what kind of dog is good with chickens?

[debid]

Quote:
This is exactly how we trained our dog to leave the turkeys alone. He will sit and let them walk across his yard without making any effort to chase or otherwise mess with them -- even if I'm not there. Ditto the ducks; we have wild mallards that nest near our home and he leaves them alone completely. So, he'll be introduced to the chickens on the day they come home and told to sit and leave it. Repeat 5 million times. He's a certified Canine Good Citizen and I do not anticipate any chicken deaths with him in spite of his breed (Irish Water Spaniel) and because of the amount of time invested in training him.

 

[lothefarmer]

i have a shetland sheepdog, who was 3 years old when we got our chickens, but hes always been very gentle with them. he acts very paternal with chicks, and likes to socialize with the hens. (when they let him, lol.) hes a little skittish, and he's somewhat wary of them, so he watches from a safe distance for the both of them.
anyway,
i really think it depends on the individual dog, not the breed.

 

[axion_lotus]

I know this probably sounds crazy, but my Doberman Pinschers are great with my chickens, but I had to work with them for a long time to get them there. For a short while I actually kept my RIR hen, Katrina, in the same fence with my dog, while I was repairing the coop and fence.

They were so cute together.

But none of my dogs ever had any oopses, though. Leashes (and fencing) truly work wonders when training dogs with any other animal, even chickens and other birds. Your best bet would probably be to consult a dog trainer and ask their advice.

And also, according to a lot of research I've done combined with personal experience, never, EVER let your chickens near a GermanShepherd OR a Husky, Malamute or Siberian. My best friend's German Shepherd almost killed my old Rhode Island rooster, Leon. That poor bird. Thank God the dog was on a leash at the time, or my roo would've been toast.

Maybe it really does just depend on the dog, though. I'm just sharing my personal experience.

 

[vtgirls]

I feel training can only do so much for a dog who has a natural preprogrammed high prey drive - like our dog Honey Bear. He is a 2 year old husky(gasp)/pyrenese mix - each parent purebred. He will chase ANYTHING that moves, has snagged mice from under ferns, runs down our cats and so on. HOWEVER, he does nothing more than give them a playful paw or mouthing. The issue is thats too much for chickens. So we are working with him - on winter pause now since the hens are only in the run and not free ranging. He will grab a chicken but does not try to kill them, just carry them. (again, obviously too much play for the hens) He will "drop it, mine" at once, but thats not good enough so work continues with the leash. Also, we plan to try a muzzle when it becomes time to meet up with the turkeys - the toms are about 30 pounds now so should be interesting. The bottom line is that I will never ever completely trust him, certainly never alone. That doesnt mean he's not a member of our family, it simply means I know his limitations. Period.
Our other dog, a 100 pound lab mix, will NOT bother the chickens (other than a strong sniff down if he happens upon them) and actually wants to mother them - he doesnt understand why he can cuddle up with day old fuzzies and just cries his head off until we let some walk about on him. However, he has a tough time not running at the turkeys when they get spooked and all gobbly and flappy with the wings. It seems with him that whatever has been raised, even partly, inside the house is a member of the pack - the turkeys brooded in the garage, the hens in the living room at first. We will see how he is come spring when all the critters move to new locations to fit in newbies around our place.

Dogs + Chickens = Patience and Effort

 

[RedRunner]

work with the pup, my pit bull at 18 months was very easy to break from attacking the birds, just watch the body language of the dog and be there to give the verbal commands of NO, and work with the dog on a lead. Wish you well. RR

 

[little white]

Marky's a terrier . He doesn't love the chickens, but he understands the rules.

Here's my blogpost about him: Chickens and a Terrier

 

[bailey'smama]

I have a Pembroke Corgi and a mixed breed hunting dog. Both are fine with chickens, but both required training and supervision. After all, when things run, most dogs want to chase. I'd suggest only allowing the dog near the chickens on leash for a while so you can correct bad behavior without harm to the fowl. Then, when the pup has mastered that, try off-leash supervised chicken visits. Hopefully, you'll be able to trust the dog in no time!

 

[pdsavage]

Live stock Gaurdian dogs.
http://www.lgd.org/

 

[feather and mountain man]

First what you need to do is go out and buy an attack chicken!

Then it will attack the dog and you will need advice on keeping your chicken from attacking ur dog.

Ok it was just a joke!

Anyway all dogs need trained. Our mini american eskimo was a backroad dumpoff The first thing he did was chase chickens. He was verbally scolded and then I rolled him onto his back and in a firm voice said NO. After about 3 times of doing this he got the idea. Now he won't let anyone hurt his chickens.

Rolling him on his back tells him you are dominant and it is your rules. He will learn quickly if you stick with him. Also reward the dog with affection when he displays good behaviors. Beating a dog is never a good idea you first have to establish a line of communication that the dog understands. Then reinforce that with verbal commands. He will learn I promise. You will have to do the same with any other dog too. So stick with your pup. Some breeds can be slow to learn or stuburn but they can be taught. In my eyes the only unforgivable sin any dog can make is an attack on a human.

 

[14chickmama]

Quote:
That is adorable. I have a golden retriever also and am getting chicks in march and I plan to spend alot if time with them training. O think he will do very well but you never know. I've seen him chase squirrels!! He is very mellow and loyal. He's thee best dog ever!!