help in picking out a new dog

[gracierooster]

Just lost my 9 year old hound dog Reba, she had abcesses on her kidneys and we didn't allow her to wake up after exploratory surgery last Sunday. She was a good girl, we found her 8 years ago running down the middle of the road in a snowstorm. We advertised and advertised but no one claimed her. She was a wonderful girl, loved to swimming on our creek and was so gentile around the chickens. She liked to prowl and we felt very comfortable knowing her doggie door went into the chicken yard.
Now that she's gone, we are starting to worry about predators. We live in the woods, fox, weasle, mink, skunk and racoon country. The only reason I think we haven't lost anyone yet is because of the dogs. Nikki, another stray is 14 and hearing imparied and somewhat blind. The other three have passed in the last few years, all from old age ailments. We need a dog to help with the freerange chickens yet they need to be part of the family. (our bed, or multiplle doggie beds around the house, snacks, rides in the car, that kind of dog) Any ideas???

 

[zazouse]

Aww so sorry, it is so hard to lose them, i kinda have to raise up new pups every 3 to 4 years to keep things safe here, most of my dogs like my great pyrenesse and rotties are retired by 8 or 10 and usuall pass on to rainbow bridge, it is never easy when they go, i miss them all so.
Lost 5 to old age in the last 3 years.

Cherish the memories and smile you will see her on the other side she will be waiting.

You got a photo of her? would love to see it.

 

[teach1rusl]

Sorry you lost your Reba...

Just keep in mind at any new dog is going to take a lot (and some a WHOLE lot) of training. I'm sure you already know that, but when you've had nothing but reliable dogs for years, I'm sure it'll be a bit of a trial having to work with an unknown, untrained one.
I always go back to the old reliable labs and goldens - both are people pleasers and learn quickly when worked with. Both are well known with getting along well with other family pets (including chickens). My great dane is that way too, but I doubt a dane would fit through your pet door...lol.

 

[zazouse]

Sorry i can't tell you what bred to get everyone is differenty in what they need, i need a pack so i choose several breeds for different funcitions.

 

[Just reebok]

So sorry for your loss. It is never, ever easy. I wish I knew a magic answer for you. Every dog is different, but maybe you can get in touch with a rescue and they would be willing to bring a dog or two to your home so you would see their "interest" level in the chickens. Just a thought... A rescue might really have a solid knowledge about a dogs personality. Good luck. I, also, would like to see a picture of your sweet old dog.

 

[gracierooster]

 

[gracierooster]

She was just a loveable old big hound dog. Thanks for your concern. My husband has always wanted a lab, maybe we'll just start there. Thanks all.

 

[woodfired]

So sorry

I'll have to second the lab. My lab was a year old when I brought home my chicks. She hung out with them everyday and is very use to them being around. I also have a 2-year old and my lab is very gentle with her and the chickens. She almost mothers them. Very smart dog and was easily trained. Reba looks like a yellow lab, is that correct?

 

[Kikiriki]

So sorry for your loss!. I cried and cried when my dog died and even woke up crying from dreaming about him...

To answer your question about a livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) we have Bernese Mountain Dog who is wonderful with the chickens. He watches them, lets them climb on him, chases away squirrels going after their food, and loves to lay in the run. He is okay on our 1/4 acre lot with walks out, but gets antsy without them.
He is big enough to handle larger predators, though squirrel thiefs are all we get while the girls are out in the daytime.

I wrote a very long post about Turkish Kengals (sometimes mistakenly called Anatolian Shepherds as they are genetically different). If you have livestock besides chickens they are suited for them, too. If you have a lot of land, that is great, as they will stay with their charges as they roam. They are huge dogs and can take coyotes, wolves, wild pigs, and will even fight a bear. They are rare in the US, somewhat pricey ($1000) and breeders tend to impart some rules on buyers about breeding. They can stay in the house and handle both cold and hot weather, but they do like being outside. They are good with children. They can be challenging in obedience as they have been bred for independent decision making, but they are not untrainable.

A lot of other dogs have some protective instinct, but an LGD dog does not stare at the animals directly, which is an indicator of predatory nature and which animals react to with nervousness.. It is also a difference in herding dogs, which actually use the stare to help keep the animals herded and moving, rather than indicating actual predation. Thus, you want a dog that uses "soft eyes" with your animals, or glancing looks rather than hard stares and intent focus. You can test this with any potential dogs.

Also, realize that a puppy of any breed is going to be playful! They should not be trusted alone with the chickens. The dog we have tends to be slow to mature as a breed, and it was true for ours. He really only just settled down and he is 3 years old. On the farm we adopted him from, he would be too playful with the sheep, but never chased the chickens (the sheep sometimes played back, sometimes got frightened).

Great Pyrenees are another breed used for LGD.

Raising the dog with the animals makes a difference, too, in how they behave, though there is a difference in instinctual behaviors. If the dog has learned bad habits, chasing animals with a pack of dogs, for example, instinct may not be enough to overcome them.

Conversely, I cant trust our German Shepherd with the chickens because she wants to chase and herd them...i accidentally let her out one day recently while the chickens were out and she chased them back in the run. I got lucky as she stopped outside of it when she could have gone right in and killed them...stupid mistake! she has not been able to learn to overcome her instinct in three months of me correcting her for charging at the run.

 

[HEChicken]

So sorry for your loss. We had to make the decision with our dog last September and I still feel the pain of it. When we went looking for another dog, having it be okay with chickens was our top priority. We wound up contacting a local rescue organization. They allow a trial period with any dog to see if it is a good fit with you and your family. This was the way to go for us, as it allowed us to verify that the potential dog would be okay with chickens prior to adopting. We didn't have a breed in mind but had a few criteria (for example, a short haired dog so we didn't have to mess with grooming too much) and we just browsed the rescue's site until we saw one we thought sounded right. We then went to meet the dog and since we liked her, arranged for a home visit. The foster parents brought her over to visit and at the end of the visit, asked if we would like her to stay for a few days. We were in daily contact with them and when we decided that yes, we wanted to adopt, they just brought over the paperwork, we paid the adoption fee, and she was our new family member. I would really recommend this as the way to go. If the dog had not worked out, they would have taken her back and allowed us to trial other dogs until we found one that matched us.