Which dog breeds co-exist well with chickens?

[jimnjay]

I have to agree with the advice to train, train and train. I do have a wonderful Australian Shepherd and she is fantastic with my chickens. I got my chickens when she was three years old so it did not have to deal with the pup and chickens. These dogs are extreamly smart and want to work for you. They will leave the chickens alone if you make that the job. I also have a Great Pyrneese and she is a fantastic Livestock Guardian Dog. She basically needed no training, but she did come to me as a 2-3 year old stray. Introduce your flock to the pup while leashed and teach it right from the get go to "Leave it"

I have had my chickens killed by neighborhood dogs of different breeds. They will kill chickens if they don't know any better. Bird dogs especially like to bring you birds as mentioned above. Their intent is not to injure the bird but the result is often fatal anyway. Again training is the most critical thing in any breed of dog.

Jaynie, Bryant Alabama

 

[Foxhound]

I have 2 Chesapeake retrievers and they are great. One time the younger one, a male, about a year and a half old now decided to grab one of our hens when he was a puppy. He was so gentle and brought it up to me, I wasnt happy at all. The hen was not injured, and I yelled at him "no". Never a problem ever since. He has saved the flocks a few times from owls, raccoons and the neibors dogs etc. At night he barks if he hears the chickens yelling and I immediately let him out and I go out myself. In fact, just last night he saved one of my roosters that was a little bit injured from a great horned owl and we were able to get the flock back togather. 3 nights ago he saved the flock from a raccoon, he hears just barely a sound and barks and we let him out and we follow. Im planning on getting an Australian shepherd so it can be with the flocks at ALL times. We have so many predators around and its hard keeping chickens that dont go in the coop. We have some bantams that do but we also have some "wild" chickens. that love the pine tree above the coop. Anyway, so many chickens owe their lives to our male Chesapeake Sarge.

 

[Picco]

Its all about how you raise the dog. If a dog is sociallized with chickens as a puppy he will likely not see them as a food source or chew toy. Some breeds, however, don't make good chicken dogs like herding dogs (collies, border collies..), beagles and other hunting dogs. I have two "chicken" dogs - a yellow lab and a jack russell/chihuahua cross and one axe murderer - a boxer who "doesn't play well with chickens." Our neighbors dog, a german shepard is a chicken dog too!

 

[bantymum]

Hi, Ive heard that maremmas that are sheep guard dogs are wonderful with chookies, not sure wether you have them in the US, and I had a red heeler cross called Jock who shared his dinner with the girls, ill put it in my pics soon.

I would say the same that it depends on how you treat the dog, if hes part of the family he will also realise that the hens are too.

If you neglect the dog, and im not saying that you would, but i have seen it, he will kill the chooks when your back is turned., i would stay away from terriers.
I have a petsitting business and I have seen all types of dogs with chickens and by far the best are the beloved mutt(crossbred) be sure to get him young and maybe place a muzzle on him so he wont snap while playing, praise him or rouse on him.
Good luck im sure you will be fine.
as they say in employment of people"hire slow and sack fast", could apply for this too.!!

 

[CountryMama]

I have a Border Collie/Austrailian Shephard/ Blue Heeler mix and shes wonderful with my animals. She will even let a baby chick walk past her nose and she wont go after it at all

 

[Napalongtail]

We have 2 mastiffs. The smaller female english is known as the "FAT CHICKENDOG" because she'll spend as many warm summer afternoons laying smack dab in the middle of the chickens. I've seen her flinch once or twice when they pluck her wiskers or step on her ears. The larger Male he just lumbers about looking for left over scratch bits. But I must stress it's not about the breed of dog its about the dog itself!

 

[I didn't do it]

hi i have 2 cocker spaniel/terrier mixes. they are great with the chickens. last year i hatched out chicks and my dog rufus became their mom they folowed him every where. it was so cute. he was their mommy. they also are great hawk watchers, when a hawk flies by they go insano

 

[alcmaeon]

Great Discussion! I am just setting up my first try at backyard chickens and I had already decided the biggest mitigating factor was going to be my boxer and my cattle dog super mix. It is the cattle dog I am most worried about. She instigates. The boxer never chased squirrels until after we got the cattle dog and she showed him how. They went after a young possum once, and did mouth him but he did the play dead act and they stood there without a clue what to do, which gave me a chance to get to them and pull them back into the house before they did any real damage. I was thinking off covering the coop’s lower half with a tarp, that the dogs couldn’t see through in order to stop them from racing up and scaring the bejesus out of the birds. I had already planned on never letting both the dogs and the chickens wander the yard at the same time.

 

[I_Love_Chickens]

There was a lot of replies to this so this might be the same as someone elses post. But I plan on getting a dog as well. I think the main thing is getting a puppy and letting it grow up around the chickens and then he will be used to them and know they aren't play toys or food. I would say a good dog would be a mixed breed. Funny, I know, but they have been better than any full bred dog i've ever had. If you do go full bred though, labs probably won't be your best bet despite what some think, they are too playful and I think they would trample over the chicks. Get something thats known to be more mellow. As far as what kind, its beyond me. Good luck!!!

 

[shemarie]

I have a sheltie...and while the chicks are little she is very curious...I think she would like to play with them..but once they are out of the brooder and free ranging...she leaves them alone. I have never had a problem with her at all...I agree though a lab would probably not be a good choice...or any other bird dog for that matter.