Stop Dog from Killing Chickens

I have five different habits that help reach my end goal to stop my Daisy Dog from killing chickens.

When we humans enlist the aide of animals to help us, we are using the animals natural talents and abilities to do the job. Having a dog assist us with herding or rounding up other animals is using the dog's hunting capabilities to our advantage.  We are asking our dog to "hunt" and trap the other animal and we humans want the dog to stop before doing what would naturally happen next.  The dog naturally would kill the other animal for it's next meal.

I have several different habits that help reach my end goal to stop my Daisy Dog from killing chickens.

How and what I feed my Daisy Dog is important to keep Daisy Dog from killing her chickens.  I feed Daisy the same time of day, every day.  Exactly what I mean is I feed her in the same order of routine every day.  Daisy Dog knows when to expect her food and this helps to avoid food insecurities for Daisy Dog. 

Daisy Dog is fed her dinner every evening after chores are done.  I have tried feeding Daisy Dog at different times.  This time of day works best for Daisy.  Some dogs prefer morning meals or maybe two smaller meals at different times of day.  Knowing when to expect her dinner, helps to stop Daisy Dog from killing her chickens because she is hungry or has a food insecurity. 

I've researched the quantity of food for Daisy Dog, an American Border Collie.  Daisy Dog is fed more than a house pet, but I feed her less than a working Border Collie. Daisy Dog is my beloved pet, we enjoy lots of exercise and do chores together.  Keeping Daisy Dog properly fed helps to avoid food insecurity and stop my Daisy Dog from killing chickens. 

Some Border Collies benefit from special diets.  Daisy is on a diet of food that her vet suggested. 

I do NOT feed my Daisy Dog raw meat.  A diet of raw meat for a dog, may encourage a dog to kill for food.  If something falls off the BBQ, I'm likely to offer it to Daisy.  I may put it on the grill and heat it through for Daisy. Most often, I do not feed Daisy raw meat to stop Daisy Dog from killing chickens.

I do NOT call our live chickens the same name as food that I serve humans at the table to help stop Daisy Dog from Killing chickens.  I call food inside the house, chicken.  I call the birds outside ANYTHING else.  I call them "birds, fowl, flock, hens, chicks, or by their individual names".  I have laying hens, not meat birds.  Daisy Dog does understand the hens have names.  I've seen Daisy react when I ask for her help with a named bird.  She knew who I meant.  I use different words and names to stop Daisy Dog from killing her chickens. 

When Daisy works with her hens and chicks, I praise Daisy in front of the chicks  to stop Daisy from being jealous of and killing chickens.  I ask Daisy to perform different tasks with the chickens including coop the chickens every night.  When Daisy does well, how ever small the task, I make an embarrassing fuss and praise Daisy Dog in front of the chickens.  I can see, Daisy Dog stand a bit taller, and look back at the chickens.  We all enjoy being told we've done well, and it makes us feel a little more special when it's done so that others notice.  I praise Daisy dog in front of her chickens to stop my dog from killing her chickens.

I stay calm around the chickens to stop my Daisy dog from killing her chickens. My Daisy Dog will react to my actions.  I over react when I see harmless snakes.  My over reactions has taught Daisy Dog that snakes are a threat to me, and she gets her dog up and resolves the problem for me.  I stay calm, and do my very best to not become anxious or over react to something a chicken might do, to stop Daisy Dog from killing a chicken that she interprets as a threat.

I do NOT have a rooster.  I know roosters have many responsibilities in the flock. A rooster may step up to Daisy Dog to defend his flock.  Daisy Dog might take that as a threat, and attack the rooster.  I don't want a chicken to confront Daisy Dog.  I don't want Daisy Dog to be hurt by a rooster, and I don't want Daisy Dog to kill a chicken. I don't keep roosters, to avoid my Daisy Dog killing a chicken.

            I feed Daisy dog, the same time, appropriate amount & type of foods.
I don't feed Daisy dog raw meet.
I call our chickens by different names (never "chicken") in front of Daisy Dog.
Praise Daisy Dog in front of hens, to feel more important.
I stay calm with Daisy dog and our chickens.
I don't have a rooster to antagonize Daisy Dog.

All things together, have helped to stop Daisy from killing her chickens.