Chicken Dog!

[Hannah'sPlaidChickens]

Just wondering if there are any people out there who have trained their dogs to herd their chickens I know it sounds so stupid, but I really want to train my dog to do this. He's already learned to move slowly, and circle them ti tighten the circle. I don't need him to actually herd them, just kind of flush them out of the coop at weaning time and while I'm working in coop maintence. Every winter I have to herd my chickens into a miniture version of a ewe chute. The birds are forced into a line inside the covered chute, and when they get to me I swing the gate which either opens into the Main Coop pen, or the Weanling pen. My dog really helps with this. He isn't perfect yet, and I'm just hoping somebody has already come up with the idea and has some advice! Oh yeah and by the way my dog's a boy, he's seven, and he's a Golden Retriever.

 

[Henrietta23]

I have an Australian Shepherd who doesn't have a herding instinct in his body. My pug likes to run at the chickens and make them scatter, but none of our three herd them.

 

[Haviris]

We use to have two cocker spaniels that would help up put up the chickens. They didn't herd them, they would pen them down so we could pick them up. At night they were put up in a storage trailer that was really high off the ground, so they couldn't get in without help (seems like they probably could have, but they didn't). They were very smart dogs!

 

[BlueMoon]

I used my Eskimo Spitz to flush them out and then herd. However, she killed one, probably by mistake the first time and then killed two more, not by mistake.
I also have a Golden Retriever, 8 years old, who would not be suitable, as he runs. Ditto on the Belgian Tervuen.

What I've looked for, and not found, is a good way of socializing dogs with the chickens, making them protective of the flock.

 

[Hannah'sPlaidChickens]

Quote:
Blue Moon-
You're idea is even better then mine! You know how there are those big white dogs that guard sheep? There should be chicken ones! Great idea! I wonder how that could be done...

 

[mdbucks]

what you need to do is start when the chicks are young. This is my DD's Welsh Corgi, dont tell her, she thinks the chicks are cattle. She is good about trying to keep them all together. She also protects Her birds, she will run and bark at other birds that land in the yard.

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
Too cute and smart!

 

[leghorns_rule]

Hannah'sPlaidChickens :

Just wondering if there are any people out there who have trained their dogs to herd their chickens I know it sounds so stupid, but I really want to train my dog to do this. He's already learned to move slowly, and circle them ti tighten the circle. I don't need him to actually herd them, just kind of flush them out of the coop at weaning time and while I'm working in coop maintence. Every winter I have to herd my chickens into a miniture version of a ewe chute. The birds are forced into a line inside the covered chute, and when they get to me I swing the gate which either opens into the Main Coop pen, or the Weanling pen. My dog really helps with this. He isn't perfect yet, and I'm just hoping somebody has already come up with the idea and has some advice! Oh yeah and by the way my dog's a boy, he's seven, and he's a Golden Retriever.

Iv heard of border collies and other sheep dogs hearding runner ducks so id think id work with chickens just not sure a retriever would do it though.​

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
Iv heard of border collies and other sheep dogs hearding runner ducks so id think id work with chickens just not sure a retriever would do it thoug.

I forgot! I saw this demonstrated in Westchester Cty NY last fall at a sheep to shawl event. It did work and was fun to watch too. The farmer was using a border collie.

 

[Nichole77]

My pug does it. He started when they were babies. He would run around in a circle to keep them in. Now he chases them in.Now he eats all their treats. Good luck