BridieLou Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Hi all. After what feels like a lifetime of research we're getting our puppy in a few weeks' time. It's all very exciting, but I'm desperate to make sure pup and the girls can be...pals. Am I being naive or is this possible? The pup will be 8.5 weeks when we collect him and the three hens are all just under 18 months old. They're pretty tame with us and happy to chat to the local squirrels etc. Has anyone done puppy and chicken intros before who can advise? Is harmony possible?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 BridieLou I think it depends on the type of dog and it's temperament. I would not leave them unsupervised. I had two 10 year old Labs when we got girls and they didn't show any interest in the chickens whatsoever. I then got Miniature Schnauzer and when she was young she didn't bother,when fully grown she has a tendency to chase the chickens. My lab pup also didn't bother and lulled me into false sense of security and one day caught my Silkie tossed her in air like a mop.She survived bless her so now when girls FR dogs stay in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Chick Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I have 2 Border Collies, one is highly excitable and although not puppies when I got the chickens both are good with them. The excitable dog enjoys herding his favourite chicken around the garden but doesn't give chase. The other dog pretty much ignores the chickens entirely. However, the chicken poop is a tasty morsel so they aren't really left unsupervised! What breed (if any) are you getting? I would think that introducing a puppy to chickens would lead to a reliable adult dog in later life around them. In theory, anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridieLou Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 That's so helpful. He's a cockapoo, deliberately no terrier which I thought would be a start! They're supposed to be needy but chilled around animals and kids, so seemed our best bet. I suppose if he's more cocker than poodle he could chase. I did read about chicken poop being puppy crack. Uh oh - at least that gives me an insentive to keep the garden tidy...! The girls FR all day and I'd rather not reduce that since they were on the block first. But I could always make an outdoor run for them if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I've had many intros. I do puppy walking for Guide Dogs. I also have 2 of my own dogs. My girls free range. The first lot I had were very feisty and quickly told my labs who was boss. Since then I've had 5 more pups. I've introduced them as soon as I've got them. I do agree it sometimes depends on the breed though. I wish you lots of luck with your new addition, and won't pretend that I'm not just a tiny bit jealous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Jealous here too I think it massively depends on the breed. We had three German Shepherds at the yard, two I would trust implicitly, the other could be a bit mouthy but usually only if a quail escaped and she would catch it for us! The two terriers I wouldn't trust. We've spoken about getting a whippet at home but I'm a bit worried about chasing the cat, tortoise and chickens... Remember we need lots of photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
