Our rooster is six months old. He's a total delight, and I adore him.
But others would have culled him in a heartbeat. When he started sexually maturing, he became very possessive of his house and the objects he felt were his, such as the dog carriers I would use to transport the little fluff balls for an outdoor adventure. Anytime I would move a carrier to clean it, he would charge at me at a full run and peck it. The carrier was simply part of his domain, and I was threatening his ownership.
He also would sometimes bite my ankles when I'd step toward his food or water. He doesn't do this anymore, but for a while I was a bit afraid of him.
And he used to have no problems with the dogs. They'd even sit side by side on the deck (supervised, of course). Then one day he attacked a dog, and the dog did nothing in return. It happened again and again, until I learned how to work with Henry, not against him.
The dogs no longer free roam. They stay in their fenced yard whenever they're outside. This isn't a big deal, since we never really wanted them wandering around unleashed. I also walk two of the dogs to the yard with a spiderweb remover tool. It's one of those long handled things with a fluffy blue thing on the end. We use it to round up the chickens, and Henry doesn't come near the dogs when I have it with me.
We think his behavior toward the dogs will settle down over time, but we're never going to fully trust the dogs or Henry near each other. The dogs have attacked back.
The thing with roosters, I'm learning, is you really have to love them for how they were designed to be. Learn their behavior, identify their triggers, and kind of flow along with it so you don't aggravate them and create even more triggers.
They are excellent security and earn their keep. So some of these behaviors are necessary for that purpose. Others are for mating purposes and dominance. It bothers me when someone calls a rooster a jerk or some other such name we usually reserve for people. Unlike people, roosters don't choose their behavior, and they can't un-choose it either.
When I learned to Spanish dance in response to Henry's dominance steps, he stopped biting my ankles. I read here in the forums to hold my ground, and I did. No more side stepping to get out of his way. Now he can Spanish dance right up against me and nothing comes of it.
Right now he's recovering from a coyote attack. He saved our five hens. I'll never keep hens without a rooster, and I'm willing to learn how to work with the challenges.
Just some thoughts. I hope you find a solution. Your situation sounds different from what I've had to learn how to work with here on our homestead.
