How to introduce dogs to chicks?

[Hanna710]

Hello, I'm raising my first batch of chicks soon and was wondering how I get my dogs (who have never been around many small animals) used to them from a young age? They are boxers and aren't aggressive twords other animals unless they feel threatened, and we are thinking if we introduce them young they can get used to them by the time they are older. Any tips or help?

 

[azygous]

I am going to take a wild guess that you've never trained a dog beyond housebreaking puppies. I suggest you instead focus on how to keep the chickens and dogs safely separated. Dogs are prey animals. Chickens are prey. You need to have a deep understanding of canine motivations and how to control them to pull this off.

This is my version of, "don't try this at home."

 

[MochaChickMama]

I'm following this thread, for some positive stories, but I have the same initial reaction as the previous poster. My shih tzu/poodle mix is so crazy interested in them and I will not allow her to be free around them at all. We have held her up by the brooder to see but that's it. We let the chicks roam a bit now that it's warm for a time in the afternoon and our dogs are crated. I can't see myself ever feeling comfortable with them free ranging and our dogs around (the other is a very sweet but also protective pit mix who has completely ignored them since they got here).

 

[aart]

Hello, I'm raising my first batch of chicks soon and was wondering how I get my dogs (who have never been around many small animals) used to them from a young age? They are boxers and aren't aggressive twords other animals unless they feel threatened, and we are thinking if we introduce them young they can get used to them by the time they are older. Any tips or help?

How old are your dogs, how long have you had them, and how obedient are they?
Being in complete control of your dogs is the first step.
If they know the 'leave it' and 'come' commands and obey them well,
you should not have too much trouble training them not to eat the chicks.
But do keep the chicks entirely secure and the dogs contained until they are acclimated to the birds.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Er, well to accumulate dogs first you go on craigslist and buy whole litters of puppies....

But to ACCLIMATE dogs requires a lot of training starting with basic obedience. You dogs should know sit, come, down, stay and leave it before you even begin. Some dogs that behave with these commands perfectly in normal circumstances go a lil crazy when they see chickens and you have to know how to motivate, distract and refocus your dogs.

 

[Hanna710]

I am going to take a wild guess that you've never trained a dog beyond housebreaking puppies. I suggest you instead focus on how to keep the chickens and dogs safely separated. Dogs are prey animals. Chickens are prey. You need to have a deep understanding of canine motivations and how to control them to pull this off.

This is my version of, "don't try this at home."

We are planning on keeping the chickens in a separate space, but things happen sometimes and we want to be cautious. Our dogs are very sweet and aren't aggressive twords other animals such as our reptiles that we have out and about quite a bit and our male actually seems afraid of them. I'd actually wish my dogs would go after the pests we have on the property. I've trained them basic tricks and guard commands but it's my other family members who aren't persistent in training them that's the issue.

 

[Hanna710]

How old are your dogs, how long have you had them, and how obedient are they?
Being in complete control of your dogs is the first step.
If they know the 'leave it' and 'come' commands and obey them well,
you should not have too much trouble training them not to eat the chicks.
But do keep the chicks entirely secure and the dogs contained until they are acclimated to the birds.

Our 4 YR old male is mostly afraid of any small animal so Im not worried about that, but our 5 year old female is protective if she's never met something before unless we introduce her. Our male listens quite well and picks it up in a few days but our female is a bit work but she gets around to it. We have an empty room in the house that we are keeping the brooder in until they are grown enough to go outside so they wouldnt be around them without supervision. I probably should of put we will have a large, fully sectioned off area for them but we wanted to be cautious just in case one slips out. They won't be free roaming the property with the dogs but we want to have them somewhat used to them.

 

[Hanna710]

Er, well to accumulate dogs first you go on craigslist and buy whole litters of puppies....

But to ACCLIMATE dogs requires a lot of training starting with basic obedience. You dogs should know sit, come, down, stay and leave it before you even begin. Some dogs that behave with these commands perfectly in normal circumstances go a lil crazy when they see chickens and you have to know how to motivate, distract and refocus your dogs.

O
I didn't use the right wording I just wanted them to get used to them being around in case something happened. If you see my replies to other people it explains a lot more.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

O
I didn't use the right wording I just wanted them to get used to them being around in case something happened. If you see my replies to other people it explains a lot more.

Yeah, I was making a joke. Accumulate means to collect and increase the number of something. I thought it was funny that someone might want to collect more dogs. Goodness knows I certainly want to!

Acclimate means to get used to slowly, which is exactly what I'd do - go slow. Take your time. Start with exposure a little bit at a time and do basic obedience work in places the chickens can be seen but not touched, like with the dog on a lead or the chickens in a pen. Reward good behavior (which is ignoring the birds) and if they start getting nosy/too interested in the birds, move further away and try again.

 

[Hanna710]

I'm following this thread, for some positive stories, but I have the same initial reaction as the previous poster. My shih tzu/poodle mix is so crazy interested in them and I will not allow her to be free around them at all. We have held her up by the brooder to see but that's it. We let the chicks roam a bit now that it's warm for a time in the afternoon and our dogs are crated. I can't see myself ever feeling comfortable with them free ranging and our dogs around (the other is a very sweet but also protective pit mix who has completely ignored them since they got here).

If you look at my reply to the other posts it explains a lot more. Our dogs are boxers and such big babies, and the dogs won't be unsupervised around the chicks. We aren't planning on free roaming them but instead we have a large area that is fenced off from other animals and we will be getting/building our coop soon seeing as we still have some time until we hatch the eggs and they are big enough to be outside by themselves in said area. We just want to be cautious in case one slips out of the area or something happeneds where our dogs would have contact.