New Dog

[ChickenWhisperer13]

Hello, everyone in my family wants to get a new dog. We have a border collie mix who is good with our chickens, as we have trained him, but we wanted to get a heeler/husky mix and I was wondering if it could be trained to not eat chickens.

 

[LaFleche]

There might exist some exceptions to the rule, but I would not recommend any kind of Husky-mix with chickens.

 

[sourland]

Wow, that's a combination of two high prey drive breeds. With serious obedience training, it might work.

 

[My2butterflies]

If I were you, I’d pass and save the family and the dog all the stress that it would cause. I’m still working on my boxer/pit mix pup and it has been a rough year.
Dogs with high prey drive just can’t help themselves. Even with lots of training you can’t take your eye off them.

 

[ChickenWhisperer13]

There might exist some exceptions to the rule, but I would not recommend any kind of Husky-mix with chickens.

Thank you!

 

[Duckee]

We had a husky/chow mix we got from 4 weeks old(rescued). He was abondened by his mom at a factory not long after birth. He had already been through 3 homes by that age! He had high anxiety so we put him in training after he was old enough to be fixed. We were trained in training dogs so we did the training.. He was about 10 when we got our first ducks, then chickens. Any animal WE brought to the house/yard we brought right to him and told him it was a baby, he would accept immediately. He hated cats, but loved HIS baby cats!
He died 3 years ago at 20. I miss my best dog ever
Hubby and I are finally starting to look for another puppy. Have not clue what to get.

 

[Folly's place]

Any new dog will need training, lots of training, and here it's been easier starting with a puppy, rather than with an adult dog.
Also, some breed types will be more motivated to listen to owner wishes than other more 'self right' types. Sled dogs, in general, will be harder than retrievers, in general. This has nothing to do with the individual chosen, it's just playing the odds.
Plan on a year, or two, or three, to work out the kinks, with any new dog.
Mary

 

[Will the chicken guy]

There might exist some exceptions to the rule, but I would not recommend any kind of Husky-mix with chickens.

My husky has always been good with the chickens she had no training with the chickens! Our friends also have a heeled that's just great with theirs too!

 

[LittleFalcon]

Hello, everyone in my family wants to get a new dog. We have a border collie mix who is good with our chickens, as we have trained him, but we wanted to get a heeler/husky mix and I was wondering if it could be trained to not eat chickens.

I have nine dogs and I also have chickens. 2 of the dogs are boxers which are notorious for killing chickens. I have managed to train each of them off the chickens though. It was hard but I had them trained within two days with just an hour of training a day. My male boxer still sometimes tries to grab at them when i am not out there but he is no longer trying to kill them. Whenever he manages to grab one he runs off with it and starts preening it which is kind of adorable but it is highly stressful to my little dinosaurs. All have been trained off the chickens save for our 6 month old great dane pup who was fine with the chickens but then all the sudden decided to kill them. She has severe mental issues. With a lot of work you should be able to train a husky mix off chickens. My male boxer turned 4 this year (we also got him this year) and he was still trainable. Just never give up on it! And remember, its ok to give them a quick slap on the rear when they are too interested but lots of positive reinforcement along with making them submit to the chickens and the occasional slap if they try anything should do the trick quicker than anything else.

 

[Ruthster55]

I think the one dog is enough. I don't see a reason to get another.

Remember that you want a low ratio of predators (dogs) to prey (chickens). The one well-trained dog sounds like that is already a good situation.

Also, keep in mind that the chickens produce (eggs) whereas a new dog won't produce anything, except maybe cuddles. You want to protect the animals that produce for you, even if they're more squawky than cuddly.

If you get too many dogs, the balance will be upset and you could wind up heartbroken.