teaching a dog to be kind too or even guard your chickens?

[naturababe]

i was reading through the FAQ section and someone (can't remember the username now) mentioned that they let their chickens free range on their wooded lot and that a good predator protection plan was to teach your dog to take care of or guard the chickens. any tips for how to start that? has anyone had any luck teaching an old dog to guard the chickens? is that a crazy dream?

 

[InsaneBreeder]

I know a dog who isn't aggressive towards his owners' chickens. When they first got him, he did kill some of the chickens, but they severely disciplined him, and he's been benign ever since. I'm not sure if that's the most appealing method, though.

 

[naturababe]

thanks. i read through the dog chasing chickens thread and got some ideas. i hadn't clicked on it at first because i thought she meant "dog chasing" chickens as in chickens who chased dogs and i didn't think i would have a problem with that at first.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Quote:
I wish there was a breed of dog-chasing chickens. I'd sure buy them!

 

[lindseythefork]

My chickens used to chase my dog around at first, until they both got used to each other. Sometimes I look in the backyard and see the chickens roosting on top of the dog. Of course, a camera is never ready when I need it.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Our lab was 3 when chickens came to live here. She has just never shown any interest in them at all. I am very lucky!

 

[nzpouter]

we let our dogs live with the chickens.....

consistency, time and being able to read your dog intentions are all important tools....

you need to get the dog use to the chicken, vice versa, always take it to do chores around the coop o0n a chain, depending on the dog, after a while you can start letting it go under supervision...

 

[cobrien]

There are breeds called livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). Great Pyrenees and Kuvasz are examples. They are usually used to protect larger animals but people have used them to protect chickens. It would take a lot of work to rear a pup and train them so it is a pretty serious commitment. From what I've read they need a lot of space, they can be very protective (so you have to be careful with visitors, mailperson, etc.), and they bark a lot. From what I have read LGDs are usually full time working dogs, meaning they may be thought of as pets but they live with their herd/flock all the time.

I don't have an LGD but my cattle dog X is very protective of the chickens. She often watches the yard while they are free ranging and chases away any animals - cats, raccoons, opossums, and even the dreaded squirrel (we're in the city). She can hear raccoons from inside the house at night and has woken me up on many occasions to chase them away. But I would by no means call her an LGD.

 

[ericsplls]

I believe you can teach most dogs to tolerate chickens. You may lose a few before you can totally trust the dog. I don't feel you can teach a dog to protect chickens. You can expose them properly let them live with chickens but as far as protecting them the dog is either going to have it in them or not. I am fortunate enough to have a dog that will tolerate my chickens and also has enough prey drive to chase coons, possums, bobcats etc. away. While mine offers some protection from predators for the chickens it's just a coincidence that the critters she is allowed to chase are the same ones that kill chickens.