Introducing a new dog to 4 month old chickens

[angc11]

Hello all! Kind of a weirdly specific question, but I am hoping maybe someone can give me some guidance here. I am a first time chicken owner, I hatched out chicks of mixed heritage breeds 15 weeks ago and they're all happy and healthy. I have 17 hens and 4 roosters (I butchered the excess roos a couple weeks ago). They have been outside since they were 6 weeks old, partially ranging within electric netting and now they are ranging on about an acre of woods.

I don't have any other animals except for the chickens. I have just been presented the opportunity to potentially adopt a 4 year old red heeler (aussie cattle dog) that is supposedly very good with chickens. Her owner just passed away and she was an outdoor farm dog with chickens that she helped herd into their coop. I met her and she is very high energy and definitely needs some basic training and I would work with her extensively on that and also exercise her quite a bit before introducing her to the chickens. I know heelers typically are more for herding cattle and bigger livestock, but I have been assured she has been around chickens her whole life and does well with them. My ultimate ideal goal would be for her to stay out in the backyard with the chickens during the day, keeping an eye on things and maybe even training her to bark at hawks. And really just having her as a general outdoor farm dog.

Before I consider adopting her, my main question is, how hard is this going to be for the chickens to get used to the dog, even if best case scenario the dog is calm and well behaved around the chickens? My chickens are pretty skittish. I have one rooster (Caeser) who is very brave and has taken his place as the alpha rooster, but the rest of the flock is pretty scared of any new thing I introduce to them, even if it's an inanimate object like new roosting bars. They trust me as long as I have food and I am working on gaining their trust more and more (I am a constant presence in the backyard because I work from home so I always take some time to visit with them or work out in the garden near them). I'm thinking that if I introduced what they view as an unknown predator into their territory, they'd hide in their coop and I'd have a hard time getting them to come out and act normally around the dog and not be traumatized. Am I thinking incorrectly here? Has anyone tried to do this to great success or failure? I would love any guidance. I am basically of the mind right now that adopting this dog will be more trouble than it's worth, because I have finally gotten to the point with my chickens where they feel relaxed around me and this may break my trust with them for a while. I'm also working with Caeser (my alpha rooster) to have a trust filled relationship with me so that he doesn't attack me once he reaches full sexual maturity so I am also concerned that this will set back my work with him.

 

[NatJ]

If no-one has any better ideas, maybe bring the dog home for a visit, and walk her around on the leash.

This would give you a chance to see how she reacts to the chickens, and how the chickens react to her.

I would not try to take the dog right up to the chickens, just walk her around or let her wander on a long leash, and watch how things go. Or work on training a little bit, since you said she needs some of that too.

If she completely ignores the chickens (common in chicken-safe dogs), and if she does not chase them or act like a predator, the chickens might not be too bothered by her either.

On the other hand, if she tries to chase the chickens, she is probably not a dog you want at this time.

I have finally gotten to the point with my chickens where they feel relaxed around me and this may break my trust with them for a while.

The chickens probably will not trust you while you have a dog on a leash, at least until they accept the dog.

But if you leave the dog in the house and come outside without her, and act the way you have been acting, I would expect the chickens to act pretty much normal around you too.

(Of course I may be wrong, and if I am, I hope that someone else will chime in to say so.)

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the dog is truly chill around the chickens (which it may not be, being an energetic herding dog) the chickens should get used to it without much difficulty. It's all about exposure. If the dog doesn't chase them and is either neutral or neutral interested, then the chickens will react in kind. Even my skittish birds aren't afraid of my neutral dog, and they'll actively follow my mildly interested-but-neutral dog along the fence, but they bolt as soon as they see my prey driven third dog.

 

[angc11]

Thank you @NatJ and @rosemarythyme for these responses! This actually really helps. I do believe you both are right, it's all up to whether the dog will be as good with chickens as they say she is. I do think there could potentially be a problem where she tries to herd them too much if she's bored and/or hasn't been exercised well enough. I think I will see if I can do a trial with the dog and do a very cursory leashed introduction like NatJ was describing before I make any decisions one way or the other. Thank you!!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Before I consider adopting her, my main question is, how hard is this going to be for the chickens to get used to the dog, even if best case scenario the dog is calm and well behaved around the chickens? My chickens are pretty skittish.

My bantams are also pretty skittish. A couple of weeks after being moved outside from the brooder, my neighbor resumed his multi-year demolition project about 50 ft from their pen. The first day was rough, but I sat out with them to encourage eating, drinking, and leaving the coop. The second day, they did not care. If they do not have a negative experience with the dog, they will eventually not care about the dog. Chickens have been very adaptable, in my experience.

 

[angc11]

@thecatumbrella that is great to know, I am glad to hear someone else has skittish bantams! but yeah now that you mention it, i guess mine get used to things too. they used to be terrified of airplanes flying overhead but don't even react now. I do think it's just a question of the dog at this point then. Thank you all!

 

[Ridgerunner]

A story to reinforce what the others said. The first time I ran the lawn mower near the run, the chickens panicked and ran into the coop. But they very quickly learned it was throwing bits of grass into the run. In no time they came running when they heard the lawn mower. The problem will not be the chickens.

When I introduced the dogs to the chickens one dog was fine, the other had to be discouraged from chasing them. The dog will be your issue, either good or bad.

 

[ColoradoChicken89]

Hello all! Kind of a weirdly specific question, but I am hoping maybe someone can give me some guidance here. I am a first time chicken owner, I hatched out chicks of mixed heritage breeds 15 weeks ago and they're all happy and healthy. I have 17 hens and 4 roosters (I butchered the excess roos a couple weeks ago). They have been outside since they were 6 weeks old, partially ranging within electric netting and now they are ranging on about an acre of woods.

I don't have any other animals except for the chickens. I have just been presented the opportunity to potentially adopt a 4 year old red heeler (aussie cattle dog) that is supposedly very good with chickens. Her owner just passed away and she was an outdoor farm dog with chickens that she helped herd into their coop. I met her and she is very high energy and definitely needs some basic training and I would work with her extensively on that and also exercise her quite a bit before introducing her to the chickens. I know heelers typically are more for herding cattle and bigger livestock, but I have been assured she has been around chickens her whole life and does well with them. My ultimate ideal goal would be for her to stay out in the backyard with the chickens during the day, keeping an eye on things and maybe even training her to bark at hawks. And really just having her as a general outdoor farm dog.

Before I consider adopting her, my main question is, how hard is this going to be for the chickens to get used to the dog, even if best case scenario the dog is calm and well behaved around the chickens? My chickens are pretty skittish. I have one rooster (Caeser) who is very brave and has taken his place as the alpha rooster, but the rest of the flock is pretty scared of any new thing I introduce to them, even if it's an inanimate object like new roosting bars. They trust me as long as I have food and I am working on gaining their trust more and more (I am a constant presence in the backyard because I work from home so I always take some time to visit with them or work out in the garden near them). I'm thinking that if I introduced what they view as an unknown predator into their territory, they'd hide in their coop and I'd have a hard time getting them to come out and act normally around the dog and not be traumatized. Am I thinking incorrectly here? Has anyone tried to do this to great success or failure? I would love any guidance. I am basically of the mind right now that adopting this dog will be more trouble than it's worth, because I have finally gotten to the point with my chickens where they feel relaxed around me and this may break my trust with them for a while. I'm also working with Caeser (my alpha rooster) to have a trust filled relationship with me so that he doesn't attack me once he reaches full sexual maturity so I am also concerned that this will set back my work with him.

I have a heeler, and 7 chicks right now that are almost 4 weeks, and seriously got everyone getting along well enough in a week tops. Heelers in generally just tend to be really easy to train, especially if they are attached to someone (like a work from home person).

First, I would just recommend leashes. All kinds of leashes. leashes that attach to your hip, leashes that are staked in the ground near ish (but not too close) to the chicken hang outs... anywhere it's safe for the dog to chill nearby, without being a threat. This will kinda teach the dog they can't chase them, and lets the chickens explore the dog on their own.

Second, just reward every single time the dog ignores the chickens... I keep cheap little training treats with me, and then cut them into 1/4 the side of that, and then drop a few at the dog when it settles/lays down on the leash. Like any sort of relaxed/ignoring the chickens behavior, gently toss a few. I would also sometimes give my girl a bone with a tiny bit of unsalted peanut butter smeared inside, or something that will take her awhile to get through, just to keep her distracted for like the first 15 ish minutes.

Eventually, the dog will learn when and where it's supposed to chill out, and the chickens/roosters will get used to where the dog is. Then you can probably just let the dog off leash ... with caution and as much as you trust.

TBH though, heelers tend to be extremely intelligent, but they get attached to one person (and won't listen to a soul else LOL). Though they would steal the moon if they could for that one person ... so as long as you build the right bond with a heeler, you shouldn't have any issues (but also I'm bias for heelers). Just don't expect them to listen to anyone else.

Also with a heeler, I recommend you practice your annoying noises. All my heelers have responded really well to my random sounds. Loud buzzer sound is "no/wrong"; yelling "hey" (mom voice) is "you know what you are doing wrong"; kissy sounds is "come here"; a loud gasp of air is "stop and check in/eyes on me"; a growl is "go away"; snapping at the ground means "lay down here"; opinting at the ground means to sit there ... etc. You'll eventually create your own, but if you have a good bond with the dog, it will literally learn all your little quirks. If trying to train a specific command, keep the word/guesture, whatever, simple. Heelers really love to please their person though.

 

[ColoradoChicken89]

Granted though, my dog is also a "best case scenario"... PLUS, I NEVER leave her alone with any of them. I'm always monitoring her... It would take awhile for me to trust ANY dog fully 100% alone with chickens.



As you can see ... I'm sitting right there lol. Only god knows what was going on in that head of hers, and I'm 1000% sure she would have done something stupid if she hadn't been taught a lot of impulse control and not wanting to piss me off

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I have a heeler, and 7 chicks right now that are almost 4 weeks, and seriously got everyone getting along well enough in a week tops. Heelers in generally just tend to be really easy to train, especially if they are attached to someone (like a work from home person).

First, I would just recommend leashes. All kinds of leashes. leashes that attach to your hip, leashes that are staked in the ground near ish (but not too close) to the chicken hang outs... anywhere it's safe for the dog to chill nearby, without being a threat. This will kinda teach the dog they can't chase them, and lets the chickens explore the dog on their own.

Second, just reward every single time the dog ignores the chickens... I keep cheap little training treats with me, and then cut them into 1/4 the side of that, and then drop a few at the dog when it settles/lays down on the leash. Like any sort of relaxed/ignoring the chickens behavior, gently toss a few. I would also sometimes give my girl a bone with a tiny bit of unsalted peanut butter smeared inside, or something that will take her awhile to get through, just to keep her distracted for like the first 15 ish minutes.

Eventually, the dog will learn when and where it's supposed to chill out, and the chickens/roosters will get used to where the dog is. Then you can probably just let the dog off leash ... with caution and as much as you trust.

TBH though, heelers tend to be extremely intelligent, but they get attached to one person (and won't listen to a soul else LOL). Though they would steal the moon if they could for that one person ... so as long as you build the right bond with a heeler, you shouldn't have any issues (but also I'm bias for heelers). Just don't expect them to listen to anyone else.

Also with a heeler, I recommend you practice your annoying noises. All my heelers have responded really well to my random sounds. Loud buzzer sound is "no/wrong"; yelling "hey" (mom voice) is "you know what you are doing wrong"; kissy sounds is "come here"; a loud gasp of air is "stop and check in/eyes on me"; a growl is "go away"; snapping at the ground means "lay down here"; opinting at the ground means to sit there ... etc. You'll eventually create your own, but if you have a good bond with the dog, it will literally learn all your little quirks. If trying to train a specific command, keep the word/guesture, whatever, simple. Heelers really love to please their person though.

I see that you have trained her as a service dog. Will heelers also attach to two people? (a couple.)

We are retired and looking for a new complication in our lives a dog that isn’t completely nutso for the first two years, etc.

Beautiful dog!