Dogs and Chickens

I don't know anything about preventing a drivey dog from killing chickens, but WOWZER!  That is one awesome coop!

I've taught my dog not to bite my guinea pig when I let her out to graze on grass, but it's not a sure thing, she still tries to nudge the pig with her nose and I'm sure she would take a bite if I wasn't right there watching her every move but it works out fine for me.  I just yell at the dog every time she comes close to the pig so she just backs off, but teaching her out of her prey drive, never!

Maybe your dogs are different, not as prey driven, and if you let them be around those chickens a little longer and get them used to idea and then slowly introduces the chickens to the dogs while holding them ...... maybe.   You just have to let them know that your in charge and you don't want them touching those chikens! 

Here is a link where Ceaser is teaching the dog not to chase the chicken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps8g86khGFE&feature=related

It's do-able but frankly, I wouldn't EVER rely on training alone- especially on a breed which is SO hardwired to snatch birds as a retriever. (on the plus side? You may have better luck with him NOT inadvertantly killing them.)

 I would start by practicing obedience around them, with your dog on leash- initially in the coop, then maybe in an exercise pen, and then free in your yard- all with dog still on leash. When he can ignore them and do regular obedience very reliably, I'd move him to a long-line, moving down a step in difficulty (put the chickens back in the x-pen). Practice LOTS of leave-its and stays right near the birds. Then I'd let the chickens back out, and practice more. Then try a long-line you're not attached to, and then, VERY carefully (with chickens in the x-pen), I'd start all over with him off leash.

With a predatory dog and chickens you didn't want to lose, I would never, ever, ever allow him loose with them unsupervised. Having flighty breeds that are naturally pretty wary and can flutter up to the top of the coop fence (My Aracunas and d'Uccles and OEGBs could manage this, my silkies and pekins could not, and my polish were too dumb to think of it :P- the one downside to the flightier birds was that my guys weren't really all that interested in them unless they were fluttering around- at the time I had only corgis in the household. Indy and Summer were chickensafe, but I had a foster who killed every bantam I owned in a single afternoon after she managed to break into the chicken coop- my roommates let her outside unsupervised.) will also help in the event of an accident. Put the training time in and work on a very solid leave-it, and it's VERY doable for MOST dogs. It just takes supervision.      

That is a great coop! Somewhere I've got a picture of Rupert, and his mom who was a seriously prey driven dog that chased anything including coons, rabbits, joggers, bikes, ect with our chickens actually in the pen connected to the coop while I was painting and the 3 month old chicks were eating off the ground, for one year we kept 6 hens as pets and let them free range every evening there wasn't snow on the ground and they were always amid the dogs and everyone coexisted peacefully, maybe I was stupid, or it was just dumb luck or whatever but never once did we have a dog(and we had 6 at the time) go after our chickens. The chickens pretty much took care of themselves in that respect, one little hen was particularly fiesty and would peck my toes until I gave her dog food which was her favorite treat ever(made for some fantastic eggs!) and I guess she maybe smelled it on the breath of our little miniature pinscher who was a year old at the time and she would go up and try to peck/nibble his mouth and he would come unglued and rush at her growling, then turn tail and run as she ran after him flapping her wings it became a total game, never once did either animal even come close to contacting the other and the hen sought him out, he play bowed to her.

 I guess it might help to have the calmer of your dogs perhaps tied out near the pen and you go sit and be peaceful inside the coop where the dog could see? Maybe toss treats to the dog for avoiding/calming down around the chickens, but I would definitely give a correction or some sort of redirection to take the dog out of prey mode because I have seen our dogs react and interact with the chickens like they would with another dog - example being yawning when the chicken is coming at them, and other calming signals. It should be possible to convey very clearly to the dogs with actions and attitude a message like, "I'm the leader these are MY chickens and if you touch them I won't hesitate to get down on your furry self for it." If I remember right that general attitude and our willingness to say "no" "leave it" "don't touch" like we really meant it and "nice chicken chicken" when the dog was being avoidant was quite effective.

 Uff... I think it's possible to make them tolerate each other when you have the chickens for a while and then you introduce a puppy to them, or maybe even so with a dog that has no interest in them. But with a grown up dog with a high prey drive, I really doubt it...

I wouldn't take that risk with my dog, he loves catching little animals... 

 Oh, I remembered something now...

My aunt had a boxer mix who would grab the chicken for it's neck and carry it around for some time. He would never bite too hard and the chickens never got injured, they would just be in shock afterwards. It was hilarious! Well, not for the chicken...

Maybe I'll find a photo somewhere... 

kaluha

 Oh, I remembered something now...

My aunt had a boxer mix who would grab the chicken for it's neck and carry it around for some time. He would never bite too hard and the chickens never got injured, they would just be in shock afterwards. It was hilarious! Well, not for the chicken...

Maybe I'll find a photo somewhere... 

Find that photo! LOL

I wish I could be of more help.   Just wanted to say that breed isn't always a tip off.  Of my three dogs, two are high prey drive, my GSD and my Pomeranian.  I trust my GSD more than I trust the Pom.  My Pom,  has on a dime recall, until she sees chickens.  Chickens do something to her that make her out of her mind crazy, deaf and blind to me. It is not a pretty sight.  I hope you find a solution!

If I was going to try this, I would start the chicks in the house.  I know, I know stinky, etc.  You then can deal with it as if they were small pets you were introducing your dogs to and teaching the dogs not to hurt or chase.  Unfortunately, I don't think a high prey drive dog could be trusted when the chickens are let loose to free range.  BTW, some one mentioned that Labs are hard wired to pick up birds and I wish that were true but as a retriever trainer I can assure you that the act of retrieving a bird is a trained behaviour.  Like you said your Lab was pretty nonchalant about the birds, it's the chow mix who REALLY wants a chicken.  What a nice coop.

 nice coop!

None of my dogs are really 'bird' dogs, but I would assume that the one that would want them the most is Sheba my rottie mix.  I've gotten lucky with my dogs & chickens, Sheba never really tried to go after them.  Akyra took some work. I'd basically take her into the coop with me & work with her until she stopped lunging at the chickens.  The only I've had problems with is Bella - I never really took the time to get her used to them - that is until she tried to 'kill' two of them. I dont think she knewwhat was going on - and it wasn't viscous, she wasn't ripping them apart - but it was the chase & tumble with them - usually by then I had gotten out there & gotten after her.  One time I chased her all over the yard after trying to 'kill' one.  After that I started making sure she was leased if the chickens were free ranging.  

I dont really have any tips for you other than just working with the dogs - keep them under control ( not loose), and make it clear to them that chickens are a 'no go'. 

oh, also the dogs are never allowed to be around the chickens unsupervised, ever. I just dont trust them that much!

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will make the point that the chickens are "MY" chickens. I will keep the birds confined for a couple of weeks, then introduce the leashed dogs to them and see how it goes.

Tomorrow I may hijack my own thread and post a picture of the chickens and see if one of you chicken experts can identify which variety of bantams I have. The guy I got them from didn't know.

A neighbor one street over has two pits and a younger but bigger dog and he has chickens.  I don't know how he does it, but all three of those dogs seem able to live in harmony with the chickens.  Max on the other hand, goes totally nuts when we walk past the side of his house and he can hear the chickens in there.  Once in awhile one will find a way out and be on the sidewalk or in the street and I have to keep Max on a 6" leash so he doesn't think he's having chicken for breakfast.

Joyce