I have quite a few dogs (compared to the average house), 5 to be exact. Only 1 of them is a big dog, and she's the sweetest dog ever, she's not my concern. The other 4 are, a miniature schnauzer, a pomeranian, a scottish terrier, and a Bulldog. The dogs are typically in and out as they please. We also have 3 housecats, whom we try to keep IN the house at all times, and the dogs just leave them alone, they never fight. But if I have a few chickens that i'll let run around in the yard, do you guys think the dogs might harm them?
At first, in all likelihood, yes dogs will be a problem for a chicken. Their good nature with each other and you not a predicter of what they will do to chicken. This does not mean they can not be trained to leave a chicken alone but it will take work and a little education on your part.
I have a pitbull and at first she was very interested in them but after some training she now knows to let them be. It all depends on what your dog is like and mine luckily is very obedient and has given in to know they belong here too. Good luck!
Your dogs will LOVE the chickens---as toys and dinner. This will be a big training project,individually with each dog, then as a group, I think very difficult at best. Good luck, Mary
With that many dogs, pack mentality will take over. Probably won't be good. Training one-on-one will help.
Dogs do tend to pack up. You can fence off a section just for your chickens as well as train the dogs. It will take time but training is worth it
My own little lap-warmer, 13 pound Lhasa Apso mortally wounded one of my chickens yesterday. I blame myself for not supervising more carefully, but I let him out and got busy doing yard work. He is, afterall, a dog and their ancestors were predators. The only chicken really showed interest in was one we incubated that hatched in July. It was bantam sized and was integrated with the rest of the flock. That is the one pup always homed in on, and now with fatal results. Will be much more careful in the future.
Hi...If you raise the chickens from young and allow your dogs to be around them, smell them, etc, supervised, while under the lights and again when you put them in their coop. The dogs will get used to their presence and odor and will not have any unwanted interest in them. I have three dogs and the chickens think the dogs are one of them. Just a note. When the chickens went outside for the first time, I had the dogs on a light lead so I could pull them away quick if need be. They are all one big happy family now! Good luck!
All good advice here. Clearly I'm not alone in training our dogs to accept the chickens. There are several good threads on the forum for training the dogs for chicken duty. I can also PM you a training procedure that I wrote on the subject. Just let me know. Jim
