Dog Breed Experience Poll/Database

I'm not sure if this has been said or not...but I think it more-over has to do with personality of the dog over breed any day.


I have two terrier mix sisters. (rescues, of course!) The chickens have been here since November, and she still jumps up on their run, stands and "points" at them (rather amusing for a terrier to do) and generally tries to get her teeth around one any chance she can. She's also killed rabbits, squirrels, birds.. She sits in the same place in the yard everyday, rain or shine to stalk animals.

Her sister, Milk, ignores the chickens completely. Once in a rare while she'll sniff at them, but she has zero prey instinct. To my knowledge, she has not killed any other wild thing. Even today, while separating a chicken, I moved it from a dog crate to a separate run we have. Milk would sit there with the door open, but I had to make cookie retreat to the rear yard before even attempting to move my girl. And those aren't even differences in just the breed...but the same family!


We also have a Lab/Mastiff mix who adores the chickens. She's been out leashed with them and watches everything, but has never made a move towards them. We're working on being loose with them next. She chases away hawks often, and I will see her sleeping immediately next to the run, while a chicken is stretching it's head out the wire to eat the grass on the other side.
 
My pitbull has never bothered them. She's been out in the yard all day many times with the chickens roaming around and we've had no incidents.

She will chase when they run and she's really excited, though. I sent her into the pen one time when there was an opossum in the coop. She scared the opossum enough that it let the hen go, but then I had to use the broom to beat the DOG off of the chicken! I don't know that she would have killed it intentionally- I think she just thought it was an awesome game of chase at 5am in the dark...

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Maya and Pea are besties:) Pea is the low man on the totem pole (thus the no tail feathers!) so she gets out a lot and spends the day in the backyard with the dog
 
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I have to say that I've got the world's laziest Rhodesian Ridgeback. He "plays" with the chickens through the pen fence, but all he really wants is their food! My Airedale terrier, however, got 2 of my first pullets (grumbling about stupid humans!). She definitely typifies the terrier group for prey-drive, but is generally a total mush-ball and extremely intelligent. Malamute--- hhmm--- had to shoulder-check him bkz he wouldn't quit scaring the birds in their pen. But when he actually caught one of the roos, all he did was carry him around the yard till we managed to make him drop it. (bird survived, but had a large gash under his wing from the inital grab) The standard poodle thinks the chickens are great fun to bounce at, but she hasn't been allowed in the yard when the birds are loose. All of that said, you could call the Airedale the killer, the Ridgeback and Malamute the harassers and the poodle is the player.
 
I had a husky/chow that past away last summer at the ripe old age of 16. She was a great guard dog, but would kill and eat a chicken any chance she got.
My two little beagles on the other hand. My male Rascal is afraid of them even the little chicks and my female Sheba will play with the chicks, but isn't to sure about the adults. Sheba loves to "wash" them and the chicks like it to. I have weird animals.
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Each dog in each breed is different so it would be hard to say what category a specific breed would fit into. I may have a dog that kills chickens but someone else may have the same breed that is great around them.

With that said.
I have a Miniature Schnauzer that kills chicks - he has 9 under his belt
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I would put him under Chicken Killer
I had a German Shorthair Pointer/ Lab mix that was a chicken chaser - I bet he would have been a killer too but he was rehommed.
My sons yellow lab is a chicken ignorer
My Rottweiler is a chicken lover/guardian. She especially loves the tasty treats they leave her.
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She often goes with me to do the chores (inside the coop and run with me)
We had a German Shorthair Pointer that would point and stare at them - I think he would have been a chaser/killer if given the chance.
 
i have a 4 month old american staffordshire terrier...(not a pit bull)
the first day we showed her the chicks she sat down and just watched
when we are holding one she whines to sniff it...then she licks it
so i am guessing a chicken friend
she is content to just calmly watch them run around in the brooder
 
When I first got chickens I had a South African Boerboel. She ignored and tolerated them. They would even perch on her. I once found a chicken in her mouth. I told her to drop it and she did. The chicken got up and walked away, not a scratch on it. I got after her for getting the chicken and she never bothered them again. They are the best most awesome breed. As for guarding them, she would. Cant remember all the catagories though.

Chicken Hater/Chaser but not killer
Jack Russel - he will chase and bark at them. But hasnt tried to kill one. If they stop running he ignores them. I do keep them seperated and I keep an eye on him, just in case. He could possibly end up be a killer. He is still young. 5 months.
 
I have a 13 year old female lab and she ignores the chickens could really care less about them. (Lab=chicken ignorer)

Also we have a 2 year old Australian Cattle Dog/lab/pit mix and he is great with the chickens and ducks even when they were little. He doesn't like other dogs going around the chicken coop or where the ducks are in the yard. He is a friend and guarder.
(ACD/lab/pit = chicken friend and chicken guarder)
I don't know if you want to split up the breeds or what but there you go.
 

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