Do pet dogs and chickens mix?

[RyanAndMeg]

We are new to chickens and have chicks that are about a week old now and our dog is good with them right now, is there I turning point when I need to be extra watchful? Our dog Josie likes to look at them when we handle the chicks and she will sniff them but that's all she will do. If we aren't paying attention to the chicks she doesn't seem interested.

 

[goodb]

My dog is a Belgian Shepherd. His instinct is to protect anyone or anything that's in his pack. Each time I add chickens, he smells them, I tell him they are part of our pack. No other interest than to sniff their rear-ends on occasion. My adult birds hardly flinch even when he goes running by them.

 

[bobbi-j]

Some dogs can be completely trusted. My last one was. My current puppy - not a chance! Not now, anyway... I would not leave her unsupervised with them yet. I would also keep a close eye on her when they go outside and start running around and flapping. That could excite her. Some dogs just seem to automatically know that they should leave the chicks alone, some will be good with training, and some just don't ever get it. I think she's on the right track, though, if she's already ignoring them when you do.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Remember, never forget, that everyone loves chicken dinners! Chickens are at the lower end of the food chain, and canines are at the upper end. You can be successful with your dog and your birds, or not. Supervise and train, and never let them be along together. Mary

 

[RyanAndMeg]

Great words of encouragement! when the chicks are older they will inly free range with supervision, im to paranoid to lose one. As for now when we leave our dog is in her kennel because the chicks are living in the dinning room.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Some dogs, like mine, are scared of the chickens so they leave them alone. My dog is a poodle, (a natural bird hunter!) but instead of killing them, ignores them and runs from my ameracana who pecked him when she was a chick!! But, I wouldn't trust him to GAURD them because he might hurt them because he is afraid.

 

[nzpouter]

Sure can.... it's a requirement in my place.

 

[friendsnotfood4]

I have two dogs and a newbie to chickens and my dogs are very intrested and i cant trust them so we are trying our best to let them sniff and watch. I hope once the chicks get bigger it will be better. Funny thing is the chicks are intrested in the dogs and always want to go over and check them out.

 

[ChickCrazed]

I'd be very careful for a loooonnnggg time and supervised visits only with the dog. If the worst happens and she kills one there is no going back, I think she will see them as prey forever after that. I am fighting this with one of my dogs (the chicken flew over the fence into the dog yard and now she knows there are on the menu).

 

[EastTXChickens]

Our Dobernam is very protective of all that he claims. He understand the chickens, 7 weeks last Tuesday and free ranging now going on 2 weeks, are to be protected and it's a big bonus to have him beating back the night time wildlife. He especially has always enjoyed running and barking at flying predators, we have hawks and owls and he has a special bark for that activity. Even so, we saw a Purple Martin get carried off recently and have seen a robin or two scooped up by hawks.

The pair of Border Collies we had in the past with a different flock were constantly being rounded up and herded around and that was an irritant sometimes.

Bottom line, it depends on the dog.