Tying a dead chicken around their neck

n.smithurmond :

As a professional groomer let me just say that I pity your groomer should you tie a rotting carcass about your poodle's neck. Yuck. As a professional trainer let me say that the best thing you can do is consult with a professional and NOT rely on anecdotal evidence. This is my soapbox, but if you're going to take on the serious responsibility of breeding your dogs (regardless of monetary value) you'd do well to be educated about ALL aspects of raising dogs, especially training. I can't begin to describe the amount of misinformation about this subject in particular.

You are correct, especially if one is planning on breeding. Breeding dogs is not easy, nor inexpensive as genetics, proper medical and psychological care are key to improving the breed and avoiding serious flaws as well as producing dogs who are mentally balanced enough to fit into a family home. I was a certified veterinary technician and then continued my studies to become an applied animal behaviorist and had my own practice for many years. Currently I work with humans but I stay informed about the latest dog behavior research and I have a keen interest in the growing bond between the two species.​
 
As owners, mothers, fathers and caretakers of our animals, it is our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy place for all of them. Whether you chose to tie the chicken around the neck of your dog or not is your choice, just keep in mind...would you want someone doing that to you.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for discipline when its needed but there is positives and negatives. You dont want your dog to fear you nor do you want him or her to turn on you.

I have 2 pit bulls, 1 ridgback and 1 boxer. All big and strong girls and boys. I know them...given a chance my flock would be a meal. Its constant work to keep them seperated but that is my job as a responsible parent. Whatever your choice understand that it is the dogs nature. You have to convince the dog that there is a better way. Talk to a profession trainer, let them give you the right tools to alter behavior and drive.
 
Yeah...my little dog Scoobie would think she did something really great and was getting a rewardif I tried that with her! LOL...She loves to roll in dead stuff! I am constantly trying to keep her from doing that....of course she always does it right after her bath!!
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It might work with some dogs. It depends upon the dog's personality. A neighbor a few years ago had blue heeler tht killed some chickens, he tied one on the dog and left it til it rotted off. the dog killed again, he used the chicken as a "beating" tool and whipped that dog unmercifully. (Good thing I wasn't there!) How do I know he did this? Cause the dog left as soon as he could get loose and when he did return 4 days later his leg was broken. Dog healed up on his own, and killed the turkeys! High prey drive dog and left loose during the day with no supervision to become bored and look for excitement. Poor old dog got hit by a car and killed.
 
i got a new small dog to help watch the flock but he killed 2 young chickens. i used the 22. cal tactic and it worked great. i could not recommend it higher. works great on coons too.
 
It didn't work for me several years ago...what did was chaining the dog up every time I let the chickens free range. She hated being chained and soon got the message that bothering the chickens would get her a day under a tree. When I penned the chickens I unchained her. A few times and it worked.
 
Please remember, Standard Poodles are hunting dogs!!! They are great water dogs (hence the german name Pudel) and bird dogs. Key word here, bird dogs. Your dog is doing what comes naturallly with a bird dog who is not trained. I would recommend talking to a bird dog trainer, they may have some good ideas for you.
Carrie McLean
 
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Poodles are excellent hunting dogs, but CAN be trained to leave your birds alone. We have a 3-year old Standard Poodle whom we have not trained for hunting/bird retrieval, he's very sweet and not an aggressive or alpha-dog personality. I do trust Jasper around our birds, but it took several months of training and monitoring before I trusted him. He's never shown real aggression towards them, but we didn't want his curiousity to lead to disaster. I never used a shock collar - I was concerned that we wouldn't be consistent enough with it unless we were out there 24/7 to watch what he was doing. Instead, a good long squirt of cold water from the hose generally did the trick (he loves any standing water, but HATES the hose). We did other things to make sure he knew that the dogs were MINE MINE MINE, not his, and that he was not to touch them. We'd carry the birds around the yard a lot. Any time he got too nosy with the birds when they were free ranging (not necessarily a distance from them, more an active following or tracking them), he was either sprayed with the hose or chained in time-out where he could see us holding the birds - poodles value being very close to their humans, he learned very fast that getting too close meant lonely time-outs or getting sprayed with the hose.

I do trust him in the yard when the birds are free ranging, and the birds generally ignore him. He did seem more interested in the younger birds - maybe it's the way they move and their flightiness. He didn't ever try to get too close, just liked to watch them. However, our younger birds were not allowed to free range unsupervised. He sat and watched them from a distance - he got his nose pecked enough times to know those pointy beaks hurt.

Jasper is great with our birds now - he even chases away hawks that get too close. He does go in their run (all our birds are fully grown now) and snitches bites of their food, but he's never shown any interest in touching them. Our next door neighbors have two chocolate labs that bark if our hens wander too close to the fence (which has concrete curbing under it, thank heavens, so they can't dig under), Jasper will actually go 'defend' our gals and herd them back to the other side of the yard.

Good luck! I personally don't think I could stomach the dead chicken tied to their neck - Jasper sleeps in our 12-year old son's room, which is stinky enough!
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What color is your poodle?
 
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