top 5 breeds of dogs

[speakup4kids]

I've got a black lab who has a bit of a bird problem

She really likes them.... a lot! At our last house we had a doggie door which resulted in a woodpecker in my closet and a dove in the living room. Needless to say there is no doggie door in our current home. Shasta (our lab) has brought us baby birds, woodpeckers, pigeons etc...Last week, she took my husband a chick that somehow escaped from the coop.

Every single bird has been unharmed completely! Apparently, she just wants to be friends with them...The 90 lb weight difference being the only real problem

 

[Tala]

You will get a hundred different answers. There is no "magic" breed (although some are better than others). Each individual dog is different, and their training plays some role as well.

There are several threads about "good dogs with chickens" that are many many pages long. It's been discussed to death IMO, nobody can say for sure in advance that YOUR ______insert breed____ dog won't chase birds.

Example, I have a Lab mix (former bird dog) who hardly notices the chickens, but Henry has had a far different experience

I have had 3 different labs attack and kill chickens in my flock they weren't my dogs but they were my neighbors the neighbor tried to stop them but couldn't and these were dogs that were very well trained.
Henry

You just can't tell

 

[CoyoteMagic]

My cattledog has been pretty good around my chickens. When they were real little. their jumping and flapping around, would cause her head to spin. She was not allowed to be inside their pen. As they got bigger, she learned to leave them alone

 

[Mahonri]

Our Lilly (Golden Retriever) lets the chickens walk over the top of her when she is laying down. Not a good thing for a bird dog I know, but she is very tolerant of the chickens.

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
We have a Belgian Malinois and she is very interested in the chickens but I have trained her to nose touch them only and to be "gentle." I do not trust her running with them loose as she has very high prey drive and gets too excited (the chicks are only 9 weeks old). We raised the chicks in the family room where the dogs spend most of their time so the chicks have no fear of them and don't run away when they approach. The breed is extremely smart and very trainable (no harsh training or they often will shut down and not respond) but they need an outlet for all that energy in order to be focused. Ours was a military working dog we adopted so she is really intense but we adore her immensely

and is full of personality! We would get another Malinois in an instant but they are not for everyone.

 

[nzpouter]

bull breeds if you want to be sure the predator will never return....

 

[barredrockgrl]

Quote:
Doesn't that make you crazy? I'd be worried sick if my dogs tangled with rabies vectors. *shudders while thinking of Old Yeller*

 

[littledel]

I agree with 90% of the posts here. But my problem is I don't want to get a puppy and get attached to it only to have to rehome it if it decides to have a few chicken dinners. I had the aussies and loved them, I was so impressed with their intelligence. But all that changed when they started killing birds. Maybe if I can find a younger dog that has been raised around chickens? The need for a good dog is evident with all the varmits around here, but I don't want my dog to be one of the varmits too. The best I have had to date has been pyrenese dogs. They were great, but I wanted to go with a smaller dog this time if possible. Thanks for all the posts, keep it up.

 

[newTexan2chickens]

I agree that it is the dog not the breed.... most of them don't read the books that say this breed is great for this or that. I have worked part time for a vet for 10 years and I can say that I have seen mean, aggressive, nasty in your face labs and teddy bear rotties.

Having said that- we were adopted about 3 weeks ago by a border collie- unneutered male who looks to be about 1-2 years old. So far he has left the chickens alone except for the occasional attempt to herd them. Now hanging off the horse's tails.... that is another story!

Also if your dog is properly vaccinated, the chances of picking up rabies is slim. We always use a 3 year vaccine.

 

[Stina]

The best way to get a dog that won't attack your chickens is to get a puppy and raise it around them. Some breeds WILL be more apt to stay good with them than others.....dogs that are bred as bird hunters, even when raised with birds, may have thier instincts take over one day.........your best bet would be to choose a breed that is not bred for a high prey drive......such as hunting dogs and herding dogs (herding dogs are bred to not have much of a "kill" instinct...but they are bred for a high prey/chase drive). Your best option for your best chance of success would be a puppy of a livestock guardian breed from a line that is already used for guarding fowl.... You can of course train just about any dog...but instincts are instincts...your chance of success is good for most any breed...but your best chance would be with a breed bred for the required behaviors.

Definitely keep in mind that not all individual dogs "fit" their breed....I've worked in vet hospitals and such myself....backyard breeders and mills don't breed dogs to fit the breed...and puppies from such "breeders" rarely do....be careful of where you get your puppy if you want your best chance for success, and be sure to raise and train it well!