What is your 'Chicken Dog'?

[cozycritters]

If you have a dog who is GOOD with chickens, what breed(s) are they?

I'm tentatively looking to rescue a dog for our backyard to be around our new chickens, and to be around my kids. My gut says to do a smart hound mix, or a collie mix, but I don't know...

My MIL has two dogs, one Afghan/Irish setter and one Boxer and they are great with the chickens. I don't know how much of it is their personalities (afghan mix is really mine, but adopted her, long story, but he's a sensitive dog) and how much of it is her training of them... but they never looked at the chickens and now will share a (dog)food bowl with them all the time.

If we're going to do a dog, I want to do it right.

 

[hunterjumper999]

Lets see- I was going to say my lab as shes old ans just noses at them...


till she puked up a chick on my feet today.

we have a dog that lives outside 24/7 ... he's a golden mix. I'd say golden and flat coated retriever... but def. NOT far from straight golden. He's awesome with the birds. So's my doberman mix.

He does chase one of my chickens ( game hen) and im not sure why.

We also have two pitbulls, ones too game for playing with the poultry but the other lays down and lets them roost on him . . .

 

[gritsar]

My late dog Charlie was excellent with the chickens. She watched over them and patrolled around their coop at night. The chickens could take food out of her mouth without fear.
She was part irish wolfhound and part ?
ETA: IMO, no dog should be completely trusted with chickens unless you are absolutely positively sure that dog can be trusted and even then things happen.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Most any dog can be trained to behave around chickens and other animals.

It's easier to get pups to work with, but I got mine when he was about half grown. It took a little work, but he soon learned the birds werent toys or food

 

[BCbirder]

Over the years we have had three dogs that were great with our chickens. Our first a black lab shep cross, the second a border collie lab cross, she was fantastic, really looked after them, She especially loved the ducklings and followed them around and looked after them. She found chickens for me if they got out of the pen and helped me put them back in. Our current dog, the first male is also great, very protective. Even if he hears a chicken on TV he is on his feet ready to protect. He is another border collie cross. All them always came in the pen with me right from the start. . I gave them lots of praise, let them sniff while I held a chicken. a running chicken creates to much excitement. OUr neighbours dog is a young shep cross and she is energetic but once we showed her what we wanted her to do she is also great. I think most dogs can be trained.
Our chickens really know our dog too. They understand his different barks and if he gives a certain bark , they suspect trouble and they run for the coop.
When we had trouble with hawks flying over, I shouted at the hawks and our dog learned that he has to protect from the sky too. Often the crows chase hawks so now when our dog hears the crows he looks up in the sky for hawks.
I think having a dog is a must, I couldn't have chickens without one!

 

[ninny]

My bichons are awesome!! My lab is great too. Then theres my border collie cross she killed one of my hens last night.

 

[CountryMom]

My one dog is a lab mix and she loves to look for snakes in the coop or around it. Real hunter. She use to try to snatch up the chickens, but has gotten scolded enough she is now much better. I always watch though.

Now my real "chicken dog" is my little dachshund. LOL She is scared to death of them! LOL She takes one look and runs the opposite direction like a chicken! LOL Sorry just had to add.....

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Toby loves his chickens - he'll even growl and chase off our other dog if she gets too close to his chickens

Toby is a beagle mix (I think the mix is spaniel of some flavor). He does the beagle call whenever he barks, and has velvety ears - so he takes after his beagle half more than the spaniel half.

I did, however have to teach Toby that ducks are not squeaky toys, even if they do sound just like the squeaky toys you can buy at Walmart

He's pretty smart, though, only took one lesson and he understood - ducks are friends, not toys. (incidently, those squeaky toys from Walmart - he always rips them open to find the noise maker inside - which is basically what he did with my duck.)

meri

 

[lurky]

My maltese dont have a choice........the chickens are bigger than they are now

 

[danischi24]

I would recommend that as you are looking for a rescue, you really have a good chance. I have never heard of a breed that will or wont chase chickens-there is an exception to every rule & upbringing has much to do with it. Go to your local shelter or wherever you get rescues from & explain that you want a dog that will be good with birds. You should be able to take them home for a trial run to see how they get along. Find one that is totally uninterested in the birds from the start. Good dog finding Luck