bassets to protect a flock?

[artsyrobin]

so would bassets be a safe choice around chickens? need something to keep an eye on them... but not a huge guard dog..... looking for ideas for guarding a small free range flock

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

When you consider a dog for flock guarding, considering what the dog was bred to do will point you in a better direction. Basset hounds are hunting dogs -- hounds. They are also very big dogs, just short. They are very powerful and need training as any dog would. I know a lot of bassets that tend toward the lazy side and could care less if anyone, let alone, a predator came on their property.

If you need a dog to alert you to predators you can get just about any small breed of dog that can bark and will be relatively active. Keep in mind that no dog, other than a Livestock guardian, is bred to guard livestock directly. Most dogs will make good alerts for predators. But getting a dog to on its own guard your flock (let alone allow the birds to live without harassment) is going to be a down right challenge.

of course there are exceptions, and I am sure you'll get a lot of posters saying their dogs do a good job at this. Any dog you get will need a lot of basic training to begin with, so you have your work (and fun

) cut out for you.