Best Chicken Guard dog

[chickenzoo]

My Gp Auzzie even lets the geese bite him...crawl all over him and even fall in love with him....

 

[Parrot]

I have researched livestock guardian breeds and I think that I will be getting an Akbash dog. There is actually a breeder of thes rare dogs about an hour from me, she also raises polish chickens so her pups are raised around poultry. I have a little more research to do before I commit to one so any info from you all world be great

 

[JTRZWestminster]

We have a Border Collie chicken guardian. We had him for 10 years prior to getting any chickens, so he was very well mannered before they came, but I can say from having three BC's in a row that everything you've ever hear about Border Collie intelligence is true. I don't need a fence to keep him near the house, as he (and his predecessors) learned quickly to stay near the house. He has a tendency to wander around near the chickens as they free range and just his presence is enough to ward off foxes, other dogs, or predatory birds, though he can be fierce when he needs to be as well (he considers it very uncivilized however).

I've seen my hens literally stand on top of him, or hop/fly across the top of him on their way somewhere else, and he hasn't been even a little bit aggressive toward them.

Border Collies are one of the world's oldest recognized domestic breed of dog, and have been working with farmers for centuries. I think this is why they are so superb at knowing their jobs. My BC Fallon seems to know what I want him to do, sometimes before I realize it myself, and is always right where I need him. I'd strongly recommend this breed of dog to anyone with a yard and chickens.

 

[kathi p]

This is my chicken guardian in the making. He's an Anatolian Shepherd (currently 10 months old, although this photo was taken at about 8 months). If you do some googling, you'll read that they are an ancient livestock guardian breed from Turkey. They are extremely smart, independent thinkers, which can make them challenging household pets. If I had been really serious about having him be a full time livestock guardian, I would have had him live out with the chickens pretty much from the time I brought him home. The breeder I purchased him from has her puppies and their mother out with the goats, cattle or poultry at a really early age so they bond with the livestock, not with people. However, my goal was to have him as a family guardian more than a livestock guardian. Still, from the time he came home, (this photo taken at 10 weeks) we spent about an hour every day outside while the chickens free-ranged and he learned not to pester them when they were dirt-bathing or "play" with them. Now I put him out on a tether for about an hour or so every day while the chickens free range and he lets them walk all around him and doesn't bother them. He is on alert and will stand up and bark if he sees/hears/smells something that concerns him. The chickens run for cover when they hear him bark. It is my hope that when he is fully mature, around 24 months of age, the tether won't be necessary. While Anatolian Shepherds are a large breed (males usually between 110 and 150 pounds) once they have finished growing, they don't eat very much for their size (or at least so I've read...right now my puppy eats about 6 cups of premium dog food a day). They can live into their teens and have very low instances of hip displasia or other large-breed bone & joint problems. I wouldn't recommend one for the casual dog owner, because they are a strong and dominant breed and require consistent, firm, calm leadership, especially if you expect them to be able to go to places where there will be other dogs and lots of activity, but I've met one Anatolian Shepherd who is a service dog and rides on airplanes and even the rides at Disney World, so it can be done.

I have been considering free range chickens and turkeys and need a LGD. I like the anatolian shepherd but live in Wisconsin. Can the breed handle living outside in my area?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have been considering free range chickens and turkeys and need a LGD. I like the anatolian shepherd but live in Wisconsin. Can the breed handle living outside in my area?

II know that Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are extremely hardy. I'm sure the'd require some type of shelter, but whatever shelter you provide for your livestock could also accomodate your LGD...shelter from rain, snow and wind. It has been my understanding that some folks have created very nice shelters for their ASDs, only to find them creating burrows for themselves in the snow. That said, a list member on the National Anatolian Shepherd Rescue Network, I know that there are regular postings about ASDs who were purchased as livestock guardians who have little or no interest in the job. I don't know if this is due to poor training on the owner's part (just threw the dog in with the livestock and expected it to know what to do) or poor breeding, or just the fact that individual dogs have individual personalities. I'd recommend signing on to the NASRN webpage and ask lots of questions from the people there. They'd probably have not only the answers you are looking for, but perhaps even a great dog for you to adopt.

http://www.nasrn.com/

Here's my dog with his chickens:

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: I'd suspect poor breeding,
It's all too common to hear of people raising them as pet and STILL breeding them and even cross breeding.

Those dogs get sold as LGD's even though their working heritage is nonexistant
Most dogs from good lines will instinctively do the guarding, and just need minor training for other behaviors

 

[GD91]

ROTTWEILER !
Intelligent, loyal & robust!
Ours is really good at training & very calm at the age of 2 1/2. She is spayed.
Can not reccomend female rottweilers enough.
The protective instinct coupled with the maternal instinct makes a rottweiler birch who views the chickens as "pups" VERY, VERY PROTECTIVE. Our girl has eyes on the air , land & water while she follows our birds around , never letting them get farther than 10 feet from her . She takes no chances & we have never lost any birds. She even raises the chicks & this allows us to let day olds outside because they stay with her, she protects them from bullying & they run to her to get warm. She is very careful with them & very observant. If a chick starts to peep loudly she rushes to it & checks it which also reasures the chick. She also cares for them longer than a broody hen would. Their food is down next to hers. My only con would be she can't show them what is safe to eat it not, although I have seen her nudge them away from nibbling poisonous plants etc
The photo above is her in the living room at night with her latest "brood" of 6. She cleaned up after them (not nice I know) etc.

The best part was we never even trained her to do it, its all instinctive. Her mother & sister are the same. A well bred dog will exhibit its bred in behavior instinctively . Rottys are another livestock guarding breed originally, bred by, I think it was the Romans to herd & guard cattle.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

GD91. What a great story and what a great dog. It gives me that warm-inside feeling reading about her.

 

[roostereggs]

We have a Korean Jindo, and she is so protective of our chickens and our property. On days I give the chickens some dog food for a treat, she nibbles the pieces off the ground with them. Mostly she acts like she is ignoring them...but I can tell she is on alert. She also guards our property really well, walking around the 1+ acre on nearly perfect intervals. She could stay in the coop/run with them and be fine. She dug a hole in the ground next to the coop to nap in!

My two retired greyhounds, on the other hand, have an extremely high prey drive. They follow me to the outer coop fence, but I would never in a million years trust them inside. I have almost trained them to stop running up to the second gate like bats out of hell just to watch the chickens squawk and scatter everywhere. When they see the chickens, they literally start drooling and I can almost hear them thinking 'Look, mom...bunnies'!

I think the Jindos are rare in the U.S., but if you can find one they are loyal and protective, yet very gentle. They do need an alpha human, however, as they are very strong-willed.

 

[Organic Backyard]

How much do the Pyrs bark? All day? Or are they ok with the barking? My neighbors are close and I have a fenced backyard, so I hope that a Pyr would be ok, but if they bark a lot they may upset the neighbors. Any thoughts on that? Thanks.