This is not the breeder I've mentioned previously on the thread, and because her wait list is so long, we're probably not going to buy from her. However, she has our contact down if someone who got a puppy last spring from her has to rehome.
IKR! I linked one of her articles just before. I also have read her posts on a corgi website-she is probably the reason I stopped hating breeders.
I do, but everyone has different preferences, which is why dogs are so great!!
My mom asked me to look into those because our friends (who live on a lake) have one, and I quickly concluded that while they're LOVELY, they're not right for us.
Family friends of mine have one-he's super friendly and adorable, but also really high maintenance. Some other friends of ours were getting one, and there was an extra puppy in the litter, so they got one. They love him to pieces, but clearly didn't research the breed: they've done little to no training to him and he's a counter surfer and loves making mischief-they have a pool, and as soon as somebody takes off a shirt they had on over their bathing suit off, he's grabbed it and run off.
Oh, that's an awesome breeder. This is the breeder I've been stalking: they're the most responsible one I can find that's anywhere near me. http://www.harmonyhillaussies.com/
If you can, build a pen next to the chicken run for the puppy to spend some time in every day, say an hour or so. Leave him alone out there. Make sure the chickens can't fly over into the dog pen!!! As he gets older, extend the pen time. Familiarity breeds boredom. After a while the birds will simply be a part of the scenery, something to be ignored. One fine day, take puppy out on leash and do some routine leash work near the chicken run. Pay no attention to the birds. Do this for about a week. (I am assuming you've been doing leash work all along, somewhere else.) Then, take puppy inside the run to do leash work, again for about a week, ignoring the birds. Next, put a long line on the dog 15 or 20 feet of clothesline and let the birds out to free range, or let the dog in the chicken run. Let the dog drag the line. If he goes after a bird, step on the line, don't grab it, reel him in and put him back in the pen, you have more work to do. But finally you should be able to free range both birds and dog with no worries. One caveat: do not attempt to feed the dog in the presence of the birds. If the chickens try to sample his food, the dog will likely defend his food, and you could end up with a dead chicken. And once your dog tastes fresh raw chicken, all bets are off. Good luck!
