Fostering: What dog breeds should we avoid?

[MixedFlock23]

We are getting set up to foster dogs (one at a time) through our local humane society. All our pets are outside. We have three cats (in their catio at night & when we are not home; running in the yard/fields when we are home). We have a rabbit (in a hutch mainly, but allowed to hop in her fenced in area (3’ tall fencing). We have 21 chickens also. The chickens are in a fenced in area (5’ fencing) with bird netting on top. They get to “free range” in our half acre only when we are outside.

Foster dog will be on a 20-30’ tie out cable attached to our 90’ long zip line (so it will have the run of the yard without needing fencing) when we are home. Foster dog will be in an enclosed pen (on rock, not concrete) at night and when we are not home.

I can keep the chickens in their run when we have a foster unless the foster dog is in its pen.

We would like to avoid breeds that are known for chasing/killing chickens though. Currently our shelter has a malamute, pit mixes, lab mixes, beagle mixes, and some other hound mixes, but it changes almost daily.

Thoughts?
(Our dachshund lived to be 15 & was around our chickens the last 4 years of her life. She never harmed them. She followed me into their pen and was accidentally locked in there with them for an hour or so and never hurt them. Free range time wasn’t an issue either. So I don’t want to stereotype all hunting breeds or whatever—but I also don’t want to take bigger risks if it’s not necessary.)

The Malamute is gorgeous, but I’m reading about their high prey drive & how much they love to dig and thinking she may not be a good fit.

What would you avoid if you were considering fostering a dog with chickens & cats in the same yard? We will likely only foster each dog for a week or so until it gets adopted.

 

[jonalisa]

I would avoid any type of pitbull. I have heard they are very aggressive. I have a lab and she never touches the chickens. She just minds her own business while they are out.

This is not true of all pitbulls. They have a bad reputation because in the past they were bred shady people who used and abused them for status. This made for some unstable dogs. Today, there are many sweet and loving pitbulls who are just in need of a good owner. I took in a pitbull and it was the sweetest and most lovable dog I've ever had. No regrets.
That said, check with your home insurance provider as they have a list of breeds that, if you own, they won't cover you.

I have a Black Mouth Cur, which is a Tennessee hunting breed and he guards my chickens, without being told or trained.

So it's not about the breed so much as it is about the individual dog and how it was raised.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I thought the point of fostering was to train the dog and make them into good companions for their forever homes.
That will be hard at best if they are on a cable or in an outside pen all day and night.

 

[nuthatched]

It's up to the individual dog, although breeds with strong herding/prey instincts might not be a good pick.
I've had dachshunds no problem with my chickens, German Shepherd /chow/collie, Australian Shepherd/golden retriever/lab, all no problem. But they were raised and trained around the chickens.
The worst dog attack I've had was when about 6 of my chickens were killed by French bulldogs, 3 more we had to put down from their injuries and two just disappeared.
Two other minor scare only attacks were by one of those little shaggy white dog of indeterminate parentage and a boxer with poor training.

 

[cassie]

How about NEVER foster a Cane Corso!!!. There was an incident in an apartment building major city, where the owner let two of them wander the hallway. An elderly woman was approaching her door when the two attacked her, killed and then started eating her body.

I remember that case. It was in San Francisco. Two dogs were involved but it is my understanding that while both dogs chased the woman, only the male actually attacked. I didn't hear anything about them trying to eat her, but I do remember that the dogs were grossly mismanaged and mishandled from day one. The owners of those dogs should not have been trusted with a toy poodle, let alone a large and aggressive dog like a cane corso.

 

[MixedFlock23]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. We went to the humane society yesterday afternoon and took home the Malamute Missy. She is 8 years old and has lived outside in a kennel her entire life. Surrendered due to a divorce and having no home (husband’s dog-wife got house-he is living with friends). This dog is super sweet. Good with kids and all the neighbor dogs here. She ignores the chickens and cats (which are staying in their pens). Since we got her at 4:30pm, we’ve been with her 4 hours last night and 3.5 hours so far today. We’ve bathed her, brushed out her undercoat (enough wads to fill at least two Walmart grocery bags), taken her for mile long walks, trimmed most of the matted fur out (she doesn’t like me to touch her tail or poop mat by her butt), introduced her to neighbors and their dogs, taught her to sit and lie down, and, of course, provided food, water, & shelter.

I thought the point of fostering was to train the dog and make them into good companions for their forever homes.
That will be hard at best if they are on a cable or in an outside pen all day and night.

I understand some people might think what we are trying to do is pointless... but it’s honestly the best I can do. My husband is allergic to dogs. He took three allergy meds every day for the 13 years my dachshund lived in our house. Gracie was my mom’s dog; my mom passed away from cancer and my hubby was willing to take meds daily for over a decade so that I could take my mom’s dog as our own. I knew before getting married about his allergies and agreed to only having outside animals—but he chose to make a 13 year exception for me. So Gracie has passed away (last May), & I’m ready to try out outside dogs. We are starting with fostering because 1. Our shelter is often at capacity and this allows them to save more lives if we can empty a kennel by fostering, 2. We would like to train the fosters (no pulling on the leash, basic commands, socializing with other animals & people, etc), in hopes that it makes them more adoptable, 3. It is a way for me to see if my heart can handle having an outside dog—my pups have always slept in my bed. We have waited until fair weather to start fostering knowing that they can’t come inside (though, in the event of storms, I do have a garden shed that’s anchored down and on a concrete pad that the dog can go in).

Missy the Malamute has lived outside in a kennel for eight years. She dug a dog sized hole and slept in it under the carport last night. I think she’s happy here. She smells better and has way less hair than she did yesterday. Hopefully later today I can earn her trust and trim that 8” tail mat off... and get that plate sized poop mat off her leg. Hopefully we can continue to teach her basic commands and help her get adopted into her forever home. Hopefully someone will bring her inside & let her sit by their air conditioner. Hopefully we are making a difference one dog at a time... even if we can only keep them outside. (Our shelter isn’t air conditioned... dogs are either in a concrete kennel or out on a 20’ tie out with a doghouse during their time at the humane society. So maybe being at our house is at least equivalent to being at the shelter.)

 

[RiverOtter]

Since you're fostering, these dogs aren't a mystery. So breed doesn't matter. Tell the shelter that you are only going to foster dogs with low prey drive.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Something else to be very aware of.....

Dogs can and do swallow rocks. That is a life threatening thing.
In my 30 years keeping dogs as pets I have had 4 that have swallowed rocks.
Jack had emergency surgery, River had emergency surgery, Sparky's rock had gone through most of the way so spent the day with the vet and lots of meds to pass his, Tilly went from kinda looking off to almost dead in 12 hours (she had been seen at the vet at noon) at 1 am she violently vomited a gigantic amount of blood. She was way to weak for surgery so spent 6 days at the animal emergency hospital then 6 weeks being to weak to eat so was syringe fed.
We are a multi dog household with a minimum of 3 big dogs at any given time.

If keeping a dog on gravel it needs to be less than 3/8ths of an inch maximum size.

 

[MixedFlock23]

We’ve had Missy the Malamute for a week now. We removed all the poop & mats (it was $150 to take her to the groomer, so it was a diy project that went really well). She’s been continually groomed daily... still losing her winter coat, so it’s a long process! She loves long walks, the cats, neighbors’ dogs, all the kids in the neighborhood & every adult she’s met too. We are keeping her away from the chickens & rabbit as she seems too interested in them when we hold them. So far, so good.

 

[Gonzalezfam]

My amstaff is great with kids and chickens, I’ve had pit mixes too that have always been great with other animals