Maybe new dog-any experience with Golden Retrievers?

[GoldDogsMom]

So are you glad he didn't eat it? I would think you would be because that shows that he recognizes the chicks/chickens as YOURS!

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah...I am. It also shows his intelligence, which I love about him. Very smart dog....and, of course, I'd not keep one that wasn't!

 

[chickmashnoon]

It's sooo nice to get good reviews about goldens from you guys- we just got a golden wiener- a golden retriever/dauschund mix- and we are wondering how she might turn out. We already have a 6 lb dauschund (Bella) who is fine with the chickens- of course some weigh more than her so not sure how much has to do with temperment, training, or just plain smarts. But the dauschund is a wonderful little dog and I was hoping that the mix (Abby) would be a good fit. Her dad was a 12lb doxie so not sure how large she will be, but the retriever in her seems to have made pottytraining easier and she does seem very eager to please, much more so than my sassy little Bella.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't even want to picture that mating!!!

Who in the world lets that happen???

Did they get him a step stool?

 

[chickmashnoon]

Heheh.

My husband and I were joking that the doxie musta been saying "alright, stay right there . . . . don't move! I'll be done in a minute."

We don't know the couple, but she was giving the puppies away for free since she wasn't expecting them.

She had a golden retriever female unfixed that she had bred before but wasn't planning to again. Her dacshund and the retreiver have been around each other for 5 years and she said there was never an issue. He's 12 lbs, and let's just say she's a little out of his reach, not even counting his short legs. She seemed pretty embarassed and obviously wasn't out to make a buck since the puppies were free. The puppies looked to have a range of leg lengths and their coats ended up black and grey dapple. The puppy we picked has retriever like fur, looks like a retriever face (it may narrow closer to the doxie nose as she ages), and shorter legs, but not doxie short, just enough that you know it's not just the puppy look.

Anyway, having never even heard of the mix, I was pretty excited to hear a favorable review for most golden retrievers. I've always had little dogs (20 lbs or less), so I wan't real sure what I was getting into. Of course I still don't know since I have no idea what Abby will look like when she grows up, but at least it sounds like she will have a nice disposition.

 

[Beekissed]

Unless she has the doxie disposition towards chickens....

My sis used to raise doxies and they were the nicest little dogs~until they were around cats, chickens, small goats and just about any baby animal. In a pack they would kill anything that didn't move fast enough to get out of their reach....killed all her chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, baby goat and, not only would they kill the cats but they would EAT them. Now, these dogs had continuous feeders, so they weren't hungry....just little blood-thirsty killers.

 

[chickmashnoon]

Gosh, I hope she doesn't! I know our little dauschund is good at catching mice but of course she leaves the chickens alone since the rooster pecked her. But the puppy is going to get a lot bigger- so I will have to keep a sharp eye out. The puppy (abby) seems to be much easier to train so far, eager to please, and to understand better what is expected. I hope this works in my favor. I know dogs each have their own personality, but I am attributing some of her ease of training to being part golden retreiver. Bella was miserable to potty train!

and is just in general more bullheaded.

Yeah, doxies were originally a hunting breed and I hope it doesn't work against me.

 

[Avonlea22]

Thank you all for your comments. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond.

Looks like it's mixed reviews and is really based on the individual dog.

 

[flspnr]

Quote:
My DH had a golden when he was young that was a great guard dog for the family - a little too great sometimes. They were at a gas station and the dog was in the car and DH's dad went to use the phone (waaay back before cell phones). A guy stepped inbetween the dog and DH's dad, so the dog couldn't see her owner, and she went through the car window to get the guy that was in her way - didn't hurt him, but did scare the you know what out of him! They rehomed her when DH was trying to get her out of the trash can that she had knocked over and she turned and bit him in the lip - drawing quite a bit of blood. This was the same dog that, when DH was learning to walk and would fall in the snow, he would grab her fur to pull himself back up! Myself, I have had 2 goldens almost my whole life (one, then the other), and they were both the sweetest, most gentle creatures I have ever met! DH doesn't understand why I just don't have a fear of any dogs - he doesn't like big dogs because of the golden and because of a couple of time's he's been attacked by pitts. Yesterday there was a stray pitt in my yard, and I carefully walked up to it, watching the dog's body language. He stayed in the house.

Anyways, back to my point, any dog can be agressive. Period. It's a combination, I think, of their temperment and how they are raised (I rescued a pitt that had been abused, and she was the sweetest thing I have ever seen, so that's my reason for not thinking it's JUST how they're raised). Their golden was raised well, but her temperment was one of a guard dog, not a playful sweet golden we usually see. And, she was dumber than a box of rocks, also highly unusual for a golden. So yes, they're normally awesome dogs, but sometimes things happen! Plus, sometimes the dog bites are not agressive, per say, like in my DH's case - she was never never agressive, she just wanted her food and snapped, and none of his family believe she was trying at all to hurt him.

ETA: I just this moment rescued a pitt bull. Sweetest old guy! He's already got a good home. And yet, aren't the pitts the agressive ones? lol! This was the one that was outside last night - I thought he lived down the street so I sent him to their house, and told him to go home and he went to their porch and laid down, so... I went to let my dogs out and he was back at my house (so my dogs went inside - biosecurity there too!), and I got a leash around him and walked down the street. The neighbor about 8 houses down said they saw him dumped, but they're afraid of pitt bulls because of the reputation, so they left him alone. I walked him back to my house and my neighbors came out and asked about him - I said I was trying to find him a home and they called their dad and got him a home!

TO the OP: Research the breeds you are considering. I have 2 mutts and a daschaund, and the one mutt I would NEVER let around chickens - she wants to see them too badly! The dashound, which was bred to catch small animals, is dumb and sweet, and loves sitting in the middle of the chickens. Go figure. When you're done researching, narrow it down to 2 or 3 breeds and start looking at the puppies. When you find one that you think will do well, get that one, and start training it on a leash at first around the chickens from day one! I'm sure that if you work with the dog starting when you get him or her as a puppy, they will be fine!

 

[foxypoproxy]

Quote:
My DH had a golden when he was young that was a great guard dog for the family - a little too great sometimes. They were at a gas station and the dog was in the car and DH's dad went to use the phone (waaay back before cell phones). A guy stepped inbetween the dog and DH's dad, so the dog couldn't see her owner, and she went through the car window to get the guy that was in her way - didn't hurt him, but did scare the you know what out of him! They rehomed her when DH was trying to get her out of the trash can that she had knocked over and she turned and bit him in the lip - drawing quite a bit of blood. This was the same dog that, when DH was learning to walk and would fall in the snow, he would grab her fur to pull himself back up! Myself, I have had 2 goldens almost my whole life (one, then the other), and they were both the sweetest, most gentle creatures I have ever met! DH doesn't understand why I just don't have a fear of any dogs - he doesn't like big dogs because of the golden and because of a couple of time's he's been attacked by pitts. Yesterday there was a stray pitt in my yard, and I carefully walked up to it, watching the dog's body language. He stayed in the house.

Anyways, back to my point, any dog can be agressive. Period. It's a combination, I think, of their temperment and how they are raised (I rescued a pitt that had been abused, and she was the sweetest thing I have ever seen, so that's my reason for not thinking it's JUST how they're raised). Their golden was raised well, but her temperment was one of a guard dog, not a playful sweet golden we usually see. And, she was dumber than a box of rocks, also highly unusual for a golden. So yes, they're normally awesome dogs, but sometimes things happen! Plus, sometimes the dog bites are not agressive, per say, like in my DH's case - she was never never agressive, she just wanted her food and snapped, and none of his family believe she was trying at all to hurt him.

ETA: I just this moment rescued a pitt bull. Sweetest old guy! He's already got a good home. And yet, aren't the pitts the agressive ones? lol! This was the one that was outside last night - I thought he lived down the street so I sent him to their house, and told him to go home and he went to their porch and laid down, so... I went to let my dogs out and he was back at my house (so my dogs went inside - biosecurity there too!), and I got a leash around him and walked down the street. The neighbor about 8 houses down said they saw him dumped, but they're afraid of pitt bulls because of the reputation, so they left him alone. I walked him back to my house and my neighbors came out and asked about him - I said I was trying to find him a home and they called their dad and got him a home!

TO the OP: Research the breeds you are considering. I have 2 mutts and a daschaund, and the one mutt I would NEVER let around chickens - she wants to see them too badly! The dashound, which was bred to catch small animals, is dumb and sweet, and loves sitting in the middle of the chickens. Go figure. When you're done researching, narrow it down to 2 or 3 breeds and start looking at the puppies. When you find one that you think will do well, get that one, and start training it on a leash at first around the chickens from day one! I'm sure that if you work with the dog starting when you get him or her as a puppy, they will be fine!

I agree with this 100%!