I'm so sorry about the flock - it's horrible to think about! I love chickens, and I love dogs, but I opted not to have a dog around my chickens. It was bad enough when the neighbor's two dogs (a German Shepherd and Poodle mix) broke down our old chainlink gate and tried to break into our coop -- it was just lucky that another Good Samaritan neighbor heard the commotion and chased off the strays! It only takes a second for dogs to figure a way to poultry flocks! There are trustworthy trained guardian flock dogs but our little suburban backyard is too small to need such a large breed dog that would need a lot more exercise space than our place has. Toy or pet dogs are pretty useless as guard dogs and many an owner has lost their poultry to family pet pups or to a neighbor's stray dog. I would love a good guardian flock dog around my little flock of hens to protect from stray intruders but lacking the space for a large guardian, we opted to put up solid block wall fencing around the property with additional privacy fencing along top, plus double gates in case any stray pooches in the neighborhood try to break down the new IRON gates! My hens are great at chasing off the stray or feral cats that enter their yard but no dog would be so easy!
