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This is a good question. We have worked with Saydee. I got her at a 6 week old. Took her out to the coop with me everytime I went out. All she ever wanted to do was to chew on and chase the chicks/chickens. When I wasn't looking she would go after the chick/chicken. Saydee is very smart, she chooses to do what Saydee wants to do. Saydee has never been hit..I trained my rott and chow..they both are dead. OLD AGE. I know how to train. Saydee as a pup acted like a coyote when people would come around. 10weeks and older. She never wanted any one to touch her except for who lived in the home. I would ask my brother or son to hold her hoping she would get use to others. Still to this day the family in the house is the only one she wants around. Saydee has killed my 1 year old hen and if she is left unchained she will go after the chickens..mine and my neighbors. I have to be fearful all the time that Saydee might bite some one. Would you keep a dog like this? I was dog bitten as a little girl. The dog bite my hip and pulled me off of my bike. These tempermented dogs need to be destroyed or caged for life. Lets talk about the dog shelter..I have always been a responsible dog owner. Female dogs is all I have owned and all have been spayed. We have taken in 5 stray dogs in the past 2years.That some irresponsile person dropped off. All have been spayed. One killed my tom turkey. The dog shelters are full because of irresponsible dog owners that won't get there pets spayed/neutured or because they drop them off so then they become other peoples problems. How fair is that to me or others. Our dog shelter will tell you..just destroy the dog. Do you think it would be wise of me to rehome Saydee knowing that she is capable of biting some one or killing others live stock? I don't think so. I would be irresponsible, wouldn't I? We can't ever get the breed of dog we want because we are always taking in others. Not fair. I have never taken a dog to the shelter. DJ
It sounds like a combination of poor genetics, improper training, and improper socialization, especially when she was a puppy. Unfortunately, especially with many of your very popular dogs like German Shepherds many of them should not have been bred due to various flaws like temperament issues, conformation issues, etc. Too many people are backyard breeders and have the mind set "I got a boy, you got a girl, lets breed them and sell the puppies" without giving any regard to whether or not either are suitable for breeding. There are plenty of people that only have a couple dogs that breed them that have decent dogs and I don't wish to direct this toward everyone but just like those of us that really try to work with certain chicken breeds for example and try to improve our lines we often times have to cull birds to keep to the overall standard. In the case of dogs many that do not conform or have various flaws should be spayed/neutered so that their poor genes don't continue.
I have 5 German Shepherds and they are all schutzhund dogs. Schutzhund in German means protection dog. In simple terms it's kind of like a more advanced version of a police dog. All my dogs have a very high drive but yet everyone of them is perfectly fine around my chickens, all 80 plus of them, many that free range. All my dogs will alert me to someone/something strange but yet with a simple command they are generally fine with others. They won't be as trusting with them as family for example, but I have no worrys that they will walk up and bite someone I am talking with just for the heck of it.
Both my DH, and myself have had shutzhund german shepherds. I've also had german shepherds that are therapy dogs. It all depends on their temperment, careful breeding, socialization, prey drives, and training. I also agree that some dogs should not be bred. They should be spayed/nuetered. Too many times I have seen german shepherd dogs bred for the sake of breeding them, and it breaks my heart to see it. The breed in general is plagued with health problems, and breeding them only compounds it. When bred properly GSD are excellent herding dogs, protection dogs, and therapy dogs.
That being said, Our most recent GSD was the only dog I trusted around my chickens out of the ones we have. He was always alert, and notified us if a blade of grass moved the wrong way. He would never ever bite someone if unprovoked. He was aloof with strangers, but never mean with strangers.
Bluemoon
I have a sheltie and a chuhahua mix (sp?) and they bark at birds flying over head they are both great watchdogs and dont bother with the chickens.. 
