I have never seen a labrador with THAT much self control before...

[Tigress]

I have two labs and a border collie. One lab is 13 years (too old to chase or even care about chickens), the collie is 6 months, and the other lab is in perfect shape at 5 or 6 years. The one I am most worried about hurting my poultry is the younger lab. He is HUGE, 105 pounds but still thin and was bred by a farmer who used the parents to create giant, pure field lab puppies designed for hunting.

I took out a juvenile buff silkie roo that I had planned on selling as a cull and held it up to this dog. Not only were his eyes dialated to the point he looked like a cat, but he was pointing with his paw (great pointer by the way) and drooling what seemed to be buckets of drool... all signs that he wanted the bird.

I asked him to come closer and touch the silkie since he seemed to be doing well in not trying to hurt it. He did just as he was asked, "Come here. Touch. Gentle." All words he is trained to know the meaning of, the last used when we want to show him something without him biting/grabbing it.

When he touched the silkie it squawked and the dog's head quivered, telling me that he was really trying hard to fight this instinct to grab the bird.

He did EXCELLENT!

Now, I won't let him run with the chickens yet, due to him just beginning training with these birds. But maybe some point in time I will be able to leave him alone with them without worrying, because he acts like his goal in life is to make humans (me especially) happy

Let me see if I can pull up a picture of him...

 

[Wolfwoman]

Good dog!!!

Awww he's not so big!! I had a yellow lab female that was 85lbs and her daughter is 95

Big and loveable!

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a 108# Chocolate Lab... he's bored by the birds unless they're actively pecking him to the point where it hurts.

 

[paddock36]

I have a Lab-Newfoundland mix named Jack. He's been the best dog ever! No problems with the chickens at all. I can leave him out with them and he doesn't even try to touch them. I wish I could say the same about my Dachshounds.
This is Jack and Sparky.

 

[33yardbirds]

I have a Yellow Lab that I got at 7 wks old and started trainng him for duck hunting right away. He will lay on my right side with chickens inches from his nose. The only thing that moves are those lashes above his eyes. No interest in grabbing at or running at the birds. You're right when you say They just want to please us. They thrive on praise.

 

[chick4chicks]

Please please tell me my Black Lab. will be this calm. She is almost 6 mo. old and a rip. LOL. I can't trust her around the chicks.

 

[Beekissed]

My lab mixes are extremely calm around the chickens....the younger one was caught cuddling with all 20 meaties and had one between his paws licking it. It had a wound inflicted by a roo's spur and he was licking the place. He stood up and dropped chicks like fleas around him when we tried to get a pic!

Caught him....a bird dog, licking chicks!

 

[noodleroo]

That's a really good dog. We had to put down our older lab last year. It really broke my heart. Labs have such a need to please people and have so much heart; so much unconditional love....

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

The only time our Lab even runs toward my chickens is to beat them to the scraps I throw out... The chickens will take stuff right out from under his mouth... Never had a problem with him. He loves them. Even naps next to the run on occasion. My other dog is scared to death of the chickens, it's hilarious.

 

[red roo]

i have 4 american pitbull teriers" so good with people" but they HATE critters ofany kind