Chicken herding dog?

[Pupsnpullets]

I have 2 dogs. One I can always count on to help me with the chickens. Chickens don't herd at all, it's like trying to sweep water uphill with a rake - not going to happen, but if I need one caught for any reason one of my dogs is a huge help. He'll pin it and hold it without any harm to it until I can take control. I have a special command I use when I want his help and he knows not to mess with the chickens at any other time.

My other dog, however, totally different. When the chickens start flapping she's in to get the biggest mouthful she can. Both dogs were raised together and trained together, so go figure.

On the brighter side both dogs can be left alone with the chickens free ranging and the first one will run off hawks and other big birds, too.

Dogs can be a huge asset - but usually your neighbours dogs aren't!!

Barb

 

[chicknmania]

I think they can be an asset, too. It all depends on the dog breed, it's personality, intelligence, and maybe even age (our dog is 10). We watched our dog for a long time before we trusted her around our birds, and we still don't trust her 100% when we are trying to do something with them, (thus the leash) but she has had lots of exposure to them and they are very used to her, and she is used to them, and there's not much doubt the shepherding instinct does kick in, because our dachsund is used to the chickens too but he is basically afraid of them and not much use in corralling one. Our Shepherd mix will also chase hawks, predators, or anything else she perceives to be a threat to them, if they are out free ranging when she is out. It's been said before, and it's true...dogs can learn what belongs and is supposed to be property, and what is not.

 

[RescueMama]

We have a hairless Chinese Crested girl and a Pug x Griffon girl.

Both are fairly indifferent to the chooks and we have left them unattended together since pretty much day one. I know its playing with fire, but we're talking months here... Anyway, the chooks give them a peck if they get too close. And the dogs know what will happen if they hurt the girls...

But back on topic the bright as a bag of broken bulbs pug x girl, Digit is my round up pup. She has no idea what shes doing, but my new hen Hildegard is lazy at getting back to the coop and roosts god knows where. She went missing on her first day out and Digit patrolled the garage door. Hilde had found her way in and Digit was letting me know she was there. Today, Hilde was trailing behind the group and when I yelled at Digit to "Get her in!" she backed around the hen and forced her into the pen.

So, she didnt know what she did to help, but she saved me running about!

When another hen, Bear, went missing Digit patrolled the fence line for a week to let us know our 10 week old hen was there. We got her back thinner and very thirsty.

 

[kfacres]

in case you didn't know, the chickens will return to their coop every night to roost.. so therefore, you would be wasting your time herding them home every day.

 

[centrarchid]

I am using a bird dog (German short-haired pointer) as poultry guard dog. Imprinting took place as with a standard live stock breed bred for small ruminants (sheep and goats). Actual training required to calm dog down. When I work birds at night such as when putting everybody to roost, some chicks have hard time getting into roost for first few days after they move into elevated roost, he points them out and slowly pushes them such they typically go into coops I intend for them to enter. This is of extremely limited value. During day the birds either do not respect dog or their herd mentality causes the scatter effect when he drives (runs through) them. He likes to go chicken bowling during morning hours. Only situation I see my dog having any herding abilites is through pushing birds out of a confined fenced in area like a garden. Herding them it seems a more difficult proposition. I could see someone with exceptional skill training a border collie to herd chickens but the dog would have to be much more deliberate and possibly work from a different distance than typical for driving sheep. Such a person and dog would likely not be well suited for herding sheep. A big part may also be training chickens themselves. I think best to train birds to go where you want them to voluntarily, that is incredibly easy.

 

[Nicole01]

It wouldn't hurt to give it a try with such a small and good dog. My parents have had papillons for years showing them. They are very smart and need a job to get some of the energy out. They are very loving as well and yours would probably never hurt anything. Papillons have a great temperment and lots of energy. I have an Australian Sheperd that I'm hoping will protect my chickens. I'm not quite sure how to train her if one got too far away and herd back. I'm planning on supervising all my free ranging due to predators.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I would not be concerned about having birds herded back. Chickens have a very strong attachment to roost. Alternative objective is to have dog defend entire area birds range and have core area of dogs activities overlap that of birds roost and day roost where birds spend greatest amount of time.

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree Shelby, and if "she regularly jumps a 6 ft. fence" then the fence is useless - needs a secure cover.Not a good thing to let her hold chickens in her mouth for any reason.

 

[2overeasy000]

Don't your chickens naturally go back inside the coop at sundown? I know that when I was a newbie I spent too much time chasing them around to gather them all up to put them back inside for the night. Little did I know, that all I had to do was, nothing. Just wait for the sun to go down and they all ended up on the roost.

 

[cobrien]

I don't agree with many of the posts here and it is based on first hand experience. I have seen 2 chicken herding dogs at 2 different farms. one was a cattle dog and one was a border collie. the chickens weren't stressed while being herded (at least no more stressed than when I herd them). the dogs were not frustrated and they were very gentle. chickens get used to a dog once they know it won't kill them. there was some scatter but the dogs dealt with that easily. the cattle dog chicken herder was quite remarkable, she worked with a flock of about 50 chickens and she knew each one by name! you could tell her 'go get miss lucy' and sure enough she would round that chicken up.

It is true that chickens can be stressed by dogs they don't know. My chickens are not afraid of my dogs but if a strange dog comes in the yard they freak out.

However, teaching a dog to herd is a different story. Your papillon is not a herding breed. Training it to herd would be a big project - it is quite a project even when starting with a herding breed. I tried to get my cattle dog x to herd my chickens but I tried this AFTER training her to leave the chickens alone, which I think is what you might be faced with. I wasn't able to get mine past her initial training where she learned not to chase them so I gave up. but I can't say I gave it a full effort.

you could always try to get your dog to herd them, or get a herding dog bred for this purpose, but for me I have found it to be pretty easy to herd my small flock with one long bamboo stake in each hand. I don't hit them with it, just gently guide them. It works fine for me. they come to me when I call them IF they are hungry, but there are times when they would prefer to be grazing than back in the coop/run, so that is when I pull out my bamboo.