- May 23, 2012
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Hmmm. Ideally you need to start when the dog is a puppy and smaller than the chickens so he/she is intimidated by them. Once pecked on the nose your dog is very unlikely to chase chickens.
If the dog is older you must not let it get away with chasing the hens even once. Put it on a lead and use your 'bad boy/girl voice' if it shows the slightest interest and yank on its lead if it tries to pull you toward them. You must take it out several times a day, always on a lead, be absolutely consistent and if the dog turns away from the hens reward it immediately so that you reinforce 'good' behaviour and do not tolerate 'bad' behaviour. It may take you months, years even, if the dog has entrenched bad habits. Be absolutely consistent and do not give up. If you fail to re-inforce the desired behaviour just once you'll have lost the battle. I trained my dog to walk through a field of sheep, off the lead, this way after he thought they were playmates!
When I was a child and stayed on my uncle's farm he taught dogs to not chase sheep by tying the dog to a ram. After an hour of being dragged around the pen by a feisty ram that dog never chased a sheep again. It may sound cruel but boy, it worked. You could try the same tactic if the dog has killed a hen - tie it round the dog's neck (so it cannot eat it) and leave it there for the rest of the day. I guarantee your dog will think twice about doing it again.
Any dog will chase chickens/sheep if it is not convinced YOU ARE THE BOSS.
Good luck!
If the dog is older you must not let it get away with chasing the hens even once. Put it on a lead and use your 'bad boy/girl voice' if it shows the slightest interest and yank on its lead if it tries to pull you toward them. You must take it out several times a day, always on a lead, be absolutely consistent and if the dog turns away from the hens reward it immediately so that you reinforce 'good' behaviour and do not tolerate 'bad' behaviour. It may take you months, years even, if the dog has entrenched bad habits. Be absolutely consistent and do not give up. If you fail to re-inforce the desired behaviour just once you'll have lost the battle. I trained my dog to walk through a field of sheep, off the lead, this way after he thought they were playmates!
When I was a child and stayed on my uncle's farm he taught dogs to not chase sheep by tying the dog to a ram. After an hour of being dragged around the pen by a feisty ram that dog never chased a sheep again. It may sound cruel but boy, it worked. You could try the same tactic if the dog has killed a hen - tie it round the dog's neck (so it cannot eat it) and leave it there for the rest of the day. I guarantee your dog will think twice about doing it again.
Any dog will chase chickens/sheep if it is not convinced YOU ARE THE BOSS.
Good luck!