Dog Training

For years my deerhound would kill any chicken she came across. I tried and tried to teach her not to, but she just couldn't help herself. She's not a killer, she's a a chaser, and when she catches whatever she's after, she grabs it, and the result is usually death.

One day, after she'd killed a young cat, I sat down and thought things over a bit more carefully. I came to the conclusion that trying

 
to teach her to ignore her natural tendencies was a mistake, so I decided to start teaching her to walk slowly and carefully around hens and my cats. The idea was that if she didn't spook them, they wouldn't run, and she wouldn't chase.

After 3 years and a few mishaps, I have a dog that has learned the difference between a fox and a cat, a possum and a hen. She's still a great varmint dog, but she's become friends with the cats and she's gentle and calm with the chickens. Now if I could get her to quit eating turds.