Are there any dog breeds that AREN'T going to want to kill chickens?

[Lucy4]

Just curious. I know the prey drive exists in all dogs... but is it less strong in certain breeds?

Thanks.

 

[chickensioux]

There are many breeds that will do great. Just do some research and sometimes just training at an early age works too. I have two terriers, well noted for being little chasers and hunters that leave all my inside critters and outside critters (ducks, chicks, chickens) alone due to training. They were here first and then I got poultry. Take Great Pyrenees, they are awesome flock protectors.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Tell me about it.

I got mine to protect my animals, but apparently they ran off a burglar a couple of days ago. We think he was in the process of breaking in through our door when our dogs heard him.

To the OP, since they are still very young, one of them has killed an occasional chicken by playing with it, but that is my fault for letting the dogs and chickens out without the pups being fully trained or me there to watch over them. Now days only the dogs or the chickens free range, not both at the same time, unless I am there to keep an eye. I think they have been broken from it.

But they are outstanding at keeping away predators, including the two legged kind, and they never try to go after the birds when the birds are penned up.

 

[mamaKate]

I think it's less the breed than the individual dog and his training. I have a coonhound/ Rottweiler mix who was dumped here several years ago. He has a super strong prey drive. When he first caught a glimpse of chickens, he just froze and trembled violently. He wouldn't move. I had to drag him in the house. 7 months later, he's totally cool going out in the yard while they free range. I still wouldn't leave him alone with them, though. My other 3 can be fully trusted.

 

[scooter147]

I firmly believe it's training and dog specific. I currently have a Boston Terrier and a Lab/Chow mix, they both have been great with my birds and they both were adopted as two year olds. I've had many dogs over the years of all makes and models and the only one I couldn't break was a beagle.

 

[bobbi-j]

I think it's less the breed than the individual dog and his training.

I totally agree. I've had labs as long as I've had chickens. One year we let the chickens out and had a 10 month old lab running around at the time. We ended up having to go to town, were gone longer than expected, only to come home and find all my chickens dead on the back step, and a very proud puppy. He'd done his job, after all, and retrieved them all. They weren't mauled, just slobbery. We think he would just play with one at a time until they quit moving and go get another one. We have a black lab now that won't touch my birds. He was taught at a very young age that messing with the chickens is a bad plan. Granted, he will sometimes wait unti they're all bunched together and not paying attention to him and run through the middle of the flock to scatter them. Then he'll turn around and look like, "Huh? Who did that?" They're not scared of him a bit, though. They will go within inches of where he's laying and scratch and peck in the dirt. You'll find just the right dog to suit your needs.

 

[Lucy4]

sigh.

I just canceled having a Westie puppy join our family. I'd had too many people tell me they either killed their chickens, or wouldn't leave them alone. (In this household, the chickens are therapy animals for our son, and losing one to a dog attack would be a very bad thing.)

My son really wants a dog, but not at that price. I am allergic so we are limited as to what breeds we can choose. I think maybe we'll just wait until I really have a safe chicken pen.

Thank you.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

It's all about training. Any breed has the ability to hurt/kill chickens, even those who are bred as protector breeds. They all make mistakes before they finally get it.

 

[math ace]

You might want to try BALL PARK HOT DOGs

 

[Cara]

Training makes a difference to a point BUT why stack the deck against yourself to begin with? Obviously a terrier or hunting breed is going to be more intent on killing than say a Shih Tzu. I've probably just opened the door for six hundred 'my uncle has a Dachshund that raises chicks' stories

That being said I believe in keeping dogs and livestock separate to be fair to both. Obviously certain LGDs are ok, but that depends firstly on wanting a huge dog, and secondly on being willing to put in all the training and take a risk in the beginning. I don't want to tempt my dogs and risk my birds' lives at the same time, and don't want them getting the blame for something a predator did. Around here chickens live in coops, and dogs in a secure yard/the house unless they're with us.