chickens and dogs

[chews chooks]

didnt realy know whitch forum to put this in but here goes

its nothing spesific
dogs and chickens i know nothing and research isnt helping soooo...

tell me anything and everything you know please it all helps

can any dog be good about chickens or any paultry for that matter

thanks...

 

[vcompton]

I have a beagle who has been real good with the chickens and doesn't bother them. Also have a chihuahua who barked at them once and got chased by them so he stays clear. But several years ago, the dogs hadn't been raised around chickens. One was part chow and the other was part cocker spaniel and when my son opened the coop, the dogs rushed in and killed several. It may have more to do with how they were raised around the chickens. I have 5 chickens that roam free and Daisy goes up to them without any harm.

 

[Kyochan]

I think it really depends on the dog, its age, and how it was raised. My 10 year old black lab mix has a bad history of killing small animals outside (she doesn't bother inside ones) so she cannot be allowed near the chickens. My 8 month old Chihuahua is not vicious towards chickens but he does try and play so we have to teach him not to play rough with the adults (he's not allowed around babies yet) and then there is my 5 year old pit who acts like a mama to baby chickens. He's helped me raise several and actually has 3 inside right now he's helping raise. Never hurt any, always extra careful with how he moves around them. He's only ever met one chicken he doesn't like and that's my inside pet chicken whose greatest joy is dive bombing the poor dog from atop the bookcase

 

[cafarmgirl]

When it comes to dogs who are, or are not, good with chickens it is a case by case, or dog by dog, basis. There is no way to tell if any particular dog will be good with chickens until it see's them for the first time and you can observe it's response. A person who knows dogs can often tell by the initial reaction whether that dog is trainable to be a good farm dog or not. And no, not every dog can be taught to be good with chickens, some just do not have the temperament for it.

I have raised and trained my own ranch dogs for years and I consider every new dog or pup a predator until it has had sufficient, and by that I mean actual years, of training. I do not allow pups or dogs to have unsupervised access to chicks or chickens until the dog is fully trained, period. Once a dog has had the experience of chasing down, playing with and perhaps even killing a chicken it just sets your training that much farther back. My pups go to the barn with me and are in amongst the chickens every day as they grow up but they are leashed to me and under control at all times. Easy to nip bad behavior in the bud. None of my dogs have ever killed a chicken.

It also has little to do with breed. While some breeds are naturally easier to train and to have around livestock there are shining examples in most breeds of good and bad farm dogs. Temperament and training are key, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time training any new dog or pup. So many, many people simply bring home a new pup or dog and turn it loose with access to chickens and then get mad when the dog kills them. That is called setting a dog up for an epic fail and it's not fair to the dog. The time spent training is well worth the effort in the end.

Owning both dogs and chickens is not hard, but you do need to be willing and able to invest the time needed to turn out a good dog.

 

[Banty cottage]

I have a very small backyard flock of silkies that intimidate my Havanese but I also would not leave them or any dog unsupervised with the chickens unless it is thoroughly trained to leave the chickens alone. I think that multiple dogs are even more unreliable as they can easily stimulate each other to playfully kill a chicken.

 

[Chickens R Us]

When it comes to dogs who are, or are not, good with chickens it is a case by case, or dog by dog, basis. There is no way to tell if any particular dog will be good with chickens until it see's them for the first time and you can observe it's response. A person who knows dogs can often tell by the initial reaction whether that dog is trainable to be a good farm dog or not. And no, not every dog can be taught to be good with chickens, some just do not have the temperament for it.

I have raised and trained my own ranch dogs for years and I consider every new dog or pup a predator until it has had sufficient, and by that I mean actual years, of training. I do not allow pups or dogs to have unsupervised access to chicks or chickens until the dog is fully trained, period. Once a dog has had the experience of chasing down, playing with and perhaps even killing a chicken it just sets your training that much farther back. My pups go to the barn with me and are in amongst the chickens every day as they grow up but they are leashed to me and under control at all times. Easy to nip bad behavior in the bud. None of my dogs have ever killed a chicken.

It also has little to do with breed. While some breeds are naturally easier to train and to have around livestock there are shining examples in most breeds of good and bad farm dogs. Temperament and training are key, you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time training any new dog or pup. So many, many people simply bring home a new pup or dog and turn it loose with access to chickens and then get mad when the dog kills them. That is called setting a dog up for an epic fail and it's not fair to the dog. The time spent training is well worth the effort in the end.

Owning both dogs and chickens is not hard, but you do need to be willing and able to invest the time needed to turn out a good dog.

Totally agree Training is the key and lots of it. My dogs were not raised around chickens but I trained them at a very young age, the no leave it command. I've had chickens for 2 years and my dogs age 6 & 7 have never bothered my chickens. I've even seen my chickens and dogs eating out of the same bowl.

 

[chews chooks]

ok soo what dog breeds would you recomend

 

[KristinLLB]

Ditto cafarmgirl. Very wise.

If you don't have a dog now, choose a breed or mix that does not have terrier or other hunting traits bred in. A retriever would be most likely to accept birds, or maybe something with a flattened type face.

We trained our adult dogs carefully with all positive training. (The chickens provided the negative feedback, lol). It took several weeks until they were all chicken certified, but now we have harmony. They all blend together.

 

[BrendaJ]

ok soo what dog breeds would you recomend

If you don't already have a dog you should look into breeds that are known for guarding & protecting flocks & livestock ((There are lots to choose from)). You can really choose any breed but with some its going to take lots of training. Google the info & start looking at breeds that your drawn to.

 

[Banty cottage]

Retrievers, poodles, terriers, and hunting dogs are obviously some of those least likely to work even though you will find individual exceptions that are great with prey animals. Dogs in the herding group might be possibilities along with the livestock dogs mentioned above. The best dog I have ever had with my small animals and birds was a female Bouvier d' Flandres who was raised with lots of birds and small animals. Good luck in your search. It will be fun.