Siberian Husky? Good protectors?

[Laurajean]

I know the puppy is adorable, and it's hard to say no, but believe us, you are making the right choice by choosing against it. I'll never forget the day I found that my husky had killed my cat. It's really one of the worst possible breeds possible for chickens, truly. I promise you'll eventually forget about the cute puppy and find a dog more suitable for your needs. It's best for your chickens, and for that pup. Somewhere there is someone who is perfect for a husky, but it isn't a chicken owner!

 

[AinaWGSD]

NO! Siberian huskies, and other northern breeds, have a tendency to have very high prey drives and they are very stubborn and "difficult" to train. They would be among my last breed choices if you have any hopes of them living peaceably (let alone acting as a protector) with chickens, cats, or other small animals. Some of them are ok, or even good, with other small animals but most reputable breeders and rescues strongly advise against keeping them in the same home as anything that even remotely resembles "prey" as the overwhelming majority of these dogs will kill just about anything that weighs less than 20lbs and runs. My husband used to really want a husky (his family had a few when he was little), but after researching the breed I was pretty well convinced that they would not be a good match for our family...fortunately he has since fallen for another breed and now knows enough about basic dog behavior and traits of certain types of dogs that I wouldn't have to fight him to make him see that it would be a lot more work to keep our other pets safe than it would be worth. Don't get me wrong, they're great dogs for the right owners and I have worked with a lot of them that were a pleasure to work with. But I wouldn't trust them with chickens any more than I would trust a raccoon or fox.

 

[RM44]

Awww, cute pup. Don't feel too bad though. Texas heat probably isn't the best environment for that dog anyway. I'm sure they much prefer a colder state.

Good luck finding a great companion dog for your farm. I'm sure you'll find one.

 

[Akane]

Well your first problem is a typical husky will not stay home so unless your talking about a fenced area we don't have to worry about dead chickens cause the second you take your eye off that dog it's gonna be 3 hills over. Most people have issues keeping them home with a fence. You pretty much have to build fort knox or tether them. Tie outs are pretty standard with sled dogs but frowned on quite a bit in most areas of the US and especially for nonworking dogs who might not get enough exercise. On the odd chance you have a husky that doesn't disappear in the blink of an eye or the whole property is fenced then we are on to problem 2 which most have covered. Huskies and other dogs that are genetically close to wolves rarely make good gaurdians of anything. They do make great hunting dogs if you get past problem 1 and don't lose them while hunting. Problem 3 most huskies are not aggressive/defensive toward people or anything they don't see as prey. They will either happily greet other dogs and people or run and hide. So they aren't even good protectors of your house most of the time and will invite stray dogs to come participate in the chicken slaughter. Sure the odd dog exists particularly when you cross out but I definitely wouldn't get a husky expecting it to be anything but a typical husky.

I have 2 japanese spitz breeds myself. Some more of those dogs that share the most dna relative with the wolf of any breed. My akita makes a great gaurd dog for the house and has mostly learned to leave chickens alone in my presence. I would trust neither of them with the chickens alone. The shiba I wouldn't even trust loose with chickens while being watched. I just lost my silkie serama cause it flew the dog yard fence.

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
Yes. I live in CHILLY New Hampshire where the winters are quite cold, and I would find my husky laying on the ground, snow literally piling on top of her as it fell, and she loved it. At first it alarmed me, I thought she was dead. I would try to bring her in, and she would just get hot and anxious and wanted to go back outside. My ex husband has her now in South Carolina and he says the warmer climate seems to have taken a toll on her.

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

also u got any questons on LGDs pm me

 

[MaggieRae]

Quote:
You live close to where I live. All I can think is Siberian husky outside all day with our summers = bad idea. I've had friends who had German shepherds out in this heat out at the ranch with their horses and those dogs baked! They were always trying to find more shade (even under a picnic table under a bunch of trees) and I bet they were just miserable. Luckily they had an air conditioned tack room to take breaks in and had plenty of water available to them.

 

[OccamsTazer]

Yep about the heat and humidity. Artie, the dog in my avatar, is an Alaskan husky x and her skin gets awful in August. That thick undercoat just traps all the humidity and she gets itchy scabby skin crud.

I keep her inside most of the time when it is hot, but she loves the outdoors. Her prey drive is crazy high. Earlier this spring, she spent two weeks all-day-every-day in my garden, staring at the ground, waiting for the moles she could hear underground. She eventually killed them all and stopped her bizarre lurking. She would kill my chickens down to the last bird just for fun if I let her.
She's also brilliant and wonderful, but there are caveats to the breed for sure.

 

[dragonlair]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No "Northern" breed of dog (sled dog) would be a good chicken guardian. I have Malamutes. They kill chickens. A high prey drive has been bred into these type of dogs for hundreds of years.

 

[dragonlair]

To keep my Mals in their pens, I have to run electric fence wire along the top of the fence and have wooden pallets along the botom to keep them from digging out. They are extreme escape artists and love to run long distances.

They also so love the cold. They would rather sleep outside in the -45 degree cold than sleep in their nice warm pen inside the barn or inside my house. I have to keep my house at 50 degrees all winter long (I live in Maine) to keep them reasonably comfortable.