Pomeranian herding chickens

[paulapern]

This is a photo of Phoebe waiting for me to let her into the barn so she can count the chickens. She moves them around thue barn and then she's satisfied until it's time to get them in for the night, when she will help herd them back into the barn. She does not chase them and rarely bothers with them, unless they start making noise she HAS to be let out of the house so she can see what's wrong.
She has the same attitude about the chicks and keets still in the house. If she could, she would be in the dog crate with them.

I think she is happy about the chickens because they herd so much better than the cats.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

What a good girl!

 

[chickenfreak101]

Ha ha!

 

[applegal]

That's wonderful! Has she grown up with the flock?

 

[paulapern]

No, she was a "rescue" at the age of one. She was never socialized and did not know how to associate with humans at all. She is five now and acts like a pet for about an hour a day. She just started trying to herd cats this past winter. I encouraged the behavior because I really don't like my cats to spend too much time outside. So I guess she got the idea that it was a good thing. She seems to want to please me; I think she is getting the hang of this human interaction thing. She is actually a sweet soul and would have made a wonderful pet if she had not been raised in a cage.
I just got chickens this spring and was worried she would harass them. They have been outside now for two week and it has gone very well. apparently she has a natural herding instinct; I have never thought of Poms as herders but she is not a lap dog at all and actually seems to prefer being outside and has taken the chickens as hers.