Getting chicks used to dogs barking

[tjparker60]

My baby chicks should arrive in the next few days. I, of course, will keep them in their brooder in my house until they are old enough for the coop. I have little, yippy dogs that bark at squirrels, the neighbors dogs, visitors, you name it! They will be separated, but will be in the vicinity of the coop and I don't want my baby chicks scared to death so how can I avoid that? Please don't tell me to retrain my dogs as they are old and set in their ways... we've tried!
Thanks!

 

[Bantambird]

Don't worry, your babies should get used to the noise after a while. My boxer dog shares space with my 40 birds, and they don't even bat an eye when she barks, besides the roosters cackling at her occasionally. They will be nervous at first, but if that is just one of the ambient sounds, they will just have to get used to it. What would be worse is if you have the dogs perpetually staring in at the little guys. Chickens respond to visual stimuli like a predator watching them more than the noises associated with said predator. That said, when my dog walks by, the birds still move away from her. Or alert to her presence, even though they are used to her.

 

[tjparker60]

Thank you! They will be separated my a picket fence and my chicks will be in a run so the barking will be the major thing. I'm new at this so I'm probably overthinking lots of things. Thanks again.

 

[MajestyDiamond]

I have three dogs and one of them live indoors and is obsessed with chicks and ducks and basically and type of young animal. So of course when we have chicks r ducklings inside she goes crazy wanting to see them but they aren't effected at all. R older ones r free ranged and live outside with dogs next to them and they r banties but rly don't mind, except for when we take the indoor dog up to the hens when we r closing them inside for the night there r a few hens that try to attack r dog but that's a different story. Hope I helped

 

[tjparker60]

Thank you! They are all separated and secure so no possibility of the dogs getting the chicks or the chicks getting out. I nagged and nagged my husband to make sure he did his best so they were safe from predators and my dogs! He said the coop and run are like Fort Knox and nothing is getting in or out of there!