dog breeds that will not chase chickens

[simplysophie]

Our current dog is getting old and we want to get another when she dies, but the problem is we need a medium-large dog(dad hates small dogs) that will not chase chickens. Any ideas? Oh! and must be able to get along with small children as we have a 5 year old and a two year old at our house. The reason I thought of this is because today our neighbor's dog chased our chickens and scared the poop out of me as we have a special needs chicken who cannot run well.

 

[DuckLover2399]

I don't think there will be a breed that doesn't chase them. Excpescially if you don't want a small dog.

 

[simplysophie]

Our current dog is really good with them and she's a rottweiler/black lab/ Great Dane

 

[the Pollo Loco]

check this out http://www.motherearthnews.com/Happy-Homesteader/Livestock-Guardian-Dogs-Great-Pyrenees.aspx

 

[twopeas]

Great question! I had an injured chicken and brought her up to the house and made her a pen (we called it sick bay!) so we could keep an eye on her.. needless to say, as soon as the dog saw her he completely freaked out. I know he would've killed her if he had gotten to her. He is an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler so I though he would tend to corral them not kill them..

 

[groundpecker]

Chasing chickens is a dogs personality. If you get a puppy and it is around the birds all the time while growing up, i doubt it would chase your chickens. A puppy grown up around chickens might even protect the birds.

 

[popsicle]

I grew up with an Irish Setter and my first chicken lived in the kennel with the dog ("roosted" on the dog).

Right now I have a friend with an Irish Wolfhound and a German Wirehair Pointer--neither of which have harmed her chickens and Guineas. However, the Irish Wolfhound is still a pup and will chase the birds if they panic and flee. The pointer has taken on the job of bird guardian and will drive away foxes.

 

[Manningjw]

Quote:
That is a great question. As a general rule of thumb I would stay away from most dogs in the terrier family(often bred for pest control), pit bulls or other fighting breeds and shepherds. That said even dogs in those categories can be trained to leave chickens alone, it will just take a little to a lot more effort on your part and likely will always be a slightly greater risk of attacks with the same level of training.

Maybe other peopel can give you a better idea. A beagle perhaps? They seem to have great temperment towards people and pets but are also bred to be hunting dogs so I am not sure how much that would come into play. Reading breed discriptions Huskies are labled as being good with pets that they were raised with from a puppy. My friends Shepherd/husky mix killed their chickens but she was from the shelter as an adult dog.

Looking forward to see what breeds people recommend.

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

It depends on the individual. Dogs, like people, have individual tendancies outside their genetics.
My darling lab/husky X is protective of 'his' chickens (though I think he enjoyed startling the flock when he ran past them before they got used to him) and we didn't introduce him to a chicken till he was 3. He was raised in a small city and loves to run and fetch, but he is a kind sould who hates for anyone to be upset or in pain, despite the genetics of his breeds saying he should want to chase them and/or eat them.
My stupid (yet still lovable) lab/golden retriever X has killed more of my chickens over the past year and a half than hawks, cats, rats, and weasels combined. He doesn't mean to hurt them, he just loves to chase and they are so fragile. We got him at 10 weeks and raised him with the chickens, trying to train him to be their friend. We now have to fence them separately (much to the disappointment of my old dog who misses living with his buddies) but every so often one of the chickens will hop the fence and be lucky to survive. He won't chase if we are there to watch him, but unsupervised he is very destructive.

 

[Countrypunk92]

My great pyareese hangs out with my chickens.lol