Introducing my dogs to my chicks

[ChickensRDinos]

x2 I believe that even high prey drive dogs can be trained around chickens it just a takes a big time commitment and a lot of work on impulse control training without the birds as well as with them. Food training is a great way to start. I think sometimes if you are trying to keep the dogs and birds separate by the dogs can see the birds through a fence/gate it actually makes them want the birds even more.

 

[Darkwings]

It's really nice to see so many people working with their dogs to get them "chicken broke". People always look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them my dog stays out with the chickens all day. Then I blow their minds and tell them she sleeps in the garage, unsupervised, with chicks when I raise them in the spring. That dog has raised about 100 chicks so far. Oh, and 2 ducks.

I started, like many of you, with the "leave it" command. We have a large stock tank that we raise our chicks in and we put her in one end and made her lay down and stay. The chicks approached her, we gave her the leave it command, and the rest is history. Koopa is an Australian Shepherd.

 

[centrarchid]

I get a very similar response when I meet people with my dog as we get back from hunting squirrels or to pickup supplies at feed store. A couple visitors appreciating free-ranging flock thought they were going to see carnage when two bird dogs came barreling up from woods through flock to check out visitor. Chickens barely looked up. Every time I explain how those dogs are ued as LGD's it seems like folks take me for being crazy. Neighbor seems to recognize dogs aptitudes since dog help control his raccoon problem.

 

[snooptwomey]

Oh yeah, and mine rarely even tried eating the chicken poo

 

[stargirl]

Our border terrier pup is totally trustworthy around my hens. They're actually more consistent with the discipline than we are, so I think he respects them more! They wander in & sleep in his bed (once Tilly laid an egg in there!), eat his food, drink his water... He watches and waits his turn, or he gets a sharp peck to the face!

Tilly has been sick this week & he knew & tried his luck, so I had to keep him separate. It's the only time it's happened, but I think it's the pack mentality of trying to take on the leader. She's back on form now and he's keeping his distance again. He's always happier with them than on his own.

He eats all the chicken poop he can get though. Hideous!

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

Just to chime in ... Training our dogs for chicken guard duty was the best thing we've ever done. Heck, we wouldn't need this section of the forum if everyone had guard dogs for their chickens.

I got some pretty skeptical looks from the dog shelter when we agreed to foster the new puppy Hagrid. He already was at the shelter because he liked cats too much. As it turned out, he just really wanted to play with the kitties. So, 3 weeks later he now has several dogs to play with and to get his playing out of the way and he's becoming very good about the chickens. Today he just laid down and watched the chickens eat in front of him. I'm guessing in a week or two he'll be ready to be with the chickens with little supervisor.

I hope everyone else has as much success.

Jim

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Did you decide to keep Hagrid after all? He is so CUTE.

 

[fowl farm]

Our border terrier pup is totally trustworthy around my hens. They're actually more consistent with the discipline than we are, so I think he respects them more! They wander in & sleep in his bed (once Tilly laid an egg in there!), eat his food, drink his water... He watches and waits his turn, or he gets a sharp peck to the face!

Tilly has been sick this week & he knew & tried his luck, so I had to keep him separate. It's the only time it's happened, but I think it's the pack mentality of trying to take on the leader. She's back on form now and he's keeping his distance again. He's always happier with them than on his own.

He eats all the chicken poop he can get though. Hideous!

My Border Collie pups and chickens do the same thing, except the puppies figured out if you get behind the chicken nothing happens and you can chase them! Luckily, that really only happens when I'm there and the chickens want food, so they gather around me and ignore the puppies.

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

Maybe ... I need to make sure my darling wife can handle him. Getting him 100% chicken trained would go a long way towards that.

Jim

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Maybe ... I need to make sure my darling wife can handle him. Getting him 100% chicken trained would go a long way towards that.

Jim

My fiance and I started "temporarily" fostering an abandoned dog (who was in appalling shape - makes me want to hurt people). After almost a year I have a feeling she is sticking around.