Huskies and chickens

[NellaBean]

My cousins have a husky mix. he is an old geezer now, but in his youth he would jump up and pick cats off the top of their cinderblock wall. Neighborhood cats were greatly thinned out in his younger years. Nothing could stop that dog from killing anything small that was nearby. Even a tomcat or raccoon could tear his face to pieces and he would still demolish it. I would never add a husky to chickens.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
What she said. Very high prey drive..

 

[brandibaby23]

I think Golden retrievers are excellent with chickens, and great Pyrenees, and I am sure everyone on here prob has their opinion on the best kind of dog to have with chickens. I definitely wouldn't have a husky again. I had one last year that I rescued it was a mess, I couldn't keep my chickens safe, that dog jumped over fences, pulled out the chain, scared my ducks away they never did come back after that dog was here. It killed several chicks and full grown chickens. It was a night mare, she just had so much energy and I couldn't get her to learn or listen to anything. I also live in the country she had room to run and run she did! Luckily I found her a wonderful home with horses and cows and a young boy who loves her to death, but he told me she even chases the horses but she doesn't hurt them, just is fun for her! So I would try and talk your family into another breed of dog if "I were you"

 

[Orchid]

I have two dogs right now, a basset hound and a yellow lab. The basset was excellent with the chickens from the moment we got them; the lab required some training but does very well with them now. They are both breeds with their advantages and drawbacks, too, though - any breed has them. You really need to figure out what you want in a dog (especially since you personally really don't care for dogs, it's very important to know what you can live with

) before you get one.

 

[Wolfwoman]

I've had nothing but huskies and labs all my life. That being said, the answer is NO, they're mostly not good with small critters. I have 7 husky mixes now and there's only ONE that I trust around the chickens and she's 1/2 lab.

Plus, do you like to chase dogs?

Huskies are runners if they aren't contained or excersied enough. And they run fast and FAR. It is just what they do!

I love em to death, but they are a LOT of work

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
Mine too. I have a HALF-husky that I trust with my chickens but I can't trust her with small dogs. Just a few weekends ago when she and DD were down visiting my mother, she attacked a small Boston Terrier. Granted, the dog ran up to her yapping, but still.

As much as I love Blaze, she was VERY high energy when she was young. The only way I could get her tired was to go trail riding on my horse and take her along. Huskies also "blow" their coats which is uber-shedding for a short period of time. The rest of the time they just shed.

If you want a family dog, try looking into a golden retriever or labrador retriever. They are very family oriented, intelligent dogs. Just make sure they don't get obese.

 

[AuroraSprings]

Here's our Siberian:

8 weeks old- stalking the cat already

Stalking the cat and considering if she could get after the donkeys

Same Siberian post broken back & corrective surgery (notice on tie-out because electric fences meant NOTHING to her)

We thought we could divide the backyard and use half for our top show quality Runners. The fence was sturdy enough to keep the Pit Bull and Great Dane out, but not the Siberian.
RIP Runner Ducks

Ours still has to be watched around our mischievous , indoor cat. She plays a little TOO serious with him sometimes. She's "too much dog" for most of the other dogs even! We have what we think is a coyote/husky mix (sure looks JUST like coyote) and he can only handle about 15 mins of her before he runs to us to hide. So I too would recommend you get a more "eager to please" breed. Poodles and most Retrievers are easy to train and eager to please, both of which should help keep the prey drive to a minimum.

 

[omahalostpunk]

With your chickens I would recommend sheparding or herding dogs. Like an Aussie shepard or German Shepard if you like the look of huskies. Great peranies are known for being great for watching people free range birds. I've seen several stories about them on here. I would stay away from labs and other hunting breeds of dogs. I would also stay away from most terriers, if I remember correctly they were breed to hunt smaller burrowing animals like rabbits and foxes.

I've had a husky mix and I can say without a doubt they have a lot of energy and a nature pery instinct you can't get out of them. From what I can tell they hunt on sight, if its smaller than them and moves its a meal. Then again she would chase down animals bigger than her too. Deer, and horses mostly she got kicked at least once but didn't learn from it. She also got sprayed by a skunk and still chased them. Huskies are great dogs with very unique personalities, but they will make your life hell if you don't give them a lot of excersize. I don't just mean run them like mad, you have to also challenge their brain. They get bored easy and when they are board that's when things start getting ate or the carpet gets removed for you.

 

[The Lisser]

I have a half husky, who I got from a dog rescue organization as a 2 year old. She is also half German Shepherd, which I think helps a lot to reduce some of those husky behaviors but she:

1. escapes our 5' chain link fence every time there's a thunderstorm unless I rush home and put her inside
2. has killed two cats and tried to kill 3 others that fortunately I was home to intervene
3. When she got loose she went and chased our neighbor's calves.
4. Is not very happy indoors and will poop on purpose and tear stuff up
5. is a compulsive eater - I don't know if this is due to the husky or just because she is who she is - but she rips up every dog bed I've ever bought for her, destroyed couch cushions, pillows, eats blankets, rugs, rocks (yes, rocks), any cardboard or paper she can get her paws on, and poop. Her own poop. Constantly. And she is not for lack of dog food and treats - in fact she is the perfect weight for her frame and I take her in to the vet on a regular basis and have had her blood checked so she is not deficient in something.

Plus huskies, although they are not super dominant, have been bred to have a mind of their own, and training them is like "Okay, I will do this if the reward is good enough but only if I want to."

We also have a boxer, who can live in the house with the cats, does not poop/pee in the house, does not chew up stuff, does not shed 40 lbs of hair every year, and is a great guard dog. Of course she can't stay outside in the extreme hot or cold, and she will eat food that she's not supposed to if she gets access to it (like cookies, etc - you have to be careful cause some foods are poisonous to dogs).

Anyway if you don't like dogs I wouldn't sign up for one that's going to be trouble from the get-go. Good luck!

 

[Hound]

The right dog may change your mind about them. A Husky....well

I would absolutely go for a Golden Retriever or a Golden Retriever mix (with something also more obedience-inclined, e.g a Golden/Aussie, Golden/Lab). Golden Retrievers are one of the best breeds for first time owners and families, they want to please which is 50% of the battle.

BUT I will never trust any dog loose with poultry. It's not fair on the dog (or the birds).