10 framer, I don't think it's easy to stop some dogs or breeds of dogs once they're in the habit of killing chickens. I'm having all sorts of issues having just inherited another 6 dogs on top of my own to look after. The cattle dog will always kill chickens around the back of the house but not the front, and any that fly in the yard. Keeping her out of those areas is the only thing to work. I'm trying to start young with her little pup as she's the spitting image with the same habits. She gets a little switch if she even looks at them. She is trying to grab the tails now.
On top of that, in the past two days, 2 different dogs have found ways to jump two different fences. The cattle dog is faithful and only jumps to be where I am. But my own terror of a dog found her way out, and takes a lot of fuel and time to catch. She is half kelpie and half border collie, so crazy two ways. I have to ride the bike at 50kph till she wears out and lets me catch her. The other day though, when she wearied, she went to the yard for a swim instead, revived, chased the weaners into the yard, back to the fence, over to the humpy and back, and I had to ride the bike for another half an hour to settle her. She chases roos also, so I reckon I should run her with a lead on now and try not to give her a chance to stray. I am seriously considering one of those zappy collars to discourage running the opposite way when I call. She is good in a controlled situation, and will come on the end of a long rope, but she won't even sit when she's out in the paddock. I understand the collars are not easy to use for this behaviour, but I have tried other things.
I don't like to keep dogs in cages or on chains, so I'm sure I will never end up with a well trained working dog.
Geoff, if you would like a working holiday erecting fences, I'll pay you in good queensland honey* :)
By the way, 10 framer, the old crippled blind dog who has used more than 9 lives I reckon, made an amazing trip of 3 or 4 miles in the heat (over 100f) not long ago. He was gone 10 days, then a neighbour found him in a gully with no water, an answer to prayer. He will become famous soon as his picture is going into a book of working dogs.
Lone
*Won a first prize at the show last week