puppy barking and killing birds

Question
I have 4 1/2 month old sheltie female puppy. She will be neutered at 6 months but not old enough yet. I recently taught her to catch floppy fliers because she was so excited everytime she watched my 6yr old border collie mix play. That was 2 weeks ago. She has already caught and killed 2 small birds. This is very upsetting to me as I also have small pet bird (cockatiel) who until recently was allowed outside the cage for an hour of two a day. I did my research before picking a sheltie. I was looking for a breed which would ignore my bird. The border mix has ignored the bird since he was pup. Can I train this killing behavior out of the puppy? She is so intense she barks and barks to go out and track the birds as they fly from tree to tree in the backyard. If we don't let her out she pees on the floor even if she just went 15 minutes prior. The constant barking is driving my husband crazy. I expect shelties to be vocal but this can go on for hours. The only thing that makes her stop is to let her out. She has been through puppy classes and knows sit down and stay. Although is stubborn and will ignore commands when she wants to go hunting. Please help my pack (and the bird is part of the pack) become happy and safe.

Answer
Some dogs are gentle with other species and can-after careful introductions-be allowed to interact with birds that live with you. You must always supervise these interactions and should set up your home so the animals are separated when you are not directly supervising them.

Your pup is chasing birds as an instinctual response. Instincts can be triggered by many things. Hearing a sound or seeing something through a window can also trigger the hunting instinct. This also occurs in the fenced yard too.

Dogs are predators. They hunt mostly by smell, but movement attracts their attention and stimulates the hunt. Birds, like moving, and often move in quick bursts that your dog will find interesting. Your dog may not be chasing the birds with the intention to eat them, but may be looking to play with the birds. Unfortunately, small bird compared to canine will rarely do well in an encounter.

Be sure that your dog understands the LEAVE IT command which means don't touch it, don't even look at. Also teach it OUT which means spit out what ever is in your mouth right now. A well trained dog is a must around children and households with additional pets.

Make certain you have good rules and excellent supervision in your home for all your companions.

More training information is available on my web site http://www.OutlawChinooks.com and my blog http://RileyTrainingCenter.blogspot.com

Good Luck!