our pest dogs

[jonezjollyfarm]

Any suggestions on how to stop our dogs obsession with the chickens. One (black lab) want to be mother hen and play with the rooster and the other (pit chow mix) wants to eat them all especially the rooster. The lab I can deal with he will listen to me and looses interest eventually. But the chow mix is making me crazy.

 

[HEChicken]

In that situation I would pen the chickens, the dogs or both.

 

[The Kibble Goddess]

There is nothing wrong with using a shock collar when the need arises.But even after training, don't trust the dogs to be with the chickens when you're not outside with them.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

The chickens are in their run. So there is no direct contact. We have a wireless electronic fence with shock collars, but when we brought the rooster home the other day I discovered that the chow mixes collar isn't functioning correctly. I think I'm going to get a remote shock collar. I'll just have to shock her whenever she starts acting like a dingo around my chickens.

 

[nzpouter]

What training have they had?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What training have they had?

This is the key question - shock collars are all well and good, if that is the route one chooses to go, but they are a training tool, not training in and of themselves. OP, what training methods do you subscribe to in the rest of your work with the dogs? Knowing what foundation you have will help in guiding how to build on that with relation to the bird issue.

 

[csaiz100]

I agree completely. Unless you invest the time with a knowledgeable trainer to teach you the correct use of a shock collar it will not be of much use and could make the problem worse.

My chickens, turks, goats and sheep are in my fenced back 40, my dogs are in my fenced side yard and never out unsupervised

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