Good small dogs for protecting flock

[gigi56]

This is my problem with having terriers as watch dogs. They absolutely will let you know if someone or something is in the yard or closing in on the yard, but they'll also just get up barking for the hell of it sometimes and it becomes a "boy who cried wolf" scenario.

Yep... mine barks at fleas... But, on the upside, he's already killed 2 snakes, a possum and several large rats so far this year!

 

[Sylvester017]

Yep... mine barks at fleas... But, on the upside, he's already killed 2 snakes, a possum and several large rats so far this year!

Sounds like a good clean-up-the-premises pup -- Just curious -- how is the Rat Terrier around the chickens?

 

[Ponte]

My Australian Shepherd will not allow birds within 15 yards of our hens. Only issue is that he loves sniffing them and the hens hate it.

 

[gigi56]

Sounds like a good clean-up-the-premises pup -- Just curious -- how is the Rat Terrier around the chickens?

I had ducks when we adopted Max 3 years ago. He was about a year old and we don't know any of his history except that he is a rat terrier mix. For the first few months, he wanted to chase/kill them. They were fenced and he couldn't reach them but would stand at the fence "on point" trembling with anticipation. Every time I saw this behavior, I would say, "NO, my babies!" very harshly and tap him to get his attention if needed. I would also bring a duck out to "meet" him regularly (holding the duck and allowing him to smell it) repeating "my baby, Max. No, my baby." The prey drive has been bred into terriers and is very strong. After a few months with only small success, I decided to add a shock collar set on 1 (of 6) and spent a whole day observing him and zinging him each time he looked at the ducks. The next day I allowed him in the pen with me (collar set on 4) and commanded NO when he looked at them. The collar was reserved for disobedience. He never disobeyed. I pretended to work in the pen while he sniffed around being careful to say "no, my babies" with every glance in their direction. Third day I put the collar on 6 and watched him from a distance with the flock. He wouldn't even look at them. In the past few years, he's been in the pen multiple times and we've never had an incident. Last summer I came home from work one day and found him in the pen with the ducks (he'd found a way in) and everyone was fine. Four weeks ago I got my first chickens and we had to start all over with them. He ignores the ducks, but wants the chickens! Geez... Now, at week 4, (no collar, only commands) He is starting to ignore the chickens too. I will say, though, I wouldn't trust him not to chase/catch/kill them if they run from him. The ducks are accustomed to him and don't run. The chickens are skittish around him and I'm sure they'd run if he chased them. I don't keep him WITH the birds or goats, but he is constantly in their sight. I've created a "moat" system around the coop and barn for him to patrol the foundation of each building and he has a larger run around the perimeter of the yard. This is the space where he "murders" the few intruders who dare to enter his domain.

 

[Sylvester017]

@gigi56

Well, my sis loved her cockapoo but admitted she wouldn't trust any dog -- trained or not -- because in her mind a dog is a dog is a dog and you just never know what they'll do!

A BYC member told a story about their dog and cat. Had them for 7 years both in and outside the chicken yard without ever having an incident. However, one evening when they came home they discovered the pen broken into with the dog and the cat licking their chops and the entire flock dead. All chickens were present and accounted for and all feathers remained inside the pen so it's not likely a predator was a culprit dragging off a bird otherwise the dog would've attacked the predator and left the chickens alone. All those years without incident yet something triggered that cat and dog to forget all their past training. I was entertaining the idea of having a flock guardian dog because I wouldn't trust any other breed around poultry -- however I nixxed the idea because guardian breeds are large and really need a lot of space for exercise which our small suburban yard does not have.