[Clarebelle]

Hello everyone,

Last week my husband bought home a Springer spaniel which we have rehomed from a Welsh farmer who really wasn't too fussed about him. He is 4 years old and had lived in a horsebox his whole life and had had little contact with people or other dogs.

Since he came to live with us nearly 2 weeks ago I have been pleasantly surprised by his behaviour. He hasn't had any accidents indoors and has settled in well with my other two dogs and my young children.

He is doing really well, however, he will not come back when called so he must be kept on a lead even when going out for a wee. Last night when my husband was bringing the dogs back after a walk dingo passed some chickens of ours who were having a huddle and grabbed one and pinned it to the ground. Luckily as he was on a lead my husband managed to rescue the chook before any real damage was done. But now we need to break him of any interest in the chickens and other livestock. We are surrounded by fields of cows and sheep and if he wanders he will absolutely be shot. Not to mention that I don't want to have to worry about him around my animals.

Any advise for training him out of this behaviour? He is a bit bonkers as so springer s are so he has trouble concentrating when your trying to speak to him!

[Marches Farmer]

Quite a talll order for an older dog that's set in his ways and a bit barny to boot.  How attached is he to you?  This will be easier if he sleeps in the house.  If he even looks at an animal or bird you immediately say "No" in the fiercest, loudest voice you can muster.  Also need to train him to come to call 100%. 

[Bionic]

I'm not great on dog training myself but when we got our chickens our dog did the same. Especially if the chickens made any fluttering, the dog thought they were fair game. As MF has said we had to say no, fiercly, several times. It took a while before I could trust him but now, the most he does, is mingle with them to pinch their food.
Yours is so new to you. I am sure you will overcome this problem with a bit of patience.

[doganjo]

Can't you keep the dogs and the hens separate?  I do! Even with intense training mine would have ago if they could.  One of my girls clamps her jaws really tight on a flapper/runner so I wouldn't trust her - the others would retrieve tenderly with no harm done, but it would scare the hens so I just don't let them

Have you had gundogs before?  Retrieving is what spaniels do as well as flushing.

[Steph Hen]

If he even looks at an animal or bird you immediately say "No" in the fiercest, loudest voice you can muster.

This. Do not allow him to even look at a chicken. Be very firm from now on. I don't have a problem with physically reprimanding a dog. You still need patience and can never loose your cool even for a second. I got my idiot spaniel at 2 or 3. He was bad and went for hens once when he was new. I hauled him on his lead, grabbed him up by scruff of neck with both hands and shook him for maybe 10 seconds while shouting at him before continuing our walk. It shocked the hell out of him, only took that one time. Never needed to do anything again. now the hens lay eggs in his kennel and he's free range with them all the time. He is 100% safe with any livestock.

[Old Shep]

His interest in birds may not transfer to other livestock but obviously this can't be guaranteed.  When I got my rescue collie he lunged like a maniac on the lead at sheep - he definitely wanted to kill them.  He was way way beyond any reward based training which is what I would nearly always use.  I got a lunge whip and when he went for the sheep (on lead of course) I brought it down hard on the ground just in front of him. A  few sessions of this sorted it out, then I gradually increasing the length of the line until he could be trusted off line.  2 years on and he helps the working dogs bring in the sheep, until it comes to penning up - then he keeps his distance ;-)

[Me]

Maybe he only comes back to Welsh people.

[Clarebelle]

My hens free range and we don't really have the facility to pen them in and I wouldn't want to to be honest. I waited to get hens until I was somewhere they could safely free range.

Should we introduce him to the situation again? E.g. take him into the garden on the lead and every time he shows an interest reprimand him?

[doganjo]

My hens free range and we don't really have the facility to pen them in and I wouldn't want to to be honest. I waited to get hens until I was somewhere they could safely free range.

Should we introduce him to the situation again? E.g. take him into the garden on the lead and every time he shows an interest reprimand him?

Don't hit him.    A stern 'NO, and a distraction - plastic tub/bottle with stones in it.  Good luck.  I'd rather keep mine apart to be honest.  You'll never be 100% sure no matter how well he is trained.  As I said Spaniels retrieve!

[Steph Hen]

Should we introduce him to the situation again? E.g. take him into the garden on the lead and every time he shows an interest reprimand him?

Yes. He will at some point see birds again so it's much better for you to have a clear plan of when that is going to be so that it is a training exercise. Might be good to put a bird in a cage so that it won't get hurt and you know exactly when your dog is going to first have a chance to make eye contact.
I suggest you introduce some other commands like sit and lay down and start working on heel with treats so that when you do take your dog outside near your birds you have something to be working with and occupying him... The birds happen to be there, but try not to be focused on them yourself as he'll pick up on all your body language - When there's just the two of us, my dog works off my raised eyebrow or slightest nod.

[in the hills]

He is very new to you so don't expect too much yet. I personally would keep him away from stock until he knows and trusts you completely. Then go through all the normal obedience as if he were a young pup. Teach the 'no' command in the house as you would a pup etc, etc. He might not know any commands ..... even the recall. Assume that he knows nothing and get good basic control. Work on this before the temptation of birds. It wouldn't be fair on him to reprimand too much or to be too hard before he knows basic commands and lessons.

My father trained gundogs and always had free range poultry and so do we. My dogs can tell the difference between pheasants and hens no trouble. It maybe harder for your lad because of his age and once his commands are mastered, once he knows you really well .... what you expect and trusts you, then you might have to be 'harder' with him to achieve your aim .... which in the end will be better for you, the hens and him.

  Good luck

[Porterlauren]

We have all manner of dogs here, including trained gun dogs and other hunting dogs and also have free ranging chooks. The only ones that I wouldn't trust 100% are the terriers, but then I would trust them 100% with anything, once they get an idea into their heads, they are little b****rds!

My way of breaking a dog to anything, is to expose them to it lots, in a controlled situation, have them on a lead, and every time they look, pull, lunge at the chicken / sheep etc, give the lead a sharp tug and growl at them / tell them off. I do this lots until I can do the same without any lead, dog by side, walk through / near chooks and if they look / lunge etc get over the top of them, use body language and verbal tone to convince them that if they grab that bird they will get it bad.

Usually it doesn't need physical reprimand, but i've had a couple of dogs that in the end, it look a physical correction to put them right, some may not agree, but you need to know your dogs and know where the line is.

[Carse Goodlifers]

The only ones that I wouldn't trust 100% are the terriers, but then I would trust them 100% with anything, once they get an idea into their heads, they are little b****rds!

We have a BT and he is fine with cattle, sheep and horses and will walk in amongst them.  Birds however are a different story.  He will chase pheasants and partridge when we're out walking fields and also when the pheasants come in the garden.  When he does start chase I do shout but to no effect .  And sadly his games are  the fear that I have when we get some poultry (potentially next year).
It will just take a bit more time to get our BT sorted and this will be the same for your Springer.  If he didn't have much interaction with things before you got him, you effectively are starting training from the start as though he was a pup.

[Porterlauren]

There is just something about terriers, it's a little voice in their head, that makes them do bad things 

I've got one collapsed in a heap on the sofa next to me, they are great dogs, but they are prone to moments of sudden deafness 

[Mammyshaz]

Every dog is individual, even between breeds. I agree with ITH to keeping the distance until you and your new dog know each other much better and the basic training is excellent before starting to introduce any livestock or birds. 

I have a x patterdale terrier who will mother young chicks and hens but when they are too big she stays behind me in case they get to close and peck her  I had a whippet nervous of rabbits as we had an aggressive doe. In the woods she might chase one down the path but run past giving a wide berth and a bark before returning to me I've had a GSD who shared carrots with the guinea pig taking turns nibbling.  As I said, each dog is individual. How much you can trust them comes down to training AND their individual nature. Most can be taught to leave and live peacefully together with other species while supervised but some may never be able to be left alone with others unsupervised without taking advantage of the situation.

Time will tell. It is very early days yet, good luck with him.