New Puppy!

[Chicknbootz]

Hey everyone!
I'm new to chicken farming but I have 28 pullets, ranging from 8-20 weeks. They are in the coop and doing great. We live in the country and see foxes, skunks, coons, and other predator's all the time. My birds free range all day, and we lock them up at night, but sometimes we aren't home until after dark. We have had very good luck so far, FINGERS CROSSED! But we decided to get a dog for the farm to help protect my chickens!
My post is basically asking for training advice and tips to help my Great Pyrenees pup be a good guardian to my ladies.
Any advice is welcomed!
I've only had him for a couple of days, but I've been working on his basic commands and I have been exposing him to the chickens to try to desensitize him. The people who we got him from also have chickens so that's going well. He doesn't seem too interested yet!

 

[Pork Pie]

This link of a search may give you some interesting threads - https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/1340409/?q=Dogs+as+guardians&o=relevance

 

[Chicknbootz]

Thank you!!

 

[drumstick diva]

Nice pup, hope he turns out to be a great LGD

 

[centrarchid]

This link of a search may give you some interesting threads - https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/1340409/?q=Dogs+as+guardians&o=relevance

Some things that are relevant are not coming up in search above.

To make a couple quick points. Dog will be a pup until about 2 years of age. During that time dog will on occasion present a threat to birds it is intended to protect. Guarding chickens is not what the dog was bred for and in all likelihood you will be keeping the dog in a manner that is much more confined that most such dogs realize in their normal call of duty. Start getting dog interested in perimeter of its world and things that are new. You do not want dog board with only chickens to play with.

I have dogs specifically as poultry guardians an had dogs around poultry for far longer. I also work around livestock guardians of the classical type. Breed is not as important as the long-term investment you make and the individual mentality of the dog. Do not think end of dog's usefulness realized if it kills some of its charges.

 

[Chicknbootz]

So what do you mean by this? We have a fenced in yard, which we've been keeping the pup inside, and the coop is a ways down the yard. So for example... I have been working on sit with him, and once he got that down, I took him down to the chicken run with me later in the day, and tried to work on it with him there, to try to keep him focused on me and the treats while being around the chickens. He did pretty well. The end goal for me would be to not keep him in the fenced yard and be able to roam the whole farm while the chickens free range during the day as well. Because otherwise he won't be able to fend off the predators that go to the coop.

Start getting dog interested in perimeter of its world and things that are new. You do not want dog board with only chickens to play with.

But how do I get him interested in his perimeter? Help me with what you're saying.
I really appreciate your advice!
Thanks!!
Kendra

 

[Chicknbootz]

Nice pup, hope he turns out to be a great LGD

Thanks!!!

 

[centrarchid]

So what do you mean by this? We have a fenced in yard, which we've been keeping the pup inside, and the coop is a ways down the yard. So for example... I have been working on sit with him, and once he got that down, I took him down to the chicken run with me later in the day, and tried to work on it with him there, to try to keep him focused on me and the treats while being around the chickens. He did pretty well. The end goal for me would be to not keep him in the fenced yard and be able to roam the whole farm while the chickens free range during the day as well. Because otherwise he won't be able to fend off the predators that go to the coop.


But how do I get him interested in his perimeter? Help me with what you're saying.
I really appreciate your advice!
Thanks!!
Kendra

Property boundary. Acreage of farm and how poultry area / household is centered on that may have so dog will roam beyond property boundary. I would walk pup around perimeter of property daily if you can. That will help dog get a handle on what area he will treat as an exclusion zone. If farm too large that may not be practical. You do not want him leaving the property either as dog may treat neighbors stock in a bad way.

 

[Chicknbootz]

Property boundary. Acreage of farm and how poultry area / household is centered on that may have so dog will roam beyond property boundary. I would walk pup around perimeter of property daily if you can. That will help dog get a handle on what area he will treat as an exclusion zone. If farm too large that may not be practical. You do not want him leaving the property either as dog may treat neighbors stock in a bad way.

Okay! Gotcha!! Thank you for your help!!

 

[centrarchid]

How big is your farm?