chickens and dogs?

Question
QUESTION: Hello!!!
We have a farm, and 2 of our hens have recently hatched out 6 lil chicks(:

now, we have 3 dogs.. a shih-tzu and 2 lab mixes.. When the dogs go near the babies, the dogs get attacked.. We want our puppies to learn that not to kill our chickens when they are older. do you think this would be good?? should we let this continue??? or will it be bad for the dogs??

We need tips, because we have had troubles with our past dogs killing chickens, and we really need help on how to stop these ones from doing it.. we would hate to have to get rid of them because they killed our chickens

ANSWER: Hi,

Thank you for writing to me.  

I am a firm believer in prevention.  If these were my dogs and chickens, I would build a barrier that would make it impossible for the dogs to get to the chickens.  Let the chickens live in peace, without stress from these natural predators and let the dogs play without having to focus on the chickens!  This would be a win/win solution.

Please don't get rid of the dogs..they are just doing what comes naturally.  It is your responsibility as the owner of these dogs to make sure that they cannot get to the chickens.  Can't some strong fences be built?  Even an electronic underground fence would be a possiblity..but the chickens would still have to be kept away from the dogs.

I wish you the best of luck in finding a way for the dogs and chickens to co-exist without stress or danger.

Remember to spay/neuter.  For every puppy born, there is one less home for a dog on death row!

Best,
Shelley Davis

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: we do have a very strong fence that we had for our goats as a barrier, but my parents want the pupppies to get used to them and the pigs for when they are bigger

Answer
Hi,

There is absolutely no guarantee that the dogs will never kill the chickens.  You probably have a better chance with the Shih tzu than the lab mixes.  Labs are hunting dogs..bred through decades to hunt prey, particularly birds and retrieve them.  We don't know what they are mixed with..could be terrier and that would enhance the prey drive.  I'm not saying that it's not possible to acclimate them but is it worth having the chickens lose their lives and the dogs get dumped at a kill shelter and lose their lives?  I still think that prevention is the way to go.  

I used to have a dog that was a wolf hybrid.  Lovely dog.  She was friends with my neighbor's rabbit.  They want out one day and left her in their house.  They came home to a bloody massacre.  My dog was not faulted. It was their fault, not the dog's fault.  

You can work with the chickens and dogs and use treats to train the dogs but it's really taking a chance.  Most people I know with farm small farm animals like chickens, do not allow the dogs and chickens to mingle.

Shelley Davis