Best Chicken Guard dog

[Justso]

"also the YBMC (Yellow Black Mouth Cur) is a medium/large sized working dog from the South ... any dog in the South needs shade to come in out of the sun ...

OLD YELLER!!!!!!!!!

 

[Papagena]

I know that a well built coop and run work a heck of a lot better than a dog.but if you're going to get a dog, stick with the herding breeds and get one from working lines, not conformation show lines, that to me is key. I have an awesome working line Aussie right now.

We have a really nice coop and run, but the chickens free range during the day on our fenced property. I mainly want the dog to discourage daytime predators like hawks. An Aussie or another border collie would probably work well for us

 

[Ren2014]

I know this is an old thread, but just in case...

I love great pyrs but I'd be concerned about their thick fur in our tx heat. What do hot-climate dwellers recommend for a good chicken guard on a small property? (We have a 6 y/o BC, but she's a little intense for the chickens).

G Pyrs are double coated. The under coat works to keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our Pyrs protect our chickens and ducks from aerial and ground predators.

 

[bruceha2000]

I know that a well built coop and run work a heck of a lot better than a dog.but if you're going to get a dog, stick with the herding breeds and get one from working lines, not conformation show lines, that to me is key. I have an awesome working line Aussie right now.

Wouldn't that depend on what you want the dog to do? Herders herd, guarding and protecting isn't ingrained into their genes like it is in LGDs (presumably). That doesn't mean they can't be trained but they would more naturally want to keep the chickens where the dog thinks you want them.

 

[dekel18042]

Wouldn't that depend on what you want the dog to do? Herders herd, guarding and protecting isn't ingrained into their genes like it is in LGDs (presumably). That doesn't mean they can't be trained but they would more naturally want to keep the chickens where the dog thinks you want them.

LGD's guard but don't herd. Some breeds were bred to do it all, herd, guard, hunt, as well as a host of other around the homestead jobs that a dog can do. Of course some lines are better at doing some jobs than others, but once you know what your primary jobs are, you can search for a breeder who is breeding dogs who are doing those jobs.
I'm thinking English Shepherd here, but a good aussie can do many jobs as well as some of the curs and lesser known breeds.
BTW, my just turned five month old sheltie pup is already putting the chickens away when he goes out in the evening and some are still out.
The bantams usually head for the bantam pens, but I have some growing out pullets I haven't transferred to the laying coop yet. The pup doesn't realize which are which and puts all the birds into the main coop. Not a bad idea because soon, in the next three weeks or so I'm going to have to move them in so the birds I'm broodering in the garage can go out into the grow out pen.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sounds like a great dog Dekel! Does he know when it is time to let the chickens do their thing (while he hopefully is on watch for predators) vs wanting to herd them "somewhere" all the time? Or is he not out with them except when they need to be "moved"? And have the chickens figured out the dog isn't "hunting" them and head calmly in the right direction? Or does the dog have to keep flanking a scared bunch of birds to keep them going the right way?

 

[dekel18042]

Sounds like a great dog Dekel! Does he know when it is time to let the chickens do their thing (while he hopefully is on watch for predators) vs wanting to herd them "somewhere" all the time? Or is he not out with them except when they need to be "moved"? And have the chickens figured out the dog isn't "hunting" them and head calmly in the right direction? Or does the dog have to keep flanking a scared bunch of birds to keep them going the right way?

I have several dogs, but was mostly talking about the youngest. The larger older guy in the bottom photo (sable and white) is an English Shepherd, about collie sized.
Our chickens are used to all our dogs and are unafraid of them. Of course all were brooded in the house and got used to the dogs from day one.
The English shepherd has never lost a bird while he was out and he was excellent at putting them away. Unfortunately at 14 he enjoys laying in the sun and watching them and making sure all is well, but he doesn't herd the way he used to.
The little pup picked up fast. As you can see by the pictures, he leaves the chickens alone, but when he sees we want them in ( When they come to their coop in the evening for some reason only then do they want to check out the flower beds which we don't like) he's reading and willing to help get them away and is doing a credible job.
In the first picture he felt the bantams had gone a bit too far down the driveway and thought they should be nearer their pens so he was gently pressing them to go back..
In the second, he is just content to hang out with some of them.
We will be taking him to herding class to pick up and finesse a few commands, but I'm thrilled with the progress he has made.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sounds like a natural, especially so young. He hasn't even really had time to learn his boundaries yet knows that "too close to the road" isn't good. I wonder if the ES trained him a bit on that.

 

[dekel18042]

Sounds like a natural, especially so young. He hasn't even really had time to learn his boundaries yet knows that "too close to the road" isn't good. I wonder if the ES trained him a bit on that.

One nice thing is when you have well behaved and trained dogs, when you add another, they tend to follow along and pick up things pretty quickly.
When I'm conducting a training session, it's amazing but the others want to sit in on it and follow along.( Perhaps because of the treats?)
Initially we allowed him to see the chickens in their runs through their wire. When we realized they weren't worried about each other (They were sniffing each other through the wire) we allowed him on leash when they were free ranging and then we quickly dropped the leash when we realized it wasn't necessary.

 

[nylanaz]

I know you want something smaller, but I can't recommend pyrs enough. My girl is so good with the chickens. And while she is a large furry dog she is a lot less maintanence than I thought. She is quick to learn, doesn't shed nearly as much as one would think, and we go through on 40lb bag of dog food a month. Not to mention she is a super love with my kids.