would aussie/border collie mix be inappropriate?

[ChickieNikki]

looking for a dog that would protect from predators, mostly dogs--thinking this dog would more herd them and drive them crazy...hoping dh will consider a dog...still working on it...

 

[arlee453]

Really depends on the individual dog - you can't guarantee chickens are 100% safe from attack from any dog, much less find 'THE' breed that will not only not eat them but will protect them.

Saying that, I have shelties (another herding species) and a Heinz57 mutt and none of them pay the chickens any attention at all - they just ignore them. On the other hand, I have two great pyrs (a livestock protection breed) who would 'play' with the chickens to death if they get the least little chance.

Either way, I don't leave my dogs out when the chickens are out in the larger yard (it's fenced in) - I've read WAAAYYY too many 'my dog who I trusted and never hurt the chickens ever...killed X# of my birds today...' posts on here to trust even the shelties unattended with the birds.

 

[horsejody]

I would choose a guard breed over a herding breed. JMHO.

 

[tdgill]

i have a border collie bernese mountain dog mix and they are HIS chickens. He doesn't chase them or herd them, just hangs out and chases blackbirds and the like outa the yard. i think the chickens taught him to do that!

 

[Minx]

I have an aussie red cloud kelpie (same intincts as the border collie. I trust him 100% with the chooks. He herds them up and guards them obsessively when they are out free ranging and will be on the alert if he hears anything when they are in their run. He is brilliant

Now my Jack Russell is another story .....

 

[LizzyJo]

I have a Border Collie who is insanely trying to drive me and the chickens crazy. He can't stop with the herding, so I don't even try to stop him and it would be cruel--that's the way he's wired. I just added another fence so there is a double fence around the run. The girls mostly ignore him. They seem to be immune to "the eye" I do have to drag him into another area to give him food and water or he forgets to eat and drink.

Before I had chickiens I had a different Border Collie (RIP Steve) and a koi pond. Steve spent all his time herding fish! They say if you get a Border Collie and don't give him enough work to do, he will find something to do and you might not like it.

I love Border Collies, but they are not your run-of-the-mill dog. There is a joke about how many (name the dog breed) does it take to change a light bulb.

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned-out light bulb?

Rottweiler: Go Ahead! Make me!

Shi-tzu: Puh-leeze, dah-ling. Let the servants. . . .

Pointer: I see it, there it is, right there...

German Shepherd: Let me get everyone out of the house first to insure their safety. And then I'll patrol the perimeter to make sure no one's taken advantage of the situation.

Border Collie--just one is needed to change the light bulb, but he will rewire your house and bring it up to code while he's at it!

Anyway, you get the idea.

 

[tdgill]

 

[Rowtag]

I've got a Collie, those are her chickens, not mine. I still don't leave her completely unsupervised though. She will on occasion help me herd them back up though. I really think it depends on the animal. Aussie down the street doesn't even notice the chickens at all when he is over, but he wouldn't protect them either.

 

[DTchickens]

Great pyrenees hands-down.. once you get one, you'll only want them for guard/family dogs pretty much.. Anyone who has owned them will tell you the same 99% of the time.

 

[CityChook]

I have a 3 yo lab. She is an awesome family dog, well trained and recognizes me as alpha. I trust her implicitly around the chickens. We have had no problems. But they lived in my house (in their brooder - her dog crate) for a summer while the coop was being built. She got it loud and clear that these were MINE and off limits. Now, they wander the back yard and sleep together. However, I don't think this is typical/normal.

I guess what I'm saying is whatever dog you choose, supervision and training is key. Without it, you only have one more problem on your hands.

I would love to have a gret pyrenees - so beautiful and drooly! And the face! But too much hair for my OCD tendencies...

I wouldn't recommend a border collie unless you've done ample research on the breed. They are amazing dogs, but have a lot of needs.

Good luck!