Terriers and Chickens Can these two ever live together?

[kmakani]

I just posted another thread under emergenicies where 3 -3-month old terriers we are taking care of got out and mauled one of my silkies. she pretty messed up right now. Is it possible to train terriers to leave chickens alone or is it in their blood to go out and kill every chicken they see. We were possibly going to keep these little ones but after this wekk, i'm not sure whther they got the scent and it will only trigger more problems. Thank you for your replies!

 

[ecopepper]

Oh no!! I have a rat terrier and she thinks the chickens are hers and would never hurt them! But I had her first and then the chicks as babies. That could make a difference. Terriers are supposed to catch small vermin...mine chases squirrel but never has caught them?? IDK I would just keep one terrier then it won't pack the chicken with it's partener. Good luck!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My silky terror was here before the chickens. I'm sure if he gets loose he'll kill every one of them and then try to kill the goats and then the horses. He's crazy. Funny he plays with the cats but doesn't hurt them.

 

[Uppity Peon]

Terriers I have known have a very strong prey drive, but with that said, I think it's possible they can be trained to leave the chickens alone. Since these dogs are just temporary additions I guess the best strategy would be to keep them in a good kennel. I would not look to keep them permanently.

I'm so sorry about the silky. I hope she pulls through.

edit: "I don't think that they can't" changed to "I think it's possible they can"

 

[kmakani]

The owner took one away yesterday, so we're down to 2. This incidient really changed my outlook on keeping these little ones now. Not sure I can handle another wounded chicken. Too sad, so I don't know. We have older dogs that don't really care about the chickens (12, 8, and 8 year olds). The thought was if we had 2 pups, they could entertain each other, b/c the old guys don't want to play like that anymore). Maybe the question is puppies or chickens.....

 

[ecopepper]

Yep my Lil' bit is already trained to behave pretty well....I have her heard them in for me...I think she thinks she's a sheep dog! Hope your Silky is okay soon!

 

[gjoyner]

I have a Jack russell and she tried to attack them the first few times..but i put them in a clear brooder on the floor with a cover so she could get used to them being around..than as they got older and I started to let them out in the yard..my dog tried to attack them again..so I got a muzzle (which was hard to watch.) and put it on her and had a leash...soon enough I took the leash off and soon enough I took the muzzle off and stayed close and watched like a hawk. Now they are fine! They can be left in the backyard alone now (although I rarely do that)

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Honestly, I think it depends on the individual dog. All dogs have a prey drive, certain ones have it more than others. Some dogs are lazy and some dogs are more active. In this way they are like people. Some dogs can be trained and are more easily trained to be tolerate of chickens, like chickens (not as food) and even guard chickens. Other dogs just can't get over their prey drive, because it's just too much fun, and your only options are to 1) find a way to keep them seprate and be prepared in case of an accident 2) get rid of the dog(s) 3) get rid of the prey item.

In this case, where they are young pups and were probably just trying to play, I think you have a good chance of training them to leave the chickens alone. IF you think, feel or sense that the training is not working, then do one of the 3 I suggested above.

Best wishes and I am sorry about your silkie

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

It is possible!

My Airedale/collie mix came of the street where he used to eat squirrels, pigeons, and anything he could catch. He used to attack me, strangers, and other dogs, unprovoked. After 7 years of stern training, he is a doll, and even plays with children.

I'm new to chickens this year, and I thought they would never be allowed to share the yard. I put the brooder on the floor to satisfy that terrier curiosity, and bit by bit his drooling mouth gave way to interest.

It truly comes down to the owner. If you are confident that you have the upper hand with your dog, it can be trained. If you let your dog walk all over you in every day life (like MANY small terrier owners do, in my observation) you can count on more disasters.

Happy training!

 

[cooteroo]

I have a golden retriever/collie mix who loves the chickens, but a terrior mix who just wants to kill them all. I can't let her outside off of a leash when the chickens are out of their pen. I made that mistake several years ago when we first got chickens, and lost most of them. I have tried to train her, and she will act alright around them when she's on the leash, but there's no way I would let her loose. She loves to hunt mice, so I think that's just their nature. I had to learn to make sacrifices (It isn't fun to walk the dog with a foot of snow outside!) to have both the dog and the chickens, but I love them all.