will my dogs eat my chickens

[Miltonchix]

I easily trained my German Shepherd to leave my chickens alone.
She know if I say "its mine, leave it" she dang sure better leave it.
I have NEVER hit her, I just give her "the look" and she cowers like I just kicked the crap out of her and LEAVES IT!!
I taught her the "its mine" long before I got chickens so it was really quite easy.
I don't hesitate to let her out WITH my chickens now.
Just wish I could break her of eating chicken poop. But I can't bring myself to tell her "its mine"!!

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
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Exactly! Including the part about chicken poop!

 

[Momnpop2010]

My wife and I had a rottweiler that never bothered our chickens then one day her black silkie rooster got too close and our rott crushed his throat killing him instantly so never let your guard down just because the dog hasn't done anything so far...you never know

 

[twentynine]

Yes!

 

[Chicks&Chihuahuas]

I have 2 Chihuahuas. Peanut, who is 9, seems to think he IS a chicken. He hangs out with the girls in the yard (mine free range in the garden and come & go from their coop and run as they please) and lines up with them in the morning and evening for "scratch time". He is pretty funny. He wants to get in on the snacks, and gremembers he doesn't care for scratch grains and spits them out. He herds them out of the garden beds.

Lily however is another story. Lily probably doesn't even weigh 3#. She's usually a sweet, cuddly little love bug. Until there are small chickens around. She has killed 6 thus far. She knows it's wrong, and she waits until we aren't looking to try to sneak in or out to chase them. After she kills one, she goes and hides, knowing full well she will be in trouble.

I would be very cautious allowing them to be together, and CERTAINLY not alone...

 

[Jeeper1540]

my dog is fine with my chickens, in fact i leave him out to protect my chickens during free range. i was a little worried at first, since he tried to eat one of my rabbits, but he proved himself to be trustful.

 

[crazy chook]

I have never had a problem with my dog and my chickens all together, however I always lock the chooks up if I go anywhere and don't leave them in the same yard as the dog when I am not home, the rooster is a bit dopey and will try to attack the dog.

 

[silkieowner]

Hi i thought i would have trouble with my female golden retriever with my chickens as when we first got them she chased them, even tho she couldn't get them they were in the pen she wasn't but still gave chase runing up and down the pen on the outside. BUt after telling her no and chasing her away from the pen she has left them alone.

When we first gave them free range Shelley my female golden retriever did walk up to them sniff,she did give chase a couple of times but a firm no stopped her. My other 2 dogs couldn't care less about the chickens, My chihuahua is actually scared of them lol. I don't leave my chickens out if i'm going anywhere they are put back into there coop/run where there safe. Theres always someone outside so my dogs are basicly supervised with the chickens.

 

[Sachasmom]

I'd start training them now. Part of the struggle will be if you are the "Pack Leader" in your house, if you're not, and the dogs are top dog, then training is going to be hard!

If you can get the Dog Whisperer on DVD it has some pretty good tips and techniques for training.

Take one of the chicks out of the brooder (Hold it securely so the dog doesn't snatch it out of your hands and eat it!) Show the dog the chick and tell it MINE. Praise the dog when they sniff the chick calmly. Repeat as needed as chicks get older. Train the dog to "Leave It".

The other option would be to either securely pen the dogs, or the chickens. I'd still train them though, since it only takes someone leaving the door open once!

I trained my Spitz mix on the chicks, rabbits and ducks. She's an excellent LGD (I wish I could find a stud to breed her to, LOL) The ducks were the hardest to train her on, probably because of how they run!

I also trained my cat, although I don't know how that happened!

Perhaps Sacha trained her, since she will stand guard over her "babies" if they're in the house.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Our five year old terrier/beagle mix was insanely *interested* in the new chicks. A year later, after lots of patience and training (and the hens now standing taller than the dog), we have achieved a mutual ambivalence towards each other. The turning point was when one of the pullets delivered a nasty peck to the dog's nose. game over for the dog.