Breed of dog that won't hurt my birds

[Ohylime]

I had an american eskimo that didnt go after any of my small animals. We had a rabbit with a splayed leg and she kept all the opossums and skunks away. She also was gentle with the chickens but the rooster always attacked her

HOWEVER my friend's american eskimo killed a rabbit -__- It all comes down to how you raise the dog and what the personality. I think breeds that are more independent such as german sheperds, huskies, mamulates etc might be more difficult to train but still doable. Older dogs I notice tends to care less about the chicken...

 

[Strikefalcon]

Our Maltese is great around our chickens. They re even teaching him a thing or two about finding treats thrown in the yard. Ever see a chicken and a dog fight over a bone? One on one the dog usally wins. But as with humans, two women outflank a guy every time.

 

[cgmccary]

IMHO, there are some breeds that have to be worked with more (retrievers, birddogs, terriers) but ANY dog can be worked with NOT to bother chickens. I have two hound mixes, a shepherd mix mutt & a Maltease -- all are great around the birds and can be totally trusted.

Currently, I am fostering two birddog puppies (Pointers) until i can find them homes. They are young and wide open. I am having to put a lot of attention to their wanting to play with the birds & chase them. I have not had an incident in a couple of weeks but they are wide open in their playing. I am not allowing them out free without I am in ear shot.

Generally, I do as follows:

You can never allow a dog the first time without punishment.

Take a new dog (any age) on a leash (leash train first if not) around the birds and scold a loud "no" anytime they even look at a bird. Take them in the coop with you, around the birds. Spend time observing the dog and its reaction/ action to birds. When off leash, ANY attention to a bird must be addressed, scold and kennel in a crate any misbehavior. teach your dog what "no" means.

Praise & reward good behavior. I don't butcher birds in front of my dogs and I control all behavior when I am catching birds.

 

[Ally Rose]

Dont get a dog that was bred for hunting or guarding. Try a herding dog, like an australian shepherd. They will herd your birds but will not lay a paw on them.

 

[trailchick]

I have two original mountain cur dogs that are great around the birds.
They were adults before i got the yards buzzards.
The cur dogs are an old settler breed that are also a
hunting dog known as tree or squirrel dogs. My male dog is now a bona
fide snake dog-he alerts us to them. They are called cur
because they are born with short tails- hence curtailed.
Ol' Yeller was a cur dog....... And there is a breed
registry for them.

Btw, terriors were once and probably
still are a type of hunting dog.

The male did get one chicken once and was scolded for it and so
I guess they are fast learners and very smart. They do still tree
squirrels, hunt for coon, and do their best to keep the coyotes away,
so they are now livestock guardians.

Welcome to BYC and good luck finding a good bird-safe dog.

 

[Dylan Haley]

I have a pitbull, sadie. Who love my chickens, and has never harmed one. She lets them peck her and jump on her back, all with no problem. But i agree it has alot more to do with the training, than the breed of dog.

 

[Pozees]

"I am a firm believer that it is not the bred of dog that matters but the training the dog receives that will make the biggest difference in the end. I would take a good look at your overall lifestyle and pick a dog that fits in well with your life and your family. Every dog is a time commitment but some do require a bit more than others and certain breds are prone to different health problems/grooming/exercise needs. Picking something you just like combined with knowing the pros and cons of that breed is a great place to start so that you can be prepared."

ChickensRDinos has it in a nutshell. Selecting a dog is choosing a new member of your family, and any breed or mix can be trained to respect anything, animate or not. That is not to say that any individual can be thus trained by just anyone, and understanding not only the destination, but the path, before you embark on your journey will give you the best possible chance of success. If you know or can locate someone living nearby who has dogs and chickens peacefully coexisting in the same space, try to arrange to spend some time there observing and listening.

The other issue ChickensRDinos addressed which I think is critical to success with dogs under any circumstances is the development of your position as pack leader. Basic obedience and food control will firmly establish you as The Leader Who Must Be Obeyed - and this will save not only your chickens, but your dog. A dog who will instantly stop in its tracks at your command can be prevented from running into the street.

Last, you must remain aware of other ways dogs can kill chickens. I once had a flock of 25 White Leghorns who had just begun to lay, killed by a dog that never touched them, who was a neighbor's companion animal. The dog got loose, ran down to my place, and effectively scared all my girls to death. I was not home, and arrived probably only minutes too late, to a sea of white bodies. There were signs the dog attempted to breach the fence but he had not been able to do so. It was heartbreaking.

Certain breeds are designated as Livestock Guardian Dogs by natural inclination, but they still have to learn which livestock you want them to protect, and as puppies are no different than any other puppy. Great Pyrenees, Maremma Sheepdogs, Anatolians, Tibetan Mastiff, Komondor, Kuvasz (sp?) are some breeds described as LGDs. Two things they have in common are that they are generally not small, and have a fair amount of coat, as they are expected to spend 24/7 guarding their flocks, whether chicken, goat, sheep, or cattle. You might see if there is a breeder of one or more of these local enough to you that you could spend time deciding whether the breed is a good match for you.

I wish you good luck and hope you find the right dog for you and your chickens!

 

[adrianapost]

I have a boxer and after i got her i decided its the only dog ill ever own again! Shes so good with all my animals and acts like a mom to my baby chicks! She likes to cuddle the bunnies too

 

[Peaches Lee]

Shih Tzu, Pug, King Charles Spaniel and Maltese are a few that I can think of off the top of my head. As others have said, it does come down to the individual dog, but I do believe in setting oneself up for success, so I would look for small, lap and companion dogs.

 

[Rebel Soldier]

I am a dog trainer and I have raised gamecocks for 40 years, so I feel qualified to answer your question. I have had sheperds, dobermans, pits, aussies, and numerous "mutts". I currently have a Pressa as my chicken protector. The first thing I would do is go to the animal shelter, and look at the dos 8 months and older. Puppies can get into bad habits by simply playing too rough I would try to stay away from the labs, setters and pointers as they have a "bred in" tendency toward our feathered friends. The ideal situation would be to have a older dog to teach him\her the ropes. I have found females to be more easily trainable. Many times, the shelters will let you try a dog out. They seem to know they are on "death row" so they try to please. I would stay away from the small breed, as they are often hyper and unable to defend against predators. A medium to large dog is preferable. I am leaving today to pick up a pit\mastiff cross from a local shelter, to train for poultry and personal protection. If you will call the shelter and let me know what they have or even send me a link, I will be glad to assist you.After so many years it seems I am pretty good at picking them out. My email is [email protected] if you prefer to use it.