We made sure that our Lab, Spanky, was with us all the time when our chicks were in the brooder, even put a stool where she could sit on it and look down in at the chickies. We referred to them as "her babies" and held them often where she could sniff and lick them. She did bark at them a lot, which bothered us at first til we realised that she just wanted them out of that tub. When they were old enough to move from brooder to a pen, we had her with us on a leash, and let her lay next to the pen. Again, some barking, but no overt bad behavior. Once we decided to let them out to run, we again put her on the leash and had her next to the pen when we opened it and let them out. She kissed and nudged, and wagged like crazy. After they ran loose for awhile we took her off the leash and held our breath. She ran around and pushed their butts with her nose til she had them all back in the pen. She did it everytime we let them out. If they went too far away, she would go and get them, and 'herd' them back home. Every now and then she would go around and count them. As they got older and bigger, she began to let them go farther from the pen and coop, and now she just lays there in the middle of the flock and ignores them. They jump onto her back or run under her legs if they want to get somewhere and she's in the way. She does share in treat-time with them and will occasionally grab something that you are handing to a chicken, but then on the other hand, they take the food right out of her mouth. Sometimes she swings her head and sort of 'sweeps' a chicken out of the way, but has never made any move at all to bite or swat with her feet or harm any of them. Might just be our particular dog, or might be Labs in general, or might be because we taught her that these chickens are hers. Who knows?! I know that we leave her loose with them on a regular basis with no fear whatsoever that she'll hurt them.
