Hello doggy readers,
I am fostering a red heeler/ACD and he's a great fit with our family--I'm afraid I like him too much! Gets along famously with our dog, our cats, my rowdy 3.5 yo. I'm just a bit concerned that he will try to eat our chickens if I let them free-range. It's the terrier in him (and in all ACDs) that worries me. He's also rather bossy and listens only moderately well. Very strong herding drive and kind of mouthy--doesn't bite, but puts his teeth on me as I walk along. We can leave our border collie mix with the chickens all day and she never bothers them, EVER. But this little torpedo of energy, I don't know.
Any advice for introducing dog to chickens? I'm toying with the idea of keeping him, but don't want to have a major loss of food *producing* animals over this!
Thanks!
X-posted to Country Living/Off The Grid
I am fostering a red heeler/ACD and he's a great fit with our family--I'm afraid I like him too much! Gets along famously with our dog, our cats, my rowdy 3.5 yo. I'm just a bit concerned that he will try to eat our chickens if I let them free-range. It's the terrier in him (and in all ACDs) that worries me. He's also rather bossy and listens only moderately well. Very strong herding drive and kind of mouthy--doesn't bite, but puts his teeth on me as I walk along. We can leave our border collie mix with the chickens all day and she never bothers them, EVER. But this little torpedo of energy, I don't know.
Any advice for introducing dog to chickens? I'm toying with the idea of keeping him, but don't want to have a major loss of food *producing* animals over this!
Thanks!
X-posted to Country Living/Off The Grid