Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Beekissed]

You've not only got a Newfie, but you've got a Landseer Newfie!!!!

Serious dog envy and love going on here!!!!!

What a very beautiful animal...nice tight flews too, which I love. You must have found a really good breeder. How do you rate his/her performance as a homestead dog? Living by the ocean, do you get to take him/her out for swimming a lot? Do any rescue trials? Any drafting?

 

[islandgirl82]

You've not only got a Newfie, but you've got a Landseer Newfie!!!!

Serious dog envy and love going on here!!!!!

What a very beautiful animal...nice tight flews too, which I love. You must have found a really good breeder. How do you rate his/her performance as a homestead dog? Living by the ocean, do you get to take him/her out for swimming a lot? Do any rescue trials? Any drafting?

I love the Landseers and he was given to me after a couple living in an apartment on Long Island decided they didn't want him anymore. He's not a drooler which I love. His father was supposedly an import from Canada which is why. He's fantastic with babies (which I think to him, is anything smaller than he is), no matter what kind and he's protected my flock from stray dogs and he even chased off a crow who had my GSH pinned to the ground last summer, then sat with the flock for the rest of the day to look after them. He also went after a vicious rooster I no longer have after he bit me and drew blood and used to attack my hens.

I got him before the thought of having chickens every crossed my mind as a 9 month old pup and I was 6 months pregnant with my son. We met, he sniffed my belly, sat on my feet and hasn't left my side since. He's a "where ever I am dog", not at my heels, just in the same area. He's 9 years old so no trials or drafting but when I go swimming he won't leave me alone so I point him towards the shore and hold onto his hips so he can swim me back and think he's rescuing me. He's a great nanny and guide. He taught my foster westie last summer who was friend and who was foe. I just adopted another today but won't pick him up until the end of the week and I'm hoping he'll help guide this new one too (actually, I have no doubt he will). I love the combination. Willie has his size to help him deter predators and only reacts when absolutely necessary (when someone is being chased or injured), the westie has the speed and fearlessness making them a well balanced duo for keeping vermin and predators away.

Unfortunately he's allergic to EVERYTHING so he's on a bison/venison only diet and I mix hemp seed oil and turmeric in his food to help with his skin and joints.

 

[Beekissed]

What a wonderful story!!!! Thank you for sharing his pic and story here, Islandgirl.....what a blessing to have such a dog for the family and homestead! I just knew that Newfies would be great homestead dogs....I think it takes a certain level of nurturing and guarding for a dog to be a success at that and the breed has that in spades. And so very intelligent and easy to train, from what I've read. You are truly blessed with that one.

It's not a breed one sees in these parts, so I've never seen a purebred one in real life yet, though I've seen Newfie mix dogs....my sister owns one.

 

[vpatt]

You bet!

Hes beautiful......i would love to have one.

 

[islandgirl82]

I grew up with GPs, Newfies, Newfie mixes and mastiff mixes and Newfies are by far my favorite. They are very intelligent, however, they won't follow commands of people whom they don't respect and if they do, they take their sweet time doing so. They also respond much better to soft voices than being given loud or harsh commands. On the extremely rare occasion mine does something I don't want him to do, truly, a stern look is all it takes and he'll mope for hours. I had one years ago who learned to follow commands in sign language and I didn't even have to speak to her to get her to do what I wanted.

Willie is my right hand. He picks up on things that I don't and acts accordingly, as he did with the crow. He heard the commotion and charged out the door straight for the flock which is something he had never done and was very unlike him. I ran out after him and saw him going for the crow. I never thought he really paid much attention to the chickens. Tolerated them, yes but to break up an attack and be able to differenciate between one of my birds and another who wasn't but close to the same size was shocking to me. Maybe he didn't, he just knew that someone was being hurt and he's a peace keeper.

But as with all breeds, there are always exceptions to the rules and I had a female who was terrible with puppies, babies and anything little. She had lyme which didn't help and she would break out in hives if she had to be around them. I have also known others who could not be broken of their prey drive. Some would kill raccoons, porcupines and such that came onto the property but that was mostly the females (and one male Newfie/Chow Chow mix) who would go out looking for them and drop them on the door step for us. The males would stick closer to the house and scan the property from their chosen posts. I found the same when it came to water. The females were the first ones in and swimming, the males would go in up to their bellies unless a human was in the water too. I don't know if that's typical or not. It's just been my experience.

 

[dpenning]

You bet!

Beautiful! I love the landseers. I have always had blacks. Have moved to mastiffs since I live in TX and even being indoor dogs it is just too hot for them. Most wonderful personalities in the world.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Just had a scare. Girls were near pasture line, NE of the cabin, when I heard a Chicken Scream 'HELP!' THANK HEAVENS my hound dog, the more protective one, was out! Girls are hiding now, can see where Cornish Rock left feathers but have a head Count, they're ALL there. WHEW!! I wasn't fast enough so without Dixie Dog, I would of been Down One... WHEW!!!

Probably that same fox that nabbed so many of my girls a couple of years ago!!!
Let's hear for our Dogs....

 

[ShrekDawg]

Island girl youre making me want a newfie LOL we have a great Pyrenees black Lab mix. He used to chase the chickens and still sometimes does but he's better now. I dont dare free range with him out though. But he too picks a post and sticks to it, usually a hill or spot where he can see everything, it's never behimd the house or somewhere he can't see everything. Although he is somewhat oblivious. had a hawk attack a couple months ago and he slept through it... i only found out when i saw the hawk in a tree and realized all my chickens were missing. Thankfully found them all and no one injured. Just lost feathers. Since then i no longer just dont watch and barely even free range, only occasionally a couple hours before bed now, not all day like the incident. And just last month (june since its july now wow), a few weeks ago, neighbors dog came over (they're right behind us) and was running laps around the chicken pen. Fortunately he listened when they called him home but Gator slept through it.... he tends to sleep on the bed all day but this was the backyard and there's a window, he should have heard it. Window was shut but still. He only looks out the window on the other wall usually because that looks over the whole front yard and driveway, he tends not to care about the backyard or chickens. He only cared when I let him out a few minutes later and he smelled him..... sometimes he doesn't even hear us come in or delivery trucks and then he freaks out AFTER they're leaving or we're already inside until he relaizes it's us lol it's kind of funny to tease him by coming home late at night and not saying a word, just walking into the house silently, and then watch him come barreling out of the bedroom and let out one or two barks, maybe a growl, then realize who it is and get all happy LOL he does it if he smells delivery people after they leave or sees the truck just leaving, hey, missed the threat, gotta let out some warnings. Ya know, just in case they're still there.

he's great and VERY protective when he notices, he will go ballistic, lunging and the windowswindows and aggressive scary barking when he notices delivery people, animals, etc. But it's pretty funny when he DOESN'T notice and then tries to compensate, coming barreling out, tripping over himself, letting out empty warning barks

 

[ShrekDawg]

And thats great about your dog being out there and stopping it, color

 

[Beekissed]

Just had a scare. Girls were near pasture line, NE of the cabin, when I heard a Chicken Scream 'HELP!' THANK HEAVENS my hound dog, the more protective one, was out! Girls are hiding now, can see where Cornish Rock left feathers but have a head Count, they're ALL there. WHEW!! I wasn't fast enough so without Dixie Dog, I would of been Down One... WHEW!!!

Probably that same fox that nabbed so many of my girls a couple of years ago!!!
Let's hear for our Dogs....

For the dogs!!!!!!! I wouldn't even bother to try and have chickens here without my dogs on guard 24/7....would be impossible to keep them safe.

Good dog, Dixie Dog!