Best dog breed around chickens? UPDATE post #117 Thanks all!

[namarks]

My doberman loves my chickens. When they geat meal worm treats they all forrage together. The hens follow her around all afternoon when they come out to free range. I cant speak for all doby's but shes a perfect match.

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

I am having "the perfect Dog For Us" disagreement with my DH as we speak! I found Anatolian Pyrenees mixes available in two weeks with their shots for $150, and he is being a PITA because he wants a Rhodesian Ridgeback, that costs $1000. Lord help me!

 

[fowlmouthgirls]

Guess who won that argument!! LOL

Evie the Anatolian Pyrenees, Livestock Guardian Dog!

 

[Tabatha]

Honestly, I think any dog would...eh hmm..could be great to have around chickens. I have 2 pitbulls (one who's deaf), a half pit half lab, and a beagle. I have 14 chickens who come in the house and root the dogs out of the food and water bowls intended for the dogs. I raised the chicks in the house, and when full feathers came in, moved them outside. Of course the dogs were curious at first...wanting to taste and chase...but I was diligent with introducing them without a barrier. My dogs have an underground fence that vibrates a warning when they get too close to the line and lightly shocks when they cross. I have a tazer (and no I don't shock my dogs with it) that I popped when the dogs would get to rough with the chickens. Now, when I bathe the chickens, the dogs help luck them dry and the chickens don't seem to mind. When it's hot, they all lay under the porch together. I even came in from gardening one day and had a dog and three chickens laying on my couch together, seemingly watching TV...lol. My pit lab even helps round up lost chickens and drive them to the coop or even will point like a bird dog until I can grab it. my dogs are definitely pack-y, but have never ganged up on the chickens. You just have to be careful and make sure they know you are pack leader and that chickens are off limits.

 

[fallyn]

I've owned and fostered many different breeds over the years. The dobie pic is adorable, but have noticed that dobies often loathe being away from their humans. I also had an "elderbull" who loved every creature that came into our home. She would run from them when they were bigger. That being said, our current pit mix foster has gone as far as scratching her face up to break into the coop. We also have an adolescent puli that up until lately has been fine with them but plucked a bunch of feathers and started trying to obsessively herd one girl. He also loves our kids but is leary of strangers as a lot of flock dogs can be. He's mostly just shy.

I guess what I'm getting at is it seems to be individuals within breeds rather than the breeds themaelves in my opinion. Even our pomeranian will occasionally chase to be obnoxious but mostly just wants to eat their food.

 

[Smauler]

I have a pet large munsterlander who's allowed access to the garden (with the chickens, about an acre) whenever he likes through a dog flap. I think he's one of the reasons we still have so many chickens, because of the foxes around here.

He kills pheasants (when he catches them, he's usually pointing at them) and rabbits (when he actually gets them, he generally runs round like an idiot) very quickly, but he knows to protect the chickens. He loves chasing the chickens out of the house, though, which we allow.

Not having a dog that gets on with the chickens could well cost you chickens because of the foxes.

 

[Nadene]

Any size of dog can kill chickens too. Lots of small dogs are VERY high in prey drive!!!! JRT anyone?? (That's Jack Russell Terrier for the non-dog people)

I had a JRx and he was the loveliest dog. I had cats, mice, later rats, parrots and then chickens. He never touched them. He would catch and kill mice and rats, but never touched mine.

When we got the chickens, I didn't even think about 'what if Rex'... in fact, he was afraid of them. If they came to close to him for his comfort, he would jump up and move away from them. Even when the little chirps came, he would rather go into a shivering attack than look at them. If I could have another dog like him, i would any day. I miss him dearly.

When Rex passed away, I got a FT pup. He played with the chicks, but quickly learned that chickens can hurt, so he also kept his distance. Sadly, he got poisoned and also passed away, within 3 months after Rex.

Then I got another JRT (almost grown, but still young. A rescue dog)... within a few weeks, he ripped apart my newest addition to the flock. And after that, we kept on losing chickens and chicks. Regretfully, I had to return him. He was one of those dogs that just waited for you to turn your back. Not everyone can understand the choice I had to make.

I have another fox terrier, Bullet (the name says it all...). He killed our fist rooster, sorry, let me say that correctly... he shredded my poor rooster, then attacked one of the hens. Luckily the workers caught him in the act, before he could kill her. My husband went berserk on him, and we had some self control testers for him. He never tried to kill another chicken. Although he cannot leave the chicks alone. I had to put together a little department for the chicks to be in for their first 10 weeks. Bullet just doesn't know the difference between the squeaky sound chicks make and those mice and rats make.

4 different terriers. 4 different personalities. 4 different experiences.

 

[RoccoM]

I never trained my boxer to be good with other animals, I think its just his nature. He's only interested in animals that want to play. I do think certain breeds can be more trusted around small animals. I wouldn't get a terrier or hound and expect them to not instinctually hunt. Some breeds have such a strong hunting instinct they go into "tunnel vision" there's no stopping them except for keeping them separated.

 

[DoogyHouse]

Hi, I saw your question as to a breed who is Ok with chickens.

Most people don't know it but the answer is a Maremma. No one in the US has herd of Marrema's but they are a legitimate breed.
I have one and it guards my chickens.

I had one prior to my puppy now that watched over the chickens. He did a loyal job without fail. They are a bit hard headed. They will sit and stay and come, but they don't want to play with a ball or tug a rope - they want their land and their flock. Farmers use them all the time. They happen to get quite large and they are all white - all of them.

They will guard anything they are raised with. You can see a Youtube video of a Maremma they put on an island to protect penguins from a fox problem they had devastating the endangered population. They put a couple Maremmas on the island and the penguin population came right back. They will guard anything.

Also, they are a guarding sheepdog in lieu of a shepherding dog or a guard dog. The Maremma will charge anything that comes into the yard it sees as something strange, but it won't engage. That's important that it won't engage, but will bark like hell. It simply adopts it's land and animals and won't eat the animals (no matter what they are) and fend off intruders. It will get used to neighbors it knows and learn they are "normal to have come and go". Others get the bark.

Also it tends to perch and look over it's property - especially at night. That is what it naturally wants to do. Because it tends to be a bit nocturnal, the Maremma sleeps a lot during the day. It always is on the alert though

They are a bit rare here in the states but are popular in Italy where they call them Maremma Abrizies.

Great dogs and I'd do a google search on them. They are hard to find, but I found a breeder in Kentuckey and am raising a pup right now.

Maremma - they'll adopt and protect your flock without eating them. Stubborn as hell too.

 

[jrtforme]

My JRT is great with my chickens. I have 8 hens who basically boss him around and peck him on the head when he is in their way! I also have an Australian Shepherd who doesn't pay a bit of attention to them. My chickens and dogs are together all day in the backyard.