# My New Dog Chases My Chickens: Electronic Collar?



## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

My best buddy recently passed away. He was the perfect dog. It only took him two corrections before he realized he wasn't allowed to chase or in any way bother my small free ranging flock of seven chickens, and could be trusted 100% around them, unsupervised. His loss was a real blow to me.

I adopted a new dog. She's a little over a year old. Even though I have a completely chain link fenced in yard, front and back, I have to take her out on a leash, and only off leash under close supervision, because she's fascinated with the free ranging chickens, which have the free run of the property, and will sometimes give in to the urge to chase them. 

My property is fenced as though it's two properties, so sometimes one of the fenced lots will be chicken free, and I will let her loose in there with me, after closing the gate behind us, but my chickens like to be near me and when they see me there they will gradually fly over the fence to join me, showing little if any fear of the dog (being used to the old dog). My new dog, after a few days of specific anti-chicken-chasing training, is 98% good with them when I'm there, but sometimes the urge is too much, and off she will go after one of them, and I have to chase her down and corner her to stop her from what she's doing.

I saw Cesar Millan's shows (Dog Whisperer) where he uses a particular brand of remote control electronic collar which has several shock settings, and a vibration only option too, so you can pair the vibration with the follow up shock so that very soon you only need the vibration mode to stop the dog at a distance from unwanted behavior, eventually not needing it at all, once the dog learns to associate the unwanted behavior with the consequence. This of course would only be used when the dog is off leash, and cannot be corrected in the normal way, with the choker.

Can anyone tell me the exact brand name of what he uses? I have had zero success searching this on Google. If not, can you recommend one that does what I specified? Thanks. Desperate.


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

What kind of dog is she? I have a cocker spaniel. I could shock him until he's almost dead (not that I ever would, just saying), but because he's a bird dog, he'll chase chickens. I don't free range my chickens anymore - problem solved. I use tractors now, keeps the chickens a lot safer from predators and they don't poop on my stuff. I train hounds. Sometimes I use collars, but only as a last resort, and only after analyzing the breed vs the behavior. You can possibly have some luck with a collar, but it sounds as if the dog's urge will return when you aren't there. Why don't you just clip the chicken's wings so they don't fly over the fence, giving them free space, and removing the urge from the dog? A good shock collar is going to cost you several hundred dollars, may not work, and you can buy a lot more chickens for that money.


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

She's a Bull Terrier mix. Previous dog, the one who was perfect with the chickens, and could be left alone with them with no risk of trouble, was a pure bred Pitbull.

How often do flight feathers need clipping?


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## AnthonyF (Mar 21, 2011)

I have 2 black labs that are my bird dogs, they are both collar trained and walk with me while the chickens free range. I rarely have there collars on unless they do go after them. But ushually one stern "here" and they leave them alone, and they have never caught one. So even being bird dogs they leave them be.


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## Beowulf (Aug 27, 2010)

I am currently using a shock collar to good effect on a boxer. I wouldn't have considered it, except that he is deaf, so he cannot hear our warning calls when he starts to get the idea in his head that he should do something.

So far we appear to have broken him from bothering the chickens and marking my greenhouse, but I think it is important to interrupt the thought as it is forming - when he is eye-balling the chickens, preparing to jump, not after he has jumped.


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## mitchell3006 (Apr 1, 2010)

Tritronics makes a good collar that I have used with mine. You do have to be careful not to ruin the dog but they are a fine tool in training. NEVER allow yourself to touch the controls if you are mad!

Mark


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

You can also now get collars that react to sensors and we were debating putting a sensor on a chicken and turning our shiba loose to shock herself every time she went near the chicken. Due to the dogs' tendency to escape the yard and go roaming we decided to spend the money on invisible fencing instead. So the sensor collar system is on hold and I never did find out if the sensors are small enough to put on a chicken or cat.


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

akane said:


> You can also now get collars that react to sensors and we were debating putting a sensor on a chicken and turning our shiba loose to shock herself every time she went near the chicken. Due to the dogs' tendency to escape the yard and go roaming we decided to spend the money on invisible fencing instead. So the sensor collar system is on hold and I never did find out if the sensors are small enough to put on a chicken or cat.


Cool idea, though.


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## christie (May 10, 2008)

I just bought mine for my new dog yesterday.
He is a bloodhound puppy, thats has seen the chicks in the house and knew they were one of "ours". A couple weeks ago He got one of our hens and she died. I think from the stress of it all though he did bite her real good. HE would occasionally chased the birds, This time he caught one.:grit:

I got a really cheap Petsafe model at tractor supply. The reviews arn't good, but I needed something quickly untill I can afford something better.

I use to have an innotek That i used on my Boston that was very mischievous. I liked that collar alot. and will get one again.

Tritronics is really expensive, mostly for hunting dogs.

Then there is Smartdog, which is better then petsafe.
Any time that dog looks at a chicken hes going to get it. My ol guy that I am sadly putting down on Friday would never think about hurting a chicken or the chicks. I was hoping he would pass on some knowledge to the hound before he left :sob:


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

christie said:


> I just bought mine for my new dog yesterday.
> He is a bloodhound puppy, thats has seen the chicks in the house and knew they were one of "ours". A couple weeks ago He got one of our hens and she died. I think from the stress of it all though he did bite her real good. HE would occasionally chased the birds, This time he caught one.:grit:
> 
> I got a really cheap Petsafe model at tractor supply. The reviews arn't good, but I needed something quickly untill I can afford something better.
> ...


Sorry to hear of your loss. My boy, that I lost last week, was a great "farm dog." Walked among the chickens all the time, and they walked around him, and he never would think of hurting one. I really miss him.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Pretty much all the collars are made by the same company (innotek) just marketed under different brands for different purposes and cost levels. Reading many reviews including from the people who know how all these brands are connected because they also install various types of invisible fencing sportdog generally comes out on top and is what we have for both remote collar and invisible fence. This is the brand that is generally aimed at hunters and made for durability and consistent connection over distance even with obstacles.


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