about something and that's great, but if you truly are, then teach people, advise people about the things you love, dont attack them and belittle them. Try to remember, they're here trying to find the answer to something they are acknowledging that they need help with. Talk about kicking somebody when they're down, geez.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Once a dog eats a chicken it is nearly impossible to stop them from chasing and eating more. It is not that they like chicikens, it is that they like chicken. Yes, the thrill of the chase is half of it, but if you have not trained your dogs to love the chickens with a very firm hand and sometimes a beating to an inch of thier lives, they will only do what is natural to them. Some dogs just have little interest in the chickens, others chase them to the death. Since these are expensive dogs, high strung and appears non trained you have the option of sending them or the chickens down the road. shock collars are a great deterent, but you will never just be there when they attack and shocking them for the hell of it is pointless. I have a shock collar in the barn, I wore the batteries out of it with my red healer pup. He only learned to be a sneeky little turd. After I beat him hard and often around the chickens and caught him in the act of chasing them did he start to respect my wishes. He still gets excitable around them and therefor he is in the pen all day until the chickens go to roost. He is an excellent animal and I am trying very hard to trian him and keep him. the interesting thing is when we are right there he will sniff them and try to play with them. He is realizing that this is his herd too.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Quote:
Perhaps you should revisit the original post. Nothing about that post, even if it was their 7th was subtle.

The dogs were stupid, they've beat them with a dead bird, are in the process of getting a shock collar, and should the problem not resolve itself, they are "about ready to shoot them...."

So in my opinion, harsh posts, require harsh advice.

And furthermore, if your feelings are getting hurt by advice given to OTHERS, then perhaps you shouldn't read the replies. Nothing is directed at YOU personally, so quit being so sensitive.

 

[swampwander]

I'm a newbie when it comes to chickens, but old hand with many different dog breeds. Dals ARE high energy and almost anything can become a toy when it runs away from them. I think an electric wire around the coop may be your best bet or the 'electronic' fence.

I have three dogs now -a Saint, a choc lab and a 9 pound crapper. The dogs don't bother the chickens who free range all day, the chickens bother the dogs. They regularly take bones and treats from the Saint (200 pound wuss) and chase the little dog when he gets too close to their coop.

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

[[[Perhaps you should revisit the original post. Nothing about that post, even if it was their 7th was subtle.
The dogs were stupid, they've beat them with a dead bird, are in the process of getting a shock collar, and should the problem not resolve itself, they are "about ready to shoot them...."
So in my opinion, harsh posts, require harsh advice.
And furthermore, if your feelings are getting hurt by advice given to OTHERS, then perhaps you shouldn't read the replies. Nothing is directed at YOU personally, so quit being so sensitive.]]]

She is FRUSTRATED because she lost half of her flock of chickens to her own dogs, who wouldn't be? And in her next posts (surely you read them) she also said that she THOUGHT her coop was predator proof, she also said that they are good dogs, that she was instructed by a TRAINER to do what she did, and she doesn't want to kennel or tie the dogs up. SHE IS LOOKING FOR ADVICE! It sounds to me like she was venting when she said she wanted to shoot the dogs.
And when I am interested in a post topic (i.e. dogs around chickens) I read the replies. That's why I'm here.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Using a shock collar to train a dog is not abusive. It is highly recommended if all else fails. I hope we can all be compassionate to one another as we wouldn't have our chickens or pets if we didn't love them.
I also believe that when we give advice it needs to be kind and constructive or don't give it at all !!!!
This site is not to be mean to other people but to help each other be successful at something we all love.

 

[Chicken Woman]

InstructionsDifficulty: Easy
Step1
Create a safe home for your hens.
Build a secure coop and an enclosed outdoor run for the chickens, which is important before you introduce your family dog to them. Simple chicken coop plans are available online at organicgardening.com. You can also purchase a coop from a feed store or the website Henspa (See Resources below).
Step2Make it clear to the dog that you like the chickens and they are part of the family; this is key to training a dog to live with chickens. On the first day of the introduction, release your chickens into their secure run. Then, put your dog on a short lead and walk him over to the run area. Allow your dog to sniff around the coop and enclosed run and to investigate the chickens through the fencing. If your dog lunges or barks at the chicken, reprimand him with a firm “No.” Repeat this step twice a day for three to five days.

Step3
Doggie TV
Allow the dog to investigate the chickens (still safely enclosed in their run) off leash. Supervise the dog closely and do not allow her to bark, growl or lunge at the birds. Praise the dog profusely when she acts calmly around the birds and give her a treat (or two). Repeat this step twice a day for an additional three to five days, or until the dog displays consistent calm behavior around the chickens.

Step4After a week to ten days of separated introduction, it is time to allow your dog to get up close and personal with your chickens. Invite a spouse, family member or neighbor to help with this step. Put your dog on a short lead and take him out to the coop. Have another person hold the dog while you pick up a chicken. Pet and talk to the chicken in calm, gentle tones for a few minutes while your dog observes.

Step5Using a calm voice, invite your leashed dog to approach the chicken and sniff the bird while you are holding it. Again, do not allow the dog to act aggressively towards the chicken (and be prepared to move if he does so). Heap praise on your dog and give him a treat if he investigates the bird gently. Then, walk a few feet away from the dog, put the chicken down and let your dog observe the bird wander around the yard for 5 minutes or so. Repeat this leashed interaction twice a day for 5 days or until the dog displays consistent calm behavior around the chickens.
Step6 Once you feel confident that your dog understands you love the chickens (and her), you can try letting the dog interact with the chickens off leash. Stay close to your dog and keep a leash handy. Praise the dog for interacting positively with the chickens and pet her occasionally so she doesn’t feel jealous. If the dog aggressively approaches or barks at a chicken, reprimand her with a firm “No.” Repeat these supervised encounters daily until you feel comfortable leaving the dog and chickens out together unattended.

 

[Chicken Woman]

successwithpoultry.blogspot.com/2008/04/dog-training-with-chicken-reducing-prey.html - 71k

I am so angry over some of the rude things that were said to you. We are all trying to learn and i have only had my chickens for 6 months. I have used a shock collar with my dog for about a week. When I couldn't supervise her i kept her kenneled. I still have to be very firm with her and let her know who is boss

Good luck

Lori

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

We've discussed dogs and chickens on other posts, a lot of people have had this same problem and I also have a dog that killed a chicken before, and he is ok now. The chicken that he killed was the neighbors chicken that got out. When I got my chickens, he was truly ready to pounce on them. It took some time and like the other poster said, positive reinforcement when they DONT prey on them (in my case, I had to tackle his staring too) I just took him out to the coop every time i went out there and worked with him (really passivly, so as not to create any more interest) for several days, as far as he knew, I was busy doing other things, but corrected him everytime he made a wrong move, and then watched him when he was alone out there, and yelled out to him to get his attention if he seemed too obsessive. I have several chickens who get out, and he doesnt bother them at all. He has no interest in them anymore. I believe its mostly because I forced him to stay calm when they were flighty. Now, he even walks into the coop with me. the birds dont really care for it, but even they arent really nervous around him anymore. They watch him, rather than frantically flap their wings run from him. And in that situation, he is still interested in them, but he doesnt bother them.