Getting a guardian dog

[chickfused]

I'm getting an English Shepherd puppy. While it will be welcome in the house from time to time, I intend for it to live with and work with my chickens full time after it grows up. I'm inclined to get it a crate to sleep in at night in the chicken coop (which is a converted 12x12 barn) so that it goes to sleep with the chickens and wakes up with the chickens every single day of it's life from the very beginning of our relationship, in a safe way. And then we can work together to learn the rest.

Is this a good/bad idea?

 

[NatJ]

That idea sounds promising to me.

If you can provide a large crate, or a bigger space than that, the puppy can use one end as a toilet and sleep in the other end (in case you don't come let it out early enough in the morning, or if it needs to go in the middle of the night.)

This idea is am assuming you won't want a filthy puppy, and you won't want it to be in the habit of sitting around in its own waste, but that you don't actually care whether it relieves itself inside the chicken coop vs. outdoors.

 

[chickfused]

Eventually it will run free in the chicken coop at night, to protect from nighttime predators. It's got a big old crate to sleep in for now (and yes it's large enough to put a puppy pad down on one end and a cushion on the other) and it will live inside with me during the day until it's trustworthy alone with the birds 24x7. The coop is open to the pen 24x7 and the birds go to sleep in a hardware clothed Chicken Fort Knox section that's closed off. So pupper would sleep in the open part. I'm not even 100% sure I'll crate it TBH. It might just have a 6x12 doghouse.

 

[Geena]

Is this a good/bad idea?

It all depends on your perspective I suppose. Personally I wouldn't subject a dog living in a coop with the chickens. First of all it's terribly dusty in a coop which is going to be extremely hard on the dog's lungs. It's going to be stepping in and laying on chicken poo which is going to be a big, unhealthy mess in the dog's coat and on it's skin.

A dog does not have to actually live with the chickens in order to protect them and would probably be even more effective outside where they can repel potential predators before they even get to the coop.

 

[chickfused]

I clean the coop every single day. My coop is not dirty.