Dogs? Good or bad?

[bhaugh]

I agree with Spook. Why should you have what you want but the bf cant have what he wants?

With that being said......Ive been in dogs close to 30 years. Its the BREED of the dog that makes the difference. Training comes second. What kind of breeds is he interested in? Although I am not a fan of pits (just not my cup of tea) I had one growing up and she was AWESOME with the horses and other furry things. Not good with other dogs though. List some breeds that he is considering.

 

[dainerra]

He could get a teacup Chihuahua. It would still need training, socialization, and worked with, but at least the odds in dog to bird death possibility ratio is greatly reduced as opposed to getting a larger dog. King Charles Spaniels have wonderful personalities as well.

any size dog can be a chicken killer. And Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are HUNTING dogs.

 

[cassie]

I had some free-ranging chickens that had decided that one corner of a horse's stall was the place to lay their eggs. Abruptly, the number of eggs I was finding in the stall dropped, and I couldn't find any alternate nest sites. I suspected egg-eating among the chickens, but was shocked when I found out what was really going on - I had an egg-eating horse!

I have heard of giving eggs to stallions during the breeding season. I think you mix them with the grain. But I have never heard of a horse stealing eggs. That's a first.

 

[linetangler]

I have two dogs a male boxer and a female boxer/bulldog my male is super hyper and loves the chickens. It looks like he is mean but they will seriously play for ever with the chickens. The chickens also play back. My female is a fat lard and just lays on back deck and watches. It's all on how they are brought up. I

 

[Sallyintucson]

I would suggest another boyfriend since he's the type who will give a dog away because of natural behavior rather than training it. I have chickens and dogs.

 

[Sallyintucson]

I would suggest another boyfriend since he's the type who will give a dog away because of natural behavior rather than training it. I have chickens and dogs. And other thing: animals are not our 'babies', they are animals. It's very unhealthy to treat them as children.

 

[cassie]

I would suggest another boyfriend since he's the type who will give a dog away because of natural behavior rather than training it. I have chickens and dogs. And other thing: animals are not our 'babies', they are animals. It's very unhealthy to treat them as children.

I was thinking the same thing about the boyfriend but for an entirely different reason.

Personally, I think dogs and small children are a whole LOT alike. They both need to be socialized and taught manners. They both need to know what is expected of them and what is and what is not acceptable behavior. Unfortunately, too many people who insist on having dogs and/or children are not willing to train either one.

 

[Nicole01]

My husband loves cats. I grew up liking cats, but always living with dogs. Finally after 10 years of marriage my husband agreed to letting me bring a puppy home. Long story short, this puppy ended up being his and we added a second dog from a rescue the following year. My husband now is a dog and cat person. I like birds, so the chickens are mine.

My husband was not going to help with the dogs at first, but had a change of heart once they became a part of our lives. I'm now allergic to cats, but will always have 1-2 cats around for my husband. Our youngest cat has claimed me as its buddy and I'm very attached to him.

It's only fair to let us each pick an animal of choice. We will always have 2 dogs and 1-2 cats in the home as well as chickens. Our kids even have their own bunny they are responsible for.

Dogs are just like any other animal. They need to be cared for. I don't see them as a lot of work, no more then caring for chickens or bunnies.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

It is possible to have dogs without chickens getting killed, but it takes a lot of work, vigilance, and responsibility. Its also possible to have dog that don't kill chickens. I have an Australian Cattle Dog that will not EVER kill a chicken. He herds them, but does not kill them. We really didn't have to train him to not kill them. He picked it up very early on as a puppy. In his younger days, he would spend all day outside with the flock and I never had to worry about him killing them. He's 12 now and too old to spend his days outside, but he's still very good with the birds.

Honestly, a huge deal breaker for me in a relationship if that the person is also an animal lover. If you cannot bring yourself to allow a dog and your boyfriend wants a dog, then it may be time to think about your future as a couple. It is not fair to a dog to be taken in and then given up because it was doing what comes naturally (and was not being supervised at the time). I would probably be upset if a boyfriend of mine had a bunch of animals but told me I could not.

 

[Sallyintucson]

On children and dogs are a lot alike, I couldn't agree more. But you can't throw a child into a shelter because you don't want to train it. Too bad you can with dogs.