Are certain dog breeds better around chickens?

[Freia]

My beloved companion of 12 years, my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, will soon be joining the puppy angels. We've barely started thinking about what kind of dog to get next.

It has to be a dog that won't chase the chickens - preferably something that will help protect them.

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding breeds to consider and breeds to avoid? We're medium to large dog people. No small breeds. I'm surprised that my chessie has been a model-dog around the chickens, considering that he's a bird-dog extraordinaire, so I know that I can't begin to predict chicken-suitability very well.

I assume it has more to do with the individual dog and their training than their breed. In that case, is it better to get the dog as a puppy to train as I want it, or will a puppy just be rambuncious and lack impulse-control and be the worst there is? Adult better?

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I personally think ANY dog is good with chickens, as long as there are no other dogs hanging around, because if a dog pairs up, wolf instincts kick in and they'll chase your chickens even if they have been kind to your chicks all along. (Happened with my moms chickens 15 years ago)

I'd get a more mellow dog (around 5 or so) for your chickens. You could start early with a puppy, but you'll need to watch and train well.

 

[Oregon Blues]

No dog is born safe around chickens. All dogs must be trained to leave chickens alone.

Some breeds are easier to train to leave chickens alone, but all dogs can be trained to leave chickens alone.

Terriers, hounds, and heelers are probably going to take a little more work, although my own sight hounds were very easy to train that the poultry wasn't for them.

My son's working gun dogs merely needed to be told "no, not that one" and that was the end of it. They never touched the poultry, even though they would go through the flock, nose working like mad, seeking any quail or pheasants that might have passed through the area.

No puppy of any breed, no matter how much training, should be left unattended with poultry.

 

[maxandme]

I have 3 pit bulls and they have recently been introduced to our chickens and quails. The chickens walk around free range through the backyard and we have not had any issues. We were a little worried at first but all 3 have done great with them...after a little sniffing around of course. =)

 

[Grateful Dad]

We have a chihuahua, she is bezerk for anything that moves, birds,squirrels, people.
But she also is smart and listens, she does not bother the chickens (12 weeks) .
In the beginning she made some charges at them, but after a few commanding NO!'s and the wavering of a bamboo switch, ( I use it to herd the chickens out of the garden) she knows better. The cats are cool with them too. One bird even has chased the dog a few times to scare her away!! too funny.its all about the training.

 

[JorjaRhayne]

been in rescue for about 20 years and dealt with many breeds. My Lab (4yrs) does well around my birds but on that note is super trained (service dog) Our 5mth Boykin Spaniel is way too rambunctious to even begin being around the chickens with no leash. It is all in the training but I would suggest rescuing a calmer adult dog, maybe a Golden Retriever or a Livestock Guardian dog. My friend has Giant Mastiffs and Great Danes that are good around the chickens both breeds being introduced to chickens after being adopted as adults. Never had any good luck with Terriers or Huskys. My yard cat actually lives in my coop with my chickens even the bitties and she doesn't bug them at all. She is really good at catching snakes to boot. but I wouldn't suggest penning a cat with your birds unless like mine she thinks she is a dog.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

We had a german shepherd/pit bull mix and he was so sweet to everything. We kept him outside with the chickens and nothing happened for a long time. Then one day, my runt chick passed away and lay within his reach. he ate part of him, and after that first taste of blood he changed. I didn't know he changed until one day I went outside to find he'd freed himself from his chain and 5 of my chickens were dead. We never kept him with another dog. I don't mean he got mean with people, he was still sweet as ever to people, but he had become a predator to other animals. So my advice is, again, don't get a terrier, and especially do not let them get that taste of blood or their wolf side will kick on. I have heard this same kind of story from other friends who had sweet dogs that were at one time good with chickens.

 

[addicted2pits]

go with pitbulls

 

[nzpouter]

We always have bull breeds, these are our 3 old ones (we lost all 3 within the last 6 months), they stay and babysit all the animals here... They are fed raw and they sleep with all the other animals in the chicken coop when there's a sign of predators around. We also leave all our orphan animals with them full time to be looked after (we bottle feed them and the dogs clean them and keep them warm).



These two we just adopted in the last 6 weeks... they are on full time training mode at the moment and so is the other animals around the place... nothing can trigger a chase instinct quicker than a jumpy/ scared prey animals... if these 2 can be half as good as the older ones in the next year or so I'll be very pleased.



and this is a video of the 2 in chicken training...

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Our Scottish Terrier, Duncan seems to not really pay attention to the chickens.