TRAINING MY DOG TO COME

Question
WELL MY DOG IS A GIRL AND SHE WAS A STRAY WHEN WE FOUND HER. sHE KNOWS OTHER COMMANDS BUT NOT COME!!! SHE COMES WHEN SHE IS ON A LEASH BUT NOT WHEN SHE IS ROAMING AROUND THE HOUSE OR OUTSIDE! WE ALSO HAVE 7 CHICKENS AND SHE ALWAYS WANTS TO CHASE THEM. sHE SOMETIMES GETS LOOSE AND RUNS. SHE WILL STOP THEN WHEN I GET CLOSE SHE WILL FLY OFF LIKE ITS A GAME. WE LIVE ON A MAIN ROAD AND I DONT WANT HER TO GET HIT BY A CAR. i GET REALLY SCARED WHEN SHE GETS LOOSE AND START TO SCREAM AND CRY SHE COULD CARE LESS. PLEASE HELP ME TRAIN MY DOG TO NOT CHASE MY CHICKENS AND ''come'' tHANKYOU VERY MUCH!!!!

Answer
Your dog needs more exercise. And I don't mean free run exercise. You are going to have to walk her., power walk her at heel for forty five minutes every day. This will help establish pack order in her mind as well as tiring her body.
Training her to come, put her on a leash, in the house. Call her ONCE and if she does not come to you bring her to you . Give her an immediate treat and lots of praise. Do this for about half an hour twice per day every day. When she starts 'getting' it move outside but still on leash. Once she is coming to you every time with the first command try it IN the house off leash. You have to get up and get her if she doesn't come to you. Don't yell, don't repeat yourself, make it a happy exeperience. NEVER discipline or correct or scold your dog after she has come to you. NEVER call her to you for scolding . ALWAYS make coming to you a VERY pleasant experience that includes treats and lots of loving. Anytime she voluntarily comes to you without you calling her, treats and praise. EVERY time. Once you've mastered come. Work on the chickens. Take her outside on leash. walk her around the yard, if she so much as acts like she is watching the chickens too intently correct her immediately. Use a CHH sound, like the beginning of the word chair. Using your cupped hand, fingers stiffly extended give her a firm POKE with your finger tips in the collar area as you use the CHH sound. Step into her using your body language to make her step backwards. Keep eye contact, be firm, not loud, not mean, just firm, maintain an erect posture. Shoulders back head up. Reward her for NOT looking at the chickens. Repeat until she's leaving them alone. Do NOT allow her off leash until she ignores them, One, fun chicken chasing experience will set you back hugely. She gets a lot of feed back from doing that. She chases they run it's entertaining to her.
You need also to tire her out. Play fetch with her if she will , every day. Take her for long walks. At least three times a week play with her until her tongue is hanging out. Take her to a dog park if you can. Get her involved in an obedience class if you can do that.
She'll be fine :)
Cindi