Will Great Pyrenees guard chickens?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We have neighbors who have Great Pyrenees dogs to guard their sheep and goats. I know that the dogs will instinctively guard this type of animal, but wasn't sure if they would guard chickens.

We will be pasturing the birds, and one of our main predator problems is neighboring dogs. Great Pyrenees are supposed to be really good at keeping strange dogs away.

Anyone have any experience with them? I know that they are great dogs, that they need a lot of room, and that they're great with kids. But if I spend the money for one I would want one that could guard the chickies.

Erika

 

[peruvian_princess]

I have heard that they will but you would need to introduce them to the chcikens while they are young so they can become attached. I saw one on the animal planet and it was actually laying in the yard with the chickens all on top of it.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Yes. Introduce them at a young age to chickens and they should do their job. I have an Anatolian cross and he is very good with the chickens.

 

[EllyMae]

They need to be imprinted at a very young age. Love the Great Pyr!

 

[CUDA]

Yes, but be prepared to spend a lot of time with them, as they are very smart, but also very sensitive, and mature very slowly. They are great once you get them trained though.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Sounds perfect--these pups aren't quite old enough to leave their mothers yet, so we'd get one at about 9 weeks old.

Our neighbor said that you don't do any real training with them--that they just instinctively know what to do when they're raised with the type of animal that they are supposed to guard. Is this true?

Also, our current dog is an inside/outside dog--she just stays with us. What do you do with the Great Pyrenees? Does it live inside the chicken coop or sleep indoors with us?

Right now we have a shelter mutt who is great with the chickens (except when a little bitty one rustled around in some tall grass and she pounced on it, thinking it was a rabbit or a mouse--we were near, and she got yelled at--Chickie OK). Unfortunately, if something came to eat them, she'd probably just stand by and watch it happen. Same thing if we had a burgler--she'd show him where all the good stuff was, help him load it and wave him on his way, all for a pat on the head.

Erika

 

[wynedot55]

yes you can use them to gurd your chickens.but they have tobe raised with chickens.so they know this is their job to gard chickens an other fowel.

 

[CUDA]

They need to be trained, that is a fact. They are quick learners, and it is in their nature to protect, but stay puppies a long time, and still have puppy issues. These need to stay outside all the time, near your birds, but you can't leave them alone with them until they mature. You also can NOT use negative training methods, as they will not work with a GP. You have to use positive reinforcement, and not get too upset for slip ups. Patience will prevail in the end, and you will have a valuable dog. Oh, BTW, don't let your other dog train your GP for you....

 

[arlee453]

We brought Lily home this week (7wk Great Pyr) and so far she has totally ignored the chickens.

We want her to be a family pet though, so aren't trying to train her to be a chicken guard dog, but do want to make sure she knows the chickens are part of her 'flock' to protect and NOT attack.

So we let her go around the chickens (supervised) and so far so good - a little sniffing but no chasing, etc.

Our other 3 house dogs totally ignore the chickens for the most part too, so hopefully that will help Lily learn they are not play toys.

She is just beautiful and so cute too! I can already see the loyalty/bonding. She is bonding to me and is lays under my chair here all day long and pretty much follows me wherever I go.

 

[wynedot55]

you do know gtreat prys are big dogs.by that i mean they mature between 100 an 150lbs.depending on the dog.