Will I be endangering my dogs if I get chickens?

[eggspletive!]

I don't have chickens yet. What I do have is two very small (8 lbs. and 14 lbs.) Shelties whom I adore, and my concern is that getting chickens will attract animals that might attack them. Is this a valid concern?

We live in town and the only predators we have, as far as I know, are raccoons, but we do occasionally find evidence of them (handprints, stolen cat food) in our garage and on our deck. Would our dogs be at any more risk once we had chickens than they are now? Would raccoons attack a dog?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

do you keep your dogs in at nite?

i dont think your dogs would be at risk unless they went after a predator - but usually that would be at nite..unless you have a troublesome neighbor dog.

anybody else?

ps...hee hee um.. so if you got BIG chickens they might chase those little tiny dogs of yours!! hee hee hee just kiddin' i'm a BIG dog owner
;-)

 

[Sitka]

I would not think a raccoon would come after a dog; they try to avoid them. Only if cornered would a raccoon fight a dog. I think yours would be safe.

 

[kikescove.com]

I would say no unless they harmed your chickens which made you want to kill your dog.......

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I don't think you would be. We have 4 small dogs and a mini Labradoodle ( he is 25lbs and all boy), our small dogs are 2 toy poodles, a miniature poodle, and a shihpoo...all weigh 10lbs and under. We live out in the country and get coyote, fox, wolf, raccoons... you could keep on going and going lol and we've had no problems with the dogs, of course our dogs are kept in a large run during the day and come in at dusk.

 

[redhen]

I wouls say i'd be the other way around..

 

[fordmommy]

Dogs are tough. You may think that they're just your little babies, but when push comes to shove...watch out! Your dogs would probably chase away or even kill any rodent that is on your property. They're warning alarms anyway.

 

[Suziers]

I have two small dogs. 12 lbs maltese/bichon mixes. They drive me crazy barking at the chickens, but I have not had any trouble with predators and my dogs. The dogs are inside at night.

 

[eggspletive!]

Great, that makes me feel better. They are really only outside when I am but my worry was that I'd let them out in the dark for their last pee at night and they'd charge straight into a raccoon fight. Thanks for your help!

 

[ranchhand]

I'd like to add that you apparently have cat food outside, and that is a huge attractant to raccoons. If you eliminate the cat food from where they can get to it, they'll move on.