Jack Russell Terrier

[Lone Wolf]

I was wanting to know if you could have a JRT and chickens? I know that they have a big prey drive but I know some people have Pit Bulls, GSP, and Retrievers. Any advice would be very helpful!

Grace

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I was wanting to know if you could have a JRT and chickens? I know that they have a big prey drive but I know some people have Pit Bulls, GSP, and Retrievers. Any advice would be very helpful!

Grace

Probably, if you train it right from when it was just a little puppy (And raise it with chickens)!!
Good Luck!!

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thank you!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Thank you!

No Problem!!

 

[Lone Wolf]

 

[donrae]

You can try, but you'll need a way to secure the birds from the dogs unless you plan to never EVER have the dog out without your constant supervision. It will take a long time for a jrt to be dependable around birds, if ever.

 

[babyrabbitjones]

I have a terrier mix with a strong prey drive. He has no interest in my chickens (upon meeting them, he received one firm correction about how close he could get to them) as the chickens do their own thing with little regard towards him. However he does chase after my cats, I think because they freak out all wide eyed and dash off from him, and he can't resist all that action. There's hope, good luck!

 

[donrae]

I have a terrier mix with a strong prey drive. He has no interest in my chickens (upon meeting them, he received one firm correction about how close he could get to them) as the chickens do their own thing with little regard towards him. However he does chase after my cats, I think because they freak out all wide eyed and dash off from him, and he can't resist all that action. There's hope, good luck!

It's funny, I have some cats that run FROM the dogs, and some cats that run WITH the dogs! No kidding, we come out of the barn with some barn cats tagging along, the dogs look down the driveway and see a cat that'll run and they tear off after it, the barn cats run along like "Hey, getting some exercise, huh?". The dogs try to get the barn cats to run, the cats just love up on them. It's the porch cats that spaz and run.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks everyone! Good info

Also donrae that is a funny story.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

We have a small dog of unknown lineage. She's probably got a good dose of Cattle Dog and probably some Norwegian Elkhund as well. She has a high prey drive, chasing squirrels she has no chance of ever catching, chasing rabbits, birds, deer...the cat if she can get it to run. She has learned to leave the chickens alone. I let her come out to the garage when they were babies and sniff at them over the side of the brooder. I also spent lots of time with her outside with the chickens when they were older, chicken treats in one pocket and dog treats in another, keeping an eye on her and rewarding her for letting the chickens mill around us. Now I can teather her outside with my other dog when I let the chickens out to free range and she pretty much ignores them.

That said, I'm not sure I'd ever let her just run loose with the chickens. Right now she'd probably just run off to play with the neighbors dogs, but if I had an inclosed yard that would contain both dogs and chickens, I woudn't trust her not to get borred and decide to start a commotion just for fun, or if the chickens ran or flapped, it might trigger her prey drive/cattle dog instincts.

We call her "the fun police" because if anyone is getting too crazy or moving to fast she has to come in and try to establish control.