Will they ever get use to each other (pic)

[Katok8607]

we have 2 coops 1 has 4 hens and the other has 10 chicks. We also have 2 boxers. When we let the hens out we always put the dogs in a locked shed. Just curious if we should fence off the new coop or do a shock color for the dogs? They are constantly hanging around the new coop and when they are near the chicks don't go out in the run. The chicks are 3 and 5 weeks old. Do the chicks and dogs just need time to get use to co existing?

 

[paddock36]

Some dogs just can not be trusted around chickens. Their intent may be to just play but if they chase them I would not trust them. I have a Lab-mix that I have never had to worry about being alone with the chickens. We even have pictures of the chickens pecking his tail and he doesn't care, but I have a Rat terrier that I can not trust because he wants to play with them .

 

[Howlet]

@Above, I agree

Some dogs you CANNOT trust. period. How long have you had the dogs AND the chickens?? if its been more then a few weeks (?) Then I personally wouldnt chance it. However if you free range your yard during the day, ( like i do ) Then its basically tether your dog, or do a VERY close supervision when you let them out. if the dogs never had contact with the chickens and they just want to see them< maybe you just need to let them see theres nothing special about them. let them out and watch your dog, but have a hose ready. Whenever Percy and Gizmo would charge the hens, they got a spray. It worked, and now i dont even bother to glance out the window at them

 

[Varglet]

Two of my dogs, a pitbull/akita mix and a border collie/australian shepherd mix, can be trusted completely around the chickens. Our black lab mix (she's small, probably has heeler in her) can NOT be trusted at all. No matter how much I work with her, she won't get it through her head. She just wants to catch them and tear them up.

The pit/akita mix wants to play with them (along with everything else), but knows she's not allowed to. She's grown up around baby animals and understands she can hurt them and doesn't want to. She settles for licking them if they come up to her. The collie/aussie mix just ignores them, off in her own little world of playing with sticks and tennis balls and running around the trees.

I still keep an eye on them when a chicken is in the yard, even after a few years of knowing those two won't touch them.

 

[Katok8607]

I don't plan on letting the dogs and chicks together. The dogs have free reign of the yard, except when we let our 4 hens out then we put them in the shed. With the new set of chicks we recently moved their brooder into the coop, the dogs spend half the day by the coop either watching calmly our work themselves up with excitement. I am not concerned with them getting them and/or getting into the coop. I'm just curious if the dogs and chickens will ever get used to each other being separated or if the dogs may stress the chicks out. Debating on giving it time for them to get use to each other or building an additional separation or shock coller for dogs.

 

[Varglet]

Our one dog will try to get at the chickens through the fence if one is right next to it. The chickens know the dogs can't get through the fence, but will get startled if they touch the fence. Otherwise, the chickens stand there watching the dogs if they're near the fence.

If your dogs are excited and "hyped up" near the chickens, they aren't going to like it and will likely freak out themselves. There is a possibility the dogs will calm down over time, with corrections and discipline, but there's always the possibility they never will. Depends on the individual dog and owner.

If I'm standing outside with the dog that likes tearing up chickens, she won't go near one, even if it's in the yard with her. If my mother was out with her, she would go straight for it. Because my mother doesn't enforce the rules, the dogs won't behave as they know they should with her around. They know I do enforce the rules, and have zero tolerance for misbehaving when they know the rules, so they behave when I'm around.

 

[dchronicles]

I have the same problem with my two dogs. One is curious, but the Doxie cannot be trusted, even with discipline. I was building the walls to our coop and had the run secured for chicks. The Doxie was barking along the run area and then within seconds found a breech and grabbed one alpha chick before I could grab him. I was horrified and upset, but it convinced me to never give him any unsupervised outing in yard while chicks are out... Since that unfortunate episode, the Doxie now has our other dog barking around the run. Balancing the animals has been a lot of work and thinking it's time to create a fenced area for dogs to keep the peace... Shock collar did not work....