B-day coming up and i want a dog: help me

[pinkfeather]

Oops! Sorry, didn't know you already found a dog! Well congrats!

 

[thechickman04]

haha no problem...but i still dont know if thats the one i am going to get...most everyone thinks is a bad choice

 

[xadika]

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[mom2chicksandpups]

I have a WONDERFUL schnauzer/yorkie mix who even goes in the chicken pens with me and does not harm the chickens. He is medium-sized and the best dog I've ever had as far as minding and behaving. He NEVER has an "accident" in the house, unlike our chihuahua. He is a neutered male, so there will be no puppies. I would recommend a schnauzer or schnauzer mix to you. Yorkies are great dogs, too, but most are small and you mentioned you didn't want anything too small.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

I didn't see that you had possibly found one until after I posted just now. He is very cute. Terriers are good, smart pets, but hyper. Just be sure you give him lots of play time and take him for walks if you get him.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Just wanted to give this out there...my poodle and my Shih Tzu are not allowed in the chicken pens...they like to go after the birds to watch them fly.

If you get a laborador, make SURE to train it to not go past the border of the fence. You know what...just train ANY dog for that one! LOL

 

[Haviris]

I think in general any dog can be good w/ the right early training. My mom's Schnauzers are fine w/ the chickens, one was even gotten as an adult, she watches new chicks obsessively, but she's kind of like that, obsesses over new things. As long as she doesn't hurt them I don't care. Our chickens free range, my dad's schnauzer is also fine w/ the chickens. I had a lab/weim cross that also was great w/ the chickens and ducks.

My point is if you get a puppy and work w/ it from the beginning you should be ok. There are exceptions, and I would assume getting a "chicken friendly" breed would up your chances for success, but even that wouldn't be a guarantee. W/ the dogs in our family it really didn't take a lot even though some are not considered chicken friendly breeds. My biggest challange was an australian shepherd mix.

 

[ChickenFanaticAB]

I think that dog looks adorable! I had terriers no problem with my chickens, they knew what was part of the family and what was fair hunting game. They are very smart dogs, and yes, require a lot of training, but really aim to please! much more than my current weim/husky mix...

Go visit the dog if you can, and see how she acts. I would ask if you can try her around a cat to see how she behaves. If she tries to chase and you correct her and she stops she will likely be very trainable, if just curious, that is a very good sign that you can teach her to respect small animals, and if she tries to chase and ignores you, that might be a problem! Get her out and play with her for over 30 minutes. It takes shelter dogs about 30 minutes to really settle down and act more like the dog they really are. Play fetch with her, see how interested she is in you, and you will know if she will fit with the family! And I think it's great that you are looking at shelter dogs!!

 

[xadika]

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[thechickman04]

Quote:
The shelter she is at is only about 15-30 minutes from my house and as soon as i get back from the FFA state convention this saturday i am going to visit her...and to make things better she is five months old and the humane society told me in an E-mail that she is already house trained