# Dog?



## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

Will my British lab be a threat to my chickens
Thanks!
Olivia


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Sure, any animal can be a threat. Just make sure you train your dog to "leave it" so the dog is around the chicken make sure you tell him to "leave it". He'll get the picture after while. In the mean time I would make sure to supervize the dog anytime he is around the chickens.


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I would never trust a non trained Lab around chickens. They are, by nature a retrieving dog, and so chickens may be too much of a toy to them. It will take a lot of hands on training to take an older dog and make it a good chicken dog.


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## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

Well one this dog is a girl(Molly) and two she is trained and she is a hunting dog... That's what worries me is that she is trained to fetch and receive pheasants and chickens may look skittle like them.but I will train her to like them...


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## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

Oops not skittle I meant a little


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

OliviaE said:


> Well one this dog is a girl(Molly) and two she is trained and she is a hunting dog... That's what worries me is that she is trained to fetch and receive pheasants and chickens may look skittle like them.but I will train her to like them...


Seriously? I am so sorry I called your dog a "he" I was just generalizing. Plus with no additional information given intially when you asked it had to be assumed the dog had no training otherwise you would know if your dog is trained enough to listen to a comand and leave the chickens alone. Hunting training or not unless you train her to leave the chickens she will see them as prey.


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## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

Ok sorry I didn't tell u that she was a she,my mistake. And she does good with commands so I think she will be ok.


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## ChickenAdmin (Jun 4, 2012)

It can be, monitor it over the next couple of months to see how they interact. Do not give it the chance to attack and kill one, it's very hard to come back from that.


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## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

Ok thanks I will probably be out there every night petting them and such


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## AlexTS113 (Feb 17, 2013)

I think that you will be fine. My golden retriever gets along great with the chickens. Just make sure you introduce the dog to the chickens when they are little. This way the dog will feel a responsibility to protect the chickens.


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## InnKeeper (Feb 17, 2013)

Just keep your eye on the dog. I'd be cautious, but you know her better than any of us. Take time to introduce them, starting now. Let her sniff them and never taunt her with them, even in innocent play. 

I have a 60 lb Shepard who is afraid of my baby chicks!! If I have them out of the brooder, she lays nearby and shakes. They make her nervous. I did have a scare yesterday when one tried to fly out of my hands. She landed on my dogs face!! I grabbed her quick, but my poor dog just stood there motionless looking at me with HUGE eyes!!


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Seriously? I am so sorry I called your dog a "he" I was just generalizing.


I thought all dogs were He's and all cats were She's.


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## OliviaE (Feb 16, 2013)

farmhand said:


> I thought all dogs were He's and all cats were She's.


No a last year I had a boy cat and girl dog (my cat died last year)


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