Dog protection

[fireflyhatchery]

Hello, I live in Dundee Iowa and around my coop there are many opposum, raccoons and red tail hawks. I have hardly any trouble with these predators but there is on menace that is a true slayer of birds. My dog

. He is a Labrador who will track and eliminate any scent of free ranging bird that i have. So my poor Mrs. live in a confined area and that's not what I want. I love my dog who is now 11 people years old and starting to see the end

. As I let him live out the rest of what could be only a few years left I have decided to look in to a Chicken PROTECTOR and not a DESTROYER. If anyone has a breed of dog that truely stands out as a good guard against predators and WONT eat the chicken I am all ears.

 

[Keltara]

There is one breed of dog that stands out above ALL OTHERS when it comes to protecting chicken flocks. Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dogs. I have dreamed about owning one.



**edited by Staff**

 

[zazouse]

There is one breed of dog that stands out above ALL OTHERS when it comes to protecting chicken flocks. Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dogs. I have dreamed about owning one.



**edited by Staff**

I Can tell you from experince that the ones i have are awesome gardians and i also have a pit that is the same way, Anything that she deems a danger to her birds or their nest she will kill on the spot.

The only time my bird have ever been penned is when they were babies as soon as they are to big to be swollowed by a snake i turn them loose.

 

[fireflyhatchery]

Cool. I would have never guessed a pit bull be a animal protector

 

[aart]

It's not so much the kind of dog...... but the kind of dog owner/trainer.
Takes a lot of work and time to properly train a livestock guardian dog....well, any dog.
Best to start with a puppy from stock that has been trained around livestock animals/birds.

There's guy on here with bird dogs trained to protect his game birds.....do some searching here, there's lots of good discussion.

 

[khoe]

I

It's not so much the kind of dog...... but the kind of dog owner/trainer.
Takes a lot of work and time to properly train a livestock guardian dog....well, any dog.
Best to start with a puppy from stock that has been trained around livestock animals/birds.

There's guy on here with bird dogs trained to protect his game birds.....do some searching here, there's lots of good discussion.

I agree. Even a Labrador that is trained properly will be a good flock guardian. Starting from puppy will be a huge help, and no hunting training from breeder.

 

[khoe]

I
I agree. Even a Labrador that is trained properly will be a good flock guardian. Starting from puppy will be a huge help, and no hunting training from breeder.

I guess trained "properly" isn't the best way to say it...trained to best suit your needs I guess. I have a Labrador that is not trained with my flock but we are working on it. Sorry if you thought I meant your dog wasn't trained, I just meant around chickens...he's obviously a great hunter!!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

It's not so much the kind of dog...... but the kind of dog owner/trainer.
Takes a lot of work and time to properly train a livestock guardian dog....well, any dog.
Best to start with a puppy from stock that has been trained around livestock animals/birds.

There's guy on here with bird dogs trained to protect his game birds.....do some searching here, there's lots of good discussion.

Agree. Any dog, even a guardian dog is going to require a lot of training and the training will in the end make more difference than the breed in my personal opinion. Get a dog that works with your overall lifestyle -- how much space you have, how much exercise you can provide daily, etc and then work on training them in the behaviors you want. It will take time and effort to make a good chicken friendly dog.

 

[khoe]

Agree. Any dog, even a guardian dog is going to require a lot of training and the training will in the end make more difference than the breed in my personal opinion. Get a dog that works with your overall lifestyle -- how much space you have, how much exercise you can provide daily, etc and then work on training them in the behaviors you want. It will take time and effort to make a good chicken friendly dog.

Precisely. I have a golden retriever that I think would have been a great flock protector but I got him pre-chickens and never dreamed of training him to be chicken friendly, and at 3 he is just to in his ways, I can't trust him around the chicks. But he is a good worker and loves jobs, so I know if the chickens had been a job he was trained for he would be great at it.

 

[brairgirl]

Its not really the type of dog. I mean there are dogs like bird dogs that have their instincts. But its mainly about training them to NOT to kill your chickens.. We have two dogs that will kill the chickens when given the chance. Two more that don't protect them, but they don't try to eat them either.

I think it helps when a dog is a puppy to train them to protect your chickens though... But it also depends on the dog