[Loulih]

We pick up our new puppy at the weekend (hopefully) and I'd be really grateful on advice as to the best way to introduce him to the girls.
I like to give the girls the run of the garden when I can so I really need them to get on!

Thank you

[joyfull]

a lot depends on the individual dog. I have 3 dogs - an old Newfoundland x who has never bothered with my chickens, a 4 year old Neapolitan Mastiff who as a pup used to chase them but nothing else (she now ignores them) and an 11 month old Staffie x.
The Staffie has caught and killed some of my hens - not on purpose as she never ate them but she did want to play with them. So I bought a large walk in run and for a couple of days she did race around the run trying to get them. It was just her terrier instinct and not really her fault. However just this past month she has accepted that they aren't to be played with and I can again let my girls have the freedom of the garden just so long as when Rosie goes out I also go out to keep a very close eye on her - so far so good.
If in doubt either get a walk in run or keep your pup on a lead.

[8doubles]

As Joyful says hens can not cope mentally or physically with dog `play' .
You cannot ever trust an untrained dog or even some trained ones to be on their own with hens.

On a lead and closely supervised is the way.

[Spana]

A new puppy,how lovely,but we need more info than that. What 'make ' is it,boy or girl and how old.  And on here we need lots of photos :happy:

When i got my Jack Russell she was tiny. It was winter and there was snow on the ground so i made a sling like you carry babies in. We did everything connected to the hens and ducks together with her in the sling. All our poultry are free range and by the time the snow had cleared she was used to being in with them and now 4 years on  has never taken any notice of them. They are all part of her family :happy: :happy:


edited to add, I wouldn't want to carry any of Joyfulls dogs about in a sling

[joyfull]

  
Ollie who now weighs in at over 10 stones and has a 42 inch chest was probably bigger as an 8 week old pup than your Jack Russell is now but she still loved to be picked up and cuddled 

[Sassy]

My small terrier puppy was a few weeks old when I introduced her to my hens. I put her in with them, she wanted to play and they sorted her out straightaway. She has run loose with hens, ducks and quail. I raised chicks at home which she was curious about but never offered to hurt. She is a terrier so I would not leave her on her own with them as instinct may out without your warning presence. Do not under estimate the command NO with a puppy, especially if said in a gruff voice as it is similar to the noise the bitch makes when she means NO!

Most of all Enjoy

[tosca100]

It very much depends on the individual dog. When our two were introduced to the hens, Bonnie lab (9) sniffed and that was it, just checked out bums occasionally. Bella (3) ran off first time, and it took her a couple of weeks to stop being excited when out in the garden. Initially boss chook (re-named Lady G very soon as she was a noisy one) kept her in order, but eventually Clara, Black Rock had a right go when Bella insisted on chasing her bum, and she was wary from then on. But once they were settled there were no problems. Bella kept an eye on Clara, but both dogs seemed to enjoy the chooks (or their poo!) and Bonnie and chooks were often seen sunbathing together when the sun eventually made an appearance. Bella is black, doesn't sunbathe, but lay with them if they were dust bathing in the borders. They were missed by all of us when we had to re-home them.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=91786.0

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=92762.0

[Spana]

 
Ollie who now weighs in at over 10 stones and has a 42 inch chest was probably bigger as an 8 week old pup than your Jack Russell is now but she still loved to be picked up and cuddled 

Blimey  

Ilove huge dogs, just dont have the strength to lift them any more for baths and such. I keep looking at chihuahua pups which is a bit depressing. Much as i would love a chihuahua theres no where to go after that.