Guard dog ?

[sylviethecochin]

Been around both of those terriers and I’ve experienced neither is good with small creatures you don’t want destroyed lol. Great mousers though!

My uncle has a Jack Russel bitch that he uses to hunt small game. His daughter got rabbits two or three years ago, and the dog won't touch those rabbits. Can't speak for cairns, but I suspect that it depends on the individual and the training that has gone into said individual.

In my personal experience, any well-trained, obedient dog will differentiate "the family's" vs "wild."

 

[aart]

but I suspect that it depends on the individual and the training that has gone into said individual.

Yup....and the trainer. Most 'bad dogs' are actually 'bad trainers'.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Yup....and the trainer. Most 'bad dogs' are actually 'bad trainers'.

And people let little dogs get away with so much more than they would allow a big dog to get away with and then are surprised when their small dog is such a nasty little yapper. I've met a couple of really nice chihuahuas, but the breed overall gets such a bad rep because of the little rats people don't bother to train.

 

[MissChick@dee]

And people let little dogs get away with so much more than they would allow a big dog to get away with and then are surprised when their small dog is such a nasty little yapper. I've met a couple of really nice chihuahuas, but the breed overall gets such a bad rep because of the little rats people don't bother to train.

One of my dogs is a chiweenie She is
Not a yapper. Very mellow calm and laid back. When she barks we pay attention especially during the night. She’ll run out the dog door and pitch a fit until we get up and go investigate. If i try to ignore her she’ll get on my chest and lick my face until I get up and won’t take no for a answer. Excellent watch dog. A guard dog is different. I’d rather not risk injuries to my dogs. Would I let her out with my chickens, never!

 

[Anansi]

I would suggest going to the humane society to find a dog, and bring one of the birds with you. Allow the dog you're interested in to see and smell the chicken, and observe how it acts. What you want is curious, but not obsessed, basically sniff, nudge, but nothing suggesting teeth will be used. Then you will need to monitor and train, and hope you reach a point of trustworthiness with your birds, unsupervised.

 

[Broodygranny]

I had a really hyper terrior beagle mix until the mailman came into the yard and ran her over a couple of months ago. It took me a year to train her to ignore the chickens. She was always sweet to us though. She would kill a opossum in a heartbeat! Dogs are great, but require a lot of work!

 

[MotherOfPeepPeeps]

English Shepherds, also sometimes known as farm collies, are the best all-around small farm hand in my humble opinion. They are calm, learn quickly, and have natural strong protective instincts. They have natural herding ability without the intensity of most herding breeds. They patrol but better understand the concept of property lines than a LGD breed.

 

[centrarchid]

English Shepherds, also sometimes known as farm collies, are the best all-around small farm hand in my humble opinion. They are calm, learn quickly, and have natural strong protective instincts. They have natural herding ability without the intensity of most herding breeds. They patrol but better understand the concept of property lines than a LGD breed.

I use two English Shepherds and one German Pointer. I also have a lot more area for dogs to roam than OP has.

 

[olayak]

I would politely disagree with that.

While terriers are energetic by nature and many would not be suited as livestock guardians for many reasons it is misleading to list ALL terriers as chicken killers.

A norfolk terrier, for example, is much different than an airedale terrier.

My American Staffordshire Terrier/ German Shepherd mix (aka Pit Bull type dog) LOVES and respects our chickens. He was adopted from a shelter and didn't meet chickens until he was 8 years old. It depends on the dog's individual temperament, not the breed. My lab mix is not good around my chickens, my previous lab would have been good. Depends on the dog, how you train them, and their experiences with chickens.
Also, do not leave your dog outside alone during the day if you don't have a fenced in yard and you have a road nearby. That's asking for trouble.

 

[olayak]

I would suggest going to the humane society to find a dog, and bring one of the birds with you. Allow the dog you're interested in to see and smell the chicken, and observe how it acts. What you want is curious, but not obsessed, basically sniff, nudge, but nothing suggesting teeth will be used. Then you will need to monitor and train, and hope you reach a point of trustworthiness with your birds, unsupervised.

Great idea!!

Also, a dog is A LOT of work. A lot more than chickens. Great predator proof fencing will be easier and cheaper in the long run .Adopt a dog if you want a companion, but if you're thinking only of predator protection it's an expensive and time consuming way to go.