A lot of people are asking if German Shepherds are good with chickens. The short answer is yes, but you must know how to raise them right. It’s not difficult to train the dogs; it’s just a little bit slow, making them get used to sleeping in the same place they eat and drink for weeks. If you have another dog at home sleeping in your living room, you’re probably wondering how I can keep my dog away from sleeping under my bed- well, it takes patience. German Shepherds are herding dog breeds bred to herd big farm animals like sheep and goats. If your German Shepherd is not appropriately trained and socialized, it can kill chickens. Remember that German Shepherds aren’t the best farm dogs, so you might need to spend more time training them.
If your German Shepherd likes sleeping under your bed or near the door or windows then he might be having nightmares about something- this has happened to me before when I was sleeping in a sleeping bag and my dogs’ sleeping bags were spread out. They were sleeping near the door and when I turned around they started barking like crazy. Remember that German Shepherds are natural watchdogs- regular barking is normal, you might want to just check what’s happening outside or if your neighbors haven’t come outside yet.
Your neighbor probably hasn’t come outside yet because there’s always someone who takes their dogs for a walk at 5 AM every morning and doesn’t care about waking everyone up… But this isn’t necessary and can be avoided.
One of the most important things about German Shepherds is training them not to bark too much- it’s okay if they bark when someone comes in or goes out but it’s not okay when they bark because someone looks like they’re too close to their sleeping bags.
If you want to train your German Shepherd (or any other dog for that matter) correctly, read the following article:
German Shepherd Training Program To Save Chickens
1- To start off with, every time your German Shepherd barks, give it a treat and wait until it stops barking. Do this until you can hear it stopping without giving it treats. It will take some time, but if you’re consistent enough then your German Shepherd will learn very quickly!
2- If your German Shepherd doesn’t stop barking even after giving him/her treats for many days in a row, don’t be mean and punish it by disciplining the dog in some way- try talking softly, or if you can’t do that, make a shushing sound and it should stop immediately. Sometimes the dog might think you’re angry and will keep barking; try to lift your voice up a little bit- this has worked for me many times!
3- If you’re sleeping with your German Shepherd or sleeping near them then they might start barking in their sleep because of nightmares. To avoid this, don’t use sleeping bags and sleeping pads (like I said earlier)- sleeping on hard surfaces is recommended for dogs especially when they are sleeping rough. Remember not to put your sleeping pad too close to the door otherwise, it will be like dangling food in front of a hungry hobo’s nose…
4- During colder seasons, remember that German Shepherds don’t like sleeping outside so you might want to give them sleeping bags and sleeping pads inside your house. Or if you think it’s too hot, try sleeping in tents- they are so light that you won’t even feel the weight of them on your back.
Don’t Let Sleeping Owners Become Deceased
A sleeping owner can become a deceased owner if their sleeping shepherd dog is not awakened. Do you know the difference between sleeping and deceased? Are you familiar with what actions must be taken after your sleeping shepherd has suddenly become deceased?
How to Train Your German Shepherd Dog Not to Eat or Kill Chickens: Step-by-Step Training Guide
The best way to train your dog not to eat chickens is by using “negative punishment.” You’ll find out exactly what that means as we go through this step-by-step training guide together. First of all, let’s answer the question: “Why would I train my shepherd not to eat chickens?
Here’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to train your dog (any kind of dog, really) not to eat chickens:
1 — Decide What You Want Your Shepherd to Do Instead of Eating Chickens
Do you want your shepherd to take an afternoon nap? Or do you want him to chew on his favorite plush toy instead of eating chicken? Identify and write down what it is that you want your shepherd to do in place of eating chicken. In this example, we’re going with sleeping instead of eating chickens. They also possess a great deal of innate talent for herding and protecting livestock.
2 — Put Your German Shepherd in a “Sit” Position
Your shepherd must be in the “sit” position before you can start any kind of training. Here’s how to put your sleeping shepherd into the “sit” position:
- Make sure your sleeping shepherd is lying down and sleeping comfortably. If he doesn’t want to sleep there, move him by picking him up and gently placing him where you want him to sleep.
- Take two steps back from your sleeping shepherd so there’s enough distance between the two of you for this technique to work effectively.
- Put one hand behind his back (for balance), as illustrated below:
- Use your other hand to lightly tap each corner of your sleeping shepherd’s mouth. Don’t tap too hard, just enough that you get his attention. Here’s what this should look like:
- Once your sleeping shepherd is awake and looking at you (you’ll know he’s looking at you because his eyes will be open), give him the command to sit by saying “sit” in a firm (but not loud) voice while simultaneously raising your hand up above his head. Make sure that when you raise your hand up above his head, it remains slightly lower than whatever ceiling is above him. This technique works best if you’re outside on an open-sky day with no obstructions above him. If done correctly (and eventually without needing to use step 3c), your sleeping shepherd will follow your hand up above his head by sitting up on his hind legs. It’s important to say the “sit” command in a firm tone of voice so your sleeping shepherd knows what you want him to do (in this case, sit). Here’s an illustration:
- Repeat steps 3a through 3e until your sleeping shepherd can get into the “sit” position on his own. Once he can do that, go ahead and give him a treat — he deserves it! Then, take two more steps back from him (he must be sleeping in order for this technique to work), and repeat step 2 all over again. Urge your sleeping shepherd to follow your hand every time you raise it above his head; eventually, after enough repetitions, he’ll follow without needing to go through steps 3a-3c. You can eventually phase out the “treat” part of step 3f if you want, but I highly recommend you keep it in there at least for a little while since that’s what will encourage your sleeping shepherd to listen and do as you ask.
3 — Reinforce Your German Shepherd’s Behavior By Giving Him a Treat Every Time He Does What You Ask
Once your sleeping shepherd is sitting on command without the help from step, start giving him a treat every time he does as asked. Once again, make sure you’ve gone through steps 1 and 2 before attempting this step. It may take some time for your sleeping shepherd to learn this trick, but remember that even with sleeping shepherds, practice makes perfect. Here’s what this should look like in real life:
4 — Phase Out the Treats Once Your German Shepherd Can Sit on Command for Extended Periods of Time
This is where the rubber hits the road! If you’ve decided to phase out step 3f, now’s your chance to stop giving treats. I recommend only taking away the treat when you feel it’s necessary so as not to give your sleeping shepherd a complex or have him think he doesn’t get treats anymore. This is why I simultaneously recommend still giving your sleeping shepherd his treat every time he obeys even after step 3f has been phased out. Now, instead of rewarding your sleeping shepherd with a treat, you can give him verbal praise as an alternative. Here’s what that would look like:
5 — Continue to Phase Out Step 3f If You’re Taking It Away Altogether
Once your sleeping shepherd has learned how to sit on command without step 2c and with steps 1 and 2 repeated several times, phaseout step 3f by giving him a treat or some verbal encouragement (preferably both!) less and less frequently until he only gets it every once in awhile. Eventually, phase out the treats altogether and stick with verbal praise.
Do German shepherds Protect chickens
Many of us have owned dogs or cats or both. But, have you ever heard of a chicken-friendly dog? Well, there is such thing as a sleeping owner shepherd. Let me introduce you to Daisy May…
Daisy May loves sleeping on the bed with her owner Sue Willis…but, what’s strange about that? Well…Sue is actually sleeping at that time! When Daisy feels like sleeping, she will go over to her sleeping owner and plop herself down right on top of Sue. Yes, she lets out all 270 pounds of weight just to sit on top of her sleeping owner! Not only does Daisy-like sleeping with her owner but she also likes eating off the dinner table!
No one knows why Daisy likes these activities but one thing is for certain, she has Sue wrapped around her paw!
Let’s see some of the experiences people had!
I’m so glad there’s other sleeping owner shepherds out there! Yes, I’m also sleeping when my shepherd comes over to plop down on top of me (which hurts like hell). My friends think it’s interesting how much weight this dog puts on me while sleeping, but to be honest it isn’t that big of a deal. I mean, people outweigh their dogs by 100s of pounds…who’s to say a sleeping person can’t outweigh a sleeping dog?
I have 2 sleeping shepherd, they are lovely. one sleeps on my bed and the other sleeps in her own bed next to mine. They get into bed with us if we leave the duvet open for them to crawl under, but only when our son is at home from Uni over the holidays because he doesn’t like it! My shepherds also sleep on top of me, that’s how I know my husband is cheating! It’s either that or he’s just really ugly!!!!!
I have sleeping shepherd too,but mine is sleeping on sofa. She used to sleeping with us but not anymore… are german shepherds good with chickens.
Wow…that’s really cool. all shepherds must be sleeping owners! great!! I hope my future dog will also sleeping like that.
I have 2 sleeping shepherd, they are lovely. one sleeps on my bed and the other sleeps in her own bed next to mine. They get into bed with us if we leave the duvet open for them to crawl under, but only when our son is at home from Uni over the holidays because he doesn’t like it! My shepherds also sleep on top of me, that’s how I know my husband is cheating! It’s either that or he’s just really ugly!!!!!!
My sleeping shepherd lies across my head. Sometimes she goes at the side of the bed., flattens herself out, and squeeszes her way to wherever I am sleeping. She also walks around the room with her sister sleeping beside her.
FAQS
Are my chickens safe from German Shepherds? Why Do german shepherds attack chickens?
Prey drive is strong in your German Shepherd.
Searching, stalking, chasing, grab-biting, and kill-biting are common patterns of activity. As a result, a German Shepherd with a strong prey drive may chase and kill small creatures, such as chickens.
Do German Shepherds get along well with farm animals?
German Shepherds are excellent shepherds who guard their territory and can kill small animals if necessary. If you only have one dog on your farm, these canines are an excellent all-around breed. They are simple to teach and, because to their keen sense of smell, can always locate bothersome rodents. Do keep in mind that German Shepherds aren’t the best farm dog, so you might need to spend more time to train them.