# How do I find a dog that's ok with chickens?



## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

I'm bringing home 5 chickens this weekend that I plan on free ranging within our fenced yard. We want to get a dog, but are looking more for a family companion rather than an LGD. We're looking at adopting but most of the adoptable dogs... no one knows if they are ok with chickens.

Short of taking in dog after dog to test them and hoping we lose no chickens in the process... well, I know a lot of you have gotten dogs that turned out to be great with chickens or even just don't go after them. I'd REALLY rather not enclose the chickens in a pen. 

Any thoughts?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Lots of patience and training, and sometimes a shock collar.

The younger the dog, the easier it will be, but even adults can be trained most times


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Yep, I was going to recommend getting a puppy. That way the chickens will train the pup to leave them alone!


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## Kwings (Dec 21, 2010)

I agree with lots of patience and training. 

My dog had fear aggression from not being socialized really at all when she was a puppy(I suspect she was abused as she was really only afraid of and aggressive towards men), she was around other dogs but the only person she interacted with was her former owner(i got her at 7months old). I found a dog trainer that specialized in dog behavior training and we got her all fixed up and she's a good solid dog now with no fear issues and i trust her completely, she'll guard the house but for the sake of being protective not out of fear and aggression. Guys can come over to the house now and get on the floor and play with and wrestle with her and shes all tail wags and kisses. 

I've had lots of animals in my house over the years. Cats, dogs, rats, ferrets, etc. and she's great with them she watches over the rabbits and protects them from anything she sees as a threat. 

When i do finally get chickens in the future i will trust her with those too because she has a great temperament and is well trained if she got too rough with a chicken i'd just have to tell her to "leave it", and if that didn't work a quick non physical, verbal, reprimand would put her in her place and she'd know better next time. 

Look for a good dog thats good with other dogs and cats and other small animals if you can find one. A dog that already has some basic training a good solid sit, down, and come. The younger they are the more used to the chickens they will be and will see them as family and something to protect when they get older. 

I hope I was helpful, i'm young but I've been researching dogs and dog training since i was in elementary school.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I agree younger dog but also not a herding breed or a high energy prone breed. Anything that can't sit still for a minute and pays more attention to the smells and things going on around you, then you would not be the best choice. 

I have a Golden who is almost 7 and was not raised with poultry, I did not get them till he was about 2 years old. But he is a very mellow dog who could careless if ducklings snuggled into him, pecked at his moist eyes and etc  But my neighbor has a Lab who is very high energy and chases things, very much a retriver; so there are exceptions to each breed. 

Also no matter what you do get if it is not an LGD it should not be left alone with the poultry. The second it zones in on the poultry a NO! and a correction work well, before the dog goes after any. You may experience losses in the beginning, they are after all carnivores. But with time and training you may end up with a good dog who could careless about a chicken running around. 

You are getting a house dog? Or an outside one? If it is strictly an outside dog then I would give the chickens a nice dog proof area. No non-LGD IMO should be left unattended with poultry 24/7.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

If the dog has prey drive, you can redirect that prey drive onto a ball or toy. When my older GSD was little, I'd give her a verbal reprimand when she looked at the chickens, then got her attention with the toy and played fetch. It didn't take her long to figure out. Now she completely ignores the chickens; I can throw a ball right into the middle of the flock and they all scatter as she goes after the ball, flapping and squawking and doing all the "chase me!" behaviors, but she doesn't even see them.

Thankfully, my new puppy isn't gung-ho after poultry. Much to my suprise, she totally ignored them when I first brought her home. Now, she is curious and will sometimes follow after them. When she starts looking at the birds, I give her a verbal reprimand and as soon as she looks at me, I praise and call her to me for a treat. She is more food-driven than prey driven right now, so food works well to distract her.

Of course, I don't leave the puppy with chickens unattended, but my older GSD is totally trustworthy, even with her high prey drive.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Herding breeds can be fine with chickens, particularly the softer collies. My border collie is a herding dog and he will sometimes try to herd the chickens, or run through a group, just to get them going, but he pretty much ignores them. But, I put a solid leave it on him before we got chicks. Teach your dog "leave it" using objects around the house and treat/praise when he turns from the object. Then, take it on the road and walk him in town, on leash, letting him investigate trash cans and roses. Tell him leave it once he feels comfortable in the environment. Always use a normal tone of voice. Then, work him on moving objects. When you get your chicks/chickens, you need to go out with him ON LEASH, and have him leave it when he shows too much interest. At this point, you should know your dog well enough to know if he's going to just sniff the birds, or if he is going to bite. If he's a biter, have him leave it as soon as he alerts on the birds. Repeat 30 times over the next couple of days.


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## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

Thanks everyone! So I guess it sounds like you can train most of them... that's good. I specifically did not want a puppy, and I will be looking for a rescue in the area but I just had no idea how to start looking or what to look for. I suppose I need to figure out which breeds have a prey drive and which don't.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I suppose I need to figure out which breeds have a prey drive and which don't.


Terriers and herding breeds are not too good.

Strangely, I've had good luck with hounds, even though they are "hunting " dogs.

A shock collar was a big help, but it only took a couple of sessions to convince him chickens were electrified.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Betho said:


> I suppose I need to figure out which breeds have a prey drive and which don't.


If you're looking at rescue dogs, you'll probably be looking at mixed-breeds, so the individual dog will matter more.

A dog that is ball-crazy has high prey drive. A dog that watches a ball roll past his nose and doesn't react probably has low prey drive. Of course, in a shelter situation it can be really hard to address the dog's true temperament; he may not chase a ball because he is stressed or scared in the shelter.

Herding and sporting breeds (bird dogs) have high prey drive, but will look to his master for direction. They are trainable, so even with high prey drive, they can be trained to leave chickens alone.

Terriers have high prey drive and do not look to humans for direction. They were bred to chase down and kill small animals. Same with hounds.

Huskies and other northern-type breeds can have a lot of prey drive, and are not generally known to look to humans for direction. 

Pit bulls have high prey drive, and their trainability is all over the map. Some are very hard-headed and stubborn, others are eager to please.

LGDs, of course, have had most of the prey drive bred out of them and so they generally are reliable with other animals, but there is a learning curve and most will make mistakes as young dogs.

Hope this helps somewhat!


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

We got both of our dogs used.

We had to train our border collie to leave the chickens alone. He made a lot of "mistakes" before he learned. Even now, if a bird takes to the air he goes after it. He hasn't killed one in a while (knock on wood). He does such a great job protecting them from _other_ predators, we figure it's worth having him around to give our shepherd a break once in a while.

Our shepherd doesn't give chickens a second look. She's absolutely not the slightest bit interested in them. A predator on the property sends her into a frenzy, though. She's a great guard dog but we just got lucky. We didn't know how she'd be with chickens until we got her home.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

I agree with the patience & training but also the key is YOUNGER so it is trainable and also the chickens can get the bluff on a pup better then an older dog.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

I am so lucky
I got my lab Isabella when she was about 3 yrs old. She will walk right past the chickens and not even think about getting them. As long as her mommy is around all she can think of is sticking with me.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

My old black lab never gave the chickens a second thought. 
My St. Bernard could wander around inside the coop and never touched the chickens (other than to smell them).
My red tick coonhound will sometimes chase them, but always stays just far enough away to maintain the chase (she basically does it for fun). She's been in the coop a lot and never touches them (just wants to sniff around).
My two, mix-breed, Bichon/Shih Tzus... have KILLED two of my chickens. Granted they are only a year old so I'm working aggressively to teach them otherwise... but I don't trust those little guys around my chickens without supervision.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Teach the dog "MINE" from an early age. Not just with chickens, but with EVERYTHING that is yours. Herding breeds are so eager to please that they are extremely trainable. Clear, consistent instructions are the key. 

The worst thing I'm dealing with is the chi's love to roll in the chicken poo. The two youngest get LOTS of bathes. Be prepared for this is you freerange your chickens. It's really yucky.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> Herding breeds can be fine with chickens, particularly the softer collies.


My thoughts as well. Border collies will get it _much_ easier than heelers, for example. 
Of the border collies I've had over the years, not a one has ever been interested in the chickens. But then, they have cows to chase, horses to harass, etc. Why bother with a chicken? 



> Terriers have high prey drive and do not look to humans for direction.


And within this group, don't forget dachsies! 
A lot have had it bred out of them (more's the pity  ) but despite the AKC classification, dachshunds are a terrier-type of breed. Consequently, if you have a prey-driven dog, they'll love to chase (and kill) rats, mice, chickens, cats, etc. given the opportunity.

This has always been where my chicken deaths occur. In fact, I generally get extra chicks in the spring knowing I will lose some to WeinerDog-Death.


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## beaglady (Oct 7, 2002)

English shepherds are another herding breed that is good with poultry. For more info, see www.farmcollie.com or http://nesr.info/resources-links-english-shepherd.html if you're looking for a rescue.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

Ravenlost said:


> Yep, I was going to recommend getting a puppy. That way the chickens will train the pup to leave them alone!


Bingo..


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

Wolf Flower said:


> A dog that is ball-crazy has high prey drive. A dog that watches a ball roll past his nose and doesn't react probably has low prey drive. Of course, in a shelter situation it can be really hard to address the dog's true temperament; he may not chase a ball because he is stressed or scared in the shelter.


Good general rule but not always accurate.. My German shepherds aren't ball crazy at all, one doesn't fetch anything.. Both will get after any critter that moves like maniacs though.. My last dog a BC/lab mix was crazy to fetch anything until she dropped, but wouldn't chase anything but squirrels.



> Herding and sporting breeds (bird dogs) have high prey drive, but will look to his master for direction. They are trainable, so even with high prey drive, they can be trained to leave chickens alone.


I sure hope so. My bigger GSD rescue girl is crazy prey drive, off the hook.. I think I may have some issues when I introduce her to stock, I already have a shock collar I have used in training her which is the only thing I found that gets her attention when she goes in that zone.

But that zone and drive is just what a good working dog needs to have, I just hope I can direct it to productive work.


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