What dog breed would you recommend?

[Cloverr39]

My family currently has 2 dogs - a 10 year old Jack Russell terrier and a 1 year old labrador/samoyed mix. The Jack Russell used to be interested in small chicks only, but nowadays has very little interest in chickens at all. The lab/samoyed mix (her name is Peach) is much more driven to chase after other animals. For example she sometimes likes to chase our 2 cats across the yard. Last summer she killed 3 chicks. After that I've tried to close off my chicken run and I try to keep a close eye on her when I can. Recently she's started to take interest in my chickens again (the 3 week old chicks specifically). Every so often she'll try to dig a hole under the fence. She also likes to run around the fence and watch them.

What dog breed do you think would fit for me? Now, were not getting rid of our current dogs, nor are we getting a new dog, but I've sort of been trying to figure out my "perfect dog breed" for over a year now with no luck. I'd want a loyal, medium sized dog with low prey drive. I've heard a lot about the great Pyrenees, but I'm not a fan of it and I've also heard they tend to kill chickens. My chickens are very precious to me and I name and get very attached to every single one. That's why I'm so scared to lose another one to a dog. Border collies were on my list for a while, but they need like a LOT of exercise and requires you to work with them a lot. I also absolutely love whippets, but they have a high prey drive, so I'll probably never own a whippet or greyhound. I'm not a huge dog person, so I'd prefer a dog that doesn't need me to play with it 24/7. Like a chill dog that will lay down in the shade while chickens walk around it, but wouldn’t hesitate to protect me and my house.

Is this a bit too complicated? Can you at least nudge me in the right direction to solving this "perfect dog breed" question once and for all?

 

[NatJ]

solving this "perfect dog breed" question once and for all?

It is impossible to give a single answer and have it solved.

There are many dog breeds that COULD work for you.
Even the "best" breeds will need quite a bit of training, unless you get an adult dog that has already been trained.

Some Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers are lazy, happy to lie at your feet, and easily learn not to chase chickens. Other dogs of those same breeds have a lot more energy, and need a lot more training. (I picked 2 breeds as examples. There are many other breeds that also fit what I described.)

Some breeds are known for being easier or harder to train than others. Retrievers tend to be among the easier breeds, but there will always be some individual dogs that are exceptions. Terriers, huskies, whippets, and greyhounds are breeds that I have seen listed as harder to train-- but again, that is a general thing, not a guarantee about any individual dog.

 

[Cloverr39]

I haven't updated in a while. My dog is doing much better around the chickens. She rarely ever shows interest in them when they're in their enclosure and when I let them out in the yard she just lays down and watches them. Even if I leave her for 2 minutes out with the chickens while I go inside she just sits at the door waiting for me to come back out. She even had a chicken fly at her and peck her while she was laying down and she didn't do anything. The only time she shows interest I'm chasing them is when I'm trying to get them back in the run. She thinks I'm "chasing" them and then thinks maybe she's allowed to as well.

 

[MasAhora]

My rescue mixed dog was a chicken killer. So I spent about 6 months with her alone (no other dogs exciting her) and trained her to be around my chickens. She joined me on the may daily feeds every day. At first she was tied at a safe distance. When she could remain calmer she was tied a bit closer, then closer and then though still on a leash - I stopped tying her.
She's now a protector of the hens and looks to me for help when they try to steal her morning doggie bone!
They key is daily exposure without the excitement of other animals/people.

 

[igorsMistress]

I don’t think you can reliably say a certain breed is going to be the right one for you. The key is to train your dog not to chase or kill the chickens. That’s going to be difficult with a lab as they’re retrievers and hunting dogs, but it is possible. Instead of thinking about what the right breed is, train your current dogs to leave your chickens alone. You are supposed to be the master. If you need help with this, I suggest you and your dog go to training classes so you can learn to control the dog you have already. I don’t mean to be harsh, dogs are predators plain and simple.

Yes, some breeds are typically better than others based on breeding, but it’s no guarantee. If your dog loves you and respects you as the pack leader, your issues are typically easier to resolve.

I had a silkie terrier who was a critter getter and very nearly had a cat by the tail on several occasions. I never called her off a cat, but she left the chickens alone, even if they ran away from her. I didn’t trust her alone with them, but when I was out with everyone she was fine to run around the yard.

I currently have two bullies, English/American mixes. Would I let them out in the yard with my chickens? Absolutely not, even though the male
didn’t kill a chick in the yard, it wasn’t running away from him but it was screaming its head off and all he did was sniff and give it a nudge. However if they run, game on. I know this so I don’t take any chances and keep the dogs and chickens separate. These same dogs can be walked in public without leashes, and follow commands when given otherwise. So know your dogs and their limitations and work around it to keep everyone safe.

 

[Captain13]

I have two border collies and they want to herd but not kill. They do well around the chickens, love the neighbors goats and horses, are smart, easy to train and love to work and when there is no work, they love to sleep.

The first photo is my youngest helping out with embroidery design and the second photo is her wearing her new winter baseball cap.

 

[SmiYa0126]

My dog protects me when my rooster is confused when I'm trying to help my hens . She's a mutt, I trained her to be nice to chickens.

Our second dog is also a mutt, he came from the city and I quickly discovered that he has a huge prey drive, he almost killed one of my girls. After months of training he now knows that chickens are friends and not food. However, I still keep him leashed because we live in the country with lots of rabbit, squirrel, chipmunk and deer...he follows his nose.

 

[NatJ]

My dog is doing a bit better with the chickens...Peach was holding her down with her paws and ruffling her feathers(?). Idk what she was doing. She probably thought she was playing with the Esper the pullet.

Yes, she probably thought she was playing, but you were right to make her stop.
It is easy for a dog to play too roughly, and hurt or kill the chicken.

I think most chicken-killing dogs are doing it for fun ("play"), but the intent doesn't matter to the chicken!

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Yes, she probably thought she was playing, but you were right to make her stop.
It is easy for a dog to play too roughly, and hurt or kill the chicken.

I think most chicken-killing dogs are doing it for fun ("play"), but the intent doesn't matter to the chicken!

I wouldn’t put it like that , a german dog trainer told his viewers about a lady, who had a dog and a pet rabbit. The dog accepted the rabbit as a family member, but outside, he would hunt down and kill any rabbit he could catch, and his owner always yelled after him: “But that is Mucki!” , Mucki was the name of their rabbit

 

[GingerRose]

I have what is probably a not so typical situation with our 7 year old dog.
She is an APBT from pure stock. I was always not trusting to allow her to be outside when my chickens were out foraging.
I would sometimes let her hang out with me if I was just doing some quick maintenance out in the coops.
One day (at 4 years old), like usual, she was watching out the back door and I was in back of our home. She started barking and got the door open, ran out before I could even get close to her. She caught a stray cat, I can only guess, that cat was after my chickens. It didnt end well for the cat. My dog now believes all of my chickens are her chickens and she is their protector.
She loves the chicks.

You never know how any breed is going to act...
Oh, she is great with my chickens. She has a different feeling for my peafowl... LoL
Just sayin