Dog Breed Experience Poll/Database

[classless chickens]

I have a German Shorthair pointer and she LOVES the taste of chicken. I would never let her near them. However I also have a small cock a poo and he just walks around eating their poop. Yuck! I have 3 dogs but the third is a mutt and not sure how he would react.

 

[chickndoglover]

I have

Shi tzu = Chicken friendly ( but loves to eat chicken poo!)

Mini Poodle = Chicken friendly ( but wants to smell their bums, to see what they are)

Sheltie = Very Chicken friendly ( hopes he can blend in with the chickens to eat with them)

Old Border Collie = Chicken friendly ( but will follow around each newcomer for the first day)

Younger Border Collie = Chicken friendly ( but has wrestled a couple of drakes to the ground when they got in his face) didnt hurt them

All these dogs were over 7 years when I started with chickens, I consider myself very lucky, I am well aware of the risks

 

[chickenlittle32]

I have 2 boxers and I can actually leave them in the yard with the chickens etc...Not to say every boxer is as friendly as they are...but I can say I am pretty lucky....

 

[Pinsprings]

My Great Pyr puppy had to be trained to quit picking up the chickens. She didn't kill them, just liked to pick them up and set them down. After she matured she became a perfect Chicken Guardian. She even chased a fox until he dropped the dead chicken then she brought it back to me. She was depressed for the rest of the day.

Someone dumped a beautiful Basset Hound off on us, he grabbed up one of my chicks and was trying to grab another before I recovered from the shock and I yelled at him. He looked up at me with those mournful eyes and carefully put the chick back on the ground unhurt but slobbery. He never did it again.

 

[pride&joy]

Dogs are products of their environment and each situation is different. However I believe the lower the prey drive the better the bet the dog won’t chase or kill the chicken. I have five dogs of my own ranging from Anatolian shepherds that I would and do trust absolutely with pets and children. I have a Boerboel that will tolerate all from kids but critters need to respect her. If one of my bucks or rooster gives her the business she will not stand down. However she has free access to all critters with no problems. My Dane mix is two timid to start trouble but if the pac does then maybe and my little dog a 51 blk rescue is afraid of the bigger ones but has killed some chicks when first started with chickens. Overall training is the key in my opinion the limitations on the dog are usually the handler/owner knowledge is key.

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[SteveH]

Boxer/Collie cross : Raised with livestock and chickens . Taught to ignore them from birth on and was a natural at hunting down all wild critters .

Border Collie : Had to be taught to stay out of pens and only " herd " domestics out of the yard . Nipped and barked only and was more bark than bite on wild critters also .

German Shepard : Loved to chase , had to be taught to ignore untill given the command to " sic 'em " , and was not dependable about calling off a chase promptly .

Various hound breeds : Kept the " old timey " style of chained to a stake and living in a dog house . Ignored domestics but barked at sight of coons or squirrels and were hunted on coon at night or rabbit during the day according to breed . One Beagle would kill cats or chickens not smart enough to stay out of reach while he was chained . [ Not a typical beagle , was growly around people and other dogs except when hunting . I call it " chained dog syndrome " and now use large runs ]

American Bulldogs : All of mine have totally ignored anything with feathers , want to catch all wild four leggers . I taught the two current ones that Starlings are not welcome to land in their runs . Would not trust either with chickens now as they have both killed half-grown Starlings that were slow to take flight ; although they really just played with them untill they died .

 

[Plain Old Dee]

I have two dogs. My Boxer/Pitbull mix is terrified of the chickens. If they so much as look at her crosseyed, she runs with her little stub of a tail tucked between her legs. My Lhassa/terrier mix is another story - he thinks he's a rottweiler. When he growls, he sounds like a doberman on helium. He hasn't outright attacked any of the chickens. However, a pullet did manage to escape the henhouse when a horse pushed the door open. My little Lhasa did keep her standing on the far side of the henhouse, but all he did was bark at her - until she'd had enough and pecked him right on his noggin. She brought blood, and a furious spate of barking from an outraged 14 pound dog. I opened the door for her and she very graciously agreed to enter - with the little dog yapping behind her the whole time. The pullet was completely unruffled by the incident, but the dog refused to go near the henhouse for days! I do not doubt, though, that had she run, she would have triggered the little dog's prey drive and he would have attacked - but I'm not sure how much damage he could have done...

None of the categories indicate Chicken Terrified - So I would classify the Boxer/Pitbull mix as Chicken Hater but Not Killer
Same with the Lhassa/terrier mix

 

[Beekissed]

Lab--chicken friendly, protector, guard dog.
GP/lab mix---same as above.
Lab/BC mix---same as above.

I trust my dogs completely with my birds and have not had a single incident all these years of keeping Labs with my free range chickens. Two of the dogs required no training, as they were adult dogs and had probably had exposure to livestock prior to my owning them. The younger dog was a pup when first exposed to chickens and required minimal training, lasting approx. 20 min. total.

 

[karl lutz]

I have one crossbred grump and she never kills but loves to chase cows chickens what ever will run from her. Now the chickens she mainly leaves alone but the cows are up for grabs. I did not write grump and when referring to dogs the word is not obscene.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I've had two border collies and they were both very chicken friendly! My current border collie goes in the coop and wags her tail submissively to the chickens.

And she helps us herd the chickens if we need to catch them. My previous border collie actually knew all the names of the chickens and would go put her nose on them if you asked her to "Go get [chicken's name]."

I also have two Pembroke Welsh Corgis that are very chicken friendly! Neither were raised with chickens, but both are fine with them! My male got used to them right away, probably because he was raised around parrots, and he helps herd the chickens. My female, who I don't think was raised in a farm environment (she's from a shelter and was a stray), chased them a little at first but learned very quickly that they're not for chasing. Now she doesn't mind them at all and leaves them alone.