New puppy love: Beware of bringing home those cute deceiving predators!

[featherhead007]

My dogs are of the high prey drive variety and I prefer that combined with a biddable nature. Smart dogs are more capable and fun.

Note first thread links another going into more detail. German Pointers are focus.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ve-posture-scooby-doo-sir-is-no-more.1007297/

Current effort involving English Shepherds. We just had a litter of pups and selected two that will be retained to increase pack size and abilities. Retained pups will be used for 4-H and chickens with one also be trained to work sheep.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/english-shepherd-as-poultry-guardian.1008645/

You should be able to see I have been doing the chicken and dog bit for about a decade based on postings on this site. I had already accrued about three times that before this site even came into being. I keep chickens, especially juveniles in a very free-range setting where chickens could walk to town if they wanted to.

So do I!

 

[50-45-1]

This is our dog june who we rescued . She was discarded by the prevoius owner because she killed some poultry.she is german shedherd and lab mix.
She is 7 years old now. We have had her two years. She and 2 othe guardian dogs we have are outside all day with our free range chickens, and they patrol and chase off fox and coyote often. I have lots of pictures and videos on my trail cam. She is a little overweight but she hates those preditors and if she could catch one i know she would love to tear it to pieces.
German shepherds are Sooooo smart, and with the right person and training can be the best. My guardian dogs are compleatly trustworthy. I have absouletly no worry any of them would ever harm one of my chickens. They KNOW what there job is and do it well.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I think a lot of the time people really need to be aware of their own ability to train an animal. "I bought a dog to protect my chickens and then it ate my chickens and I had to get rid of him and now I need another one..." Seems a bit like perpetuating a cycle.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I'm fortunate that I don't need a dog to keep predators at bay. I just like to ha

I can't speak highly enough of our ASDs. We are in south Florida--every bit as hot as SC, and our two ASDs are perfectly happy. I have a gorgeous white Anatolian Shepherd female we intend to breed in the next 6 months. Waiting to complete her testing for hip dysplasia, etc. and for her to go into heat again. Now that she is two, she is totally trustworthy around my chickens and has killed many a raccoon, opossum, rat, and chased tons of birds of prey away from our yard. In the attached photo she's the one I'm laying on. Her stepbrother is behind us. She will be bred with a fawn colored sire with a black mask. If you're interested in a puppy, let's keep in touch!

How sweet! You'r dogs seem like a dream! I appreciate the offer but I think I'm going to settle on a medium/small size the next time. luckily I don't have the predator issue like I see so many have. I think I'm going to enjoy the holidays and my resident dog pal (she's my bestie!) and not even think of having to get another puppy or training for a while. That last rodeo got me butt hurt.