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[scottishchicken]

We got our chooks a week ago and are starting free ranging them now. The trouble is, we have 2 terriers who don't know anything about the birds yet (although I'm convinced they suspect something!).

 

I think the older dog will be OK with them, although we're not going to leave him alone with them, but the 1 year old is mental, and could be a real liability.

 

Has anyone dealt with introducing 'energetic' dogs to chickens before, and do you have any tips that could help us?

 

Thanks a lot

[Henchanted]

Hi scotishchicken

 

I have cut and pasted this from another thread that I wrote on;

 

Firstly I was so scared to let my hens out into the garden, for fear of Mr&Mrs Fox, our Springer or them not getting back into the run or escaping, that they did not come out for the first 4 weeks.

 

This allowed both the dog and the hens to get used to the idea of being around each other. He soon stopped sniffing around the run and they really weren't that bothered.

 

Then I only let the hens out for a hour or so before dusk with the dog locked in the house. They explored and then they put themselves to bed at dusk. After a few of these sessions we tried with having the dog in the garden on a lead, sitting and watching. He was extremely excited , trembling with eagerness to interact with them. Each time he made a move to get closer to one he was told "leave it' and rewarded when he sat back down. We did this for a time.

 

Then one evening one of the kids accidentally let him into the garden while I was out there supervising the free ranging and so I watched what would happen, ready to act if necessary. He approached one chicken, was told to 'leave it' so he sat down. Meanwhile they went about their chickeny business unconcerned. After some time he got up tried to sniff one and she promptly turned pecked him and walked away. To cut a long story short(er) all enjoyed the garden without much bothering each other. The dog soon lost interest in the hens and found a new obsession, chicken poo. BTW He can be hired out to deep clean hen houses and runs at a very good rate if anyone's interested

 

So six months on, we have happy healthy chickens and a happy doggie who share the same space, even when we are not physically in the garden! I actually believe that he keeps the foxes away. The dog still chases other birds in the garden and when we are out though, so I do stay mindfully aware when they are out together, but equally the girls are no fools and are very good at dealing with any unwanted attention.

 

So my message is that even with some hunting dogs, it is not impossible to teach the garden occupants to live in harmony, but it depends on their character, trainability and a lot of your faith and patience.

 

Hope that helps?

Edited July 16, 2011 by Guest

[LunaKiw1]

I don't have a dog to worry about - but what a great, practical and helpful reply!

[scottishchicken]

That's great advice henchanted, thank you very much. Since today is cleaning day in the run, I might just see what our older dog thinks of the chooks.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My dog was very excited when the girls arrived and used to pace up and down the run wanting them to come out to play .

 

One quick peck on the nose and he's been as good as gold since .

 

[beach chick]

brilliant pic from ANH! just be careful tho - we had a visiting Lab one day when we had our first lot of girls and we went indoors for 2 mins - came back out to find our Lab sitting down, looking away - while the visitor had killed a girl.

[fluffy chick]

My dog is actually scared of the chickens but then she is a chihuahua

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's awful, Beach Chick .

[scottishchicken]

God beach chick, that must have been a hell of a shock.

 

We've taken both dogs to meet the chickens now, and so far so good. We'll do a lot more on-lead introducing before letting them off, but for now the dogs are interested but not excited, which is a good sign. Thanks for your help.

[beach chick]

God beach chick, that must have been a hell of a shock.

 

We've taken both dogs to meet the chickens now, and so far so good. We'll do a lot more on-lead introducing before letting them off, but for now the dogs are interested but not excited, which is a good sign. Thanks for your help.

 

well it was a bit awful really... our Lab is a rescue dog and the coordinator who sorted it out for us came to visit with her Lab which she had just rehomed a week or so before. the 2 dogs got on like a house on fire, romping away round the field and we popped indoors to put the kettle on.

Ozzie had never shown any interest in the girls (maybe he was too new still) so they were FRing around the garden as per normal. when we went out and found the evidence - Oz was sitting there with his body language saying "I said not to do it" and the visiting dog was happy as Larry. I felt really really sorry for the Lab rescue coordinator, she was absolutely mortified. so of course I couldnt cry or swear or anything, I had to be terribly polite about it!!

 

subsequently though, we got non-electrified omlet fencing and then some more girls, and Oz would leap in and chase them about; so then we went electric and he has had a shock off the fence twice. horrible, but he certainly gives them a wide berth now.

[scottishchicken]

I've been thinking about the electric fencing too - I reckon a couple of shocks off that for the dog is fine; hardly a major trauma compared to getting your head bitten off!

[beach chick]

if possible, teach your dog not to go near; electric shocks are REALLY shocking for dogs. unfortunately Oz would not learn the easy way despite everything I did. on the 2 occasions he got a shock he ran from the fence to the gate - a couple of hundred yards maybe; then sat there and quivered, all hunched up, tail between his legs etc and would not come back to the house for up to an hour each time. it was horrible; I hated that he got the shocks. on the other hand - he would not listen when told 'leave it'; I cant be outside with him all the time; he has learnt his lesson now so the chooks are safe from him.

[Snowy]

I thought our dogs would never be able to mix with the chickens - Candy is an OCD springer spaniel. Ruby is a full on working spaniel but apart from a couple of sniffs has ignored the hens from day one! Candy however paces around their run, stares at them through the patio doors if they are out and she is in, even stands against the kitchen worktops to glare at them through the window - constantly! Absolutely nothing distracts her from them.

 

A couple of times she managed to join them and grabbed a couple of tail feathers, but i think she scared herself silly. More recently she managed to join them but just stood and watched them. Now if they are in the garden together she either freezes or creeps round them hoping they won't see her while she can still see them. It's been 18 months but they do all mix together in the garden now.

[daxigirl]

I have 2 dachshunds and a whippet and 99% of the time they're scared of the big girls. They will however follow the middlies and I have found the whippet with a couple of tail feathers in her mouth.

 

It only took a few hard pecks and some flying up in their faces and claws on the back to make the dogs leave them alone but the middlies haven't learnt this yet.

 

I don't leave them unattended in the garden though, as you never know when the temptation may become too much. The dogs have to be really desperate for a wee or to do some sunbathing to make them go out in the garden on their own, then it's quick.

 

(Watch out when you take a biscuit with your cup of tea into the garden, it's like feeding the 5000. You need more than 4 biscuits if you want to taste any!)