Dogs and Chickens

[Hinksy]

Buying a dog which I am picking up next week for the Wife's birthday, it's a West Highland Terrier 8wks old at the moment, (on the day'ish of picking up anyway)

Will it be ok with the Chickens? now I understand that we will have to introduce it slowly anything else we can do?

Thanks

[Flummery]

Definitely don't let it out with the chickens - a terrier is bred to chase small things and kill them. However friendly it seems to get it still will have that instinct.

[Hinksy]

Would it not get used to them, we had planned on putting a flap on the door to allow the dog the run of the garden, we only intended to let the Chickens out with the dog when we are there.

[Glutton4...]

No. Terriers + Chooks = Carnage.

Well, you may be lucky, but I wouldn't risk it anyway. Have a search on this forum, there are several other threads where this very subject has been discussed in the last year.

Good luck, and remember, we want piccies!

[Liza]

Is it a bitch or a dog Hinksey ?

Depends on the training, if its brought up with them from a young age you maybe ok.

I wouldnt trust my JR terrier with the chooks but shes fine with tortoises, guinea pigs and our cat.

Terriers like the hunt and chase so if the chooks flap and run thats when you will have a problem.


Good luck with it.

[Hinksy]

Picking the dog up from a Breeder next week and have the Choice at the moment of a Dog or Bitch, it's 8wks old at the moment so only very new and the Chickens are a bit facety so to speak. Before we had the fence up next doors dog a type of Yorkshire terrier cross never bothered them.

Will keep an eye on them and try our best to get the dog used to them, at the worst the dog will not get the run of the garden when the Chickens are out.

[vicky]

My dad has a terrier x which is fine with our chickens (she's actually scared of them...). But to be on the safe side I would never leave them unsupervised.
If you train them to leave the chickens from a pup I think you'll be ok - we had a lurcher which was trained to leave our cats and she was fine with them (but would chase other cats).
Just take things slowly and sensibly!

[Suechooks]

Instinct can take over and terriers are natural hunters. Wouldn't risk it personally.

[lynda66]

i have a jr cross, and a staffy, both have been trained by distraction techniques to ignore small things .... though both of them chase off strange cats .... don't make a big deal out of it, and teach him to leave right from the word go and you shouldn't have a problem .... squeaky toys and chicken are good for distraction, if he even looks at them, squeak the toy, and tell him to leave .... make you more interesting than the chooks and he will soon get the message ..... a big chicken will be bigger than an 8 week terrier, and they will probably chase him round the garden .... small puppies learn very quickly ..... just ensure he isn't left on his own with them till he grows up, but in time, as long as you're VERY firm he should be fine.

[Suechooks]

..... a big chicken will be bigger than an 8 week terrier,

......but with far less teeth

[petal]

I personally would never leave any dog alone with chickens.(she says typing this whilst the labrador lies in the garden with chicks jumping on its head.........)

[Gro-Bag]

My dogs (pointer and springer spaniel) are fine with the hens when I'm around, after a long training/settling in process much as Lynda describes. For the first several months I wouldn't let them off the lead around the hens and I rewarded them (praise, titbits) for ignoring them, and distracted them with toys until they got the hang of being chilled out around the hens. Still wouldn't ever leave them unsupervised together though - dogs are dogs and it would be too upsetting for everyone should it go wrong. (I've nothing against terriers - had one myself years ago - but they can be fiesty wee things). If you have a choice of pup to take, I would advise not taking the most forward pup - they tend to be dominant, or the most timid - an overly nervous dog can be nippy. Take one in the middle range of behaviour for a more reliable dog.

[sheena]

My neighbours had 2 westie's, one black and one white... both went after her chickens when she had them, even had to prize them out of the dog's mouth as one had decided to run around the garden with chook in mouth.

Now I have 2 rottie's who would love to get to my chooks, having taught them that cats are good (in the last few weeks) I still won't leave them alone with either.
That being said, if I don't lock the gate to the fenced off lawn, Lara loves nothing better than to go terrorise the chooks by pooping outside their door whilst they are shut away in their run. Wouldn't trust both dog's and chooks on the lawn ever!!!

[Allotment Nerd]

My dalmation's fine with our chooks (although alittle jealous of the attention they get). I don't allow him in the run though and if he's taking too much interest he's warned away.

Personally I wouldn't mix any dog and chooks togeather without a fence being between them.

[walldanzig]

not a great combination. Doesnt take much to set the dogs off.