new dog attacks free range chickens/hens!

superstoner90

I need some help. got a new dog today, When ever I bring the dog on a lead it trys its best to get at the hens to kill them(we have 8 hens). How do I train my dog to get along with the hens.

breanach

superstoner90 wrote: »

I need some help. got a new dog today, When ever I bring the dog on a lead it trys its best to get at the hens to kill them(we have 8 hens). How do I train my dog to get along with the hens.

Eat the hens!!!!!

I'd try and introduce the hens to the dog so maybe let the hens out behind a fence so the dog cant get to them he'll get used to them soon enough!!

B

GaryIrv93

I'd wire up the area around where the hens are to prevent the dog from getting at them or lead the dog out a different door where it won't see the hens,

gigawatt

as far as I remember from an old dog training book I had it said to crate the dog and put the crate facing the chicken pen/run at an angle so that they can see each other but retreat if they want to and gradually over the course of a couple of days get the crate facing the pen directly head on. the book said it would only take a few days for them to be conditioned to each other

superstoner90

breanach wrote: »

Eat the hens!!!!!

I'd try and introduce the hens to the dog so maybe let the hens out behind a fence so the dog cant get to them he'll get used to them soon enough!!

B

GaryIrv93 wrote: »

I'd wire up the area around where the hens are to prevent the dog from getting at them or lead the dog out a different door where it won't see the hens,

The hens are lose, But there about a 1/4 of a mile away from the house.

Seen this on youtube, I wonder does it work? But I hate to hit a dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC8z00JuFEM

LucyBliss

How old is your dog, OP, and what breed is it?

Hitting your dog to train it isn't something I subscribe to, especially as most dogs are quite trainable using treats. If your dog is going bonkers on the lead, it may not be to kill the hens, it could be to have a game of chase. After all, the dog is new and could be thinking "FUN GAME, OMG!!" Hens get killed when the game gets out of hand or when the dog is frustrated in other areas.

I would suggest keeping the dog on the lead as you go about where they're kept and using treats to teach the dog to sit and stay around them. It'll take patience and consistent training but the key is to get the dog focused on you and your rewards. Once the dog realises that staying away from the hens means good things, it'll work well.

Perhaps other posters will have other methods. I have a very reactive dog who used to go bonkers at things and I used the treat based system. He's now at the point where I can't even put my hand in my pocket to keep it warm, but he stops what he's doing and comes over to sit for a treat!

Also, a friend managed to train her cats to keep away from her hens so it can be done!

Best of luck, OP!

DBB

Please op, don't go down the route of that video. The dog in the video had already undergone a prolonged period of abusive training before what you see in the video, and everything about the dog screams that she still wants to kill that hen, but just not when the crazy humans are about, because bad things happen when crazy humans are about! The treatment she gets in this video is not making her feel any more positive towards the hen, it is simply teaching her to inhibit the chasing in the presence of humans, and probably giving her an even better reason for hating hens.
If you think about it, your new dog is mesmerized and curious about the hens. By hitting or otherwise physically punishing the dog, you are creating a negative association with the hens, which can only result in an eventual disaster.
It is vital that you keep the hens safe from the dog for now... It is simply not possible to expect a brand new dog not to react to hens, especially free-ranging hens that scatter in all directions when the dog runs amongst them. It was a lot to ask of him. So, when the dog's about, pen the birds.
Now, the dog needs to be slowly, slowly introduced to them. Arm yourself with loads of tasty treats, put the dog on his lead, and bring him outside to a distance at which he can see the hens, but is not reacting to them. This could be a few yards, it could be 50 yards, it depends on the dog.Sit down at this point and start giving the dog treats. Every time he looks at the hens, then looks back to you, tell him he's fab and give him a treat.
Stay at this distance for as long as it takes for the dog to be utterly bored with the hens, this will take days, not minutes.
When he's bored with the hens at this distance, move a little closer, and repeat the above, rewarding every time he takes his attention off the birds.
Then, when he's bored at this distance (again, this may take days), move a little closer, and repeat. You get the picture! You should find that it takes less and less time for the dog to become bored as you move closer, but never move closer until the dog is utterly bored at the distance you're at.
It's really important to systematically and gradually introduce him to the birds, under very controlled circumstances. If you try to do things too fast and cut corners, well, you've already seen what happens. Lower your expectations of the dog, and give him a chance. And keep the hens safe... Never, ever give him the opportunity to run amongst them or chase them, even on lead.

superstoner90

Guys it seem to me that its a young boarder collie dog, but that a guess.

I see what ye are saying about that video, I could never hit a living animal. Especially a dog.

There a few minutes ago I brought the dog in near the hens, it seem that its only when the hens get nervious and try to fly, that the dog chases them.

Il try that thing with the treats as it makes more sence. I could never hurt a fly let alone a dog.

Interceptor

I have trained both our dogs to share the garden with hens, ducks and turkeys but it takes a little time and you have to accept that if a gentle tap on the dogs nose stops it doing mortal damage to a chicken then it is preferable.

I didn't have to hit my dogs, I just sat them in the yard with a stern 'SIT' and placed a chicken on their head 'STAY'. If the dog moved it got 'STAY' again and if your dog is trained to obey you then the rest is easy.

The Basset hound took to chasing a new and particularly nervous chicken two years ago but a short spell of 'SIT', 'STAY' and the chicken pecking food from under it fixed him.

Work on getting the dog to obey you, muzzle him if necessary and put him sitting then introduce a hardy or large bird. I started using the rooster and he doesn't take any messing.

Collies and chickens have shared farmyards for centuries - there is no reason you can't get yours to settle down, just make sure the hens are safe while you get him used to it.

'cptr

Birdnuts

I don't know your particular set up but have you looked at electric fencing??

Irishchick

Dog = predator Chicken = Prey.

Don't try and force a dog to be something its not. Get your self some good fencing material. Work on positive re enforcement every time he ignores the coop.

Latatian

If it's just chasing when they flap it sounds like you're doing well! Just keep it from focusing on the hens, keep it looking at you and paying attention to you. A hard stare at the hens is a bad sign. If you can keep it from getting that focused in the first place, it's much safer for the hens.

Take it out on the lead, don't let it off the lead until it's perfect. Praise it for walking around calmly near them. You can use treats, but it depends on the dog: hens are much more rewarding than treats for some dogs, so there's no point.

Teach it 'sit' and 'stay', and tell it to do both at regular intervals. Once it knows it shouldn't break the stay, reprimand it for jumping out of the stay to spring at the chickens (again, on-lead). Do this whenever it jumps at the chickens.

Use as much of a reprimand as works and no more, if a simple low 'no' works, grand, if you have to let out a shout or stamp a foot then do so. Just make it quick, immediately after the event, and then go back to 'nice' again. No point in pitching a fit when there's no need, or saying 'no, no, no' when the dog isn't paying a blind bit of notice. No hitting needed.

Most dogs can learn this stuff, including dogs who have killed hens, dogs who kill other small animals etc. Don't worry if it takes a while, it's better to go too slow than to rush it.


Your dog doesn't need to feel positive about the hens, it just has to learn that they're off-limits. Hens are interesting to dogs, after a while it will feel positive about them without any teaching needed on your part: at least, ours always did. Once you have that golden rule of "Hens are to be left alone" inculcated, the hard bit's over.