Need a good guard dog that wont eat my poultry!

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I have children and chickens plus other livestock. I was told by a good friend to get GPs, so we got a pair of sisters and I have never regretted the decision. Here is one of our pups we have
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Edited to add I cannot spell today and I love Rotties used to raise them stopped after the last one went on to the Maker as People are sometimes just stupid. I just did not want to take on any more stupid people. They think they are mean animals because they watch too much TV and see what the media can sometimes portray them as attack animals.
People with the Gps see a big fluffy white dog so feel safer with them
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I forgot to add, our Blue Heeler is Terrible with animals!! she has that natural instinct to herd and she is constantly nipping, she has also killed baby chickens and an adult chicken before. our Black Lab also has killed chicks and was always too dumb to guard ANYTHING. I would also never trust them around the babies(children) either. The lab has bitten before(including his owner) and has growled at the kids. the Blue Heeler is just too spastic and jumpy.

I think you're looking for a big dog but our Mini American Eskimo/Cocker Spaniel mix has always been good with the animals, but hates rodents! My Rottweiler was excellent and i only had 1 problem with her and a baby calf, but after some quick discipline she was best buddies & guard to that calf(we still have that cow too). We have also had Lab Mixes that were good with the animals and also a chow/rottweiler mix.

Our current rescue dog, Layla (pointer/lab mix??) is SO good with all the animals, she even lets the baby goats butt and try to nurse on her
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If you want an dog to guard your animals, they why not get one that is bred for that purpose? Other breeds can sometimes do it, sometimes not, depending on the individuals personality and training, etc. but a true livestock guardian dog has been bred for this sold purpose for hundreds of years. If you don't want to train from puppy hood, you can find dogs that are already trained that need to be rehomed due to their owners moving, getting out of the business, etc.

Some livestock breeds are Great Pyrenees, Maremma, Anatolian Shepherd, Akbash, Kuvasz, Komondor and there are several others but those are the most common. After doing some research, we decided the Maremma was the best fit for our family. The are absolutely fabulous with our children, only bark when they perceive a threat (not all night long like some breeds), respect our fences, and are a complete joy. We couldn't be happier.
 
Look up "farmcollie" - not a breed, but a landrace defined by type of work rather than conformation. The term covers a few of the smaller breeds mentioned here, including the odd border collie whose bloodlines have been selected to herd more out of dominance than prey drive. I personally love big dogs, but prefer to feed and clean up after medium-sized ones. ;D I have some rough collies of the old type that do well with poultry, and others who needed a lot of training to leave the squawky toys alone. Really, your best bet is a dog whose bloodlines' working style is well known regardless of the breed. For poultry, I like a soft, laid-back, motherly but somewhat independent-minded dog. Makes them less likely to mind the nights when you have to leave them outside to guard the henhouse.
 
i have always been fortunate to have quite the peaceful menagerie of critters, i make it quite known to my pets that eating/killing each other is unacceptable, we have 2 lab mix dogs 4 cats, 2 rats and many fowl, its kinda funny, the rats dominate the cats, the cats dominate the dogs but the dogs dominate the rats
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but really you are probably best off getting a dog breed for the job, i mean if your going to a breeder for a pup i would get the great pyrenees, very nice defenders
 
Lab or lab mix dogs are the greatest all round dogs I've seen with livestock and children. Smart, quick to learn, trustworthy. Never had an incident with my dogs and they are ever vigilant against predators. I free range and leave my pop door open at all times. They never leave the boundaries of their wireless invisible fencing, they ignore the chickens and play with my sheep. One is GP/lab mix and the other is Lab/BC mix but my previous dog was full blood lab and he was the best all round stock/hunting/family dog I've ever seen.
 
I agree Pardygwyn the Maremma sounds like the best of them all. All of those dogs say "not a dog for beginners." So now I know I am out of my league.
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I have thought about the lab mix, my dog friend keeps saying that is what I want. But I have seen such hyper labs! Of course I have four hyper kids that would love to play with a dog.

Still looking into all of this. Thank you everyone for your ideas!

Jeanine
 
looking for a dog to guard your livestock not eat your livestock no matter which breed ... start with this. Go with a breed that is #1 known to guard livestock not hunt or eat them first #2 a dog that sticks around the livestock not goes off and plays around # 3 is laid back and not aggressive. I am sure others can add to the list for you There are tons of dogs out there for those who want pets. but if you want a dog to keep your animals and/or children and family safe then do research and listen to breeders who breed for livestock guardians.
 

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