How to Train Your Dog to Not Kill Chickens

Hello Edgar, First, I would start by not letting the pups off leash outside when you are not around at this point. I would crate train both pups and have them sleep inside in crates at night. Pitbulls are generally not instinctual guard dogs of other animals, so if you are leaving them outside with the ducks overnight in hopes of having them guard, you may also need to change those expectations. Most dogs can however, be taught to leave other animals alone, and Pitbulls often are instinctually protective of people once older - just not other prey animals. Crate Training: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate I would teach both pups the Leave It and Out commands. Leave It section of this article: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-not-to-chew/ Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ I would purchase long training leashes, 20 foot to 40 foot long, and practice pups' come, Leave It, and Out commands (once those commands have been taught) with the ducks in the background, but not where pups can reach them completely while on leash. Reward pups completely ignoring the ducks and obeying your commands. Are the ducks free range or in a fence or enclosure area? If they are in an enclosure area that the pups are breaking into, I would set up a pet barrier device made for outdoor use, have the puppies wear the corresponding collars, and set the range to include the duck enclosure, so pup's are corrected anytime they go too close to the duck's enclosure, even when you are not there. If the ducks are free range pups will need to never be left alone with the ducks for quite a while to ensure they are thoroughly trained for a few months first. Check out James Penrith from TaketheLeadDogTraining. He has a Youtube channel. He works with dogs that chase and sometimes will kill livestock. To stop the killing you would need to pursue training like that, creating a strong avoidance of all ducks. Whether this is doable will depend on your level of dedication, willingness to learn, and how large the space the pups are in with the duck around. If they are in tight quarters with the ducks, like a very small yard, it's going to be very hard for the pups to avoid the ducks. In a larger space, where pups can move away from the ducks easily, this becomes a lot easier for the puppies to succeed. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Check out these videos also, of some up close training between a predatory animal and an animal the dog considers prey. These videos are of cats, but the training is generally the same around any small prey like animal for the dog. Mild cat issue - teaching impulse control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWF2Ohik8iM Moderate cat issue - teaching impulse control using corrections and rewards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPIC3Jtn0E Severe cat issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLJV5PBh7Y More e-collar work with cats with the same dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lkbX0dhT0 I normally don't recommend the use of remote training collars until at least six months of age, but when the behavior is extreme and the risk of the dog being re-homed or worse is very real, then it can be necessary. Hello Edgar, First, I would start by not letting the pups off leash outside when you are not around at this point. I would crate train both pups and have them sleep inside in crates at night. Pitbulls are generally not instinctual guard dogs of other animals, so if you are leaving them outside with the ducks overnight in hopes of having them guard, you may also need to change those expectations. Most dogs can however, be taught to leave other animals alone, and Pitbulls often are instinctually protective of people once older - just not other prey animals. Crate Training: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate I would teach both pups the Leave It and Out commands. Leave It section of this article: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/train-dog-not-to-chew/ Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ I would purchase long training leashes, 20 foot to 40 foot long, and practice pups' come, Leave It, and Out commands (once those commands have been taught) with the ducks in the background, but not where pups can reach them completely while on leash. Reward pups completely ignoring the ducks and obeying your commands. Are the ducks free range or in a fence or enclosure area? If they are in an enclosure area that the pups are breaking into, I would set up a pet barrier device made for outdoor use, have the puppies wear the corresponding collars, and set the range to include the duck enclosure, so pup's are corrected anytime they go too close to the duck's enclosure, even when you are not there. If the ducks are free range pups will need to never be left alone with the ducks for quite a while to ensure they are thoroughly trained for a few months first. Check out James Penrith from TaketheLeadDogTraining. He has a Youtube channel. He works with dogs that chase and sometimes will kill livestock. To stop the killing you would need to pursue training like that, creating a strong avoidance of all ducks. Whether this is doable will depend on your level of dedication, willingness to learn, and how large the space the pups are in with the duck around. If they are in tight quarters with the ducks, like a very small yard, it's going to be very hard for the pups to avoid the ducks. In a larger space, where pups can move away from the ducks easily, this becomes a lot easier for the puppies to succeed. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Check out these videos also, of some up close training between a predatory animal and an animal the dog considers prey. These videos are of cats, but the training is generally the same around any small prey like animal for the dog. Mild cat issue - teaching impulse control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWF2Ohik8iM Moderate cat issue - teaching impulse control using corrections and rewards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPIC3Jtn0E Severe cat issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLJV5PBh7Y More e-collar work with cats with the same dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lkbX0dhT0 I normally don't recommend the use of remote training collars until at least six months of age, but when the behavior is extreme and the risk of the dog being re-homed or worse is very real, then it can be necessary at times if you find the initial training without it isn't effective enough. With puppies you can often train without it, but you will have to evaluate and see how they are responding without. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

i there. I am going to send you information on how to teach your dog to be less excited by the chickens. This is something that with some time and patience, can be turned around. Your dogs need to learn that the animals are just a normal part of the household. So we need to teach her to become less excited by the animals. If you are up for this, it is going to take about a month of consistent practice before you see results. You will want to start out by teaching him "leave it". Leave is great for anything you want your dog to leave alone. Instructions on leave it will be at the end of this response. After about a week or so of working on the command, you can start taking her out on leash.Any time she even looks at a animal, you give the command leave it. Once she breaks his attention away from the animal, you reward her with a treat. Ideally, you want to her to be sitting and looking at you. But in the beginning stages, as long as she isn't focused on the animal, you can reward her. You will literally practice this over and over, while moving closer to the animals until she is no longer interested in them. While this method takes a while, it is the best in relaying the messages across to your dogs. The animals need to be left alone! Here are the steps for "leave it" Teaching a dog 'leave it' Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.

Hello Queen, First, I suggest teaching a solid Leave It command to pup. Teach the Leave It command using the Leave It method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Second, teach pup a structured heel - practice away from birds at first. Check out the article linked below Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Check out this video on teaching self-control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buaZctWLWR0 Since it sounds like pup may live in a rural area where they are off leash and doing the behavior. Keep pup leashed at all times while outside while doing the initial on-leash training. When pup can handle leaving birds alone while on leash, then check out the videos linked below for how to teach a dog to avoid livestock and foil while off-leash also (which is a similar prey or herding drive behind the behavior, so actually addressed very similarly to car chasing off-leash). Teach pup to avoid chickens in general, using such training, even with you not around. Since you will have spent the time doing the on-leash training first, pup should better understand the off-leash (or long leash at first) part of the training as you progress to that part of it. The on leash needs to be done first though. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Brigid, It may be a chicken running that's leading to the attack. I would teach pup to generally avoid the birds at all times, but I would also practice Leave It with pup on a long leash and have another person get a bird running. Practice having pup leave the bird alone when it runs. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Joshua, Check out James Penrith from TaketheLeadDogTraining. He has a Youtube channel. He works with dogs that chase and sometimes will kill livestock. To stop the killing you would need to pursue training like that, creating a strong avoidance of chickens. Whether this is doable will depend on your level of dedication, willingness to learn, and how large the space he is in is. If he is in tight quarters with the birds this will be harder to train. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Examples of teaching similar avoidance with cats: Mild cat issue - teaching impulse control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWF2Ohik8iM Moderate cat issue - teaching impulse control using corrections and rewards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPIC3Jtn0E Severe cat issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLJV5PBh7Y More e-collar work with cats with the same dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lkbX0dhT0 Work on impulse control in general with pup, by teaching things that increase impulse control and calmness - such as a long, Place command around lots of distractions. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Below are some other commands in general you can practice to help pup develop better impulse skill/self-control. Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Leave It: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Out - which means leave the room: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ For e-collar training I do generally recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues and has experience to help you in person. It's very important to learn about fitting, using the proper stimulation level (called a working level) for your particular dog, using the collar correctly during training so that the dog understands what you do and do not want them to do, and not just correcting the dog without prior training and building of self-control also with rewards, and using a high quality collar that's consistent, has a huge range of levels, with low level stimulation options, such as Garmin, E-collar technologies, or Dogtra. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden