Do you have a dog that's good with chickens? Please share!

[Rosalind]

I have a Great Pyrenees and a Newfoundland. Both were trained using Cesar Millan's methods for basic obedience, and once they were doing pretty good with that we used a lot of Mountain Man Jim's techniques for LGD training. Do a search for Jim's posts, he has some excellent instructions. Basically, you get a reasonably obedient dog and you tether the dog to you on a 6' leash (carpenter overalls have convenient loops for dog leashes) while you're doing your daily chores. Make the dog lay/sit at every little hint of playing, too much interest. Don't let anyone play with the dog near the chickens. Gradually let dog off-leash more and more until dog is completely off-leash all the time. Eventually the dog understands that 1. The chickens are yours and are not playthings 2. Chickens are serious business 3. Chickens are for being protected.

The Pyr in particular had a lot of guarding instinct, and guards the entire property (including me) anyway. Guarding chickens was no different to him than guarding me, the garden, his barn, the backyard, the neighbors' yards, etc. The Newfie sort of followed his lead as she grew up, although she isn't as good at staying alert as he is--she tends to zone out and look around for leadership rather than pay attention to her surroundings. But, once she sees the Pyr go on full alert, she does this deep, resounding bark that literally scares the poop out of the two-legged predators and neighbors' dogs. It's quite impressive, really.

 

[Beekissed]

I have a GP/lab mix female that didn't require training, I got her at the age of 2 yrs and she is now 7 yrs. old. I have a Lab/BC mix dog at 2 yrs. that was introduced to chickens for the first time at 6 mo. that required little training. Both are excellent with the chickens and have never made any overtly aggressive moves towards them. They guard my flock each day while they free range and I am gone.

 

[muell112]

I have a cattle herding mutt (primary breed is either blue heeler or koolie) - although the chickens are all fenced in now to prevent predation, she's been in their coop and around them as they've grown up. Mostly she seems like she'd want to keep them around, i.e. herd them. I made her be calm/submissive like they do on Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer since day one when she is around them and she's done a good job. The chickens don't mind her around - 2 of our friends have brought their dogs over and the chickens have absolutely freaked - so they actually do seem to think she's part of the family. Granted, I would be still be a worried mom letting them out and having her herd them around but that's just me.

 

[femalecbrown]

I have a rat terrier that is excellent with our chicks. Our yorkie is afraid of his own shadow so he doesn't bother them. We recently got a new puppy, a rotweiller and german shepherd mix (rotten shepherd) and she is doing great so far. She likes to chase once in awhile but is learning not to do that. Good luck.

 

[ChooksChick]

I got my chicks when I had a 3 year old Chocolate Lab and a 6 year old Chinese Crested/Chihuahua/Terrier mix. We brooded the birds in the upstairs bathroom and brought the dogs in each night to socialize them.

They were made to lie down and watch while we handled them, and after a few nights we started letting them sniff them and get closer, but still in a passive, relaxed state. It was important to make gradual introductions and watch the body language of the dogs. When forced to maintain a passive observation for an extended time for so long each night in the house, they got a little bored, but they also got significantly less interested in general.

When the birds went to live outside at 7 or 8 weeks, the dogs were largely to the point of ignoring them. I didn't leave the dogs outside with them unattended until they were about 14 weeks.

Now they will guard those birds like mad, even leaping at hawks. The smaller one is female, and she tries to be mommy to any chicks- that's hysterical- growls at anyone going near the brooder!

"My chicks!!"

I think the important thing conveyed in this manner was that these birds are a part of our pack, and must be respected.

We don't have to do anything to maintain this behavior- and it's lovely to have them all mingling. I can't imagine having to be worried the dogs would eat the birds...and we live in a 9000 sq ft city lot in the middle of town.

 

[wordgirl]

Our dog, a female Lab/Cocker cross, is very good with our chickens. Since they have free-ranged, she has not chased or tried to hurt any of them. When they were little, we would let her stick her muzzle near them and let her smell them. She never tried to put one in her mouth, although she may have done the 'nibbling' she will do with baby kittens. Not biting – but nibbling the fur/feathers with her front teeth. Like she does to herself sometimes (rougher) when she has an itch or something. She was VERY interested in them when we first brought them home, probably wondering why there were a couple dozen tiny peeping fluffballs in her house. Now she does little more than walk quietly among them while they're free-ranging. Most of them don't like to be too near her, except for a couple of BR's, who are a little more relaxed with her.

 

[ChickensInTheNorthWoods]

I have a min-pin who loves to sit in a chair and watch over the chicks when they are in the brooder - he also loves hanging out on the back deck with my bantams. My doberman LOVES his chickens - He lays out in the yard while they are free ranging and if he see's or hears a hawk he promply herds them all up to the wood line so they can get into the coop or hide out in the ferns. I am so thankful that both my dogs are chicken friendly!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

here's how a good dog works....

when i got home today i went out there to give all the chickens some scratch and my mean rooster and evil doppelganger, Fred, slams into me. for no reason as far as i can tell... he hasnt flogged me in a while. so i start yellin for the dog and here comes Fred flying at me again trying to peck my eyes out!

dogs come around the corner, taking position behind me and i issue the order: get. that. rooster.

they completely ignore all of the hens, chicks, and our big galoot rooster.. and charge the one that i'm pointing too - the evil Fred. there's short chase and they drive him back and the dogs look back to me and since i'm scratched and mad i issue the order again and they chase him around until Fred heads toward the gate at a fast pace.

as the dogs close is on Fred i say one word: enough

they stop dead in their tracks and trot back, again taking position behind me. i hand signal my right hand man (dog) to be at my side, and with #2 dog behind me and we walk slowly to the gate and let Fred in (who has now wet his pants).

when we go out to do the next rounds the dogs wont even look at the hens - or Fred - they'll just do their jobs. when i ask them "where's the pigs" they will go to the pen we just moved them to. when i tell them to 'watch the gate' they'll stand in the doorway so the goats wont get out.

i tell you - a good working dog is completely invaluable.

**note: no evil doppelgangers were hurt in the making of this movie. altho if Fred keeps it up he will end up the star of the next sequel of "hey look! we're having chicken and noodles for dinner!"

 

[embkm]

I have 2 lab mixes. Max is no problem with the chickens. He completely ignores them, just like he ignores the stupid fuzzy tailed tree rats invading my garden. Or the stray cats that use the flower beds as litter boxes. If it ain't a dog, he won't even bother to bark and pretend he cares.

Lily, on the other hand, is a lab/spaniel mix and a complete spaz when it comes tothe chickens. I knew she'd be trouble from day 1 with the chicks in the brooder. She spent the first 3 days staring at the brooder, drooling and trembling. She's come away when I called her, but poor thing has ADD it seems, and as soon as one of the chicks made a peep, she was back at the brooder. Now that they are bigger and outside, she will run full force to the pen and stand outside of it, trembling... UNTIL they start flapping and the roo charges the fence. Then she runs back to hide behind me with her tail between her legs.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
WOW!!!!

My dogs would duck and run for cover as I kicked the offending roos butt all the way to the moon....they would run in sheer terror that some dumb animal had made mama mad! That's a big no-no here......

It would be really neat to be able to sic the dogs on anyone I wanted to, though.......

Good training!