PLEASE HELP!! My small dog won't stop chasing my chickens.
- Thread starter madgabmomma
- Start date
Quote:
Check pet smart or some place like that I have saw them for small dogs I love the prong collar I had one for my brothers old dog who was over 90lbs they work great my 4 year old nephew could walk this dog with it. Never with out an adult holding the leash also
Check pet smart or some place like that I have saw them for small dogs I love the prong collar I had one for my brothers old dog who was over 90lbs they work great my 4 year old nephew could walk this dog with it. Never with out an adult holding the leash also
Last edited:
I have one for my Dobie, he pulls like a madman w/o one. Works wonders on him.
I'll check tomorrow after work. She's already sleeping with the chickens in the garage in her crate for nights. She is just insane when it comes to birds...but I really hope she chills out, she is crazy loving with people, huge opposite with the Dobie.
I'll check tomorrow after work. She's already sleeping with the chickens in the garage in her crate for nights. She is just insane when it comes to birds...but I really hope she chills out, she is crazy loving with people, huge opposite with the Dobie.
- May 7, 2009
- 194
- 12
- 123
You do not need a shock collar or a prong collar. You need to teach the dog the "leave it" command. I will give you a short idea of how a lot ( yes I know there are lots of other methods) of animal trainers teach this to dogs and owners. I have had a German Shepard who would leave a cat that he was in mid chase in our yard. I have in the past had terriers, German Shorthair, and mutts, all of who learned this command. I at this time have a poodle and a male bulldog. None of my dogs would go after something I or my husband told to "leave it".
Start this training in the house. Then after the dog is good at it in the house move outdoors.
1. Get some very small training treats. I use Bil.jacs Little. Jacs. You can also use dried bits of meat or bits of cheese or hot dogs.
2. Sit on the floor, put a small treat in your palm, with your hand closed, let the dog sniff it. Then put your hand on the floor, rest it there with the treat enclosed. The dog will be sniffing the treat and your hand. Don't let him lick or eat the treat though. Tell him several times LEAVE IT. In a calm yet serious voice. At the instant the dog figures out he isnt getting the treat he will start to loose interest. At the instant the dog shows a lack of interest-- this could be different with different dogs, I have had some that shake their body, some that sit down , some that look at me trying to figure out what I want, give the treat o the dog with what ever command you use to show its ok. For me that is the word OK. That means go ahead for several things, like eating a treat, going through a door or out the gate. Praise the dog and pet him.
3. repeat step 2 a few times.
Do this several days or on till your dog gets it. Your dog wants to make you happy and he wants a leader. So if he can not learn this look at what you are doing.
I know people often think formal training takes a lot of effort and time, but your dog doesnt have the attention span you do so short and often is all you need to do. I give treats only after a command, and I give treats everyday. So through out my dogs life I "train" everyday. Every time we go outside when they wait to be released to go out the door, every time when they are able to go out the gate. Every time we go for a walk.
Ok now you move on to the next step. Put the treat in your hand then ( watch the dog carefully!) put the treat on the floor.....be ready....the dog will go for it, loud ( not a shout) stern, I mean business voice...LEAVE IT! Be ready to slap your hand on the treat, or step on the treat. Uncover again and repeat. after the dog leaves it give him a treat from your hand , not the one on the floor. When he goes for the one you told him to" leave it" repeat the "LEAVE IT" and try not to cover it, you want him to just leave it. But cover it if you need to. Again give a bit of treat and praise when he leaves the uncovered treat. I have a bunch of treats in my pocket (icky) or in a pouch on my side.
Once you can trust him to leave a treat and or toys and or shoes etc. its time to move outside. get a thin light rope that is about 10 feet long. tie it to the dogs collar, not a choke collar just a regular collar. have some treats on you. With the rope wound around your hand at first so your close to the dog, let him get by the chickens, if he does anything you are not happy about, like to much interest, chasing, barking, give a Stern LEAVE IT. Dont use the rope to tug the dog unless you have to. If the the dog eases up on the behavior, give him a treat. Then let out more rope ( ie: more freedom) after he is doing good and use the command and treat him and praise him. You can use as long a rope as you are comfortable with. I have one for training them the come command that is about 30 feet.
The come command is also a good one to teach along with the leave it command. All this will only take a week or two, then refresh often when ever possible. You don't need to have a treat later just go nutso happy with praise and petting when they follow a command you give them once in awhile. And when they know the command and do it with ease I dont really give any praise, like when they have to sit prior to going outside and wait for me to tell them they can go out after me. Its just something they know they have to do. But they do get a correction if they are excited and "forget" to wait. For a command like "leave it" if its something they know from experience that is not theirs like a childs toy or a sock etc I just say leave it, no praise really just the words. Something new to them like baby chicks when we have them ( now) leave it command and sit and down command and tons of praise. I teach they if they are very excited about something that they need to sit, and then they can sniff the item they are so excited about.
I hope this isn't to much info, and that it also helps.
Start this training in the house. Then after the dog is good at it in the house move outdoors.
1. Get some very small training treats. I use Bil.jacs Little. Jacs. You can also use dried bits of meat or bits of cheese or hot dogs.
2. Sit on the floor, put a small treat in your palm, with your hand closed, let the dog sniff it. Then put your hand on the floor, rest it there with the treat enclosed. The dog will be sniffing the treat and your hand. Don't let him lick or eat the treat though. Tell him several times LEAVE IT. In a calm yet serious voice. At the instant the dog figures out he isnt getting the treat he will start to loose interest. At the instant the dog shows a lack of interest-- this could be different with different dogs, I have had some that shake their body, some that sit down , some that look at me trying to figure out what I want, give the treat o the dog with what ever command you use to show its ok. For me that is the word OK. That means go ahead for several things, like eating a treat, going through a door or out the gate. Praise the dog and pet him.
3. repeat step 2 a few times.
Do this several days or on till your dog gets it. Your dog wants to make you happy and he wants a leader. So if he can not learn this look at what you are doing.
I know people often think formal training takes a lot of effort and time, but your dog doesnt have the attention span you do so short and often is all you need to do. I give treats only after a command, and I give treats everyday. So through out my dogs life I "train" everyday. Every time we go outside when they wait to be released to go out the door, every time when they are able to go out the gate. Every time we go for a walk.
Ok now you move on to the next step. Put the treat in your hand then ( watch the dog carefully!) put the treat on the floor.....be ready....the dog will go for it, loud ( not a shout) stern, I mean business voice...LEAVE IT! Be ready to slap your hand on the treat, or step on the treat. Uncover again and repeat. after the dog leaves it give him a treat from your hand , not the one on the floor. When he goes for the one you told him to" leave it" repeat the "LEAVE IT" and try not to cover it, you want him to just leave it. But cover it if you need to. Again give a bit of treat and praise when he leaves the uncovered treat. I have a bunch of treats in my pocket (icky) or in a pouch on my side.
Once you can trust him to leave a treat and or toys and or shoes etc. its time to move outside. get a thin light rope that is about 10 feet long. tie it to the dogs collar, not a choke collar just a regular collar. have some treats on you. With the rope wound around your hand at first so your close to the dog, let him get by the chickens, if he does anything you are not happy about, like to much interest, chasing, barking, give a Stern LEAVE IT. Dont use the rope to tug the dog unless you have to. If the the dog eases up on the behavior, give him a treat. Then let out more rope ( ie: more freedom) after he is doing good and use the command and treat him and praise him. You can use as long a rope as you are comfortable with. I have one for training them the come command that is about 30 feet.
The come command is also a good one to teach along with the leave it command. All this will only take a week or two, then refresh often when ever possible. You don't need to have a treat later just go nutso happy with praise and petting when they follow a command you give them once in awhile. And when they know the command and do it with ease I dont really give any praise, like when they have to sit prior to going outside and wait for me to tell them they can go out after me. Its just something they know they have to do. But they do get a correction if they are excited and "forget" to wait. For a command like "leave it" if its something they know from experience that is not theirs like a childs toy or a sock etc I just say leave it, no praise really just the words. Something new to them like baby chicks when we have them ( now) leave it command and sit and down command and tons of praise. I teach they if they are very excited about something that they need to sit, and then they can sniff the item they are so excited about.
I hope this isn't to much info, and that it also helps.
She is near possessed with her strike to chickens. But in the garage with a gate between them, she is near fine. I'll start from there. I've tried in the barn with the adults, but she is crazy with her stare down. But I believe with time and training she can be fine, at least with someone there.
Hope the OP can work with their dog and eventually make things work out.
Hope the OP can work with their dog and eventually make things work out.
Just because it is a LGD does not make it a "magic" dog that will love and protect your birds and goats. I have a GP that was "playing with" her previous owners chickens until they died. I keep her seperate from my chickens. Not to sound mean, but if you can't control a small dog, a GP won't listen to you either. Good luck, you have recieved some good advice here and I hopr it works.
- Thread starter
- #17
Quote:
Thank you so much for that advice!!! She actually has the "leave it" command down in the house the whole problem is once we are outdoors. She is just so happy to be outside and "free" I guess. So I'm going to start by keeping her on a leash when we go outside and keeping her with me wherever I go. If I just let her run then there is no way for me to train her or have any kind of control over her b/c once she's gone she's gone there is no catching her or disciplining her at that point. I should have nipped this in the beginning but I didn't and now I have to deal with that.
To everyone concerned with me getting a GP, that's what we want to do eventually. I'm not some careless pet owner that is going to go out and get another dog that I can't control. I have just had so many people tell me that once a dog starts chasing chickens there is no going back and so I came here because I don't believe that. She's not killing them or eating them so it's not like she has this taste for chicken. In fact I have a couple chickens that don't run from her and she doesn't even care about them. It's all about the fun chase, but once she "gets" them and they surrender she just walks away. She doesn't continue battering them or trying to hurt them. Although I am aware that she can hurt them easily. That's why I believe this can be stopped. And know that a GP is not a magic dog that always protects and loves goats and chickens. I understand that there are people that probably think that going into it but I've had enough dogs to know that's never true. Thanks again for all the helpful adivce!
Thank you so much for that advice!!! She actually has the "leave it" command down in the house the whole problem is once we are outdoors. She is just so happy to be outside and "free" I guess. So I'm going to start by keeping her on a leash when we go outside and keeping her with me wherever I go. If I just let her run then there is no way for me to train her or have any kind of control over her b/c once she's gone she's gone there is no catching her or disciplining her at that point. I should have nipped this in the beginning but I didn't and now I have to deal with that.
To everyone concerned with me getting a GP, that's what we want to do eventually. I'm not some careless pet owner that is going to go out and get another dog that I can't control. I have just had so many people tell me that once a dog starts chasing chickens there is no going back and so I came here because I don't believe that. She's not killing them or eating them so it's not like she has this taste for chicken. In fact I have a couple chickens that don't run from her and she doesn't even care about them. It's all about the fun chase, but once she "gets" them and they surrender she just walks away. She doesn't continue battering them or trying to hurt them. Although I am aware that she can hurt them easily. That's why I believe this can be stopped. And know that a GP is not a magic dog that always protects and loves goats and chickens. I understand that there are people that probably think that going into it but I've had enough dogs to know that's never true. Thanks again for all the helpful adivce!
Quote:
What do you do when her fur is too thick for a prong collar or the shock collar? And she's already killed birds before....
What is too thick? I've seen e-collars on just about every kind of dog with different coats. The e-collars have different length prongs. So for dogs with long hair you put on the long prongs. The prongs work their way down to the skin causing contact.
As for the pinch collar... Don't confuse the pinch collar with a choke collar. Do not choke your dog! The pinch collar has very long prongs so when you tighten the rope it will pinch the skin.
What do you do when her fur is too thick for a prong collar or the shock collar? And she's already killed birds before....
What is too thick? I've seen e-collars on just about every kind of dog with different coats. The e-collars have different length prongs. So for dogs with long hair you put on the long prongs. The prongs work their way down to the skin causing contact.
As for the pinch collar... Don't confuse the pinch collar with a choke collar. Do not choke your dog! The pinch collar has very long prongs so when you tighten the rope it will pinch the skin.
Quote:
You stated that you don't need a shock collar or pinch collar but your method will retrain a dog in a week or two. Are you a dog whisperer?
Good Luck!
You stated that you don't need a shock collar or pinch collar but your method will retrain a dog in a week or two. Are you a dog whisperer?
Good Luck!
Quote:
I understand completly. Just because your little dog is a brat at time does not mean you can't do a good job training a LGD. We tend to let little dogs get away with stuff that we would not permit in a big dog. Trust me....I know this from first hand experience. I have two little dogs that get away with murder because they have been allowed to for their whole lives. One of them weighs 3 pounds. She does not listen, she knows almost no commands, but she is just so darn cute I never expected her to learn stuff. My fault totally and I'll work on her when the chicks arrive. Actually I think I will start teaching her "leave it" now. My pit bull is a whole different story. She is the picture of obediance. She is brilliant and movtivated to learn whatever I want to teach her. I expect her to mind me and she does. We got goats again a few years ago after Bailey was already an adult. Her first instinct was to chase them. But once we told her that was unacceptable, she never bothered them again. I am getting a LGD at the end of the summer (waiting on a pup from a specific litter of Anatolians) and am looking forward to that whole experience.
I understand completly. Just because your little dog is a brat at time does not mean you can't do a good job training a LGD. We tend to let little dogs get away with stuff that we would not permit in a big dog. Trust me....I know this from first hand experience. I have two little dogs that get away with murder because they have been allowed to for their whole lives. One of them weighs 3 pounds. She does not listen, she knows almost no commands, but she is just so darn cute I never expected her to learn stuff. My fault totally and I'll work on her when the chicks arrive. Actually I think I will start teaching her "leave it" now. My pit bull is a whole different story. She is the picture of obediance. She is brilliant and movtivated to learn whatever I want to teach her. I expect her to mind me and she does. We got goats again a few years ago after Bailey was already an adult. Her first instinct was to chase them. But once we told her that was unacceptable, she never bothered them again. I am getting a LGD at the end of the summer (waiting on a pup from a specific litter of Anatolians) and am looking forward to that whole experience.
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