Dogs and Chickens??

[cellohorse]

We have 2 dogs (a bichon frise type male and a medium terrier female) and we are wanting to get chickens. Does anyone have a good suggestion for how to train our dogs to not eat chickens/ eggs and possibly guard them from predators? Where we live there are lots of bird predators for any potential chickens, and we would prefer bantam/smaller chickens as we are first-time chicken owners.
Thanks!
Cellohorse

 

[Cellochick]

I have 2 bantams and 2 dogs, an American Eskimo and a Pomeranian. My dogs are actually scared of both of my bantams. They'll go up to the birds to sniff them and the bantams respond by pecking them. So I'd say that they should be ok unless your dogs are aggressive.

 

[chickengirl1193]

I have a Jack Russell terrier and when I first got my chickens I brought him in the pen on a leash and let him sniff them and if he tried to chase them or anything I told him no, leave it, and he cought on quickly but I didn't trust him off a leash for about a month but now I can lock him in the run and trust he wont hurt the chickens, worst he does is try to smell them and they peck him lol. Good luck with your chickens!
And I would imagine that if your dogs are outside with chickens it may detour predators but only if you're leaving them out with the chickens 24/7, I would suggest a covered run to help with predators from above

 

[cellohorse]

I have 2 bantams and 2 dogs, an American Eskimo and a Pomeranian. My dogs are actually scared of both of my bantams. They'll go up to the birds to sniff them and the bantams respond by pecking them. So I'd say that they should be ok unless your dogs are aggressive.

I think the bichon frise might act like that but peri, the terrier, might try to eat them or somthing. Anyone here trained their dogs to accually chase away predators or is it just like if your dog choses to?

 

[nzpouter]

leash them and take them with you whenever you do chores around the chickens...
as for predators, the same method as you're trying to encourage them to stop them chasing something, just reverse it. All our dogs can hunt among the chickens and ducks without making a mistake.

 

[Lopi1234]

I take my dog along with me as I am taking care of my farm. I have taught him to stay, go, get it, leave it and come. I use stay when I feed and let my chickens out. I don't want him to wander from my sight or bothering the hens. If one of my quail get loose, I use get it. He catches them in him mouth and puts them between his 2 front paws until I get there. Then I tell him to leave it and he gets up. Doesn't hurt a feather. I use go when I am handling the horses. I don't want him following me closely in case one of my horses cow kick him. When the chickens wander too far I tell him to get it and then leave it once they are back where I want them to be.
In the beginning I worked on 1 command. I guess the biggest is come. Then stay. I would reposition him if he moved from his original spot. When he understood we would play with his frisbee. How he figured out the quail catching thing is beyond me. I would start with 1 dog first. Easier to just focus on one.
He helps me put the chickens away too. We walk together about 3 feet apart I tell him to come as we herd the girls back into the pen. Sometimes he gets more excited and wants to do things his way. I then just go back to the stay command so he doesn't rile the chickens, etc. same in the barn. If he doesn't feel like listening I will put him in a safe corner and make him stay. ( out of the way of my 1500lb Percheron mare)

 

[SunsetMeadow]

I have the same problem, my poodle tries to eat my chicks! I hope they'll get along in the future, for now, my poodle has to be on the bathroom (she is a house dog, she isn't used to live outdoors)