How do you TRUST your dogs with your chicks?

[taprock]

I can't trust my dog with my chickens. I'm not sure if he really wants to hurt them or just play with them, either way not an ok end result. When we had the brooder in the front room we clipped/zipped a piece of chicken wire over the top so he couldn't get to them. He would just stand there and stare at them. Right now our 6 week olds are in the basement because nights have still been below freezing. I put them in the dog crate and clipped the door shut - the dog can open the kennel latch from the outside. He will go down and stare at them but can't get to them. I have witnessed him trying to mouth their tails that stick out of the cage but he hasn't done anything more. Still would never trust him. The problem I'm finding now is that the chicks are not at all scared of him. They peck him if he gets close. I've seen him take several to the nose and one good one to the eye.

 

[True Grit]

"Well at first he just smelled and then he tried to bite the chick. I told him that it is a baby, just like with our other dog, but he just doesn't seem to understand."

I don't understand why this dog refuses to comprehend when you told him perfectly clearly, "It is a baby." I think he really DOES understand and is just playing you. I'm sure that he was simply "fake biting" the chick in order to see your reaction. Well, he got what he was looking for didn't he? You probably snatched the chick away with a little shriek and an "Oh, no Damien, mustn't bite the chick! It is a baby!" Oh he's got you fooled all right. You dance to his tune now.
Umm, where was I? Oh yes, I never let my dogs around my chickens because as they are predators I can totally trust them to kill small animals if they feel like it at any given moment.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Quote:
This is a good point. We adopted a 3 yr old beagle once. I was worried about him with the chickens, but he never bothered them. Then one day my mallard walked by him with her soft, little ducklings. He just couldn't resist. He killed 4 of them before I realized what was going on.

 

[petchickenlover]

one of my dogs [a 10y/o lab/retriever/chow/collie mix] i trust COMPLETELY with my birds - one could sit on her and she could care less. My puppy, however, not so much. she's a herding dog and she likes to chase them. she's getting better,though.

 

[Break an Egg]

When I got my dog I only had one hen. They quickly bonded and would both follow me around the yard. I trust my dog 100% around my whole household. My dog guards my chickens and my kids. She has scared off a hawk, pinned a large possum, and 2 babies seperate occasions, (1 a few hrs ago) and she has ran off my neighbors pit bull when it got in my backyard. Here is a video of her with a couple from my flock:



I am very lucky to have her and I love her like a kid.

 

[Sword]

I've got a beagle. I've never really trained her to be "friends" with my other animals, it always seemed like it went to much against her hunting dog instincts. I have trained her which animals are MINE and therefore off limits. It's worked to the point where she'll not even bark at a crippled, orphaned baby possum that sneaked out of his cage and crawled around the kitchen all night, or growl or snap at a kitten that bit her ear. She generally avoids the other animals, and when she is near them she is quiet, gentle and submissive, probably for fear of making mean old alpha dog Sword angry. I wouldn't leave her alone with an uncaged animal, though. Seems like that would be setting her up for failure.

 

[genuck]

I don't trust my dogs with chicks. Even the ones that "love" them have found one to play with (those darn flyers) unhappy ending... So crate, bathroom, something to keep every one out of trouble and safe.

 

[Mommysongbird]

Thanks for all your comments.

We are going to lock the chicks inthe bath room since I have a way to hand the light now and the dogs will still have free reign over the house while we are gone out. I will have to do a test run to make sure the temp stays up to where it need to be in the brooder since there is no heat in the bathroom.

 

[aggie9296]

Good luck! The heat lamp should keep them plenty warm. If not, you could add a small plug in heater in the bathroom. That's what I do in winter for the bathroom the dogs sleep in.

The ONLY reason I trust my dogs with my hens is that the chickens are BIGGER than the dogs. Each dog got pecked (once for the smarter dog, several times for the not so smart Chi) and now leave them completely alone.

If I had bigger dogs, no way they'd be alone together.

 

[debilorrah]

The only dog that can be trusted around chickens is one that is specifically trained to be a livestock guard dog. And not every breed can be trained for this either. My chickens are cooped - very large coop, but that fence needs to be in between them and the dogs.