We get many questions about how we deal with a trained bird dog and retrievers and free ranging chickens.
Sassy and Gene practice “leave it” while the chickens free ranged today.
Readers often wonder if they need to buy a certain breed of dog to guard their livestock and how t0 train them?
I was worried about this very issue when we decided to get our chickens. Sassy is a very high energy Labrador Retriever and certain birds are her prey. Her job is to find them and bring them home.
Sleeping on the gun case after a good long hunt.
As a trained hunting dog she has been taught to capture and retrieve birds as part of the hunting process. Of course I was nervous that she would want to do that with my baby chicks who were then just about the size of a woodcock, one of the birds species she has been taught to retrieve.
Good girl Sassy! Getting a lot of love and praise for such good behavior!
When the chicken were very tiny and in the laundry room in their brooder, we initially introduced them to her quite early. We let Sassy smell the chicks liberally while telling her to”leave it,” our cue to teach her when we want her to not touch, mouth or pick up a particular thing. Pretty soon she learned their cheeps and when they cheeped, “I am hungry,” Sassy would come and get me and alert me that they needed me,
Sassy, the wonderdog!
Standing at the chicken run on her lead was part of her training process.
I took her outside with me when I had chicken chores to do. I always keep a close watch on her and her behavior. She has always behaved very well around my chickens but no matter what, I have always been mindful she is a trained bird dog and keep my eyes on her and my ears open.
I’ve come to the conclusion that its not the breed of the dog but rather the consistent training that is most important.
Apparently Sassy understands that being on the field is where she hunts and retrieves birds and only when instructed to do so. Apparently she instinctively views these birds on our land as “different” and not birds she is supposed to go after.
Good girl Sassy!!
Small House homesteader, Donna
Small House Big Sky Homestead 