my dogs are suddenly interested in my chickens

[peteyfoozer]

If he helps himself to another, you might consider trying a citronella remote collar. It won't hurt him but it sprays citronella at their muzzle. For some reason, dogs absoutely HATE it and i have had success with it on every breed of dog we ever tried it on.

 

[Jared77]

Was just going to suggest that. It has a remote and you can correct remotely. The idea and purpose is for the dog to make the association between the correction & the chicken.

I'd go ahead and get one now and stop the behavior right away. He's shown interest, I wouldn't tolerate any more of that behavior. Its only going to end badly. Maybe the next time, maybe in 10 more times. Hard to say. If your concerned enough to post it here, you need to address it now.

So when you use it, put it on the dog, and then put a piece of tape over your mouth. Let the dog out, have the remote handy and if he starts any kind of behavior associated with stalking or looking like he's going to make a move towards the birds you hit the button, he's sprayed and the behavior should stop. Might take a few corrections, often on a few different days for him to realize it but he'll get it pretty quickly.

Its simple behavior modification. If he knows he can get sprayed from any point in the yard without warning he'll stop. He might look but if he gets up to move in their direction he's gonna get it. Get to close he'll get it. You want him to get to the point that if the chickens come near him or even in his direction he gets up and moves because he's afraid he's going to get a blast of citronella. You want to create an avoidance behavior rather than a pursuing type of behavior.

That's what the tapes for. You warn him and he knows that if Mom's watching I'll get in trouble since she said don't do it. If your not watching he'll just push and push because he never got a warning. But if you push the boundary back on him completely and have a VERY low threshold for what behaviors are not ok (which means getting sprayed) he'll learn he better not even look at a chicken out of fear of getting sprayed. No warning he'll learn to avoid them since he can't anticipate the correction (getting sprayed) so its best to just avoid the whole chicken thing all together. He's not stupid, you just need to change the rules and he needs to learn what's not ok. The key here is being consistent. The more consistent you are the better he'll get the rules and play by them.

With certain behaviors there is no warning. You just don't do that behavior PERIOD. This is one of those totally unacceptable behaviors that is not going to be tolerated in any way shape or form. No warning you make a move and you smell like oranges/lemon/lime. That's how you squash the behavior all together. He'll learn what's ok and what isn't. Plus with a remote system he can have free range of the yard, no leash to drag tipping things over or get caught up on, and risk hurting him or limiting his ability to be in the yard.

The other nice thing about that kind of collar is it doesn't create pressure sores or pressure ulcers from constant contact like a shock collar with a remote would.

 

[bj taylor]

I've never heard of a citronella collar. will have to get one.

 

[Jared77]

http://www.amazon.com/Innotek-Spray-Commander-Training-Tool/dp/B001FK7ZB6

Thats what you want right there

 

[so lucky]

Jared, I bet your children are well behaved.

 

[baymule]

 

[ducks4you]

"Rose" (Husky/GS x BC cross, now 6yo) had a big problem with this. I gave her a few good tongue lashings and then isolated her from outside playtime for the same rest of the day of the offense, to sit by herself in the basement, while her sister, "Pyg" (Lab/GS x Pitbull, now 5 1/2 yo) got to play. Pgy won't chase the hens, roosters OR the chicks. She is a great gate guard bc the birds won't move past her.
Rose figured out that her behavior was NOT acceptable and stopped. I still don't trust her to guard my birds, but she won't do any hunting when I'm there.