Leash training

[badkittyamy]

It does not work, how to fix it is kind of dependent on the situation. If the dog is high in prey drive you may end up simply having to not have the two come together unsupervised.

 

[fowl farm]

Actually, she's mostly border Collie with a little Lab, so I was surprised. Considering the situation, I've decided it's a dominance/rebellion thing, so we will be having some SERIOUS together time. Her being an outdoor dog will make it a little harder, but oh well.

 

[Fly 2006]

Why were you surprised that a collie x lab would want to kill a chicken? What is it about the situation that makes you think she is wanting to dominate a chicken or being rebelious? You may find this a hard thing to break, my collie would chase everything in sight given half a chance and shes nearly seven! I have worked so hard getting her to leave horses, cows etc as we see them on a walk and I want her safe off lead but even now if she thinks I'm not looking she will run past grumbling at them

But I do watch her and when I see ponies I say in a gruff voice " Don't you b****y dare and she trots past as if butter wouldn't melt.. she used to launch in and nip, which was just not acceptable, as for chasing deer, thats even harder to control

My collie is not one of those creepy crawl on their belly collies who just want to please, she is a very strong willed little madam, maybe yours is going to be the same, I find a ball a useful distraction, and she will bite on it when frustrated that she can't behave as she would like to! You could train her to go find a ball when she is tempted to chase the chickens, after all what she is really doing is looking for something to use her energy on, a chicken under her nose will just be too much temptation!

 

[badkittyamy]

I am so confused as to why you think a combination of a retriever and a collie both high prey drive dogs would make a good chicken dog combination. It's not rebellion or dominance it's PREY drive. You have two breeds of dogs that are high energy high prey this is normal dog behaviour. It's especially normal with two dogs bred to go after things in one way or the other.

 

[RHRanch]

I am so confused as to why you think a combination of a retriever and a collie both high prey drive dogs would make a good chicken dog combination. It's not rebellion or dominance it's PREY drive. You have two breeds of dogs that are high energy high prey this is normal dog behaviour. It's especially normal with two dogs bred to go after things in one way or the other.

I have Doxies - they are born to eat little animals, their prey drive is overwhelming, and nothing makes them happier it seems than running down a small animal and destroying it. It's what they were bred to do, so I do my best to keep them away from small animals and I have no delusions about being able to trust them with: Chickens, rabbits, etc. (I like it when they try to catch squirrels though!)

 

[badkittyamy]

Which is great, I have rats and a lot of other animals my dogs 'seem' okay with. I am under no delusion nor do i ever plan to test letting them interact though. Yes some dogs are okay with chickens, but it's not the dogs fault nor should it be treated as such if said dog cannot see chickens as not toys/food.

 

[fowl farm]

I am so confused as to why you think a combination of a retriever and a collie both high prey drive dogs would make a good chicken dog combination. It's not rebellion or dominance it's PREY drive. You have two breeds of dogs that are high energy high prey this is normal dog behaviour. It's especially normal with two dogs bred to go after things in one way or the other.

Border Collies were bred AWAY from the prey drive. I'm not saying they don't still have it, but dogs are breed for specific things and BC's were breed to be farm dogs. And no, it wasn't the dogs fault. It was MY fault for not making it clear enough the birds are still mine when I'm out of sight....
I'm having trouble putting into words what I want to say

Honestly, it depends on the dog. We've had hounds come through our yard and just ignore the birds. My sister's BC mix was GREAT with them from the beginning and she was adopted from the pound when she was 3. No idea what her background was.

 

[RHRanch]

Border Collies were bred AWAY from the prey drive. I'm not saying they don't still have it, but dogs are breed for specific things and BC's were breed to be farm dogs. And no, it wasn't the dogs fault. It was MY fault for not making it clear enough the birds are still mine when I'm out of sight....
I'm having trouble putting into words what I want to say

Honestly, it depends on the dog. We've had hounds come through our yard and just ignore the birds. My sister's BC mix was GREAT with them from the beginning and she was adopted from the pound when she was 3. No idea what her background was.

I have had labs and an assortment of dogs.... Most of them went after chickens at one point or another, regardless of breed. The only dog breed I have had that did not go after chickens was my Great Danes. Breeds I have had: Lab/Golden, German Shepard, Ridgeback, Aussie Cattle dog (great herding dog, harder mouthed than a sheep dog tho), Boxer, Great Dane, Chow, Dachshunds. At this point in my life I find it easier to keep dogs and poultry separate.

 

[Fly 2006]

Border Collies were bred AWAY from the prey drive. I'm not saying they don't still have it, but dogs are breed for specific things and BC's were breed to be farm dogs. And no, it wasn't the dogs fault. It was MY fault for not making it clear enough the birds are still mine when I'm out of sight....
I'm having trouble putting into words what I want to say

Honestly, it depends on the dog. We've had hounds come through our yard and just ignore the birds. My sister's BC mix was GREAT with them from the beginning and she was adopted from the pound when she was 3. No idea what her background was.

It is difficult to try and explain things properly in type! Ok, IMO, Collies have had their "prey drive" bred out of them over the years in the sense that they still herd but they leave it at that although it is quite common for some to still go in too hard, if a collie is left unattended and it starts a chase it will probably get so excited it will not stop at the chase and it will kill, it will often only want to do this if the animal or bird runs, lots of collies live with cats but if they run the collie wants to chase, it is what they do! They also like things in order and will try to tidy up, your poor chickens could end up being organised all day long! Remember with the Border collie, they need a job and if they don't have one then they find their own, usually it is something totally unacceptable to us!! Keep going, I am sure you will sort your girls out and they will learn what is right and wrong but it could be that you will have to keep dogs and chooks seperate

 

[badkittyamy]

In the biological strictest sense sure, but a good deal of trainers refer to the drive with which we use to motivate and draw the same from a dog 'prey drive' it's become an oversimplified term maybe, but few people i know separate drive into 'ball, toy, tug' they just say prey drive. As such a border collie tends to without training have a very strong prey drive. Training is generally required to curb the herding and nipping from turning into full on chasing. A border collie herding is considered a "modified" prey drive, not an erasure of it.