woody2k4 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I've had chickens before but now i have a puppy. I do want to get chickens again but what are they like with dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Welcome to the forum! I have both chickens (3 of) and a 6 month old puppy. I have tried them all out in the garden together a month or so ago with pup on a lead and the chickens were the ones who were the problem as they kept going for her, especially around the eyes. I also have two cats and the hens go for them too, but the cats aren't bothered and wander away I think you can get them used to each other with slow careful intros, but I don't think I'd ever let my hens free range in the garden with the pup out there. I am sure someone will come along with much better advice than me though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody2k4 Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 My bichon is 6 months old too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 We have chickens and also a 13yr old labrador and a 7mth old shih tzu. Our labrador has always been very wary of the hens and never goes near them. Our shih tzu however is too interested in them for my liking. We used to let the hens out into the garden when we only had our labrador, obviously always when someone was there to supervise, but with our shih tzu I wouldn't even contemplate letting her get up close to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 When Flynn was a pup, she would pin the hens down with her foot, more to stop them running (both to her and away from her), I tried not to laugh!! Seriously though, "Leave it", is a good command, to save for those times when you Really mean it. She Never troubles the hens now, they will, however, trouble her, and will try to peck her bone whilst she is eating it. She runs away!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 And of course Chicken poo is Tasty and Nutritious to dogs of all sizes... Yum Yum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I had the hens first before our puppy. The girls are in an enclosed area but Lara likes to try to reach through the netting to get the poo If she tries to poke her head in too far the girls give her a quick peck so she generally is a bit cautious when near them. She is not much bigger than them so I think that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 And of course Chicken poo is Tasty and Nutritious to dogs of all sizes... Yum Yum But can be rather a rich treat, and reappear unexpectedly...in the utility room and later.....on my bed! We used "NO!" To very good effect...and my 3 labs learnt quickly that feathered critters had hard pointy things at one end, and their soft noses didn't like making contact with said hard pointy things I know mine are probably an exception, but they happily FR together when allowed (chooks are now penned to claim back & regrow some of the massacred green stuff!) & also have been known to have carrots & biscuits removed by a marauding beak with no retaliation. Careful training and reasonable expectations are key, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I'd say the younger your pup is when you get your chooks the easier things will be. That's not to say it will necessarily be difficult if your pup is grown up when your chooks arrive. I had chooks for a couple of years before I got my rescue dog Tango. She was an absolute nightmare with the hens at first, trying to kill them at every opportunity After a lot of hard work, patience and the loss of one hen she is more or less okay with them now, although I'd never let her free range with them So it is definitely possible! My next door neighbour on the other hand who had their terrier from a pup can trust her 100% with their chooks and they all mix together in the garden with no problems. So much easier the younger the pup is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Leia Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Our rescue greyhound would have been about 4 when our chooks arrived. He'd already been cat tested and after a couple of minor incidents with the rabbit, settled in well and pretty much ignored the chickens when they came. The rescue border collie, who was about 3, arrived about 6 months after the chickens. He does try to round them up occasionally, but they do their best to ignore him. No issue with either dog being out when they are free-ranging. However, I get the impression that some dog breeds would be very different - Jack Russell's, for example? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 No problems here too, I have three dogs, nine chickens and two ducks who can all FR together. It was a case of introducing the dogs on leads to the girls with a strict NO LEAVE and they soon got the message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
