what is a good breed of dog to raise with and guard chickens?

[Oldfort_mailman]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this topic or not but i am looking for suggestions on a good breed of dog to use for predator defense that will be easier to teach how to not eat the chickens they guard. I would prefer something smaller than an elephant but large enough to scare off or kill opossums and raccoons. We have to inside dogs already. One is a shih tzu and the other is an old english bulldog. The shih tzu is too small but my wife has made a fifty pound lap dog out of the bulldog. Plus Bella( the bulldog) is scared of everything and her best weapon is terribly loud and foul gassiness which may attract rather than repel varmints. Any suggestions on which breed might work?

 

[watchdogps]

Do asearch for LGD - livestock guardian dogs
The most common breeds are
-anatolian shepherd
- great pyrenees
-kuvasz
-maremma

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Just an FYI - the correct spelling is Shih Tzu.

 

[Oldfort_mailman]

Thanks. Forgot about that middle h there.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Evidently not a bulldog..mine got one of my hens today while it free ranged...the dog was chained..the chicken got too comfortable I guess and ventured too close...

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

My dog is a Havanese & historically was bred to be a children's companion & chicken herder. He's a great children's companion, but he seems to want a chicken-flavored bird snack...eek! At least for now, with my 1-mo. old chicks. My neighbor's chocolate lab is perfect w/ her chickens. Another friend coincidentally has a chocolate who does great w/ them. Labs are great dogs! Common, but for a good reason.

 

[Darklingstorm]

I had a Great Dane once that would play with the rooster in a mock fight, but never hurt any of my chickens. As a matter of fact, my neighbor's dog got loose and went after my chickens. My Dane, Boomer, killed the intruder and then showed me where the chickens were hiding. I would catch the chickens roosting on him in the winter time during the day to keep warm.

I still miss that dog something horrible. He died in his sleep in the front yard from old age.

 

[TrystInn]

Our two Bassets are marvelous at chasing away any predator that comes around. They are both rescues and were trained while the chicks and ducklings were in the brooder to leave them alone, so now that the poultry free ranges they are all fine together. We also have a Border Collie who herds both the ducks and chickens, she's managed to hold off multiple dogs trying to tunnel under the fence and even chased a few stray cats and Bald Eagles away.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

a good breed of dog to use for predator defense that will be easier to teach how to not eat the chickens they guard

LGD's are better suited to guarding sheep or goats, not poultry.

Unless they are contained, they are highly likely to roam far and wide

All of them are "giant" breeds and can weigh over 100 lbs when they are still puppies.

I'd get a medium sized mixed breed dog from a pound (the younger the better) and train it to leave your birds alone.

There is no "breed easier to teach", since all dogs are individuals​

 

[GatorChickenRanch]

Definitely NOT a cocker spaniel. They're bird hunting dogs. Mine killed two of my birds