Best dog breed around chickens? UPDATE post #117 Thanks all!

[megcpat]

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I am so sorry to hear about your sweet birds. Yes, you are surrounded by friends who understand just how devastating it is to loose our dear birds. I have lost too many to predators and thus the need for a guardian dog. It breaks my heart every time, not to mention the loss of time and money in our flock's output. Recently I got THE call from my dear friend that her two "trusted" dogs had devastated the flock while they were out for the day. I brought my old vet tech supplies and we did what we could for a few of the chickens, but most of the girls were too far gone. This experience is so very fresh in my mind and guiding our family's search for a new dog.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

heres a link to a nationwide anatolian rescue
http://www.nasrn.com/

 

[mstricer]

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She looks like she wants a snack. I have a pit mix. Awesome dog, But everything is food to him. He just gets an obsessed look when on leash, our other dog border/lab mix is just crazy. The cat on the other hand when weather is good he goes with me to make sure everyone is tucked in.

 

[samnsuey]

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Yeah, the Anatolian Shepherd has come up a few times in this thread (neither my husband nor I had ever heard of them before) and we have looked into them quite a bit since. I think you are the first person to respond who actually has one so that is good to hear that it is working for you. What is your dog a mix with? We have found a few breeders selling Anatolian/Great Pyrenees crosses. I am very interested in this mix. I can't, however, find an Anatolian breeder anywhere even remotely near us (Montana) and I can not stand the thought of having a puppy shipped. Where did you find your dog?

Gracie is a Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyranees/ Siberian Husky mix. We got her as a puppy from a local feed store breeder in California. I doubt that they would have any more, they were pretty much just family puppies. She is about 5 years old.
Here are some pictures of her...

Here she is laying down next to our chocolate lab.

And chilling in the grass.

Puppyhood. (she is really muddy in this pic!)

They are typically pretty easygoing and not super active (at least ours isn't!)
There are also a lot of ads for Anatolian Shepherds in Hobby Farm magazines and pretty much any livestock publications.
Good luck finding a dog!

 

[coltsdad]

I got my dog from a man here in Arkansas but he does ship pups , and they are reasonable (350-500$) if he don't have one he may know who does . I'll pm you his number.


To me guarding livestock is serious , and taking a chance on anything other than proven lines of LGD' s is too big of a gamble. It's wonderful to rescue a dog that is facing the death penalty , but when your looking for a dog to do a job the chances of finding what you are looking for that way are slim , and if the dog don't work out you've got a mouth to feed and still need a guard dog .

 

[megcpat]

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Gosh, she's pretty, and looks like she gets along great with your other dog. Your "hobby farms" suggestion was a good one. Sure enough, there are about four different breeders advertising in there; I'd never noticed them before. Thanks. Megan

 

[TK Poultry]

Here at my house we have Alyshia aka Lysh who is a mini schnauzer mix who is terrified of roosters but loves our ducks and hates it when new people like my mom comes out and tries to look at her ducks and then we hav Taz our chicken cat who adores all of his chicken brothers and sisters!

i will try to find a picture of lysh to put on here but schnauzer all the way IMO

and she is a bit yappy sometimes but loves my 11 y/o sister and is fine with my 2 y/o cousin Bailey

 

[cubalaya]

my chicken guard dog

 

[megcpat]

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I hope he's good at what he does, because you've got some fantastic EE and it would be a travesty to loose them to a predator. He (she?) has a wonderful face - very sweet.

 

[cubalaya]

she is a treeing walker coonhound.