Advice in choosing a dog breed right for me

[Pec]

I will soon be moving to a property I OWN instead of rent so I can finally have the chickens I've longed for. Chickens certainly won't be the only animal I have though so I would like some advice on which breed of dog would fit well with my situation. The property is 3.5 acres and fully fenced with 4 ft chain link. There is a forested area across the street in front of the property so coyotes and foxes could very well live there. I would be a first time dog owner, but I do have some experience working with farm dogs owned by others and managed to train a border collie/cur mix to help me herd a large flock into their coop at the end of the day. So I won't be starting from zero, but I am still very inexperienced when it comes to dogs. I will have plenty of time to dedicate to training and would love to be able to provide a dog with a job, but would also really like a companion to spend time with while I'm working on projects outside. I live in Florida so I would prefer a breed that can handle the weather and being outside a lot (within reason of course). I plan on free ranging my flock so being able to eventually trust the dog with the chickens by itself is important to me. I would like the dog to help keep away predators but I'm not sure if a specific livestock guardian dog would be best for me.
I figured getting a dog after the chickens would be the best idea, but my husband keeps saying he wants a buddy when he's building the coop... How important is it to have the chickens before the dog? Or does it really matter?

 

[artsyrobin]

My Corgie/aussie is good with them but a herding dog will chase, so you need to train. The best dog I've had was a lab/healer. You need to be willing to keep them leashed until they know they don't hurt.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd recommend extending your fence up with deer fence to keep the chickens in your property and wildlife out. The thing with a dog is, that just it's presence alone isn't enough to dissuade coyotes and fixes. a clever fox/coyote will snatch a chicken if the dog isnr close enough. If the dog corners a predator, it may result in a fight between them and those can be nasty.
Judt something to think about.

 

[Pec]

I'd recommend extending your fence up with deer fence to keep the chickens in your property and wildlife out. The thing with a dog is, that just it's presence alone isn't enough to dissuade coyotes and fixes. a clever fox/coyote will snatch a chicken if the dog isnr close enough. If the dog corners a predator, it may result in a fight between them and those can be nasty.
Judt something to think about.

This is something I've been thinking about since I do have some neighbors on 2 sides of the property and if they aren't cool with wandering chickens I wouldn't want to bother them. I don't know that specifically getting a dog to chase away predators would be the best move, which is why I was leaning away from a serious LGD breed as a dog like that may be overkill. It would just be nice if the presence of the dog deters anything at all or if the dog alerts me to something. I think a secure coop is the most important part as far as preventing predation.

 

[Peaches Lee]

I was really impressed with my Cattle Dog and her farm savvy instincts. I got chickens when she was an adult and she understood that those were mine and you do not mess with them. What was nice is that she didn't have the prey drive that so many dogs have--she didn't enjoy killing small animals, so I feel it was easier with her in that regard--her nature already lent itself to an easy introduction.

She really loved being in her "flock" with them all milling about her. She absolutely adored chicks! She was a nice medium sized dog. Very easy to train. Perfect recall, quiet in the house unless she heard something amiss.

A very healthy dog. No ear infections, hot spots, bad skin etc. Nothing dumb like eating foreign material requiring $$$$ surgery. A sensible dog in every way.

She was not very good with other people. Suspicious and cautious. She never bit anyone but was very untrusting of those she didn't know. Cattle Dogs aren't really known for being good with strangers and she fit the bill in that regard.

I don't know if my ramblings will help you in your decision but I wish you the best!