Beware of even the "Good Dog"!!

[dixygirl]

The dog would have to be newly born and raised from day 1 around chicks. Even then I would not quite trusts it.

 

[chad]

He's a dog. A hunting dog, no less. He's not "bad." He's just doing what comes naturally. Correcting him will do no good, unless you catch him in the act, and even then maybe not. We who love animals would like all of ours to behave like in a Disney cartoon, sitting on the split rail fence all together and singing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." Not always a realistic expectation, unfotunately. Love your dog for what he is and keep him away from the chickens.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

if it's a bird dog, more then likely it will always have the instinct.

 

[Oblio13]

We're a couple weeks away from picking up a new pup. Keeping my fingers crossed that we can raise him right.

 

[S0rcy]

My husband still does not understand why I do not let the dog play with the chickens.

: shakes head sadly and goes to get the whipping stick for the husband :

 

[joebryant]

I have two corgis, Siegmund and Sieglinde. Sieglinde just sort of ignores the fact that the chicks are alive. Siegmund likes to follow them around and herd them into staying together, or thinks he does. When it's time to put them back in their cage to carry them back inside the house, he rounds up the stragglers for me by chasing them back in my direction so I can grab them and put them in the small cat cage door. He loves the job and the praise. Sieglinde loves the treats she gets for doing nothing. I really don't think either would ever hurt one of the chickens intentionally, but Siegmund sometimes gets rough with his nose on a straggler that runs where he doesn't want it.

 

[BearSwampChick]

Quote:
Definitely a big difference in bird dogs and herding dogs. If only I had known I was getting chickens when I got the BIRD dog!

 

[nautical_bouy]

This is another reason people need to look into the type of dog they really want and the type they can provide for..

Bird dogs are not great house pets,, your springer is not psyco,,, he is just a spaniel..

I bred brittanys for years, untill I became a single parent with an infant,,,I did not have the time to run and work my dogs for atleast an hour,, most of the times, over two every day.

Getting a bird dog, is way more work than many realize. They really aren't happy unless they are run hard and hunted.
My breeding pair were 12 and 14 years old before they would have been considered good house pets,,, thats a long time to wait for a lap dog.

 

[2dream]

I have a Choc Lab. He love my chickens. Loves to help me round them up. But do I trust him. NO WAY. He is never allowed around the chickens without me or DH. Funny, my daughter has a rat that can climb all over him and he acts like it is not there.
And he is ok with the chickens as long as they don't run and sqwak at the same time. I think it
has more to do with the noise they make because if they just run from him he ignores them but if they start running and clucking or squwaking off he wants to go.

 

[Davaroo]

Most dogs that were bred for hunting or other sporting activities have an innate love of chickens - of the wrong reasons!

Even some working dogs are not immune. Ive had an entire flock killed by my own dogs when my back was turned. They are all "good dog" breeds.

Say what you want about them, but dogs are not to be trusted around chickens.