You’ll notice that the same instinct kicks into effect when your dog sees other fast-moving or loud animals, including squirrels, rabbits, snakes, and chipmunks.
Although the amount of exercise your dog needs will vary by breed, puppies should be given multiple, short walks or play-sessions throughout a day, while adult dogs may benefit more from a single, longer and more rigorous walk. Take time to walk your dog daily (unless you live in an area where your dog can run on its own), and be sure to play with your dog—whether indoors or outdoors—daily also. If your dog is of an especially active breed, consider training your dog to compete in agility, rally, or dog shows. [5] X Trustworthy Source American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show. Go to source
Continue this behavioral training until the dog remains calm once you have given the “quiet” command, or until the birds have left the vicinity. You may also need to restrict your dog’s field of vision when it’s indoors, so that it can’t see out of the windows and feel obliged to protect its “territory. ”[7] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
On the other hand, when your dog is quiet or well behaved around birds, praise the dog and give it a treat or a piece of food to encourage its good behavior. Eventually, your dog will learn that it receives a reward when it is calm and well behaved around birds, and should change its behavior accordingly.
Give the dog the meat once it has quieted down, and praise its good behavior. If you want to bring your dog indoors (or back to the vehicle if you’re on a walk), you can lead it inside once it’s quieted down. Over time, the dog will learn that its calm behavior is rewarded, and will be less inclined to bark at or chase after birds. [10] X Research source
If your dog is initially excited and tries to “find” or “chase” the bird, play the recording at a lower level. At this point, your dog will start to acclimate to the soft birdsong and will stay calm while the sound plays.
Your dog should be desensitized to the birdsong, since it has heard it so frequently indoors.
If your dog continues to act out by barking at or chasing birds, bring it back inside. Vary the types of birdsongs that you play. This will desensitize the dog to a variety of types of birds. The next time that you bring the dog outdoors, it is more likely to disregard the sound and presence of chirping birds.
Dogs feed off of your own excitement, and appreciate the attention you’re giving them (even if it’s negative attention).
The same principle applies when you’re out on a walk with your dog, although it can be harder to implement. If your dog barks at or chases birds while you’re walking, do not yell at or discipline your dog, but keep it close to your side (don’t let the dog run). Then, once the dog has quieted down, praise the dog and give it a treat. This will positively reinforce its quiet behavior. [16] X Research source
Even if there are still birds outside, your dog will eventually that learn that, in order to be left outside, it needs to remain well behaved.
Although at first it may be inconvenient to bring your dog inside the house every time it barks at or chases birds, it will reinforce the behavior and help your dog to remain quiet around birds.
