Help me find my future dog breed?

[Folly's place]

So avoid mastiff types, who all drool. We've had two, and drooling happens.
Do you want a guard dog? Or one who 'loves everyone? Shedding lots, or not? Short hair with undercoat will shed, no undercoat leads to not much hair anywhere. Think whippets, maybe dalmations, or pit bull terriers. We've had all three here.
Mary

 

[Amelise]

Dogs I've raised from puppyhood weren't hard to train to be safe with our chickens. Rescues with difficult backstories have been HARD.
How big? How active? Do you plan to run with this dog? Raise as a puppy or get an adult?
ANY dog will need training to leave chickens alone! Puppies tend to be easier, but trusting a dog alone with the birds won't happen overnight.
Retrievers all have double coats, so there will be shedding. Is that an issue for you? They tend to be very trainable, and do differ in temperament depending on breed and as individuals. Pointers, short hair, VERY active, and trainable. Many terriers have short hair, are trainable, and might be another group to explore. Our rescue pit bull types had such awful back stories that we didn't try to make them 'chicken safe', although in my presence they will listen and not harm them. Short hair, nice dogs, raising a youngster might work out very well.
Mary

-no size preference
-pretty active, not lazy but not bouncing off the walls
-of course I want to train the dog, but I want one that leans more towards the eager to please side of the spectrum
-ideally a puppy, if I’m getting from a breeder or even a shelter
-I like to groom my own dogs. I want a dog with a short coat so I don’t have to worry about using clipper blades. Shedding is ok because im ok with brushing


-I don’t plan on leaving my dog with the chickens as you would with an LGD, but I would like to be able to turn my back away from the trained dog without an accident happening

 

[Amelise]

Do you want a guard dog? Or one who 'loves everyone? Shedding lots, or not? Short hair with undercoat will shed, no undercoat leads to not much hair anywhere. Think whippets, maybe dalmations, or pit bull terriers. We've had all three here.
Mary

i absolutely love how sighthounds look. I’m worried about the difficulty of their train ability with the high prey drive though. I’m also thinking they’re more difficult to walk/jog because of their urge to sprint after critters.

 

[Amelise]

So avoid mastiff types, who all drool. We've had two, and drooling happens.
Do you want a guard dog? Or one who 'loves everyone? Shedding lots, or not? Short hair with undercoat will shed, no undercoat leads to not much hair anywhere. Think whippets, maybe dalmations, or pit bull terriers. We've had all three here.
Mary

A dog that loves everyone is preferable, but I’m willing to socialize and desensitize a guard type dog so that he’s not aggressive and reactive, as long as it matches my other preferences.

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

I think any dog you like should be fine if you get it as a puppy and teach it. This means to not leave it alone with the chickens for the first 1.5-2 years of its life though. Puppies and young dogs have no impulse control when alone, first year only near birds on a leash and stopping him and telling no when trying to chase a bird and giving him treats sometimes when relaxed near the birds.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

No size preference, as long as it is not drooly and short haired.

-no size preference
-pretty active, not lazy but not bouncing off the walls
-of course I want to train the dog, but I want one that leans more towards the eager to please side of the spectrum
-ideally a puppy, if I’m getting from a breeder or even a shelter
-I like to groom my own dogs. I want a dog with a short coat so I don’t have to worry about using clipper blades. Shedding is ok because im ok with brushing


-I don’t plan on leaving my dog with the chickens as you would with an LGD, but I would like to be able to turn my back away from the trained dog without an accident happening

Hm I'll have to think

 

[Amelise]

Miniature pinscher? But I heard they’re a bit difficult to train.

 

[Folly's place]

Labs are easy to find, and come in two types: quiet labs, more likely English types, and busy labs, who do take more time/ daily exercise.
Whippets have some terrier in their background, and are more social and more 'obedience motivated' than any of the other sighthounds. Love them!
Dalmations were nearly destroyed by that awful Disney movie! They were meant to be guard dogs, and are. People will send their toddlers up to a growling individual to give hugs. Ask me how I know this! The only dog we've had who bit anyone, giving ample warning, and people don't 'read dog language' well at all.
Avoid guard dog type breeds unless you are ready to manage one. Love mine, but don't do it if you can't/ won't do right by it.
Mary

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

French bulldogs could be good but they can be drooly

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Avoid guard dog type breeds unless you are ready to manage one. Love mine, but don't do it if you can't/ won't do right by it.
Mary

I agree with this, too many dogs of guard breeds have behavior issues because owners could not handle them or did not train them properly