Sponsored Post Keeping Dogs and Chickens - Tips for a Harmonious Introduction.

[Chicky Woos123]

Yesterday my dog, Pearl, refused to mind me when a delivery truck came in the yard. I was in the brooder shed and not near the kennel. I have a fenced area near the shed. I locked the dogs in to "teach", well remind actually, them to listen. The dogs sat by the gate and looked sad. It appears Bert Jr wanted to comfort them. Bert is a "toad" he is a 3/4 Cornish Cross and 1/4 Dixie Rainbow. So he is a BIG guy. He was actually sitting by them outside the fence looking in and visiting with the dogs, but when I came out and went for my IPhone he got up and walked around.

Is your blonde dog licking his lips in one of the pictures?! Naughty! That's what my dogs do all the time when one of my hens walks by. I'm working with them too.

 

[duluthralphie]

Is your blonde dog licking his lips in one of the pictures?! Naughty! That's what my dogs do all the time when one of my hens walks by. I'm working with them too.

Nope, they lay with the birds. They have learned the birds will drop tasty treats if they just follow them around all day,,,,and I don't mean eggs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sometimes lip licking can be a stress behavior. She's probably stressed about being locked up and feels bad.

http://4pawsu.com/stresssigns.html

http://www.doggonesafe.com/signs_of_anxiety

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[Tika75]

This is Koda. She is my son and daughter-in-law's dog. So far she has
done okay with the girls.



If I see her walking towards them, I just say her name.



Usually she walks away.



I didn't get a picture of one of the girls chasing her that day. I don't trust her though
since she hasn't been around them that long.

 

[Chicky Woos123]

Nope, they lay with the birds. They have learned the birds will drop tasty treats if they just follow them around all day,,,,and I don't mean eggs.

That's nice that they have no desire to eat them.

I wish my dogs were like that

, but we are working with them!

 

[duluthralphie]

That's nice that they have no desire to eat them.

I wish my dogs were like that

, but we are working with them!

It took time. but I am convinced any dog that is taught basic commands as a puppy can learn to do nearly anything with the same techniques and consistent correction and praise. You will get there with yours if you work with them hard. I have no doubt.


My dogs are trained hunting dogs. They hunt birds! It is their nature to kill birds. Right now I have them laying on the floor next to a pen full of chicks, They pay them no attention.

Do you use a clicker or collar?

 

[Chicky Woos123]

It took time. but I am convinced any dog that is taught basic commands as a puppy can learn to do nearly anything with the same techniques and consistent correction and praise.  You will get there with yours if you work with them hard. I have no doubt.


My dogs are trained hunting dogs. They hunt birds! It is their nature to kill birds.  Right now I have them laying on the floor next to a pen full of chicks, They pay them no attention. 

Do you use a clicker or collar? 

The thing is, they're not puppies anymore. Dixie is a 9 year old greyhound boxer mix, and Macho is a 3 year old white boxer. I don't think I'll have any luck with him, because he has already attacked my chickens. But I've brought Dixie in the pen before and she didn't even look at them. But now she always stares at them and licks her lips.

What sort of collar do you think I should use. I've been trying to use Cesar Millan's technique of getting their attention. It always works but never when she stares at the chickens.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have collars that I use for hunting. They are capable of giving a shock. I never need to use it. One shock once in it's life is all a reasonably intelligent dog needs. The beeper part is what I use. I can be a half mile away and still beep the collar. As soon as the dog gets a beep. it stops whatever it is doing and thinks 'Gee, what am I doing that I better stop doing" or "Ooops, I need to change my actions and listen to my master".

My White dog was 6 when I got chicks and my black one 4. They had only hunted birds prior to that. Age is not a hindrance to learning. I did use the electric fence and collar to start with. I laid it around the chicken area so the dogs knew they were off limits. I took a few months before I would trust them outside with the birds. I fully trust them now. Even the stupid one (the black one) know enough to leave birds alone. She has always been a slow learner and she is outside right now with the birds free ranging. Her job is to keep raptors and predators away. She hates her job, but she does it. She prefers to lay on the floor or couch if she can get away with it and dream of chasing cats.

 

[Chicky Woos123]

I have collars that I use for hunting. They are capable of giving a shock.  I never need to use it.  One shock once in it's life is all a reasonably intelligent dog needs.  The beeper part is what I use. I can be a half mile away and still beep the collar. As soon as the dog gets a beep. it stops whatever it is doing and thinks 'Gee, what am I doing that I better stop doing"  or "Ooops, I need to change my actions and listen to my master".

My White dog was 6 when I got chicks and my black one 4.  They had only hunted birds prior to that. Age is not a hindrance to learning.   I did use the electric fence and collar to start with. I laid it around the chicken area so the dogs knew they were off limits. I took a few months before I would trust them outside with the birds. I fully trust them now. Even the stupid one (the black one) know enough to leave birds alone.  She has always been a slow learner and she is outside right now with the birds free ranging. Her job is to keep raptors and predators away. She hates her job, but she does it. She prefers to lay on the floor or couch if she can get away with it and dream of chasing cats.

Dixie is very smart. Macho is no where near to the IQ level of Dixie, but he is still smart.

I might get a shock collar. Do I use it when she looks at them? I want her to protect them. She has gone on point on my neighbors loose hens before, and she has actually chased them. But she never drew blood, as in bit them. When macho attacked my hens, she only went along because he was doing it. Macho was the one who actually bit her wing, before we could stop him.

 

[duluthralphie]

I would not beep it for merely looking, I would if she made a move towards them. You want the dogs and birds, or at least I do, to interact with each other so the dogs protect the birds. Make the dogs think the birds are just another member of their pack. Like they think of humans, only lower on the pecking order.