Questions about if changing dogs food will help with prey drive.

[RiverOtter]

Quote:
ANYTHING is possible.
Just not probable.
Or even likely.

I am NOT saying to not train - I would NEVER say that, training ALWAYS helps. But I am saying don't trust a husky near chickens.

 

[schellie69]

We do use submissive training or should say working on her. She is fine with our other dogs. She just can not seem to resist the chickens. We as a family are working on commands and with her being submissive. Thank you everyone for their advice. I will keep her and the chickens separated. This is just a work in progress. Thanks again.

 

[Stacykins]

Hard to get rid of an incredibly strong instinct the breed is KNOWN for. Just like how beagles bark at anything that moves, huskies more often than not go after anything that moves. Some huskies may be exceptions to the rule, but in general, huskies, malamutes, and other similar breeds have strong prey drives. There is no training or food change that can help this. The only solution is to keep the chickens in a Fort Knox type enclosure, and keep the husky in an escape proof enclosure as well. If you can't do either, then expect more dead chickens. It isn't the dog's fault, it is what it knows to do.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Huskies have a very high prey drive. Switching her food will not work. Either keep your chickens locked up, buy her a muzzle and/or a shock collar or get rid of her. Sorry.

 

[welsummerchicks]

No food will affect prey drive in any way.

Training is the answer, but it's going to be like making a square peg fit in a round hole. You're going to have to use some pretty serious punishment every time the dog puts an eye on the chickens. It will require constant supervision. Even after the training you will have to both maintain the training and still keep the dog under supervision.

Have you considered building a roomy kennel for the dog, with a roof on it? Only take the dog out of the kennel to train it, walk it on a leash, exercise it, or take it in the house.

 

[CluckyJay]

Its a bit like training a wolf to not eat your chickens.

Her high prey drive is natural and cannot be trained out. You will need to contain her better. She can never be trusted with chickens. Though SOME huskies or malamutes do well with small animals ...yours obviously doesn't. Pen her or build a better coop.

Good luck.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Huskies can climb about any fence, or jump it. It is pretty amazing what they can wiggle out of - or into.

My friend's husky used to get out on the roof and jump down and get out of the house that way. She chewed through a crate - it was pretty amazing.

Was there some advertising of the food that suggested it would 'satisfy the wild animal in your dog' or something like that?

Or was something said about how the feed reduces undesirable behavior, nervous tension or the like?

I am really puzzled as to where the idea that a food would stop a dog chasing chickens, would come from.

Because if a feed company is advertising that their dog food will stop a dog from chasing chickens, or that it would affect the dog's prety drive, the feed company needs a little pressure put to bear on them. That is not appropriate.

Pet food manufacturers make some pretty wild claims, but most of them are suggestions or implied, rather than stated outright. They're very cleverly avoiding making direct claims that might get them in trouble. But it is pretty obvious that the suggestions are meant to result in ideas like 'I can feed my dog this and he will stop chasing chickens'. Anything to sell a product.

 

[schellie69]

We have the chickens locked up in a pen The chicks where in the new coop she did show us the weak spot which has been fixed. I had heard from someone that they changed their dog food and it seemed to make them stop chasing and hunting animals. I guess they figured since it was a craving or something missing in the dogs diet. I know that I have to keep the chickens locked up when she is out and her locked up when the chickens are out. This has been working just the chicks where in a different coop. My son's husky is great with our small dogs and with the kids she is almost the perfect dog except she wants to chase chickens. I know that husky's have a prey drive and I know that it will take a lot of work which we are already doing. She is smart so she learns the commands quickly. She won't be left unattended outside ever. Thanks for all the advice and nice words.

 

[kstaven]

All I can say is Shepherds, labs, pitts, good training and not one dead or injured bird ever. Food isn't going to do a thing for behavior.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
ANYTHING is possible.
Just not probable.
Or even likely.

I am NOT saying to not train - I would NEVER say that, training ALWAYS helps. But I am saying don't trust a husky near chickens.

I have a wirehaired Pointing Griffon, aka, a versatile hunting dog. We bought her solely for hunting, and she was the best hunting dog we have ever encountered.(she is retired now, at 12yo) If SHE can be taught not to chase chickens, ANY dog can. She has retreived birds smaller and larger thatn chickens, yeet she leaves my chickens and ducks alone. i also have a rottweiler. He also leaves the chickens alone. My sil has a husky mix, submissive training has successfully taught her dog to leave her chickens alone. My sils neighbour has a pitt bull terrier and a jack russel/chichuahua mix. Both those dogs have been successfully trained not to chase their chickens through submissive training. So yes, it is probably and it is likely that it will work.

You're going to have to use some pretty serious punishment every time the dog puts an eye on the chickens.

And, no--you don't need to use pretty serious punishment to train a dog. You have to think like a dog, and correct it the way a mother dog would correct her offspring--by appliying a bit of pressure at her neck area, and growling. I did not have to beat my dogs into submission.​