Can Dogs and Chickens Live Together?
The answer to this question which has become quite a pressing concern is maybe.
More and more people are keeping chickens as a hobby in their gardens and back yards, and the question of dogs and chickens living peacefully together is being asked all over the internet.
There is no black and white answer.
Primarily it depends very much on the dog, and your relationship with him.
If you are a true pack leader, then there should be little problem, as you decide what happens around your home, not the dog! By the same token though, you have to concede that dogs are natural hunters, and chickens unfortunately are prey, how your dog reacts could also be governed by his breed.
Terriers will be rather difficult to persuade, Jack Russells and Patterdales particularly, being bred to catch vermin, as will greyhounds/whippets, as they are sight hounds and anything small is fair game to them.
Gun dogs should be easier as they are trained to leave the bird unless it is injured or dead, and then they retrieve it.
Don't despair however, all is not lost! There are methods by which you can use a combination of desensitizing and aversion training.
Have your chickens securely penned up before bringing the dog out to see them, and watch his reaction closely.
Make sure he is on a lead.
Allow him to sniff around the chicken area, but if he starts barking or lunging, then a very firm "NO" and noise aversion therapy should be used.
(Noise aversion is when you make a sound that the dog dislikes.
It learns to associate that noise with the behaviour and soon becomes aware that if he wants the noise to end, he has to stop what he's doing.
) In addition to the noise aversion, make sure you praise your dog's good behaviour, very important to let him know when he's getting it right, as you can't and shouldn't be constantly telling him off and scolding! The final step would be to let the dog off the lead near the birds.
Your voice will be very important here.
Because your dog reacts to you, keeping very calm with reassuring praise will work wonders, but of course keep the lead with you and be ready to react quickly should the dog decide to revert to being a predator.
With patience, you should eventually find your dog completely ignoring the birds, and canine and fowl can live happily ever after together..
..
..
can they? In some cases, there are dogs which are so predatory and chase aggressive that it's very very difficult to stop them wanting to chase and kill.
There are ways of doing it, but in some cases it's almost impossible and the moment your back is turned, the dog thinks "game on" and bang, too late! My own two Staffordshire Bull Terriers are totally amazing with our chickens, but we are pack leaders and expect no less from them.
If they become too curious one or other of the chickens will fly at them with feet outstretched (hilarious), and the dogs simple resume ambling around the garden as if the chickens weren't there.
Just know that patient training and really knowing your dog can work wonders, and remember to always remain vigilant just in case something changes, never become complacent.
More and more people are keeping chickens as a hobby in their gardens and back yards, and the question of dogs and chickens living peacefully together is being asked all over the internet.
There is no black and white answer.
Primarily it depends very much on the dog, and your relationship with him.
If you are a true pack leader, then there should be little problem, as you decide what happens around your home, not the dog! By the same token though, you have to concede that dogs are natural hunters, and chickens unfortunately are prey, how your dog reacts could also be governed by his breed.
Terriers will be rather difficult to persuade, Jack Russells and Patterdales particularly, being bred to catch vermin, as will greyhounds/whippets, as they are sight hounds and anything small is fair game to them.
Gun dogs should be easier as they are trained to leave the bird unless it is injured or dead, and then they retrieve it.
Don't despair however, all is not lost! There are methods by which you can use a combination of desensitizing and aversion training.
Have your chickens securely penned up before bringing the dog out to see them, and watch his reaction closely.
Make sure he is on a lead.
Allow him to sniff around the chicken area, but if he starts barking or lunging, then a very firm "NO" and noise aversion therapy should be used.
(Noise aversion is when you make a sound that the dog dislikes.
It learns to associate that noise with the behaviour and soon becomes aware that if he wants the noise to end, he has to stop what he's doing.
) In addition to the noise aversion, make sure you praise your dog's good behaviour, very important to let him know when he's getting it right, as you can't and shouldn't be constantly telling him off and scolding! The final step would be to let the dog off the lead near the birds.
Your voice will be very important here.
Because your dog reacts to you, keeping very calm with reassuring praise will work wonders, but of course keep the lead with you and be ready to react quickly should the dog decide to revert to being a predator.
With patience, you should eventually find your dog completely ignoring the birds, and canine and fowl can live happily ever after together..
..
..
can they? In some cases, there are dogs which are so predatory and chase aggressive that it's very very difficult to stop them wanting to chase and kill.
There are ways of doing it, but in some cases it's almost impossible and the moment your back is turned, the dog thinks "game on" and bang, too late! My own two Staffordshire Bull Terriers are totally amazing with our chickens, but we are pack leaders and expect no less from them.
If they become too curious one or other of the chickens will fly at them with feet outstretched (hilarious), and the dogs simple resume ambling around the garden as if the chickens weren't there.
Just know that patient training and really knowing your dog can work wonders, and remember to always remain vigilant just in case something changes, never become complacent.
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