Do you have a dog that hangs out with your chickens?

[the3ofus+oursixchicks]

we have a blue heeler. he doesnt just hang with the chickens but they all did enjoy hanging out under the front deck taking dirt baths together. he is a great dog,listens very well. walks right by the chickens he dont bother them and they dont bother him. he is so gentle and good he doesnt even bother the cats. he is so afraid of them he wont even hardly make eye contact with them.

 

[LiLRedCV]

We have a Yellow Lab. We've had him for 8yrs (got him as a 2yr old) and have only had the chickens for a little over a year now. The dog's so laid back that kids have used him as a pony to ride! The chickens free-range it in our fenced yard with him and our two cats and they all get along just fine. We're gearing up to give the dog his yard back to himself tho' - we have 2 acres altogether, but only 1/4 acre is fenced and it's around the house. We're building a new coop (converting a 10x10 shed kit) and fencing off another (shy) 1/4 acres section just for the chickens.

 

[Meena]

We have an American Staffordshire Terrier who is gentle and sweet with our pullets! One of our hens in particular is very social with her - having jumped on her back twice. I think the next time may be the charm!

 

[RGBistro]

Just wanted to add... do NOT get a bird/hunting dog. Especially one that actually HUNTS. My weimaraner did a bad, BAD thing yesterday (x3

) after my husband left the gate open. She was only doing what she was bred to do... but I still feel horrible about it.

- Kim

 

[ocpoolguy]

We have a yellow lab, great with the chickens six of them. We got the chicks before she was two at first she would chase them but that didn't take long to break. The only thing bad YUCK she loves to eat there poo. That is soooo gross I can't seem to break her of that.

 

[julnjake]

I think it comes down to training myself. I have a cane corso and a lab. I wouldn't recommend a cane corso with chickens but she's trained well and it works so just validates my point that training is a bit more important than breed.

She's actually decided she's a herding dog, when the chickens get close to the road she herds (not chases) them back to the barn. But honestly I don't leave her out there with the birds unsupervised. The predator and dominance instincts in this breed are definitely strong and it would be me to blame if it overtook her.

The lab is most unusual when it comes to cats. If they are OUR cats, they are okay, but let any other cat step onto our property and WATCH OUT! We had one cat that he would literally massage its back with his teeth (how on earth did he know how much pressure was appropriate?????

Him being a lab and her a domestic shorthair, he could have crushed her easily) She loved it so much she would rub on his front legs constantly wanting him to massage her!

 

[Pickles03]

I cannot get enough of this thread!!!!

 

[smalltownchicks]

I have a 7 year old Blue Heeler. She had never been around chickens before this spring so I am very impressed that she has been so good with them.

 

[JenNY99]

We have 2 Boxers - we got the chicks when our older Boxer was 1 1/2 years old and our younger was just 7 months. The younger liked the baby chicks, but quickly lost interest. However, our older boy has a very high prey drive. When they were babies we would take the dogs down to our basement and say "Time to visit the chicks!" At first our older boy wanted to eat them. But with lots of patience and praise when he was good to them, he finally got used to them and now is totally fine with them. The only time the dogs ever bother our free ranging chickens is when they are chasing each other and get too near the chickens and the chicks run like crazy every which way but loose!

Here is a pic right before we got our coop done and moved them out of the basement:

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Quote:
Your dogs are beautiful!!! Here's a pic of my own bulldog (english bulldog X boxer) Rajha... don't they have the funnest personalities?

Sorry for derailing: my dog would eat my chickens if given the opportunity...and has unfortunately...