Rural Gardening: How did you stop your dog from wanting to eat the chickens?, 0 by town2country

town2country wrote:
Hi Everyone,

Sorry I've been posting so much lately, I just have so many questions and no one else to ask!

Anyway, my question is how do you train a dog to know that chickens aren't food. I have a great big old (11 yrs) Alaskan Malamute that never tried to eat anything in his life. He's had 4 week old kittens bat him on the nose and he never bothered anything. However, since moving to the country he's decided he wants to investigate these dog instincts that were so buried before we didn't think he had any. He noticed one of the neighbors dogs chasing the wild turkey so he's picked up on that. Then when my chicks were about two weeks he went to eat one. I yelled "NO" right as he got his mouth around her and he immediately let go and the chick was fine but now I don't trust him. I take him with me every morning and evening when I check on the chicks and he sits outside the run and watches them. I feed them weeds through the chicken wire so he can see them up close and even smell them. He'll look like he's just interested in watching them but then he'll lick his chops. When he does that and looks too focus on them I tell him no in a low voice but beyond that, I don't know what to do. I'm afraid they smell too much like what they are and he's eaten cooked chicken in the house so is it too much to expect him to learn the difference at this old age? I want to free range the chicks when they're big enough but I'm afraid my dog will eat them.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice.

Jenica