Integrating dogs and pullets

[Teila]

I was hoping for some advice. I currently have 4 pullets about 7 weeks old, and in roughly 2 weeks time I am planning on getting a puppy. (She’s still too young to leave her mother, atm).
I was wondering if y’all have any tips or hacks for getting your pullets and puppies to get along well, with minimal (or even preferably no) mishaps.

I was hoping since they both are so young, I can train them to get along, and allow my chicks to “free range” my backyard (I have about an acre) and put them in the coop in the evenings.

Any words of advice or tips?

You might find this previous discussion helpful: Topic of the Week - Dogs and chickens

Best wishes!

 

[aart]

Obedience train your pup. With heeler blood, she may want to herd your birds. One important command is 'leave it'. Do not allow her off lead around the birds, and do not trust her alone with the birds. One chase and catch experience may be impossible to correct. Do NOT tie a dead chicken around her neck.

This times 1000!
Do not skimp on training the dog, and training yourself if you've never trained before. It takes a lot of clear and consistent work to get a dog to be obedient.
The first 6 months will be the most important as well as ramping it up as it reaches certain ages.
'Problem' dogs usually have 'problem' owners.

 

[centrarchid]

Immediately start working with pup to develop interest in things not chicken. Walks around perimeter of yard at least where you encourage interest animals that are not chickens. If you come across predator sign or flush a predator, quickly take pup over to location where pup can pickup on smell and share the excitement. Pup will look to see where you are looking and note your reactions. Pup will consider that later when taking lead. Excitement best when away from chickens.

 

[Folly's place]

My bird dogs knew the difference between huntable and protected (my chickens) birds. It's all about training, and working with the ingrained behaviors of the dog you have.
Mary

 

[Fairview01]

She’s a heeler lab.

Really, are you serious.

Genetics can't be trained out of an animal. The lab is genetically inclined to retrieve birds. Heelers are genetically OCD inclined to herd animals doing so by nipping at them. Combine the breeds and you'll probably have a dog that sees chickens as a living squeaky toy.

Heelers are hyper dogs. They are OCD about chasing anything that moves quickly and better yet erratically. This includes streams of water from a hose, cars and children. Anything that moves is a game.

Good luck with this and don't punish the dog when it does what comes naturally.

 

[JaeG]

Really, are you serious.

Genetics can't be trained out of an animal. The lab is genetically inclined to retrieve birds. Heelers are genetically OCD inclined to herd animals doing so by nipping at them. Combine the breeds and you'll probably have a dog that sees chickens as a living squeaky toy.

Heelers are hyper dogs. They are OCD about chasing anything that moves quickly and better yet erratically. This includes streams of water from a hose, cars and children. Anything that moves is a game.

Good luck with this and don't punish the dog when it does what comes naturally.

It's quite easy to direct those instincts to how you want them to be used. It just takes effort. Our chocolate (hyper) lab cross pointer knows which are her toys and never touches the kids because I trained her as a pup. I could leave her with my chickens unattended without fear. I have our hand reared finches and cockatiels out with her in the room without fear.

I've seen a heeler cured of it's obsession with the lawn mower by it being given a job to do: lawn mower on - dog sits in a certain spot. It's all about how much effort you put in.

 

[Fairview01]

It's quite easy to direct those instincts to how you want them to be used. It just takes effort. Our chocolate (hyper) lab cross pointer knows which are her toys and never touches the kids because I trained her as a pup. I could leave her with my chickens unattended without fear. I have our hand reared finches and cockatiels out with her in the room without fear.

I've seen a heeler cured of it's obsession with the lawn mower by it being given a job to do: lawn mower on - dog sits in a certain spot. It's all about how much effort you put in.

I agree with your last statement whole heartedly but how many dogs have you seen that has that much effort invested in them. Practically none. Most are destined to a life of solitude in the back yard and when they begin to entertain themselves they are physically punished.

I'm not saying a heeler can't be trained to coexist with erratically scattering chickens, I just don't think the average person doesn't have the dog experience and today even fewer has the luxury of time to invest in a dog.

A heeler is an OCD hyper herding dog. Even one that isn't good at it. It has drives to herd, gather and move animals from point A to point B that need to be satisfied.

Turning a heeler out, even a part heeler without supervision with a flock of crazy chickens will result in dead chickens and a beaten dog.