chickens and dog

[akcskye]

I have a Minature Schnauzer that does fine with the chickens...as a matter of fact, the silly girl (she's going to be 8) plays with them!

She runs up to them, they peck her on her butt, she lowers her chest to the ground, an they peck her on the nose, and then the battle is on! haha

It's a game of peck tag that she'll play for hours until Billy (the rooster) finally gets tired of it and jumps on her...half the time, he rides her like a surf board 'til she gets to the back door. hehehe

 

[GrannySue]

I have a JR/Daschund cross, Poppy. I adopted her when her previous owner went back to England. Nasty little thing when she came - had been abused by the owner's boyfriend. It took me weeks to get her to trust me.
One day I let all 3 dogs out before I noticed that the chicken run gate was open. i knew my 2 others would be okay but figured that Poppy would chase and kill at least 1 chicken before I could stop her.
Sure enough she tore after a group of hens! Well, the tables turned - 5 hens ran at her and attacked her. She ran away, into the house and under my bed. Wouldn't come out for 1/2 hour.

Who's the chicken now?

 

[Kimblee]

Quote:
My dad bought a fighting cock at the flea market (Six time champion.... here in texas, the folks tell you these kind of things.... knowing this roo, I believe it!) and took it home to meet the stepmama's chicken killing dog...

That dog is so scared of chickens she pees herself when she sees them!

And the roo is still mean... but he likes me... he comes over and demands treats when i feed dad's chickens.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Labs are excellent dogs, to be sure, but they are not necessarily THE breed for a chicken buddy relationship. As pups, they are sooo interested in chasing and chewing that they just can't help themselves. I have 5 Labs ranging in age from 1-10 years old and honestly, none of them are alike in temperament or behavior. Training is the key, as is with any breed. Labs are notorious for being soft-mouthed when retrieving birds, however it is not a reliable trait in the breed. Some of mine retrieve so well that you'd never know the bird had been in the dogs mouth, and some bring back basically a feathered bag of crushed bones...if they bring it back at all.

My best girl - 2 year old- is the only one I plan to allow near the chickens, but not before she's introduced on several occasions, muzzled so the chickens can peck her nose. After that, only leashed. After that, under supervision. She is an awesomely well trained dog and a superb bird dog, but she (and the chickens and I) will all be happier having put her through some intensive 'chickens-are-not-your-toy' training. Labs love rules, and they are happiest and easier to live with when they have a purpose, or a job to do. Train one to understand his job is to guard the chickens, and he will do it the very best he can. The one and only steadfast thing about Labs is that a bored Lab is a destructive Lab. If you do not have time for the dog, or cannot properly train him, he will find other means of entertainment. They are also very high-energy dogs and need to be able to run/play/work the energy levels down. Left alone for long periods of time causes anxiety- they'll miss you (their pack) and will usually find something that smells like you (shoe, clothing, blanket, etc.) to chew on, or if kept outside, they'll start digging or other types of undesirable habits.

However, I think that most any breed, even mutt's, can be trained from puppy-hood to do well around chickens - or anything else - as long as you, as the owner/trainer will commit to the time and effort it takes to train the pup, and it's not a quick process.

One other thing, in my opinion, dogs respond very well to praise. Training with treats is all fine and great, but in my experience, a dog will go the distance if he believes what he is doing is what makes you happy.

 

[countrygirl4513]

No, the best dog is a Pyrenees. I use to breed them. They are bred for livestock protection. I have one now. She keeps a close eye on them (my peeps)for me. But the best is to buy a Pyrenees pup and keep it in with the chickens. That way they grow up as part of the chicken clan. You need one that has been recently weaned. Alot of people use them for goat protection. They will walk the perimeter morn and night to make sure that all is well. They are fierce protectors, double coated. Rumor was if you have one you need two Pyrenees, mainly because one will guard the front of the property and the other will guard the back at night. This is what our girls use to do. However we lost our matriarch to a idiot kid who thought it would be fun to run her down in his p-up truck. Get a Pyrenees, they are great with children too. My sons use to ride ours like a horse and they would just take it from them, not one nip or bite in the whole time I've had these dogs. They love livestock. Take my word for it. But make sure it is a pure Pyrennes and not a mix. Want to make sure you are not schnook-erd in the deal.

 

[shalu2]

Thank you everyone for the advice, I think I'll try the pyrennes dog and see how it goes, I'll get back to this next time, thank you....

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

I guess there is no accounting for breeds

I have a mix-breed girl that calls every animal here *hers*.
She's as good with the hens and turkeys as she is with the chicks.
She isn't content til all the crew is closed down at night and she finds anyone that might be 'out of place'.
Gotta love a hound with a mission.

Lisa