# Poultry Guarding Dog?



## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

Is there a way to train a dog to guard poultry?


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A dog will protect that which he perceives to be his property. In that regard, it will bark at raccoons and other dogs. You need to teach the dog to leave the chickens alone.


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

Our pyr was 13 mos. old when we got her. We have 300-400 chickens at any given time in a 1-1/2 acre fenced area - the fence is mainly to keep the dog "in". We walked the dog through and around the chickens a lot!!!! Walked her around the perimeter, in the chicken coops, around the coops etc. a lot. Gradually they got used to each other. She was locked up away from the chickens when I wasn't around at first.

She learned alot from my behavior around the birds too. She had to sit while I feed the chickens, then she walked along with me. When she would chase or want to play with the chickens, I would stop her, make her go to the "down" position and wait for my anger to subside!! Sometimes I would scold her and shake my finger at her all the while she had to remain "down".

Then we had to teach her not to eat the eggs... Same scenerio, tried to catch her in the coop stealing eggs or eating them. Down position until I felt better (5-10 min.) Trust me a great pyr can eat ALOT of eggs!!!

MUCH patience is needed but really worth it. Now she'll help me corner a chicken to catch it! She "gallops" in front of the gate to keep the hens away from it. I have 3 sides of the chicken pasture surrounded by woods and don't even lock up the girls at night any more. We tried to figure out why we had eggs showing up at the front gate -- really, really dirty eggs -- until we saw her bringing in eggs that had been laid somewhere out in the pasture!!! Not broken, not even cracked, just a little slobbery!!

Introduce them, work with them, talk with them, let the dog know that the chickens, ducks, sheep whatever "belong". Let them smell each other etc. while you are right there.

Takes lots of patience and consistency. You also didn't say what kind of "dog" you had
LGD makes a difference - much easier than say a retriever...


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

We have a Lab/Chesapeake/? mix, who is now 9 years young. Sam has guarded every single critter we have gotten since we got him (when he was 6). The only limit is the chickens who roam up the driveway, off of our property. Sam will only protect the critters who stay home. Our property isn't fenced, but Sam doesn't roam. He won't let other dogs come onto our property, staves of the coyotes, and is a deterence for all other critters who would like to eat our chickens. Sam even protects our cats, who he is jealous of  They are outdoors 24/7, too.


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## downsized (Aug 28, 2012)

FCLady said:


> We tried to figure out why we had eggs showing up at the front gate -- really, really dirty eggs -- until we saw her bringing in eggs that had been laid somewhere out in the pasture!!! Not broken, not even cracked, just a little slobbery!!


My JRT does this too, except that she lays them right in front of the front door of the house. Worse, when I leave the door open in the summer, she brings the egg into the middle of the living room floor and leaves it there without any warning. Of course, I figured all of this out when I stepped on them.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

How cool is that?! I wonder if I could teach Sam to find and bring me the stray eggs... I did train him to kill mice & rats. It is funny to watch, but at least he kills mercifully. One or two whaps with his paw, sometimes will pounce with both paws to kill, then he leaves the dead to be disposed of. He never tries to eat them, which is good.


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## cybercat (Mar 29, 2005)

Our last dog was a collie/shep mix from the local shelter. She was a great chickens protector and guardian. I am replacing her with an English Shepherd because they are the Best all around farm dog our there. It is what they have been bred for since the start and still are now.


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## 2wFarm (Jul 16, 2012)

mariaricarto said:


> Is there a way to train a dog to guard poultry?


Yes! Poultry guardians are possible. We raise poultry LGDs. They are natural guardians by instinct, you just have to watch the pups as you would in any breed. Like watching a human toddler. Always aware "what they are getting into".

Some LGD breeds are better suited to poultry than others. We have had a Labrador and a Groenendale-Cross in the past who were excellent watchers of our animals. But the Lab was not equipped to take on coyote etc. he would let the Maremmas do that part.

We find the pups take a lot of supervision until they reach a mature stage.
But having them with chickens from early pups on up, is the best scenario.
You have to watch them, and correct them, and sometimes separate them completely until they have reached a "proven" stage of young adult.

We currently have LGD pups if anyone is interested. We can fly them out or deliver by vehicle. Or you can pick up ) They are all started on poultry, geese and goats.

Home - 2winks Maremmas, LGD's


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Yes, our dogs guard our poultry (chickens, ducks, geese). Chickens are the hardest animal for dogs to learn to guard. Some are naturals. Some require a fair bit of training. I have done this with random dogs but prefer our dogs because they have natural guarding instinct, grew up on our farm and get trained by their elders in the pack as well.

Start by training basic obedience and attention. Then move on to walking through the poultry with the dog on a leash. Then begin fading out.

Chicken Dog | Sugar Mountain Farm


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## Zeet_Cranberry (Jan 11, 2011)

We have two English Shepherds who are just at six months old. The male does pretty good around our chickens but the female chases them and pins them down. When she starts chasing he joins in. Haven't killed any yet...but seems like a matter of time. We don't let them alone with the chickens. 

What's your best technique to stop the chasing???


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I'v tryed a few dogs and can vouch for the mt cur or a southern blackmouth cur .raised on my homestead the chickens me or any other livestock .are protected from any varmit . These dogs have proven there worth time and again I can fearlessly roam these hills knowing that any bear ,wild hog ,cougar,skunk or bigfoot will have to get passed them first .no training watching or worrying about them killing chickens or chaseing the pigs or calfs .I don't worry about the meter reader or visiters being molested or overly playful children being snaped .these dogs are THE dogs that were kept as farm dogs not pets by the origanal homesteders .and have never been in any show ring or puppy farm.while loading a 500# hog a few years ago she got mad and came at me with biteing on her mind my ginger female and her son amigo grabed an ear each and changed her mind .with a word from me they released her .I'm no dog trainer or cowboy just a old retired guy turned sustanance farmer back in the wooded hills where before getting a cur dog could'nt raise corn for the **** or chickens for the foxes ect.or honey bees for the skunks or bears I even had to fear for a new foal or calf .not any more and if times get realy hard they will tree squrels and any other game .this is just there natural instent i'v given pups to friends who let them in the house with them and they wereamased at not haveing to house train them and how fast they learned the manners of heal sit come or stay what they considerd a big deal with other dogs was a joy with these eager to please the master companions .they can be one man dogs though my amigo ,or ginger will not acknoledge a command from any one but me the same with my sisters dog friendly to vistors but I would not recomend a burgler try to get in her house . The main advice I can offer is when getting a dog try to get one that has the instencs bred for what you need ie don't get a bird dog and expect them to not kill chickens .english shepards are going to try to herd and are very hyper and need a stern hand to train them .dobermans bull dogs, rotwilers and the like are good at protecting but need to be in a fenced area better left in junkyards or other areas cause most don't descriminate between harmless explorers and intruders .i'v heard goat and sheep farmers say that their great perineses are excellent at there gaurding job but have to be locked up when they try to handle or loadout the goats or if they get attached to the people in the house they won't gaurd the sheep.if a scottih collie or farm shepard is available these make great dogs on a farm another type is the blue healer i'v heard they make good gaurds for the homestead but often need a firm hand when young to keep them out of trouble.


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