How to Teach a Dog Not to Chase Chickens

Dogs love to chase all sorts of things, but if their predatory instincts are engaged they will causes serious harm to the object of their desire.

In many dog breeds it's instinctual for them to chase after animals such as chickens, especially if your dog comes from a herding breed. Chasing and being chased is common play for dogs. However, this behavior can cause stress problems and injury to your chickens. With the right instructions and loads of patience, all dogs can be trained to obey your command to stop chasing.

Things You'll Need

• Leash
• Tennis ball
• Treats
• Helper

Instructions

1. Bring your dog inside and put him on a leash. Take him to a long open room or hallway.

2. Wave a tennis ball in front of the dog's nose and firmly tell him "Off." Give a tug on the leash if he attempts to get the ball out of your hand.

3. Throw the ball down the hallway or to the opposite end of the room and if the dog tries to get it give a firm tug on the leash and say the word "Off" clearly and loudly. Practice steps two to three several times a day and reward him with a small treat for every good behavior. Do this until the dog consistently obeys the "Off" command.

4. Take your dog outside and attach a leash. Put a chicken out of reach right in front of the dog, firmly say "Off" and tug on the leash if he attempts to run for it. Have a helper take the chicken out of sight and when the dog has calmed down, bring the chicken out again. Practice this step several times a day until the dog no longer attempts to chase the chicken, rewarding every instance of good behavior with a small treat.

5. Remove the leash once you are confident your dog will not chase the chicken(s) any more. Have your dog sit close to you and tell him "Off" just before bring out the chicken. Reward him for his good behavior and punish him if he attempts to chase the chicken.

Tips & Warnings

• Only take your dog off leash while training him if he performs perfectly on leash every time and you're confident he will not chase the chicken.

• If you're dog continues to chase the chicken after all your hard work training him on the leash, his urge to chase is too strong and you should segregate your dog from the chickens permanently.

References

• Perfect Paws: Chasing Cars, Cats, Joggers, etc...
• Dog Training Basics: How to Train Your Dog Not to Come
• Dogs Dogs Dogs: How to Train Your Dog to Stop Chasing
• Dogs: How to Train Your Dog Not to Chase Things