So I'v been worning on introducing my puppy young to the chickens so she doesn't end up like the rest the dogs in the house(chicken eaters) and well she's TERRIFIED of the big chickens(maybe a good thing?) Well we decided to introduce her to Beep Beep our single 16 day old chick. Well my puppy was terriefied of her too but not as much. Also any ideas on sex? i know it's probably too early. Pics =)
Stressful job training them I think. We have a great pyr that we are training on the farm. We are leash training it and taking in among the chicks, chickens, ducks, geese, cows and goats. Dear lord, its like constantly waiting for the wrong move so you can make the needed correction. Worth it to do the training though. We have 2 that just naturally seemed to know that the chickens were not on the menu. We have 2 small dogs that will tear a chicken to shreds if you let them, horrible little snots but who knew we would need to train them not to kill the chickens. One time getting lose though and we learned it was needed on every dog. Good luck with it.
Stressful job training them I think. We have a great pyr that we are training on the farm. We are leash training it and taking in among the chicks, chickens, ducks, geese, cows and goats. Dear lord, its like constantly waiting for the wrong move so you can make the needed correction. Worth it to do the training though. We have 2 that just naturally seemed to know that the chickens were not on the menu. We have 2 small dogs that will tear a chicken to shreds if you let them, horrible little snots but who knew we would need to train them not to kill the chickens. One time getting lose though and we learned it was needed on every dog. Good luck with it.
I got lucky with my last dog. She'd never been around chickens and never even tried. They were her babies. Our other 3 dogs(2 small and 1 big) would rip em to shreds if given the chance. The large dog actually got ahold of one and luckly only got a few mouth fulls of feathers before we pried her off. Now ANY dog I get will be exposed to livestock at a young age.
it's not simply a matter of teaching them what you don't want them to do. You have to also teach them what TO do.
Find the closest distance that the dog first notices the birds in the brooder. This might be in another room if he is one to constantly glance at the door. Put your dog on leash and get some extra special treats that he only gets for this work - bacon, grilled chicken (no spices!), hot dog chunks, etc. When the dog glances toward the birds, say his name and "leave it" If he looks at you, give him a treat - if he doesn't, give a light pop on the leash (think tap on the shoulder). When he looks at you reward him.
You can also teach him "watch me" the same way. You can practice this at random times though out the day. If you have a couple extra minutes while you're watching TV or whatever, just say his name, pause, "watch me" When he makes eye contact, then reward him. You can also (if you get in the habit of keeping a small treat in your pockets) catch him looking towards you say "watch me" and then reward. Or just praise him verbally.
Once the dog is reliably paying attention to you and the birds at a distance, move a little bit closer. If he absolutely blows you off, you're too close. Just back up a bit and begin again. Eventually you will be right amongst the birds. You can then start at a distance or with a long line (20' leash or so) and work from there. I never ever leave my dogs/chickens loose unattended together.
I don't even trust Rayden
I don't mean I constantly hover over the dogs when they are out with the birds, but I am in the area and aware of what they are doing. Think of it as a small child. Even though you've taught them not to play with matches, would you leave them alone in the house with matches scattered all over the floor?
The most important part of the training is to set the dog up to succeed. Don't give him a chance to chase the birds. Don't give him a chance to disobey.
ETA: The best thing about teaching "leave it" is that it works for everything. Drop something on the floor and don't want the dogs to touch it? "leave it" See dog running toward a snake? "leave it" Lots of training and work, but it pays off!
Of course, some dogs just can't be trusted off-leash. Period. They are just too focused on the birds. In that case, just confine the dog when the birds are out.
it's not simply a matter of teaching them what you don't want them to do. You have to also teach them what TO do.
Find the closest distance that the dog first notices the birds in the brooder. This might be in another room if he is one to constantly glance at the door. Put your dog on leash and get some extra special treats that he only gets for this work - bacon, grilled chicken (no spices!), hot dog chunks, etc. When the dog glances toward the birds, say his name and "leave it" If he looks at you, give him a treat - if he doesn't, give a light pop on the leash (think tap on the shoulder). When he looks at you reward him.
You can also teach him "watch me" the same way. You can practice this at random times though out the day. If you have a couple extra minutes while you're watching TV or whatever, just say his name, pause, "watch me" When he makes eye contact, then reward him. You can also (if you get in the habit of keeping a small treat in your pockets) catch him looking towards you say "watch me" and then reward. Or just praise him verbally.
Once the dog is reliably paying attention to you and the birds at a distance, move a little bit closer. If he absolutely blows you off, you're too close. Just back up a bit and begin again. Eventually you will be right amongst the birds. You can then start at a distance or with a long line (20' leash or so) and work from there. I never ever leave my dogs/chickens loose unattended together.
I don't even trust Rayden
I don't mean I constantly hover over the dogs when they are out with the birds, but I am in the area and aware of what they are doing. Think of it as a small child. Even though you've taught them not to play with matches, would you leave them alone in the house with matches scattered all over the floor?
The most important part of the training is to set the dog up to succeed. Don't give him a chance to chase the birds. Don't give him a chance to disobey.
ETA: The best thing about teaching "leave it" is that it works for everything. Drop something on the floor and don't want the dogs to touch it? "leave it" See dog running toward a snake? "leave it" Lots of training and work, but it pays off!
Of course, some dogs just can't be trusted off-leash. Period. They are just too focused on the birds. In that case, just confine the dog when the birds are out.
I know how to train them(as you explained above) BUT the other dogs are not mine and the owners are NOT consistant in training so it is just a waste of time as I'v tried to get them to train with me but they blew it off. So the dogs just aren't allowed out off leash.
