What kind of dog would be good to get?

[fluffycrow]

And in this case it's doubly wrong, because untrained LGDs chase and kill chickens too. I've seen too many threads about people raising LGD puppies and having trouble with that. And I personally knew someone who got a very sweet adult Great Pyrenees-- that turned out to be quite a chicken killer, and was eventually rehomed to a chicken-free home.

And that's why I said even an untrained LGD will kill a chicken if given the chance

 

[fluffycrow]

I guess no one told our two dogs
Neither are LGDs, and they both can be left unattended with the chickens, and didn't get much training with them.
One did chase them as a puppy, but as soon as she grew up a bit more, she has been perfect.
And is very good at picking up sounds and smells of foxes, and loves chasing them off.
But of cause, there is a lot of dogs that can't live with chickens, and will kill them; but just making general statements that aren't true isn't very helpful.
It is all down to the individual, and how much time you put in.

There are always going to be dogs that won't fit the "rule". But I'm willing to bet that 99% of dogs if left completely unsupervised with fowl in a free range setting will try to go after them at some point. It is also very breed dependent. I'm sorry but I won't trust a sighthound anywhere near my chickens. At the end of the day we are giving advice to people, that could potentially have an impact on their birds. I'm sorry but I'm not going to recommend something that could harm an animal (when it's completely unnecessary, since this will be a pet) just because Sally down the road said that her saluki is best friends with her chicken

 

[fluffycrow]

And that's why I said even an untrained LGD will kill a chicken if given the chance

Or even an LGD from questionable lines if I'm being honest...

 

[Moodleroni]

I've got 7 dogs: 4 pugs, 2 boxers, & a miniature schnauzer. My schnauzer chased & caught a baby chicken that got in my yard and I have no doubt she would have killed and eaten it if I hadn't intervened. My boxers play with my rooster through the run fencing, heads down, tail up & wagging, but they're big & feel like they would accidentally hurt or kill them if they interacted.

All 4 pugs have no issues with the chickens, they try to steal each others food and all of them (pugs & chickens) crowd around me in a group together when I'm giving out treats. Pugs might not fit your list though since they shed and might be too small to be "hawk-proof". It may come down the training though, any dog you get (that doesn't have the hunting ancestry) should be fine with the chickens with some good training.

Edit: I do agree with other posts though, that any interaction should be supervised. Whether they have a good relationship or not, anything can happen that could cause the chickens to be harmed or killed, intentionally or unintentionally.

 

[Sussex19]

I'm sorry but I'm not going to recommend something that could harm an animal

No need to apologize
I think one should just be clear that its down to the individual, rather than making wide statements.
But that is just my opinion, and we can all have our own!

 

[fluffycrow]

No need to apologize
I think one should just be clear that its down to the individual, rather than making wide statements.
But that is just my opinion, and we can all have our own!

I'd definitely agree that it comes down to both breed and individual. And I agree, we can all have different opinions

 

[Justice 4 roosters]

I have a shar pei and I was wondering if he would be a good guard dog for my chickens.

 

[fluffycrow]

I have a shar pei and I was wondering if he would be a good guard dog for my chickens.

Maybe get a more biddable breed if you're looking for a guard dog. If an LGD is what you're after, go with an LGD breed (and obviously train it before letting it loose with your chickens). In both cases, go with an ethical breeder or contact breed club's rescue groups (you'll find them on the page of every breed club)

 

[addctd2plnts]

Both our English Lab and English Shepherd are very trustworthy with poultry but have been raised with them from the day we got them. I foster a large number of foster dogs for rescues. It's not hard to tell which dogs have too much prey drive to be trustworthy with poultry. At this time there are massive numbers of dogs being turned into shelters and rescues through absolutely no fault of their own. Inflation has made it so people simply can't afford to feed them. I would strongly discourage anyone from "Doodles" of any sort. Groomers absolutely loathe them and you simply can't find a groomer who will groom them for you. They take too long to groom and the cost of clipper blades has gone way up. If you consider a Pyrenees, they are in every shelter! They are NOT the idea dog for anyone who has neighbors close by as they bark at any leaf blowing and neighbors poison them due to the barking. They also wander and MUST have a fence to contain them or they get shot by the same neighbors. In addition, for truly effective predator control you need two of them. I have giant dogs and they must have a very high quality food. The cheapest bag of dry food of any quality right now is over $70/bag and one of the ones I use is now $90/bag! Heartworm prevention is over $1000/dog/year. For the money of a dog, I'd just make very good predator proof pens and cages and use electric wire around them. Then just get a pet dog of medium size like an English Shepherd. JMHO

 

[Justice 4 roosters]

Maybe get a more biddable breed if you're looking for a guard dog. If an LGD is what you're after, go with an LGD breed (and obviously train it before letting it loose with your chickens). In both cases, go with an ethical breeder or contact breed club's rescue groups (you'll find them on the page of every breed club)

Thanks for the tip he is a good dog and wouldn't hurt a fly we are still training him to be nice around the chickens I don't k own how him and the rooster will get along but I'm sure my dog will respect the roosters space.