Official BYC Poll: What Kind Of Relationship Do Your Dogs & Chickens Have?

[cherrynberry]

There are 5 big dogs here.
I trust none of them around the chickens.

I can say with relative certainty that IF one got a hold of a chicken there wouldn't be anything left to try to save.

I keep mine separated 100% of the time. No chance of an oops since the dogs have their space and the chickens theirs with mine in between.

Agreed, I still dont allow any dogs and chickens to mix without supervision. For some of our dogs, not even with supervision. The chickens are kept in their pen 99% of the time, which is okay for them.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

My dog is too old to chase the chickens and doesn't have any teeth as his previous owner neglected him and cannot hurt the chickens

 

[Outta Here]

The only way my chickens are ever allowed to free range is when my 120 lb German Shepherd is outside watching diligently for coyotes who lurk in the desert surrounding our remote home. I don't think he is intentionally "guarding" the chickens but rather his entire property of which they are part. He is 100% reliable with them, but that was a result of training, not nature.
The first day I set the chick carton down to get the heater, Ruger thought, "Wow, Mom brought me snacks!" and walked off with one in his mouth. I screeched "No!" and he dropped it, not yet hurt, looking quizzically at me. "Not snacks?" I was relieved that prior to my getting chickens, I had already trained him to be obedient so now he responded quickly to my panicked command.
Then I began the process of patiently teaching him to never hurt a chicken, despite that he chases down and eats jackrabbits and I feed him whole raw chicken. Over several weeks, I carefully let him come close and sniff the chicks in the brooder, telling him to "Leave it!" which is my command to leave anything alone. I petted and kissed and cooed to the chicks so he learned they were mine, important to me, protected by me. By the time they were ready to go outside to free range a bit (7 weeks), I was fairly confident in his understanding.
But in the first five minutes, I saw him carrying something and screeched again in panic! If a dog can roll his eyes in exasperation, he did, then spit out the bone he was carrying and seemed to say, "Chill, Mom, it's not one of your blessed chicks! I got it--no chickens. Sheesh!"

 

[lauraschicks]

My dogs love my chickens! So I keep them behind an electric fence . I dream one day our Shepard will grow up to be the dog in that last picture!

 

[Outta Here]

My dogs love my chickens! So I keep them behind an electric fence . I dream one day our Shepard will grow up to be the dog in that last picture!

With training, he can. Without, his nature is to eat them. But you can't just train a dog with a strong prey drive to leave chickens alone unless he already respects you as his leader and is already obedient in other things. I was a professional career dog trainer with 200 dogs a week in my classes for years, totaling over 4,000 dogs during my career. My dog will drop into a down from a full run when I raise my arm a football field away--or as far as he can see my raised arm. But you don't have to be a dog trainer--anybody can do it! Just takes time, patience, consistency, and praise!

 

[Happy hen lover]

I have a yorkie and they are fence buddies. I have had a hen get out of gate and he looks at me like "this is wrong correct?" I swoosh them back in and all is right with the world again . BUT if they try to fly I think he would chase them down in a new york minute!.

 

[cherrynberry]

I have a yorkie and they are fence buddies. I have had a hen get out of gate and he looks at me like "this is wrong correct?" I swoosh them back in and all is right with the world again . BUT if they try to fly I think he would chase them down in a new york minute!.

He is adorable! Reminds me of a yorkie I see at the dog park sometimes, especially with that hair cut.

 

[obsidian73]

My male Great Pyrenees catching some shade with the chickens. My male and female both live with them full time.

 

[lauraschicks]

With training, he can. Without, his nature is to eat them. But you can't just train a dog with a strong prey drive to leave chickens alone unless he already respects you as his leader and is already obedient in other things. I was a professional career dog trainer with 200 dogs a week in my classes for years, totaling over 4,000 dogs during my career. My dog will drop into a down from a full run when I raise my arm a football field away--or as far as he can see my raised arm. But you don't have to be a dog trainer--anybody can do it! Just takes time, patience, consistency, and praise!

Yes a work in progress. Our 2 older dogs have been around chickens before with only one injury. That was 6 years ago. Our German Shepard has never been around them and would run them through the pen. Since I can't be with him 100% of the time, and because of a massive predator attack 6 years ago (not our dogs), put up electric chicken netting fence for their semi free ranging. Also guard geese and drake (though he doesn't really guard) to watch for aerial dangers. Ace is definitely better and maybe one day he'll be their protector. I think if he'd been around them as a puppy he'd already be that. And I freely admit I'm not a dog trainer, but I keep trying, so hopefully one day...

 

[BigBlueHen53]

With training, he can. Without, his nature is to eat them. But you can't just train a dog with a strong prey drive to leave chickens alone unless he already respects you as his leader and is already obedient in other things. I was a professional career dog trainer with 200 dogs a week in my classes for years, totaling over 4,000 dogs during my career. My dog will drop into a down from a full run when I raise my arm a football field away--or as far as he can see my raised arm. But you don't have to be a dog trainer--anybody can do it! Just takes time, patience, consistency, and praise!

Takes knowledge, too!