LGD - Tie the dead chicken around her neck?

Hawkfamily · #1 03/17/09, 02:28 PM

Has anyone had any luck with this training method? I posted last week about our immature 6 month old GP dog, who has been chasing chickens and ducks, and mauling lambs (not having injured anyone to date). Well, this morning, she killed the chicken and appeared to be eating it.

I know I've read about people tying the dead bird around the dog's neck. Did it work for you? How long do you leave it there? (it's pretty darn disgusting, I have to say....)

Any other suggestions that have worked for you? Everyone told us to be patient with her and that she will outgrow this, but she needs some chicken/duck training.

Thanks in advance.
jodi

mylala · #2 03/17/09, 02:37 PM

I have been told that a dog has to be corrected within one second of what they were doing or they do not know that (what you are correcting them for) is what they did wrong. For example your dog gets in your trash...you go outside and trash is ripped open, and you see it...you yell dogs name, he start to come to you and you scold him or discipline him..he may very well think he is being scolded for coming to you, and not the trash he tore up. I have not had the problem you are speaking of nor have tried the tied to the neck thing, but to me it does not seem that it would train a dog.

BetsyK in Mich · #3 03/17/09, 02:40 PM

My dad did this years ago with a young border collie who would not leave the chickens alone finally killing one. The dog wore it for a good week, in the dead of summer, not pleasant but the dog never went near the chickens again. It did work that time. All dogs have different temperments/personalities so it will probably depend on the dog too. A am a believer in shock collars after it cured my Aussie from chasing cars, that may be a less smelly way to go, cost me $130 and worth every penny.

homesteadforty · #4 03/17/09, 02:51 PM

I don't see how it could work and suspect that for those that think it has worked for them, there was actually a something different that caused the change.

Think about it... most dogs are never happier than when they can go out, find something dead and rotting and eat it and/or roll in it. Not to mention how many dogs eat poo!

Hawkfamily · #5 03/17/09, 02:52 PM

I'm a big believer in shock collars, too. We used one on our American Bulldog to stop fence jumping years ago - only had to zap him twice - and he never jumped that particular fence again.
We have the opportunity to borrow a shock collar this week, but dh wanted to try the bird around the neck first to see if it would work.
She knew she was wrong. When I approached her and yelled her name, she came to me slinking along the ground, eventually lying down as I approached (about 15 feet away from the chicken.) I verbally reprimanded her and threw her on the ground, growling 'NO' in a loud and consistent voice. I then dragged her to her kennel and locked her up. So, she did get a very immediate consequence. I just don't think it's enough.
I also think that she is smart enough, though, to know that the bird around her neck is completely related to her killing incident an hour ago.

fostina1 · #6 03/17/09, 02:55 PM

i had to beat my pit with a dead chicken to get it to stop. but it knows better now and wont even look at them.

pourfolkes · #7 03/17/09, 02:56 PM

You will all think I am nuts, but here goes. A good friend as well as a breeder of these dogs told me about this method and even showed me. I thought she was nuts too, but it worked for me.

Grab up the chicken, or what is left of it, hug it to you, run around after the dog, sounding really upset, rather than mad and ask, "what did you do? Oh my, what did you do?" almost like you are going to cry.

It took a few times, but now she lets the chickens sleep right next to her if they want to.

WindowOrMirror · #8 03/17/09, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pourfolkes

You will all think I am nuts, but here goes. A good friend as well as a breeder of these dogs told me about this method and even showed me. I thought she was nuts too, but it worked for me.

Grab up the chicken, or what is left of it, hug it to you, run around after the dog, sounding really upset, rather than mad and ask, "what did you do? Oh my, what did you do?" almost like you are going to cry.

It took a few times, but now she lets the chickens sleep right next to her if they want to.

no, no... you're right...

... I DO think you're nuts.

R

#9 03/17/09, 03:14 PM

We've did that in my family forever. I had a dog that killed chickens, gave him the chicken necklace. Even now, 7 years afterwards, he still won't even snap at a baby chick that tries to get into his food. He will attack another dog getting his food tho. The secret is tie it up under his neck where he can't reach it. And we have always left it on for about a week.

GoldenMom · #10 03/17/09, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkfamily

She knew she was wrong. When I approached her and yelled her name, she came to me slinking along the ground, eventually lying down as I approached (about 15 feet away from the chicken.) I verbally reprimanded her and threw her on the ground, growling 'NO' in a loud and consistent voice. I then dragged her to her kennel and locked her up. So, she did get a very immediate consequence. I just don't think it's enough.

I wouldn't be so sure she knew she was wrong. I will assume that like most people you were visibly upset seeing what she had done/was doing and the pup probably picked up on that and your tone of voice. Hopefully she learned the right lesson-"don't kill chickens" and not the wrong lesson-"don't get caught with a dead chicken."

To my thinking, an immediate consequence is catching her in the act of killing the chicken. Correcting her while eating the dead chicken does not equate to correcting her for *killing* said chicken, just eating it. Just like if you are potty training a pup, you need to correct it when it starts thinking about going potty or when it has just started. It doesn't do any good to holler at the pup after it's finished, even if it's only been a few seconds.

Hawkfamily · #11 03/17/09, 04:14 PM

There was a fine line between 'killing' the chicken and 'eating' the chicken. In fact, the chicken was still slightly alive when I approached it, twitching here and there.
We're talking semantics here.....
I caught her in the act of killing/eating it. It was the same act.

I kinda like the idea of running after her sounding upset with the chicken actually. I think that might work, particularly when her instinct is to care for the animals.
I don't think you're crazy.

JIL · #12 03/17/09, 04:24 PM

hanging the dead chicken around the neck seems like it would be a treat for the dog. I have taken the dead chicken and beat my dog with it. But still if i happen to leave in a hurry and the chickens are out free ranging then sure enough when I get home all dogs are out of sight hiding from me because they know they have done wrong and killed another one. If they haven't killed when I get home they are all at the truck to greet me. So when I don't get greeted i go looking to see what happened and sure enough there it is. They know but how to break them i haven't figured it out. when i'm home the chicks free range all day with the dogs out and roaming themselves no dead chickens but as soon as I leave..... I may try to have my son hide and we'll get a shock collar and everytime they go near a chicken it will shock them and hopefully they will think it is the chicken that is shocking them? let me know what ya'll get figured out to stop them. I may try the running after them upset and crying hey if they are smart enough to know I'm not home to do it maybe. thanks JIL

Mare Owner · #13 03/17/09, 05:47 PM

Hanging the dead chicken around the neck didn't work for my chicken killing dog. She moped around for a few hours and then ate it.

Hawkfamily · #14 03/17/09, 05:53 PM

I think it's important that the dog not be able to reach/mouth the chicken at all while it's hanging there. She's had her 'chicken necklace' on for about 7 hours now. It is hanging just below her neck and she can't reach it at all. She doesn't seem too bothered by it - is still following the sheep and lambs into various fields and barns, doing the job she is supposed to do.

Ravenlost · #15 03/17/09, 07:28 PM

It always worked for my Daddy. If we had a chicken killing dog and he caught it in the act he would tie the chicken around it's neck until it rotted and fell off. Maybe the fact that we didn't want to pet or be around the dog was part of the reason it worked, but it did work every time!

Hawkfamily · #16 03/17/09, 07:35 PM

LOL - yeah, I was just out there and have to admit that I stayed clear of her. She's going to miss her little bit of time with me twice a day when I go out to feed her, that's for sure. There'll be no loving from me this week. I'm sure that deprivation IS part of what makes it successful.
I feel the need to call our two neighbours and warn them about it - it looks pretty gross and is going to get grosser over the next few days.... ick.

KimM · #17 03/17/09, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkfamily

There was a fine line between 'killing' the chicken and 'eating' the chicken. In fact, the chicken was still slightly alive when I approached it, twitching here and there.
We're talking semantics here.....
I caught her in the act of killing/eating it. It was the same act.

<snip>.

You're correct in that, to the dog, killing and eating it is a similar act, however, GoldenMom is right on here. The time to reprimand the dog was right when she began chasing the bird, before or right as she actually caught it. Another big mistake is to put the dog in her kennel as punishment as she'll start associating her kennel with "something" bad but she'll have no clue as to what. The shock collar is a good idea from a distance if you can watch her and catch her every single time she shows more than a casual interest in the poultry, until she wants nothing more to do with them. Other wise, don't let her have the opportunity to get to the birds unless you're right there to intervene immediately and every time.

Bearfootfarm · #18 03/17/09, 09:14 PM

Get the shock collar and bury the chicken

Dodgegal79 · #19 03/17/09, 11:55 PM

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i had to beat my pit with a dead chicken to get it to stop. but it knows better now and wont even look at them.

I did this with my dog too and she is scared of chickens now. Worked great.

westbrook · #20 03/18/09, 01:31 AM

tying a chicken around a dogs neck is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of doing to get a dog to stop killing chickens!

where is the logic?

sure go ahead.. tie one on... you will feel really dumb when the dog lays down and dines! like a candy necklace for kids!

this is a livestock guardian dog!!!! not a herding dog (border collie, collie, rotty, german shepherd), it is not a reteriver, not a pointer, or a whole host of other high pray drive dogs.

LGD's are low pray drive!!! what are you doing letting you puppy run with livestock with out supervision? pen the dog in a run next to the livestock, pen the dog in the center of the paddock or put said pup with some aggressive livestock but plenty of room for her to get away.

this may help http://www.anatoliandog.org/poultry.htm

you are asking a 6 month old puppy to behave line an adult.. like leaving an 8 year old child alone with a new born and expecting the child to know what to do in an emergency.

It takes awhile for a puppy to understand that they are to protect it not play with it!

your first dog/pup, you have to be the alpha dog. you need to stay on top of the pups behavior... expect to loose a few more before she figures out she is to protect it not eat it!

tying a dead anything around your dogs neck... don't, you are just asking the dog to kill again, after all it is a reward.. dinner on a string!

a little trick used and sometimes it works... spray livestock with bitter apple.

shock collars are great tools but the dog can't see you ... shock collars are even better when you put the collars on the kids, the remotes in a bag and have them reach in and grab one! well, never mind.