WHAT DOG?

[manman]

SO I am buying a new house, which i like because of all the land, its about an acre and a half which is more than enough land for my ten chickens. now with the land i have decided to get a Dog for my flocks protection since ill be inside working i have to have someone to watch them i hate having them in the coop granted its about 13 ft length and 9 ft wide, but on to the point about the dog 4 things good guard dog for flock good guard dog in general good with kids and good for novice owners like me health has to be good too and can withstand hot temperatures as well as cold temperatures. Now here in California i don't care for the cold because its not that cold, hot is the problem, lately its been 107' so ive thought about it and so i thought that maybe The Appenzeller Mountain Dog is a perfect choice but i still need answers from experienced owners
THANKS

sincerely,manman

 

[Rock Home Isle]

The Border Collie has great herding instincts. You might look into a cross. Our dog is a lab/collie cross. Great flock protector.

....oh...and congratulations on the purchase of a new house. It sounds great.

 

[manman]

The Border Collie has great herding instincts. You might look into a cross. Our dog is a lab/collie cross. Great flock protector.



....oh...and congratulations on the purchase of a new house. It sounds great.

thank you so much for the help i also have 2 other question do they make good guard dog and can it handle the heat? thanks again

 

[dekel18042]

The Border Collie has great herding instincts. You might look into a cross. Our dog is a lab/collie cross. Great flock protector.



....oh...and congratulations on the purchase of a new house. It sounds great.

Border collies are excellent at herding, but some do have prey drive. I would be very very careful in getting a border collie to guard poultry. Some, but not all would probably work out. Collies or other herding dogs without the "eye" might be a better match
And if you are concerned about the heat, you might want to pay attention to the color of the dog you get. Black absorbs the heat while a lighter color might reflect it.
I remember one warm afternoon sitting in a lounge chair reading, a collie laying on either side of me. One a tri, one sable and white, and I was absent mindedly petting them when I realized the big difference in temperature of their fur. The tri was very hot to my hand while the sable's fur felt fine.
Collies do come in a smooth variety in case you don't want to deal with the long coat. Everything else, intelligence, instinct, breed standard is identical.

 

[poodlechicks]

I will make a suggestion that might suit your needs: smooth collie
It will stand hot temperatures, has food herding dog stamina but does not need loads of exercise to become a quiet dog. It is intelligent, attentive, a quick learner and great w children. It is not aggressive, though very protective. In my opinion, a great dog for the first time owner. Just make sure to bring it inside at night, for it strengthens the bond w its people. Good luck and congrats on your new house!

 

[poodlechicks]

Not "food herding", good herding

 

[Rock Home Isle]

thank you so much for the help i also have 2 other question  do they make good guard dog and can it handle the heat? thanks again 

I can tell you that our dog is a very good guard dog, she has a deep booming voice. We live in town so she is constantly on guard to strangers walking their dogs or strange cars that use our driveway to turn around.

I don't know about heat tolerance. She does sit in the shade on the deck and watch the goings on in the backyard quite a bit. We have large trees in the backyard that provide lots if shade.

Right now I'm having a cup of coffee, enjoying the sunrise, while Missy is sitting on the deck protecting the flock from....what looks to be a band of renegade squirrels.

 

[aart]

A good guard dog has more to do with the owner of the dog, their aptitude about animals, and their dog training abilities than it has to so with a certain breed of dog..
It can take up to 2 years to have a dog trained where you can completely trust it alone with the birds.

I'd concentrate on having a very secure coop and run first,
and learning how to keep the birds cool in that heat,
instead of thinking about training a dog for flock protection.

Is the property fenced to keep the dog contained?
Are there neighbors that might not appreciate a free range flock in their yards?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

A good guard dog has more to do with the owner of the dog, their aptitude about animals, and their dog training abilities than it has to so with a certain breed of dog..
It can take up to 2 years to have a dog trained where you can completely trust it alone with the birds.

I'd concentrate on having a very secure coop and run first,
and learning how to keep the birds cool in that heat,
instead of thinking about training a dog for flock protection.

Is the property fenced to keep the dog contained?
Are there neighbors that might not appreciate a free range flock in their yards?

Words of wisdom.

 

[Folly's place]

If you don't have a dog already, as aart said, it's not first on the list for your birds. Local laws about poultry and buildings, fencing, and a proper safe coop and run, are most important. Neighbors will have opinions, and getting along with them is a good idea. Did I mention fencing? Having a nice pet dog or two is great, but will be the MOST expensive and most time consuming method of flock protection. Mary