Testing My Dogs with the Flock

[uniqueblacksheep]

My dogs run free off leash, my horses are fenced, and my chickens free range. They all can reach each other. My dogs have been taught (firmly) that they are not allowed to chase the horses or chickens, even if the horses or chickens are running. All of my dogs until recent were hunting/hound dogs so it can be done. I had a weimaraner who actually would burst through the middle of peacefully gathered hens pecking. The rooster attacked him once (which in my opinion the dog deserved) then I firmly let him be aware that was not acceptable. I said his name and walked side by side with him when we were walking together by the chickens. After that it was just by me saying his name as he approached the chickens, then he would see them and walk calmly by them - to go running immediately after passing them again. It took 4 total times until Zeus knew on his own to not run by them. Keep in mind Zeus was also 14 years old.

I think too, that keeping dogs with chickens keeps other predators away. My dogs have chased fox away and when they go potty around the barn/coop I believe it deters them as well. As of current I have a Dachshund and a Pitbull.

Thank you so much for your response! That makes me optimistic. What a wonderful harmony you have going on with all your animals! And what good puppies you have!

 

[uniqueblacksheep]

I'm not so sure if I could ever truly trust a dog around my chickens again... Maybe unless its a toy breed dog, but here was my story: two Rott pups were taught early on not to mess with the chickens. They did very well until they began to reach closer to 8months old. One day they were around some chicks unsupervised. Our mistake since they took out two of my chicks. Very upsetting since they had seemingly did so well with ignoring and avoiding the chickens for so long. Maybe they were just trying to 'play' with them or who knows. But maybe different breeds and well trained dogs are better. Sorry if this wasn't a very good reply. Since they were so young and we would free range the chickens and let them out everyday, they were well occupied with anything other than the birds. Now, not so much. Its a shame, maybe they needed more training.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Was it the chicks they killed or chickens? I didn't catch that part?

 

[uniqueblacksheep]

I have always let my dogs and chickens out together. Even my Shiba couldn't care less about them and would rather eat their poop. They have all been told not to bother them with the "leave it" command. If your dogs are 100% solid on this command, they should respect it.

Bird dogs are not used to kill birds, they will watch and wait until given the command to retrieve a dead one, and then they do so while being as gentle as possible. They tend to view birds as toys instead of food, and can be trained to ignore them when they are alive (so they aren't caught between a bird and a gun) and "fetch" dead ones for a reward. Poodles are retrievers, not hunters. Breeds that are more likely to kill birds are Akitas, terriers, huskies, and sight hounds. I wouldn't trust a Fox Terrier or Airedale, but poodles, doodles, spaniels, and retrievers are as safe as you can get because for the most part we have bred true prey drive out of them.

I think I would have to side with you on the purpose of the bird dog. Which has been a thought in my mind. My poodle has brought baby birds up to the house, now granted, I have no idea if she was the one that killed them, but she always has a very light grasp on them, like they are resting in between her two teeth...she never has her mouth around them. She just brings them to me and drops them by me. She has never been trained for hunting, she's just always done it. anytime I see near one alive in the yard, she points..but immediately walks away when I tell her no. She never has brought a full grown bird to the house, so I wonder if she finds the ones that fall out of trees?


The chickens are obviously a bit bigger than the baby birds. So I don't know how she views them.

 

[rascal66]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Was it the chicks they killed or chickens? I didn't catch that part?

They killed chicks since I had an area near the dogs set up for them and would let them range for a couple hours a day. (I think about 2 months old chicks)

 

[ColtHandorf]

I have two Standard Poodles and my experience has been less than awesome but not terrible. Let me preface this by saying the female was given to me as she lived with someone who bred parrots. She has a very high prey drive and spent all day harassing and trying to get to babies kept in the house for handfeeding purposes despite being raised with them from eight weeks to nearly a year. One day she burst in the dog door and just jumped up and took a Ruppell's Parrot off my friend's hand and the bird was dead before she could even react. Anastasia has a super high prey drive and scoffs when you tell her she is supposed to be soft mouthed. The male, Romanoff, who is about a year older is very gentle and mindful of my two smaller miniature dachshunds versus his "sister" trampling over them going in and out of the house, etc.

I introduced them to the chickens a few weeks ago when they came home. All four dogs were very interested in them, barking, whining, etc at the fence. Within a few hours the dachshunds could care less about them and Romanoff was content to merely watch them through the fence. Anna however still wants to run up and down the fence acting like a goof ball. For a week or so they both seemed to lose interest in the birds unless I was in the pen feeding, etc. In the last week Romanoff has taken to pushing his way under the fence in the hard to go look at them when they are penned in their house for the night. He only does this when they are not out in their own yard. He rears up on the house to look in the wire windows and barks incessantly if it's during the daylight hours. If it's dark he just sniffs around their house until he gets let back into the yard proper.

So, I'm working with them when I'm able to try to teach them the chickens aren't anything to worry over. The chickens could care less for the most part.

Now 15 years ago, the dogs I had were chicken killers. Two golden retriever mixes and one dalmatian. It took some severe discipline as well as a broody hen incident where she flogged them up and down the yard for them to learn chickens were not toys or food. After their run in with the broody, they actively avoided the chickens and would actually run from them.

So each dog is different. I certainly wish my female poodle was soft mouthed, as I'm sure does her "brother". His ears certainly wouldn't be a mess when she plays too rough in the yard.

 

[Gail Laubenthal]

Our livestock guardian dog, now 2 years old, has grown up with the chickens on the other side of her fence. However, this spring, I began letting the chickens free range in her and the sheep area. I watched her carefully and she seemed to not care that they were there. The other day, I came out and saw her coming around the corner of the field and she had our buff orpington in her mouth. I yelled the command, "Mine!" and she dropped her. (when I was using a training/shock collar with her, if she began chasing the sheep, I would give her a vibration and say, "Mine!" and she still remembers that vibration and stops the behavior) When I checked the hen out, there was not any damage or puncture holes, not even a feather out of place. She was using a soft mouth, but it was still not acceptable behavior. Since I was not there to see what caused this behavior, I can only guess that the chicken was running and she was chasing, caught her, and was bringing her back where the others were. No

matter what the cause, she was strongly reprimanded and was put in a kennel for the next hour. She is just now coming into adulthood, and with LGDs, they say that they should not be left alone with livestock until they are at least 18 months or truly ready. Every situation is different, so I would say be cautious and watchful.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

Thank you so much for your response! That makes me optimistic. What a wonderful harmony you have going on with all your animals! And what good puppies you have!

I honestly love the fact that they get along. Don't get me wrong we have had a set back or two.. the horses were chased only twice at one point and the chickens were chased by my miniature dachshund once. I love my dogs very much, but I am very firm that they understand boundaries and understand that being firm is not being mean. I will give you hope in the fact that my Dachshund and Pitbull sit outside, and sunbathe next to me in the same field the horses are grazing with the chickens scratching near by. Always test your dogs on a leash first and make sure you dogs understand you are alpha. Be very direct and show your dog exactly what you expect from them (even if you have to physically take your dog to something and point 'No' or to tell them 'Good dog' with lots of positive petting). I also have a cue word I teach all my dogs which is Ah-Ah. Sounds weird and you can use any one you want if you want, but I only use it when they are doing something wrong and I catch them doing it. So that when I see them about to do something wrong (say to chase a chicken..) I would say Ah-Ah! and they immediately stop. If I can train bird dogs (weimaraner,labs, and other breeds we owned) to not chase birds (my chickens) then that in itself should be hope!

I also introduce my dogs to everything with myself present. When I first got the chicks they were introduced. When the chicks were moved outside to the barn brooder.. more introduction, and finally when the chickens free ranged .. I made it so basically there was never a curious moment for the dogs to wonder "what is that moving in the bushes?!?!" .. (its the chickens). The chickens also are completely fine with the dogs and will run up to me regardless if one of the dogs is presently standing with me.

**I would also try an extendable leash to see what they will do around chickens without you being so close too.

 

[aart]

I yelled the command, "Mine!" and she dropped her.

Very important command, no matter what word you use....can save your chickens and your dog.

 

[ArtCaptain]

So...after 2 years of only letting my chickens free range when the dogs are inside, yesterday we forgot the chickens were out, after the dogs were out with them for about 20 minutes we found our poodle hanging out within 10 feet of them. So we were in shock and confused. I would think she would have hurt them if she was going to immediately wouldn't she? My husband found them and said the chickens weren't even afraid of her. She hangs out by their run all the time so after 2 years they know each other, but for you people that have dogs that are out with your hens, how did you safely know it was ok. This opens up a new level of safety against hawk attacks if I can let them out together, so I'd love to if we can.

We have a poodle mix, he's not much taller than the chickens! He kinda just avoids getting too close because he's been attacked by a broody hen and roosters before. However, whenever we have babies we let him see them and let them down around him. He's never tried to attack them, just likes to sniff their butts from time to time if he can. I think if a dog wants to play with something, it would go for it! So I don't think your dog wants to play with them, but it might be for the best to introduce them properly first.

 

[Kevin_87]

My German Shepard is great with the hens. My Lab not so much. She is fine until the girls try to fly then instincts kick in an I get brought a wet and angry chicken. My poor Lab can not figure out why no one is pleased with her catch. Luckily, she does not shake them and they walk back to what they were doing. We all find it best to keep the lab away.