How can I keep my dog from killing birds?

Probably nothing. Prey drive is hard-wired; the best you can do is limit her opportunites and exposure.

You can’t. This is what dogs do – it’s an inbred, evolutionary thing.

Look at the bright side – you’re saving money on dog food.

Too bad they don’t make fake decoy birds that explode when attacked. That would stop her real quick.

Maybe set a few squirrels and rabbits loose in the yard. She’ll forget about the birds immediately.

oh wait

You can trim that tree back to where it’s out of her reach. That’s all I got unless you muzzle her outside. Boxer’s are quick, I love that breed!

Try tying a bell on her collar. Works for cats.

She’s guarding the property. I don’t think there’s much you can do either.

@Sunny2 Good idea. Of course it will drive me crazy, but hopefully save a bird.

Feed it cats to keep it busy?

Sit down and have a sensitive chat with the dog. Explain that birds are our friends, and that they should be given respect. If the dog does not comply, begin withdrawing certain things that they value, such as dog treats and walks on the leash.
Under no circumstances should you say or do anything that might damage the dog’s self esteem.

Or, you could get an electrical collar, and hit the button when the dog starts chasing birds. It will take about two days.

@josie – I can’t believe you got 4 lurves for that. When I say something like that, it sets off an avalanche of criticism and all the new age, touchy feely, clicker trainers come out screaming!!!

But I agree with Josie, if you really want to break the habit that is probably the only way. Although I will tell you I have a part dingo in whom prey drive is enormous. Her enemy is this civilized world into which I have transplanted her, is cats. She hates them and even the shock collar on high does not deter her, nor does any clicker training, positive reinforcement, luring, shaping, none of it works because I have tried it all. But you have a boxer not a dingo, I would be a couple of hits and it would learn quick smart.

(clicks at @rooeytoo) :P

As others have stated, it’s a hard-wired trait. Boxers actually come from an ancestor that was bred for hunting (Brabanter Bullenbeisser). Does she only exhibit this behaviour in your yard, or on walks as well? What commands does your dog know? Do you have a friend who has a pet bird?

An easy method, which does not involve trying to change or correct your dog, is putting a bell on her collar. This alerts the birds to her presence. I’ve seen this work… as annoying as the bell can be to us, it does alert the birds.

There are also some things you can try to help redirect/stop the behaviour.

First off, I don’t believe in punishing a dog for doing what comes naturally to them. This usually results in making the dog anxious.

You can take your dog to a park with a large number of wild birds (like pigeons, seagulls, etc). She must be on a short leash. Every time she shows interest in the birds, distract her (by saying her name or some other command she might know like “leave it”) and immediately lead her in the other direction. Once the bird is no longer visible or she shows no interest, pet/praise her and give her a treat. This should be repeated daily, whether in a park or on walks, until she has little or no interest in the birds.

You can tie a long rope/line to your dog’s collar. This can be done at a park or in your backyard. This will allow her to walk near the birds and if she gets too close, you can grab the rope. Don’t pull her though. Call her name or other command you use to get her to come to you, and then walk away from the bird (with the rope in hand). If she doesn’t not respond to your voice command, you can pull her gently. The rope is there as a safety measure. Again, repetition and quantity are the keys.

You can also teach your dog chase games like Fetch. It will let her do what dogs love so much… chasing and catching (which is what she does to the birds). It’s great exercise for her and can really help with unwanted behaviour caused by boredom. Make it part of her routine (a play time). You can use frisbees, balls, sticks, flirt poles… etc. Make sure to put these “chase” toys away after play time though. She will be excited every time you take them out. Also, always quit playing the game when she is at the height of her excitement (especially if she’s not used to playing). It seems mean, I know. But you want her to keep that level of excitement for those specific toys/game. Make sure you get excited as well. You may look a little silly but it’ll help in her excitement.

If your dog is under-trained. I’d suggest teaching her the basics (come, sit, stay, off, down). It is so much easier to help a dog in this situation when they are trained to certain commands. If nothing you try works. Get her into obedience classes with a professional trainer (preferably one who works with dogs who exhibit this type of behaviour at unwanted times/objects).

I know there are loads more techniques you can try but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

I was thinking about this question and thought about something, @chyna. Correct me all you experts if I’m wrong but birddogs don’t kill birds. A birddog only retrieves birds that are killed and a good birddog doesn’t destroy the bird when retrieving it back to its master. It is said to have a soft mouth.

I’m wondering if this is some new behavior your beautiful dog has just started exhibiting? Has there been a change in her routine? Less exercise? Maybe she’s bored or defensive with new people in her pack? I know that boxer are very protective of their territory and she may just be getting old enough and confident enough to guard her turf.

Please, keep us posted on the bell though. It is something that seems so obvious and I wouldn’t have though of it.

@Plucky I think I love you!!

@Leanne1986 Sweet! That’s what I was totally going for. ;)