Will a dog help deter a fox attack? What type?

[88heather]

My dog isn't outside all the time but no digs or attempts by fox on my chickens. I do wonder if it's because of my dog marking all the property or the fact he barks at any noise that could scare fox away.. he chases them away too.. Neighbor kid told me today that their chicken run has had digs by fox. mine doesn't.. I think I'll credit my sweet protective dog for that!

 

[savingdogs]

I have to agree. My border collie is also excellent with the poultry and would chase away predators (and does) and defends my property and children admirably.

But she doesn't even have the coat to be an outside dog for one, and for two, she does not have that personality. She must be at her master's feet and as close to the people as possible, waiting for directions. They were bred to live with their shepherds and livestock 24/7 and that is when they are supposed to be working and being devoted to their people all the time. They are a high energy dog that requires more attention than the average dog, not less. They are known to be great farm dogs, but those farmers are home working! Not being home for long hours during the day would be a recipe for trouble with many border collies that I have known.

I've only known and fostered one catahoula, he was a great dog, but he needed a fenced yard, that is for sure. Not a common breed like a border collie, at least around where I live.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think the op would be better off with the electric fence, since he(she) is not a dog person. Enough chicken people have trouble with family dogs attacking and killing chickens and they know something of dog behavior. A totally novice dog person couldn't be expected to teach the pup from day one to be a buddy to chickens and not harm them.- it is even a daunting task to dog lovers.

The idea of having a friends dog mark the territory is a good idea and hurts no one and may be of help. You just cannot get any breed of dog or pup and plop them in your yard for long hours alone and expect them to know their sole purpose in life is to protect poultry

No matter what breed or mix, there are always some wonderful dogs that are perfect guardians and some that are the devil's tool. I've read many stories on the forum of Great pyrenees taking off and neglecting the chickens, border collies that can't resist herding them too forcefully, GSD's decimating the flock when owners aren't home etc. There are also many breeds and mixes that one would never associate with being good protectors that take to it like a duck to water. One never knows but I would think the odds are very poor if you aren't experienced with raising and training canines.

 

[drumstick diva]

PS one wonderful dog that just came to mind is one of the BYCERS that posts often - Rummie the airedale. I would love a clone of that dog but, probably so would a hundred ohers.

 

[Hockeychick]

Rummy the Airedale is precious!!! I really enjoyed reading through those posts and the pics of the dogs with the chicks are priceless!

I have to say that I have learned a lot about dogs over the last few days. Not just on this site, but reading and talking to dog owners. I realize that if we do ultimately decide to get a dog, it will take a lot of time and training (for both of us!!) before putting the dog with the birds. All the training in the world for both myself and a dog is no guarantee that this will work. 1 poster made a good point, that since I have no experience with dogs, and don't have that much time, training a puppy would be WAY over my head. I would like to adopt a dog from a shelter, and if it is good with the chickens, great! My friend takes her greyhound to doggie training classes every week, so I will look into that before getting a dog. The classes are offered at night, so getting there would not be a problem.

The other big issue for me is that I am out of the house 12 hours a day during the week. I am home nights, and I avoid going anywhere on the weekend if I can. Based on that alone, it couldn't be a breed that needs lots of exercise. I have a petsitter that would be able to walk the dog during the day, but I am still concerned that the dog would be lonely. This is going to require lots of research, and I am not going to rush into anything. My husband did tell me this weekend that he would like to get a dog, so that's more than half the battle right there!

 

[adotrat]

I've had 3 German Shepherds who guard the flock and doesn't bother them at all, my puggle on the other hand chases them around and is a pain in the butt.

 

[Therese 11]

I have a straight answer if you want a dog like that. It would be a collie. They won't kill the animal but they scare it away. A collie would be the dog to do that. I also heard that german shepards are good with chickens and they are good guard dogs but I don't know how true that is. So if I were you I would prefer a collie. Therese

 

[ADuckOnQuack]

You could always get Guinea fowl or geese?

 

[bmoe]

Pit bull! If your excited about watching chickens so are they!

Buddy loves his chickens and just his presence scares most predators. That's buddy watching the chickens along side his rooster, good boys!

 

[Cajunchick3]

I've been battling foxes. I have a boarder collie whose good with chicks but is somewhat disabled so no help as a predator deterrent. I'm looking at a Great Pyraneese this weekend whose grown up guarding flocks and goats. GPs unlike BCs like to be out alone guarding constantly and even though large their food intake is minimal due to their metabolism. I don't have a fence so I'll have to see if she stays or try perimeter fencing. I've heard they have high pain tolerance and sometimes ignore the shock though. Each dog is different even among breeds.