Do you trust your dog around your chickens?

[kfchickenlady]

Quote:

I totally agree noodleroo! I would hate for someone to read my post and think that collies are all good around small animals...or any other dog for that matter, now as an adult, I wouldnt trust a dog around chicks unless I was right there and they were trained!

 

[ChickyLaura]

From past experience, I wouldn't trust ANY dog around chicks. Lesson learned: Last year I bought 6 polish chicks. I was at work and got a hysterical call from my DD. They were playing with the chicks in the living room and my Chihuahua had a field day.

Fast forward to this spring, when my hens chased the chihuahua out of the yard. I think it was some sort of chicken justice.

 

[FiveHens]

I'd trust our dog, because I know she would never harm them, but never another dog. Our dog is a hound mix who cases squirrels and birds, but she sees the chickens as par of the family.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

I have two mini-dachshunds. One of them (Moxie), thinks she is a chicken. She free ranges with them when they're out and I trust her completely. She's never even looked sideways at a chick. However, the other one is a proven chicken killer and she's not allowed outside alone or off leash when the chickens are ranging. If that dog weren't 9 years old, I'd cull her snappy little butt!

 

[Peep_Show]

My Schipperke used to get all foam-mouthed and crazed if you held a chick up to her.... VERY feral all of a sudden.

My greyhound loves birds....to catch mid-flight and run back to his crate with his new squeakie.

My St. Bernard cross is afraid of bugs.... I have no idea what she would do around chicks or chickens and really don't want to have to deal with 120 lbs. of determination if things go awry with that experiment.

The short answer is, NO, I would not trust my dogs around the chickens.... Which is why the LG incubator is in a locked room. The two big dogs can reduce a Kong to red rubber confetti in minutes...I would hate to see what they could do to a styrofoam box of chicken/egg snacks!

 

[windtryst]

My American Blackmouth Cur who is 18 mos. old is wonderful with the chickens...I trust her completely. We worked hard at it when she was a puppy. She knows they are mine.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I'm so surprised a Pug killed chickens. I lost one of my Pugs to old age last December so I'm down to two but only the youngest and most aggressive one ever showed any interest in them...after two short chases and being yelled at, she stopped paying attention to them too. That was over a year ago. My Chihuahua walks wide circles around them keeping a close eye over her shoulder to make sure they are not going to 'get her'.

I have a new rat-boston terrier mix who is four months old now. At first she was petrified of them, but got used to them. That lasted a week until she decided they are fun to play with. She is in training. The four dogs have access to a fenced part of the yard that they can't get out of, but the chickens fly over it and come in. The pup will go after one and if it turns on her, she turns and runs...most of the time they just squak and fly back over onto 'their' side. But she understands a loud NO which will cause her to stop chasing them immediately.

I take her...leashed...out to the coop with me. She is learning. It isn't killing one she wants to do, she wants to play with it.

 

[K-lyn]

Quote:
Aw...nice shot windtryst !

 

[Dar]

I trusted my dog whole heartily until today... she snapped and killed 9 chicks and wounded 2 hens.... she has been around chickens since she was 10 weeks old never even bothered with them... until today she just snapped!

 

[Lorije1]

My old Lab would never hurt anything.... have photos of him laying in the front yard with a (hand raised) wild bird attacking his head. My younger lab is a convicted chicken killer.... nothing vicious about him, the poor chickens jsut didn't survive the "joyful retrieve". Fortunately my neighbor is not like the majority here on BYC, he contacted me rather than just outright killing my dog.

Now that I have my own chickens, the younger dog is not allowed around them unless he is at my side - even in a "down stay" if they wander by him, I am afraid it would be too much temptation. He loves to lay outside the chicken yard, even stretched against the fence where the chicks peck / pull his fur where it sticks through - but he has ruined any chance of getting closer.