July 31, 2012 - Dog and Chickens: Can they be friends?

Our next challenge will be to get our little dog Annie used to having chickens in her yard.  She loves kitties, but if they run from her she will chase them.  The Chicken Whisperer book told us to get some chicken feathers and let her sniff them.  She will try to eat them, so we'll have to keep a close eye on her.  She is a K-9 Rescue Dog and will eat almost anything. " She ain't picky".

We will keep the chickens in their chicken run when she is in the yard, and only let them out when she is locked inside.  I picture Cal and I sweating and panting after chasing down 3 hens who just aren't ready to go back in the enclosure.  In fact this morning after breakfast we had the chance to give it a try.

The Perko's ( cheap senior menu) is right on the highway.  Our town is known for it's highway chickens.
That is they live next to the highway in the bushes, and have for decades.  Some goofy lady tried to start a Save The Chickens campaign a few months ago.  Hell lady those chickens have been there for years,  Have you ever seen a dead chicken along the highway?  Me either.  Anyway I digress. 

We saw a young chicken separated from the flock on our side of the fence,  We attempted to assist the chicken in rejoining the flock.  The chase was on and the chicken out ran us without breaking a sweat.  Do chicken's sweat? 

Using my skills as a behaviorist, I will gradually introduce Annie and the chickens to each other.  Uh Huh.  Will see how that goes.  I'm not too worried as dogs and chickens have co-existed since the dawn of time, and somehow both have survived. 

Annie is a gentle little soul who wants to love anything that will let her.  She does discriminate though, and some dogs she  meets on our daily walks to the park, just rub her the wrong way.  It's kind of embarrassing when this little blond 20 lb. poodle mix, lunges at the huge white pit bull, not to mention it scares the crap out of me.  I trust her judgement and assume the dogs she eschews all have a hidden flaw.

So bring on the chickens, the behavioral training, and the chicken races!