May 15, 2010
How do I stop my beagle from killing chickens?
Our beagle (Bagel) is 2 yrs old. We go to our farm about once a month and chickens run free there. There is no way to pen them up or keep them out of her sight. Also, putting her on a leash is not ideal as she loves to run free, and other than her chicken killing habit is a good girl.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how this habit may be broken?
You'll need to restrain the dog for at least the short term. There's no other way to interrupt the behavior.
You can work on teaching Leave It, but casing and hunting is what the dog was bred to do. It's going to take awhile to train a reliable enough Leave It to protect small game around the dog.She might never be reliable around chickens because she's succeeded many many times in getting them.
Filed under Pocket Beagles by Paul

Comments on How do I stop my beagle from killing chickens? »
She is a Beagle. Keep her on a lead. She is not going to stop killing chickens.
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"Does anyone have any suggestions as to how this habit may be broken?"
1. Stop taking the dog out to the farm
2. Keep the dog on the leash even though its not "ideal", unless you think its funny for the dog to be killing the chickens
3. Get rid of the dog-problem solved.
It is not appropriate to have a farm and have ANY dog that shows aggression towards the farm animals.
If you allow her to run loose and she gets onto someone elses property they will be justified in shooting her.
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Have dogs and livestock.
Keep the dog on a leash, or penned up and make sure the chickens can't get in.
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You'll need to restrain the dog for at least the short term. There's no other way to interrupt the behavior.
You can work on teaching Leave It, but casing and hunting is what the dog was bred to do. It's going to take awhile to train a reliable enough Leave It to protect small game around the dog.She might never be reliable around chickens because she's succeeded many many times in getting them.
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mb
agreeing with the group on this matter dear
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Teach her that killing is wrong, .. lol.. no, I have no idea
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i love beagles !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there soooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im sorry i know its hard but you have to put her on a lead
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Shes a BEAGLE. They're bred to track game and small animals. Of COURSE she's going to chase and kill chickens - it's in her nature and if you weren't aware of that when you bought a Beagle you just learned the hard way!
She'll have to go on the leash. You can get a long range lead that will mean you can give her a better reign than one a short lead, but she will continue to chase and kill chickens. It's in a Beagle's instinct, you can't train that kind of drive out of a hound!
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I am always amazed that people buy a dog that hunts and then are surprised when it does what it was bred to do. Granted Beagles primary target is bunnies but a chicken if available will do.
You either confine the chickens when the dog is there - or confine or leash the dog when you visit. Or don't bring the dog to the farm but instead go to a big park for it's once a month run and romp (one hopes that she has more opportunity than 1 time a month for a run)
Fish swim, birds fly, hunting dogs hunt.
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Putting her on a leash IS ideal. So what if she loves to run free? She loves killing chickens, too, but that doesn't mean you should allow it.
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