Squeaky toy=chicken? Muzzle training coming soon!!

[mirecipes]

Quote:
My dog Mac (the spotted one) is like your dog..He knows he isnt allowed, but it doesn't keep him from drooling..He will mind me tho..
Sheila was wild before she found me and adopted me..

Oh geeze..This is ripping my heart up..But I have to try

 

[mirecipes]

Quote:
From what I understand it doesn't really sink in till the bird is extremely stinky and rotten..

 

[rufus]

Sorry, but dogs love dead animals. Don't do this. The dog must be trained to avoid live birds. This may take a lot of training, and it may be for naught if you are not there to supervise. Nature will win out.

Good fences and gates, that is the answer.

Rufus

 

[mirecipes]

My rooster came home..He is now locked up with his 2 remaining ladies..

I know some folks here don't agree with what I am about to do..
I'm sorry..
I've heard too many times how it -did- work
I have to try..
If it doesnt work..I guess I will have to re-home her (where's the emoticon for tears)

I will add to this thread in about a week I guess (more tears...)

 

[mountaintopchicken]

Hi - I'm sorry about your favorite chicken and can really see why you want to train your dog out of this.

I don't think tying a dead chicken to her will help much, although I could see how it might make her feel miserable, if she isn't otherwise trying to eat it!

From what I understand, dogs don't keep their actions in their memories for a long enough time to associate something they did in the distant past (even if that distance is a few hours...) with what you are doing now (tying the dead chicken to them). Even if it makes your dog adverse to dead chickens, it might not make her adverse to live ones, which are running around in an exciting way and are 'fun' to chase and kill.

Is there any way you could secure your chickens so the dog can't get to them while you are working on this? I know that I started my dog being good around chickens while working with my puppy securely on leash. If he seemed to interested in the chickens when around them, I would step in front of him, blocking him, and have him 'sit' or 'down' (which I had taught before hand) until he was in control. And repeat and repeat and repeat. Eventually I moved to longer leashes, and then off-leash. This is not a magical, instant solution, it takes time and work, but I think training dogs is fun anyway, so I didn't mind.

 

[tackyrama]

I just can't imagine that approach even working. I really don't think dogs are smart enough to link having a chicken tied to their neck to the fact that they killed a chicken. I firmly believe that you have to actually catch them in the act for it to CLICK in their small brains. I have two small dogs both have been trained succesfully not to kill chickens. It was done with patience and close observation.

The first was easy. 3 years ago we raised 12 pekin ducks. All I had to do was yell at him every time he got too aggressive. He learned very quickly what his limits were. His favorite game with the ducks was to run by them at full speed and knock them flying with his shoulder. I let him continue doing it as we were both having so much fun!

The second dog was harder to train. He weighs about 35 pounds and is two yrs this month. Of course chickens were completely new to him as us. Our first group of chickens this last summer was about 7-8 weeks old when I found one dead with feathers around the yard. I knew it was Jack but couldn't proove it. I took him and stuck his nose in the blood and really yelled at him. We had no more problems for two months until I actually saw him running away with a young chick from the 3rd group. I was busy building our new coop/barn
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=14471-coop-layout
so I was lucky to see him in the act. Since he is a small dog I grabbed a paint brush and caught him with the dead chick still in his mouth. I must add here that to him it was pure fun! Not for long tho, I got the chicken from him yelling all the time while giving him a good beating without hitting too hard as he is a small dog. He has been completely trustworthy ever since. We even have one rooster that goes after him and pecks him on the nose and he does not retaliate beyond a fake lunge and some barking. To me this approach has worked out perfectly.
Dogs can be trained. If you are not into training dogs get a training manual from the library and find out how to do it. Good luck!

 

[Dill]

How about keeping your dog away from your chickens? Its really not that hard and your dog shouldn't be roaming your neighborhood to even have the chance to kill the neighbors chickens.

 

[rebecca10782]

I understand there are some dogs that are not trainable, though I would never trust even the best trained dog with animals that they clearly want to eat. I think the best thing to do is get an extremely tall and strong gate with a very strong spring. We have a 1 year old pitbull that we are fostering. He has never been trained, he clearly wants to play rather than eat the chickens, but I am sure he would break their necks in 1 playful chomp

So we have to be extremely careful to always latch the gate the backyard while he is with us.

 

[FrChuckW]

Okay you tie the chicken by it's feet to her collar and then strap it to her so that she can't chew it off. They used to leave it on the dog until it just rots off. Dog supposedly won't go near a chicken again. Yeah, right.

However a more humane way is to get one of those muzzles that people use when walking their dogs. the ones that prevent them from biting but they can still open their mouths to pant, etc.

Once muzzled take her into an enclosed area with a few chickens and have her on a 15 foot training leash, give her the down/stay command and walk away from her and have someone release the chickens into the area.

If she moves from the down/stay tell her no in a firm voice and put her back in it. Once she realizes that she must stay there and not move call her to you and praise her.

The next step is to have someone bring a chicken to her and let her sniff it. Have her in the sit/stay by your side. If she makes a move towards the chicken, again tell her no, put her back in position and try again. Keep trying until she no longer moves towards the chicken and they can bring the bird to her and she will just sniff it.

Finally, keeping the muzzle on her, let her loose with the chickens, as long as she doesn't charge the chickens or attempt to rough them up with her paws and just goes and sniffs them and walks away call her to you and praise her. If she attempts to harm the chickens, start all over again with the down/stay.

This next step is the tricky part, take the muzzle off her, but keep the training lead on her. Start all over with the down/stay. Repeat the exercises above until it comes to part where you let her loose with the chickens without the muzzle. Keeping the lead on her let her loose. If she makes any attempt to charge, chase or hurt the chickens, tell her no and then call her to the heel position and start all over again.

This, of course, presupposes that you have already taught her basic obedience commands and she has mastered them.

Hopefully this will help

 

[mirecipes]

Ok, I'm back..Gonna type my way thru the tears here..

We do have a 6 foot tall stockade fence and locking gates..They are -not- allowed to run free..
I learned when she first came into my life that she was a chicken chaser..She would always go straight toward's a neighbors house when she got free..

We paid 1400 for this fence..Specifically so she could run and play without getting free..

The chicken was too big to strap to her..
So instead I allowed her to sniff it and scolded her severely every time she got near..She is not used to me yelling at her..

I have always used treats and praise to train..
I do have several books on training..
She has always had a wild streak..
Her son has been a breeze to train..But not her..

I am going to leave her out tonight..She will probably enjoy that..She always hated to come inside at night..But I felt more comfortable with her in my room..

True she does not see the dead chicken in the same way as when it was running in such an enticing way..
But I think she is finally realizing I'm -not- happy..

Right now she is on the porch..about 10 feet away from me..
I will probably sleep out there tonight..

I dunno..I'm just soooo angry at myself.. at her..at the wind, even at the shifting ground that is probably the reason the gate came open..
I just dont know..

Big sigh..