How to Train Your Dog to Not Kill Chickens

Hello Sharon, I suggest teaching him a strong avoidance so that he doesn't go near them to begin with. Check out the YouTube channel that I have linked below. That trainer works with clients who are dealing with livestock chasing and killing behaviors. The training that he uses for sheep and cattle can also be applied to chickens as long as your dog has enough space to choose to avoid the chickens, opposed to be confined in the same house with them indoors like other small pets. 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 Find a trainer who is very experienced with e-collar training and can teach the type of training found in those videos. In addition to doing what's called "Working level" training, which is when you use e-collars on the lowest level required to elicit a small response from your dog, such as a scratch or indication of feeling something annoying, and teaching the dog through repetition to get away from something, you will also later need to do what's called "Act of god" training, which is when a higher stimulation is given while no one is present, so that the dog thinks that the stimulation came directly from being close to the chickens and not a person. You train avoidance on a lower level first so that the dog understands that he should leave the chickens around, then when you use a higher stimulation later when you are not present, the dog understands what the correct is for and should learn that the correction will be given whether you are present or not. The higher correction is often needed for killing behaviors but if you do the lower corrections while first teaching this, you will be able to do very few higher corrections because the dog will understand the lesson. That makes the training more gentle and fair to the dog in the long run and also more effective. E-collars are powerful, potentially dangerous tools if not used correctly. They can also be extremely effective and more gentle than other methods if you know what you are doing with them. That is why I highly recommend getting a trainer to teach you in person how to do it effectively and safely. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Brittany, He was likely trying to play with the bird and like you said shook it and broke it's neck. Since he wasn't tearing into it and eating it, he probably hasn't associated the birds with food, but will try to catch, chase, stalk, and shake them again if he can. He is practicing hunting - even if he doesn't realize it. He needs to learn a strong avoidance of the birds before he views them as prey to be eaten. I suggest purchasing a device that emits a signal out that is received by a collar. When a dog gets too close to that area the device is set up in, the collar gives an electric shock. (Not a dangerous voltage but enough to surprise a dog and be unpleasant to deter them from going near that area. You need to teach him to avoid the chicken coop completely and stop viewing the chickens as fun. You can put the collar on him (it works like an electric fence collar) and put the device he should avoid close to the chicken coop, then adjust the radius of the device's signal to the collar so that it only stimulates his collar if he gets within ten or so feet of the chicken coop, and not when he is further away. You may want to set up chicken wire for the chickens to spend time in by the coop so that he can see the chickens walking around and learn to avoid the actual chickens in addition to the chicken coop. Here is one example of such a deterrent device. https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Barriers-Adjustable-Proofing-Stimulation/dp/B002GQFRVI/ref=asc_df_B002GQFRVI/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198111066934&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1803624092535002102&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1015431&hvtargid=pla-545960881152&psc=1 Research different brands and be sure to find one you can use outside even during rain, and one that will let you adjust the range low enough that he is only corrected for getting close to the chickens and not twenty or more feet away. Also, work on teaching him a leave it command and using that when he pays attention to the chickens, to better help him understand that they are off limits. Check out the article that I have linked below and the "Leave It" method to teach the Leave It command. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Habiba, I suggest teaching a strong avoidance of the birds the way someone would teach livestock avoidance. Continue to separate the animals in general, but work on teaching an avoidance of the birds as a back up - in case the birds were to get out and to prevent break-ins. Hire a trainer who is very experienced with remote collar training, aggression, and prey drive to help you. Check out the videos linked below for examples of how to teach it. 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 Amy, First, know that each dog is different. Just because you couldn't break your other dog of the killing, doesn't necessarily mean training would fail with this one. E-collars can be a great tool for dealing with this behavior, but how you use the tool is even more important, and being sure to use the tool in a way that actually works with how a dog learns and replaces the killing with an alternative behavior is important. Simply correcting around the chickens without further training to help the dog connect why they are specifically being corrected and to teach pup an alternative behavior that can be rewarded in place - like moving away from the chickens on their own, isn't likely to be effective enough. 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 chickens. Whether this is doable will depend on your level of dedication, willingness to learn, and how large the space he is in is - so that he can choose to move away from them with the space to do so. I suggest watching James Penrith's videos before deciding whether you are willing to train. I am not the one there observing your dog in person, so unfortunately I cannot make any guarantees that this behavior can be changed, but pup is young, this was an early attempt, and trainers with the right experience and knowledge - like James, do successfully modify this behavior with dogs with a far worse history of livestock killing than you dog has at this time. 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 For further assurance once pup is trained to avoid the chickens, you may want to invest in a pet barrier device, like the one linked below. Avoidance training with the e-collar and long leash would still need to be done, the barrier device would just serve as a long term reminder of training were pup to ever wander near the chicken's enclosure and consider an attempt again. https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-pawz-away-outdoor-pet-barrier/dp/48580 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Daisy, 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 the birds. 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, then the chance for success is lower. If he has plenty of room to go somewhere that they are not located to avoid them, then the training is more feasible. 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 Up close training for tighter quarters when needed - ideally pup won't be that close to the birds though. Severe cat killing issue - also prey drive issue though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLJV5PBh7Y More e-collar work with cat as prey animal with the same dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lkbX0dhT0 Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, you can try the Drop Method with daily practicing at least 10 minutes a dayhttps://wagwalking.com/training/not-attack-chickens but with two dogs you will need perseverance and perhaps some help from other family members too. The best suggestion I can give is to build a large fenced enclosure where the chickens still have the freedom to run but will no longer be a target for the dogs. Dasher may have a strong prey drive, hard to change. You can also try the Critical Distance Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/not-kill-chickens-1. Another option is to hire a trainer to come to the farm and work with the dogs - it may be worth it to save your investment in the chickens. All the best.