Need new guard dog

[Pupsnpullets]

Quote:
I got mine as a pup and put a LOT of work into them to avoid any misdemeanors in the initial stages. It's very difficult to work with a dog that has already decided chasing livestock is fun.

 

[Sallyschickens]

When I was a child, we had up to 20-25 chickens that ran loose in the farm yard during the day. In the evening our flock dog (an Austrailan Shephard named Swifty) would round up ALL the loose birds and heard them all into the barn. We never clipped their wings, so some would fly all about before going into the barn. It was a big, messy job. During the day she hung out with them (and us kids) without ever hurting one chicken.

She was a stray and came to us as an adult...no formal chicken training. She learned what "Swifty, go get the chickens!" meant right away!! Off she went like she had been waiting all day for her most important chore. (The chickens were never happy about being rounded up like cattle and they squacked in protest.) But not one chicken was ever harmed. She lived with us for 13 years. To this day I can say she was the best dog I've ever had.

Well now we have a St. Bernard/Pier mix that we got off death row. She was about 1 year old when we got her. Kate guards the yard like there was no tomorrow, we call her the "Bouncer". My chickens stay in a large run about 20x20 inside the, I mean Kate's yard. She is great with preditors and pests and is finally learning to be gentle with the chickens if I let them out of their run.

I recommend both dogs, Aussies and Piers. (Kate is more Pier than Saint.) We have another pure Saint Bernard who loves the chickens and rabbits, but has very low energy and is very unobservant towards preditors etc. She is a lover not a figter.

Good Luck!!

And check out the shelters, sometimes "bad" dogs make good workers. (Kate was considered unadoptable.)