Dog Recommendation with Chickens Help Please

[MROO]

My border collie is a five-year-old puppy. I think she’s got many more years of puppy to go. I don’t think I could train her to herd the chickens. Mine is completely nuts too. But I think that’s the charm of the border collie. But unfortunately I think that’s also why they say that’s one of the number one dogs that get turned into shelters. You’ve got to have patience and enough land to let their energy out. And again lots and lots of patience . My border collie took no time to get used to the chickens. But since we had her she was getting introduced to everything from bunnies to go to pit’s to cats. She’s friendly to every other creature. My German Shepherd took a little bit of work though

Skye - that's her in my avatar - is a literal basket case. I didn't follow my own advice and let my daughter's instant bond decide for me. Skye wasn't a "mistake, not by a long shot. She's coming around into a wonderful, smart, loving (if hyper and WAY too noisy) family dog. That said, she's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more work than I planned on when we got a new pup. She still has a very, very long way to go before she can even come close to matching my Tag. I miss my boy! I am convinced that I will forever have a Border Collie shaped hole in my heart.

 

[Eryniel]

I have a heeler lab puppy (about 7 months old) who is really good with my chickens. Yet I have been warned that both breeds (heelers and labs) are not good around chickens. My personal opinion is it depends more on the dogs temperament than the breed, although the breed does indicate the "typical" nature of the dog.
In my experience, typically when choosing a puppy from a litter, pick the calmest one, or even the one that simply falls asleep. That's most likely going to be the easiest to train.
My puppy is very high energy, and does have a pretty high "prey" drive, so I've worked with her extensively to teach her to leave my chickens alone, but anything else is free game. I don't trust her 100% yet, but she is safe around them for short periods of time (but not long enough for "boredom" to set in). She loves to please, and we praise her all the time and ply her with treats, and so far so good!
I hope this helps.

 

[MROO]

Sounds like you have had some very unfortunate experiences, were these your dogs? It is unfair to say 'all' dogs of a certain breed just as it is unfair to say all people of a certain whatever..... everyone has different experiences and people are allowed to voice them.... without judgment

You do have to be careful with Huskies. They are trainable (they are very smart) but it's hard to overcome hundreds of years of instincts. They were developed to be self-sufficient in hard, snowy winters - and to eat anything their caregivers presented to them. Unfortunately, nowadays, that often includes cats, rabbits and chickens.

Huskies are wonderful dogs, and there are individuals out there in any breed that make wonderful pets, but it's sometimes a good idea to choose carefully, upfront, especially if you're not an experienced dog owner/trainer. It's not fair to the dog to expect them to overcome years of instincts we deliberately bred into them in the first place.

 

[Engo]

I recommend getting a full grown dog. any puppy can grow up to be nasty to other dogs, birds, and people.

 

[HenHouse4Life]

You do have to be careful with Huskies. They are trainable (they are very smart) but it's hard to overcome hundreds of years of instincts. They were developed to be self-sufficient in hard, snowy winters - and to eat anything their caregivers presented to them. Unfortunately, nowadays, that often includes cats, rabbits and chickens.

Huskies are wonderful dogs, and there are individuals out there in any breed that make wonderful pets, but it's sometimes a good idea to choose carefully, upfront, especially if you're not an experienced dog owner/trainer. It's not fair to the dog to expect them to overcome years of instincts we deliberately bred into them in the first place.

Nor is it fair to tell people their experiences are wrong. I've never owned a husky so it would be dishonest of me to speak to it.

 

[PirateGirl]

I will say the instinct to herd is very strong in many herding dogs. This can at times be problematic with small children. Yes they will accept the children as part of their pack and be friendly to them, but because they have accepted the children, they may try to herd the children. This is instinct and children will not always just walk calmly around a dog. This can look like nipping and grabbing clothing. While you may be able to work things out with your own children and the dog, you cannot control the behavior of every child that comes over to play and is running around wild in your yard. Not every parent is understanding of a dog that nips and grabs at clothing. I am not saying these dogs will attack, but the instinctual behavior may not be entirely acceptable or entirely safe. Recently my dog wouldn't let my friends' child leave the room. She felt she'd herded us safely all into the same room in the house and the errant child was not allowed to leave. She did not hurt the child, but let's say he is quite nervous of the dog now.

 

[Cyprus]

Sounds like you have had some very unfortunate experiences, were these your dogs? It is unfair to say 'all' dogs of a certain breed just as it is unfair to say all people of a certain whatever..... everyone has different experiences and people are allowed to voice them.... without judgment

The husky is mine. The labs, 1 belonged to a friend and another got loose from my neighbor.... twice.

I get that it is not 'fair' to denounce a breed but I think it is to fair to point out that Huskies are among, if not THE , worst breed to have around small animals. They have a sky high prey drive, are usually the breed associated with maulings and are typically bad news when mixed with chickens.
And I'm not being a stubborn narcissist. I raise this breed for chick's sake and not a single good thing has come of my dogs and chickens in the same place. And my Aunt's Huskie killed a neighbor's chickens. I have had my dogs around chickens since they were 8 wks old and despite rigorous drilling and training to get them to realize they should not bother the chickens they still attack.
Not to mention they have a REALLY high energy level and the OP said they don't want that.

So therefore, I do not suggest the Husky as a good match for their criteria.

 

[Cyprus]

You do have to be careful with Huskies. They are trainable (they are very smart) but it's hard to overcome hundreds of years of instincts. They were developed to be self-sufficient in hard, snowy winters - and to eat anything their caregivers presented to them. Unfortunately, nowadays, that often includes cats, rabbits and chickens.

Huskies are wonderful dogs, and there are individuals out there in any breed that make wonderful pets, but it's sometimes a good idea to choose carefully, upfront, especially if you're not an experienced dog owner/trainer. It's not fair to the dog to expect them to overcome years of instincts we deliberately bred into them in the first place.

Thank you for saying what I wasn't effectively communicating.

 

[townchicks]

Choose a dog that is right for your family, and build a good fence to keep it out of the chickens. It can take years for some dogs to get to the point that they can be trusted with chickens, sometimes it is just a matter of maturity. Puppies think everything is a plaything, and chickens run and squawk just right to provoke chase. Generally speaking, the husky types do have very high prey drive, and are notorious for getting out of (or into) fenced areas, so they may be the wrong type for you. Look for a dog that is biddable and good with children. Then start the training process and see how it goes. That includes training the kids to shut doors and gates! Accidents happen, but stressing this point will help. Keep the dog or puppy on a leash any time it is near the chickens, even if there is a fence between them. If it rushes the fence, and the chickens scatter, it has then learned that they are fun to chase. Don't let that happen, even once. I would say that I would lean towards labs or Goldens, with the caveat that they have long teenage periods. If you want a pet only, something like a pug or cavalier King Charles might be a good choice. Avoid terriers in general, as most have high prey drive and many are not good with children. I say in general, there are exceptions in all breeds, to the norm. A rescue that fosters dogs in homes is a good idea, you can get a good idea of the dogs temperament, and you might even get one that has been around chickens already.

 

[MROO]

Nor is it fair to tell people their experiences are wrong. I've never owned a husky so it would be dishonest of me to speak to it.

You are absolutely right! All advice, no matter what it concerns or where it comes from, needs to be weighed and often taken with the proverbial "grain of salt.

And for the record (with no insult intended or taken, honestly!) between personal connection, the dog show circuit many years ago (never again!,) and ongoing foster/rescue efforts, I've had the privilege of dealing with many, many dogs of many different breeds. I do have personal experience with Huskies and Husky mixes - both really good and really horrific. At least once, I had both with the same dog!

All dogs, like all people, are all unique individuals, but it's always best to do some homework, first!