Dogs are, by nature, hunting animals and many of them are trained for this task. For this reason, it is not surprising that they have the need to attack other animals to mark their terrain and demonstrate their dominant position... Therefore, if you live on a farm, it is completely normal for your dog to attack chickens. In fact, the concern that this does not happen usually becomes one of the greatest of farmers or people who have some laying hens for their own consumption. However, we can help you avoid it with some simple tips. It is, plain and simple, training. We will have to prevent your dog from attacking the chickens through it, something completely natural that is part of his predatory instinct. Let’s see the next post to know how to do it.
What do you need to prevent a dog from attacking chickens?
To prevent a dog from attacking the chickens we are going to need
- Training our dog very early
- Necklace for dogs
- Belt
- Dog awards
- Have a lot of patience and show authority in front of your pet
Instructions to prevent a dog from attacking chickens
Step by step to prevent a dog from attacking chickens
- Train your dog properly. It is important that your dog receives professional training from birth and that the trainer also teaches you how to behave in order to reinforce this work and help ensure that all the effort that has been made to educate your dog is not lost, a come back home. If he receives a good education as a puppy, it will be easier, among other things, to ensure that your pet does not consider chickens as an appetizing prey that must be hunted before they escape. The problem can be quite serious if it attacks a neighbor’s chickens instead of yours. We have to prevent this from happening and that we have to be forced to collect dead chickens from the farm because of the fierceness of our dog.
- We can reinforce the training received from a professional from our own homes. It is important that we do so to prevent them from confronting any type of bird, and not just chickens. The way to achieve this is to reduce his hunting instinct as much as possible or at least teach him that birds are not part of the hunt, but animals with which he must learn to live. Plus, we can help relax your natural instincts with long walks. The dogs they should be well exercised and need no activity when they get home. For this reason, if you want your dog not to eat the chickens or simply not to attack them, a good tip is to walk him correctly and “tired” him throughout the day. The more energy you have, the longer the walks should be. Take him out on a leash and collar and release him by the hood so he can run around and let off steam. In this way he will arrive home more relaxed and will not feel like attacking the chickens.
- We must not only take care of the education of our dog, but also ensure the tranquility of our hens. For example, when you go to put them in the pen, it is recommended that your dog has already walked and has released as much energy as possible, and that he is also inside the house during the process. In this way the hens will not run scared when they see it loose and your dog will not think that it is a hunting game with only one possible ending: to hunt the clumsiest hens.
- Once the chickens are inside the chicken coop and already relaxed, it is time to take the dog out of the house with the leash and get into the chicken coop with him. Remember that the dog must have discharged all his adrenaline for this part of the process.
- Keep him close to you on the leash for a long time and check that he calmly looks around and is not interested in starting to hunt chickens. Command him to sit next to you in a firm voice and make sure he stays calm. If he reacts positively, reward him with a canine treat.
- Make sure your dog remains completely relaxed and seated even if the chickens move around him. That will be the moment when you can walk away and give him some space.
- Keep an eye on your dog as he watches the chickens and interacts with them. If you see him start to get upset, approach him and pull on his leash from him to get him out of hunter position. Every time he relaxes, reward him.
- This activity may take many days for your dog to fully understand that he is not to hunt the chickens. Be patient during the process. The result is worth it.
Tips to prevent a dog from attacking chickens
One last tip to prevent a dog from attacking chickens
Although these tricks can help you to make the coexistence between your dog and the chickens more appropriate, the best thing, ALWAYS, is to turn to a dog trainer or trainer who advises you and helps you well. Soon your dog will be able to interact with all kinds of birds.
