Cocker Spaniel and chickens

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melle

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I have a young cocker bitch with a very keen chase instinct! We had trouble early on with her chasing the cat - now completely sorted. Today in a friend's garden (unsupervised because I did not know they were there) she killed three chickens. Is this a disaster in terms of her gundog training??
 
There's an old adage which applies to Gundogs; 'It takes months to make them and minutes to ruin them'. If your approach to her training is that she has periods which are 'unsupervised', then yes, I'd say that your future success will be restricted at best, and futile at worst!

Alec.
 
I don't know how you will overcome that tbh, the reward for her misbehaviour has been massive. Still, try, try and try again. I wouldn't leave her with any game or poultry again tbh. Our pups are under constant supervision with the chickens until we completely trust them. I appreciate you didn't know your friend had chickens, I bet she is gutted but can't imagine why they didn't tell you - no one lets their dogs off lead in my garden and when we shoot here, which mean pheasants fall into our garden, only our dogs are allowed to retrieve them as I know they are safe.
 
leaving your dog unsupervised and loose in someone elses garden is a huge risk of which you are now partly aware, were you not concerned that the dog may find a way out, pick up weed killer, anti freeze, slug pellets or something similar?
a dog that has killed feather is unlikely to be soft mouthed in future and wont be welcome on most shoots if it rags winged birds-they are supposed to return them to hand as they find them.
 
Thanks for all replies. Id like to say was not concerned about poisons etc as friends dogs kept in garden - all safely fenced etc but I take on board the the comments about leaving her unsupervised.
 
melle, I too keep working Cockers, and when they're out of their kennels, and with me, then I NEVER let them out of 'the corner of my eye'. To do so is courting disaster. Depending how old your bitch is, and how entrenched her behaviour pattern has become, and how you approach her apparent recalcitrance, will depend upon whether the situation is retrievable, or not!

Alec.
 
I would suggest she might be retrievable with a lot of work. I'd be very careful of how she handles game. Working dogs, never, ever get let out of sight. It takes minutes to undo years of steadiness training.
 
Thank you - I have contacted a local gundog trainer and will see what they suggest. Her obedience training is spot on so I am hoping this will be our saviour.
 
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