What SMALL breed of dog will protect my chickens?

[boykin2010]

i like boykin spaniels. Hence the login...

 

[big medicine]

Quote:
My brother-in-law had a rat terrier...the problem was that they tend to be one-owner dogs. That dog bit everyone it met at least once that got too close to Chris. Just something to consider if there will be kids around=)

Depending how much you work with, have control of, and what you allow them to get away with, most dogs can be made to understand what is tolerated behavior. Carefull and controlled introduction, prefferably at a young age, with immediate response for any aggressive behavior helps set the ground rules. That, a lot of times, is more than can be expected from some dogs humans.

I have a female Rat Terrier, a great all around little dog that I would feel safe locking up in the coop for any length of time. She is very smart, easy going, friendly with everyone. While she is way too small to take on a coon that stands it's ground by herself, I have shot out many that this liitle dog has treed right around my coop. She has harrassed possums and groundhogs as well, she is smart and quick enough to avoid getting injured, holding them at bay untill backed up by the big dogs or myself.

 

[dottysfarm]

Hi, I am trying to figure out myself what would be the best dog to keep around for protecting the chickens. I would prefer a large breed myself (btw, what is lgd... Large dog maybe?).

Anyway, I can tell you that WHATEVER you get, get it as a pup and raise it WITH the chickens you want it to protect. I have a wonderfully annoying 5 yr old lab mix... I think lab and heeled (btw, Australian shepherd and heeled are the same thing). That darn dog is very protective of.... Me. She could care less about my darn birds. Over the summer we kept her outside with the flock because she has shown some amazing intelligence as to what to do in certain situations and as far as chasing off anything tut does not belong. She learns very quickly what we keep as pets and what we do not.

Here's the kicker... Over the summer when we had her out with the chickens, we were losing up to 4 a day to the family of fox. One day we came home to what looks like a fresh fox scene with me dog SLEEPING less than 50' away!

BUT if I am home, when she years those chickens sound the alarm she goes absolutely ballistic. She just has to chase away what does not belong because her family is here.

Anyway, tha long winded story was to set out the point that no matter the breed, get it as a pup and TRAIN it to protect the animals you want it to protect. It will be loyal to whatever it has grown up with.

Also, for point of reference, my husband had a heeler that was a chicken killer (though not exposed tonchickens on a regular basis) and my grandpa had a heeler that killed every animal that came into it's path.

Another point of reference, MOST dogs that are trained protectors of any flock (as in, it's in their breed) will travel long distances to find and kill predators. I would get a breed whose HISTORY is being trained to STAY in place and protect from what comes INTO the boundaries... Also, hunting dogs are difficult too be aide they tend to wander and kill anything because that's what they were bred for.

I know this doesn't give you a solid, get this breed but I hope it helps.

 

[dottysfarm]

Oops, I notice every time intyped "heeler" my phone auto switched the word to heeled. Sorry.

Also of note, herding dogs have been bred to nip at the heels (thus the name heeler) of the animal it was designed to herd and protect. I wanted a heeler too but hate the thought of my poor (already distressed) birds being nipped at.

LOVE pitbulls... My husband will not allow mento get one. Once again though, follow it's breeding lines back. The ones who have not been specifically bred to attack and kill anything and everything are wonderful dogs (as can be rotweillers). Doberman pinchers however have a problem with their brains where their brain continues to grow even though their body has stopped. This means at some point in their poor little lives they "may" turn on you as the pressure on their brain increases.

Okay, sorry, shutting up now

 

[elizabethbinary]

A trained one.

Both my staffy/pit and my husband's rotty/kelpie, which are not small, are good with our chooks. But it had to be trained into them. Don't really think it's a breed thing either - seen rat terriers defend chickens with their little lives. Seen big ol' boofy boxers run off and hide and pee themselves when a cat spooked it.

 

[AinaWGSD]

If you want a dog that will dispatch 25+ pound racoons you're going to need at least a medium sized dog, preferably a large dog. I guess the next question is whether you are looking for a dog to live in the same space as your chickens vs one to just keep the varmints off your property. Unfortunately, the traits that make most dogs fierce enough to take on 'coons the same size as them are the same traits that make them more likely to be chicken killers. And any dog you get, regardless of breed, is going to require tons of training on how to behave around the birds. If you want a tough, fierce dog that would fight a predator to the death you might consider a pit-bull type dog such as a staffordshire or patterdale terrier.

Australian shepherd and heeled are the same thing

No, they aren't. Australian shepherds were created in the western US, have a medium-long fluffy double coat, can come in red and white, tricolor, merle (red or blue), have drop (floppy) ears, and often have a naturally bobbed tail (although sometimes they do have docked tails and I have met Aussies with full tails). Heelers (also known as Australian cattle dogs) were developed in Australia, have a short close double coat, only come in red or blue ticked, usually have prick (upright) ears, and should have an undocked tail (although I'm sure there are some out there who have been docked for one reason or another).

Doberman pinchers however have a problem with their brains where their brain continues to grow even though their body has stopped. This means at some point in their poor little lives they "may" turn on you as the pressure on their brain increases.

Absolutely NOT. This is a myth, just like the myth that a pit bull will turn on you, once a dog tastes blood (of any kind) you better get rid of it because it will want more and will attack you, et al. Just like ANY other breed of dog, the brain can not "outgrow" their skull. A doberman from a good breeder that has been properly socialized will be the best dog you've ever had. A doberman from a backyard breeder who was just trying to cash in on the "tough dog" fad may have behavioral issues from poor genetics, just like those pit bulls that are "specifically bred to attack and kill anything and everything" will have behavioral issues.​

 

[Delmar]

A lot of dog breeds can be trained to protect. You just need to teach the dog that the chickens are under their care. The thing I worry about with little dogs is egg stealing. My Lab Springer spaniel cross is a little big to get into the coop, so the eggs are safe.

I'm not sure I want my dog fighting a coon, but I think he is a pretty good deterrent!

 

[inohio]

I have a JRT. She was a stray along the road who almost got killed by a truck, so she came to me at 3yo. She's an excellent dog for predators. She's killed racoons that are twice her size. She's also came in at 1am with a six inch slash clear through the skin. I've had to reach up to my shoulder to pull her out of a ground hog hole because she had one trapped down there. She's cleared the farm of ground hogs, racoons, mice, rabbits, turkeys (scares them off).

She doesn't bother the chickens, but it is ONLY because I got chicks and started them indoors. Anytime that she'd go at them, she was flipped on her back and I gave a STRONG, LOUD, and in no uncertain terms "come to Jesus" discussion. So, she doesn't bother them, but I can clearly see that she has to work to fight her instinct because they are the same size as her normal prey. She's also run off all the feral cats, but leaves the two farm cats alone *for the most part*.

If you want something that will terrorize predators relentlessly (if not out right kill them), a JRT is a brave and bold dog that will get the job done and have a ball doing it.

If you want something to "protect" your chickens, that is not a JRT. Mine doesn't bother them, but she also doesn't have a protective instinct. If another dog came at the chickens, I'm certain that her instict would overcome her desire to be a good dog and she'd join in the chase.

I lost all my birds last fall and am working on improving my hen house and pen (I lost them to a weasel)... While I wish my birds could just free range all day, I will likely let them out around noon and only let them have half days when I get new ones.

I have horses, so while I love many herding dog breeds, I won't get one for the farm because I'm convinced that they would spend the day herding the chickens.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

My Attack Pom does a good job.. He LOVES the chickens.. yes, even when they come in side..

 

[dottysfarm]

Quote:
No, they aren't. Australian shepherds were created in the western US, have a medium-long fluffy double coat, can come in red and white, tricolor, merle (red or blue), have drop (floppy) ears, and often have a naturally bobbed tail (although sometimes they do have docked tails and I have met Aussies with full tails). Heelers (also known as Australian cattle dogs) were developed in Australia, have a short close double coat, only come in red or blue ticked, usually have prick (upright) ears, and should have an undocked tail (although I'm sure there are some out there who have been docked for one reason or another).

Doberman pinchers however have a problem with their brains where their brain continues to grow even though their body has stopped. This means at some point in their poor little lives they "may" turn on you as the pressure on their brain increases.

Absolutely NOT. This is a myth, just like the myth that a pit bull will turn on you, once a dog tastes blood (of any kind) you better get rid of it because it will want more and will attack you, et al. Just like ANY other breed of dog, the brain can not "outgrow" their skull. A doberman from a good breeder that has been properly socialized will be the best dog you've ever had. A doberman from a backyard breeder who was just trying to cash in on the "tough dog" fad may have behavioral issues from poor genetics, just like those pit bulls that are "specifically bred to attack and kill anything and everything" will have behavioral issues.​

Sorry for the misinformation. My mom always told menthat about the Doberman as her ex husband had a friend who raised them. The Heeler/Australian shepherd thing came from a hobby farms magazine that talked about what breeds to get to protect your livestock. In that article they said that the Great Pyrenese (sp?) was the best dog but they also referred to the Heeler and the Australian Shepherd as the same thing. Sorry to offend you.