If you dog has ever attacked a chicken, I wouldn’t trust him with them again, but you can work with him to hopefully help their chances.

Our beagle will chase them, but doesn’t know what to do when he catches them. I take him to their pen on a leash, and hold him as they get close. I pat him, tell him what a good dog he is and if he makes a motion toward them, I pull back on his collar and say “No!” We’re doing this with the chicks right now, and he’s actually in the garage with them at night. Hoping that will help him lose some interest.

Our lab mix was curious about them, but he doesn’t chase them. In fact, I lock him in with them if we’re not going to be home before sundown so that nothing unpleasant will get into the coop!

My parents’ dachsund attacked them once, but fortunately was too small to really do any damage. Then the larger one pecked one on the nose and that ended that dog’s curiosity!

Training an animal is easier if started as a puppy and if they’ve never actually killed a chicken. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work with him and see how it goes!
.-= Dana´s last blog ..The great chicken experiment =-.