New Puppy! Introducing to flock

[ChxLadyCass]

Hey friends!

I have a flock of about 20 chickens that free range. I am bringing home an 8 week old German shepherd on Friday! The puppy will only be around the chickens supervised and will be fenced in away from the chickens. I have no idea how to introduce the chickens to the puppy and vice versa. Or how to teach the puppy not to touch the hens. Our other dog does just fine side by side with the chickens, so I hope she sets the bar! Please send me your tips and tricks of dogs and birds!

 

[ChxLadyCass]

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Awwwwwwwwwww!! So cuuuuuuuuuuute!!!

Kinda going through your problem. We adopted a 3 year old Schnauzer from a rescue group and he chases the chickens, even though our Alpha dog doesn't. We leash him and bring him by their run while they're out, but I'd think your little poof might get *hen pecked* and learn his place since he's so little.

 

[ChxLadyCass]

lol that's a good idea! I'll take Kona in early and let the hens show the way of the world Good luck with yours!

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Start him on a leash or long line so if he starts chasing and playing with them you can correct him. Use treats and praise to reward appropriate behaviors and play with him in areas away from the chickens.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

lol that's a good idea! I'll take Kona in early and let the hens show the way of the world Good luck with yours!

I'm sorry, but setting your puppy in with the hens to peck at her is a really bad idea. It can create fear in the puppy towards the chickens such that it will later want to chase and harm chickens, possibly its life long.

Germans are thinkers. They also can have very high prey drive. They also are very sensitive to their environment (which makes them such a good breed for police and guide work). You do not want to set bad experiences for a young pup. You will need to reinforce good experiences and good behaviors at all times.

Do not expect your older dog to teach the younger pup how to behave around chickens. It is good it isn't chasing chickens, so it won't show your GSD puppy bad behavior, but it will not teach your GSD good behavior and self control. That is your job.

Start by first by getting to know your pup for a week or so. Be sure to take it out by leash to relieve regularly. (Hint, feed cheese the moment your puppy does its business saying "Do your business," then praise it...Good Dog...soon your GSD will relieve on command.) I recommend a drag line to help your little one stay out of trouble in the house and any play time on the lawn. The best lesson starts with prevention. Always reward good behavior. Remove opportunity for bad behavior. When necessary correct bad behavior. (Dogs have a 3 second rule...correction or praise must be received immediately for THAT offense/good behavior or it will be attached to something else. Opportunity is a dog's self reward...if it succeeds once, it will assume it will succeed again. You do not want it to ever succeed with stimulation rewards for things you don't want...garbage raiding, chicken chasing, etc.)

After the first week of settling your puppy, I highly recommend that you start teaching your new little puppy good leash and obedience manners and a "leave it" command. Do not rush to introduce your GSD to the chickens. The stimulation could be frightening to an environmentally sensitive GSD or over stimulating to the more assertive type GSD. Both will bode poorly for the dog's success with chickens. (This comes from my training during 7 Guide Dog for the Blind projects...several with German Shepherds...one environmentally sensitive, one more assertive).

After basic obedience is secure, you can venture to more stimulating environments on leash. This takes slow steps of progression.

After your puppy has learned how to look to you for guidance and obedience while on leash, and likely not until it is older, perhaps 3 to 4 months, THEN take it on leash by the chickens. Reward it every time it looks away with a food treat. Say leave it if it looks at the chickens. (It should know the "leave it" command from earlier lessons.) Reward with food treat every time it looks or walks away. Leash correct if it jumps or lunges at the chickens. (Quick downward snap like snapping a towel with "Leave it"...when the dog looks at you, praise and reward it "Good Dog.")

Keep lessons short. Always end on a positive note.

Only after you can safely walk by the chicken coop on leash, and this may take a number of weeks depending upon the maturity of the dog, can you then put the dog on drag line and supervise.

Do not leave your GSD in a run with visual sight of the chickens. It will likely fixate on watching them which will translate into chasing them when it is out of the fenced run.

My suggestions...there is more to the training, but I've given you high lights.

Enjoy your little fluff ball. GSD are wonderful, intelligent, diligent, and energetic dogs. I wish you the best with him.

LofMc

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I'm sorry, but setting your puppy in with the hens to peck at her is a really bad idea. It can create fear in the puppy towards the chickens such that it will later want to chase and harm chickens, possibly its life long.

Germans are thinkers. They also can have very high prey drive. They also are very sensitive to their environment (which makes them such a good breed for police and guide work). You do not want to set bad experiences for a young pup. You will need to reinforce good experiences and good behaviors at all times.

Do not expect your older dog to teach the younger pup how to behave around chickens. It is good it isn't chasing chickens, so it won't show your GSD puppy bad behavior, but it will not teach your GSD good behavior and self control. That is your job.

Start by first by getting to know your pup for a week or so. Be sure to take it out by leash to relieve regularly. (Hint, feed cheese the moment your puppy does its business saying "Do your business," then praise it...Good Dog...soon your GSD will relieve on command.) I recommend a drag line to help your little one stay out of trouble in the house and any play time on the lawn. The best lesson starts with prevention. Always reward good behavior. Remove opportunity for bad behavior. When necessary correct bad behavior. (Dogs have a 3 second rule...correction or praise must be received immediately for THAT offense/good behavior or it will be attached to something else. Opportunity is a dog's self reward...if it succeeds once, it will assume it will succeed again. You do not want it to ever succeed with stimulation rewards for things you don't want...garbage raiding, chicken chasing, etc.)

After the first week of settling your puppy, I highly recommend that you start teaching your new little puppy good leash and obedience manners and a "leave it" command. Do not rush to introduce your GSD to the chickens. The stimulation could be frightening to an environmentally sensitive GSD or over stimulating to the more assertive type GSD. Both will bode poorly for the dog's success with chickens. (This comes from my training during 7 Guide Dog for the Blind projects...several with German Shepherds...one environmentally sensitive, one more assertive).

After basic obedience is secure, you can venture to more stimulating environments on leash. This takes slow steps of progression.

After your puppy has learned how to look to you for guidance and obedience while on leash, and likely not until it is older, perhaps 3 to 4 months, THEN take it on leash by the chickens. Reward it every time it looks away with a food treat. Say leave it if it looks at the chickens. (It should know the "leave it" command from earlier lessons.) Reward with food treat every time it looks or walks away. Leash correct if it jumps or lunges at the chickens. (Quick downward snap like snapping a towel with "Leave it"...when the dog looks at you, praise and reward it "Good Dog.")

Keep lessons short. Always end on a positive note.

Only after you can safely walk by the chicken coop on leash, and this may take a number of weeks depending upon the maturity of the dog, can you then put the dog on drag line and supervise.

Do not leave your GSD in a run with visual sight of the chickens. It will likely fixate on watching them which will translate into chasing them when it is out of the fenced run.

My suggestions...there is more to the training, but I've given you high lights.

Enjoy your little fluff ball. GSD are wonderful, intelligent, diligent, and energetic dogs. I wish you the best with him.

LofMc

Much better explanation than I can give right now as tired as I am.

 

[aart]

L of MC hit the details.

Good basic dog training is imperative first.
You(and anyone else living with the dog) need to be able control/command the dog by voice. It will take months of clear, consistent work with dog before you can let it loose with the birds.
Sit, stay, come(recall is most important IMO), leave it,
the chickens will just be part(tho maybe harder part) of the 'leave it'.

Adorable puppy! I love shepards. Good Luck!

 

[TalkALittle]

While I wouldn't say put the pup in the pen with your 20 birds, I did let my 8 birds out with my 8 week old border collie puppy the day I brought him home. He was wary and the environment was new, they were as big as him and bossy. I knew he was too small to do them harm and they were used to my other dogs so unlikely to panic and do him harm. He got a good peck on the head from one and charged at by one of my little bantams for getting too close and putting his nose where it didn't belong. And I gave him a little telling off for it too and showed him all the other things he could do in the yard instead. It by no means took the place of training him but it did set in his mind that the birds were here first, that they belonged here and weren't something to be played with.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

...a bit risky with a German Shepherd, imho.

Border Collies are wired differently than Germans. They roll better and can be less "locked in." They also have very strong herding instincts.

Of course all animals are unique, even within the breed.

But for a German, I recommend controlled introductions. Germans in America are not bred for herding any more, so you've got a lot more intensity response to redirect.

And yes, aart is absolutely correct. You need to work on good recalls to, but do that on drag lines far away from chickens or any high stimulation areas.

It will take time and positive reinforcement to make the highly intelligent and environmentally sensitive German confident, positive, with good self control.

My thoughts.
LofMc