Best Bird Watch Dog

[marvun22]

Like chickens, ducks, and geese, I also really like dogs. In a while I'm going to get around 6 more dogs (I have one currently who is 16 and will die within a year I'm thinking). They each will have a specific purpose. I need one to watch birds. I'm planning to get these breeds-
Golden Retriever (Hunting Pheasant)
Lab (Hunting Pheasant)
Beagle (One of my favorite dog breeds. I have had a good encounter with literally every Beagle I've met)
Siberian Husky (Another breed I like because of their wolflike appearance, as long as they don't act like a wolf)
German Sheppard (Herding my cows and maybe goats if I ever get them)
Now to the last breed. It just needs to watch and bark at any intruder. I would probably make it a room in my barn where it could sleep (I probably would have everything living in my barn. It won't be too far away from my house). The only breed I want to rule out is a Rottweiler. While most of it has to do with training, I don't want to take a chance of having it be a nuisance if I don't train it well enough. And this is just more of a predator deterrence. My birds will all still be locked up at night. Getting these dogs does ruin my chance of raising domesticated pheasants as pets. I'm still getting chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, emus, and possibly ostriches and/or rheas.

 

[HEChicken]

The breeds you mentioned are likely not going to be that good around poultry. German Shepherds in particular, have a bad rap for chasing poultry, but I've also heard bad reports of labs, retrievers and beagles. I do have a dog who is half lab, half border collie, and she is so good around them that she sleeps in the chicken yard at night to serve as an unofficial livestock guardian. However I'm told she is the exception to the rule, where labs are concerned.

 

[goodb]

I may be speaking from limited experience but I believe that the actions between dog and birds rest more on the relationship the dog has with the master. I know of at least 2 instances, one being my own in that the dog is great with the chickens. I have left him out with my flock alone several times and he never bothers them short of trying to sniff their rears. He is a Belgian Malinois that I think truly cares about the chickens. There is also another gentleman who has a lab that he left out with his chickens to deter eagles and he had no issues either. Maybe these are two exceptional cases but I still lean towards the relationship the dog has with the master being the determining factor of how they will act around the birds.

 

[marvun22]

I may be speaking from limited experience but I believe that the actions between dog and birds rest more on the relationship the dog has with the master. I know of at least 2 instances, one being my own in that the dog is great with the chickens. I have left him out with my flock alone several times and he never bothers them short of trying to sniff their rears. He is a Belgian Malinois that I think truly cares about the chickens. There is also another gentleman who has a lab that he left out with his chickens to deter eagles and he had no issues either. Maybe these are two exceptional cases but I still lean towards the relationship the dog has with the master being the determining factor of how they will act around the birds.

To tell you, my current Lab is great with poultry and has been his whole life.

 

[centrarchid]

North Dakota? Grey wolf territory? If yes, then dogs best be house dogs unless you have several and they all be large. Consider thoroughly what you are setting up. Having a single large dog or a bunch of small ones in some locations up your way is asking for trouble.

 

[goodb]

To tell you, my current Lab is great with poultry and has been his whole life.

That's now 3 instances I know of!

 

[RoseMarie1]

what about a border collie?

 

[HEChicken]

what about a border collie?

Border Collies can be very intense and are bred to herd. That combination can be disastrous around poultry.

 

[centrarchid]

Dog breed with respect to poultry is not the limitation. Dog breed relative setting (climate and predator threats) is more important.

 

[zazouse]

Training and managing a pack takes alot of time, are you able to do that?
I run hunting dogs, herding dogs and livestock guarding dogs and I spend about a year working with a pup before i trust them with the birds 24/7 None of my birds live in pens and i have a couple 100















My hunter

My rott Tucker, he kills snakes that is about it.

A pup i trained for someone else

My herder