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Does your dog chase your chickens? Has he managed to slim down your flock of chickens or, worse yet, your neighbor’s flock? While dogs are predatory by nature for survival, this trait is not a behavior that most of us want to see in our dogs. One thing that many people fail to consider when they choose a particular breed to add to their family is that some breeds are more predatory than others and some were bred specifically to hunt certain animals.
While you cannot take away your dog's inherent desire to hunt and kill, with the right training, you can teach him to stick to eating out of his bowl and maybe just hanging out with the chickens. You never know, they might even let him become an honorary flock member. With training like this, the sooner you start, the easier it will be to train your pup to behave.
You can use your choice of commands as you train your dog to stop killing chickens, but no matter which command you decide to use, be sure you use the same one every time. At the same time, be prepared for this training to take some time depending on the breed of your dog. Some breeds are far more connected to their survival than others. While puppies tend to learn more quickly, with patience, you can teach any age dog to stop killing chickens or any other animal. This can help save your flock from becoming fast food as they run across the yard.
What you are likely to need to train your dog not to kill chickens will to a certain extent depend on the training method. However, you will need plenty of your dog's favorite treats, a leash, and tons of patience. Remember, you are trying to train your dog not to do something that is among his basest instincts, the desire to survive.
While it would be nice to train your dog not to kill chickens in a quiet atmosphere, most of his training is going to take place around your flock of noisy chickens. However, you do need to keep others (like the kids) away while you are working with your pup as they might prove to be too much of a distraction. No matter which command you will be using to train your dog to leave the chickens alone, be sure to use a firm "no nonsense" voice so that your dog knows you mean business.
The Proximity Method
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Get close
While on a leash, take your dog out near the chickens when you are doing your chores. You can tie his leash to a post if needed. When he calms down, heap tons of praise on him, and of course, a treat!
Occupy with commands
Once he has become used to the chickens, try working him through several basic commands like ‘sit’, ‘leave it’, and ‘down’. Watch him for signs he is no longer paying attention to the chickens.
Lose the leash
Once this behavior has gone on for several weeks, try working with your well-behaved dog off-leash. Heap tons of praise for getting it right.
Step back if necessary
If your dog fails, go back to the on-leash training program for a few days. Then try again. Remember, this is not an overnight exercise.
Increase duration
Slowly increase the amount of time under supervision your dog is off-leash until he has learned to be around the chickens without dinner on his mind.
The Restrain Method
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On the leash
Clip your pup on his leash and walk him towards the chickens, praising him and petting him. Walk with confidence; if your dog senses you are nervous, he may react.
Pull back
When your dog starts to show any type of aggression towards the chickens, stop praising him immediately. Keep a firm hold on the leash.
Stop him in his tracks
If your pooch's body language indicates he is preparing to lunge, give him the "sit" and "drop" commands. If necessary, use the leash to slowly lower him to the down position and physically restrain him.
Resistance is futile
As soon as your pup complies and relaxes, shower him with praise and give him a nice tasty treat. The positive reinforcement will help speed along the training nicely.
Take a play break
Now is a great time to walk your pup away from the chickens and spend at least five minutes playing with him. Repeat this training exercise daily until he can walk up beside a chicken without being fazed.
The Distance Training Method
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Get close
Walk your pup on a leash towards the caged or penned chickens. On the way there, practice his heel and sit commands. Start, stop for command, and move forward.
Find a sweet spot
Move your dog to the point at which he first starts to react to the chickens and then move back to determine the distance at which he no longer reacts (this could take several attempts).
Distract
Once you have the distance down, use a training clicker or your voice to make a noise. If your four-legged companion turns and looks at you, give him loads of praise and a nice treat.
Close in
Continue closing the distance for several days doing the same thing. Patience, consistency, and following the steps exactly will push your dog toward success.
Correct
When your pup gets too close to the cage, give the "leave it!" command and a gentle tug on his leash. Make the noise and reward him when he looks at you. Soon, there will be no reaction to the chickens.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/24/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Amy Caldwell
Training Questions and Answers
She has been killing chickens and been so bad that she dug a hole under pen and killed more what can we do?
Dec. 13, 2023
Hazel's Owner
Just found 2 dead chickens what do I do
Oct. 3, 2023
Rubble's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, First, I suspect he is being given too much freedom around the property. At this age, I would supervise him more while outside and either keep him with you on a long training leash, so you can reel him in if he begins pestering animals - to help him learn they are off-limits, or be kept inside away from the animals. If the birds are contained somewhere like a coop and run and he broke in, you can get an outdoor pet barrier device and set it by the coop and set the radius of the device to include the entire chicken run, having him wear the corresponding collar, which will correct him is he approaches the birds to break in. This only works with confined birds and not free range chickens though. The main thing you do at this age is keep pup on a long leash with you around the property so you can give feedback to him when he begins to bother the animals, and reward when he chooses to leave them alone or moves away when told to. When he is older, you can use remote collar training when you transition him to more freedom on the property. As this age, you haven't yet laid the foundation for what you expect him to do around the birds and he is being given too much freedom to resort to his own plans, and he isn't old enough for a remote training collar, so I would work on positive reinforcement, managing freedom, and proactively being with him around the birds and enforcing him leave them alone and rewarding when he does. If he is still bothering the birds once he is an adult after training him, in a few months, check out James Penrith, taketheleaddogtraining, on Youtube. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden.
Oct. 10, 2023