[GHM]

I currently own 2 ducks and 2 rabbits who all have free roam of the garden. It is secure and surrounded by 5ft fences. I am highly considering getting a puppy but was wondering if this would actually be possible with training for them all to get along? Are there any specific breeds which would be better suited? I am looking at getting a small/medium sized dog.

 

[arcouillard]

I have successfully trained 2 large, active dogs to be nice to a rabbit (not sure about ducks!). One dog was an adult and initially wanted to eat the rabbit, the other was a puppy who was just too boisterous trying to play with it. They both are now able to lay calmly and watch or ignore the bunny shenanigans. BUT, I NEVER leave them alone with the bunny, and they know the difference between our bunny friend and wild bunnies...with wild bunnies, all bets are off. Our third dog, a sweet little cavalier, would never hurt a fly. He has been incredibly gentle with every living thing ever since we brought him home at 9 weeks. With your "free roam" situation I'd be very careful adding a dog, and have a backup plan if things go south. I would trust our cavalier alone with small animals, but never would trust our big dogs. I'm sure it depends on the individual dog, but steer clear of terriers and terrier mixes for sure. They like to kill small furry things.

(I'm not necessarily recommending a cavalier unless you are willing to seek out a very responsible breeder and be prepared for many potential health issues...although they are the sweetest little dogs!)

I had a black lab as a kid who became a surrogate mother for 3 ducklings...it was adorable, she would lead them around the yard, and they would follow her and stick to her like glue! The dog was always super gentle with her "babies," but I'm not sure that's typical for hunting breeds.

 

[GHM]

Thank you so much that’s so helpful! That’s so reassuring to know that you have both bigger dogs and a smaller dog and they’re fine with the bunny’s. We have places that both the ducks and bunny’s can go in case it doesn’t work out thankfully! Cavaliers seem like such lovely dogs but I wasn’t aware about potential health issues so thank you. Labradors are meant to have the sweetest temperament! That’s so lovely that your black lab was a duckling mother! Thank you again it’s really helped to both inform and narrow down our search

 

[Lillith]

I think it's important to go into that situation knowing that every dog is an individual, and you may need to accept that your dog may never be safe with other small animals, but there are breeds that you might want to avoid for best results!

I would eliminate terriers and hounds off the bat, as well as huskies or northern breeds that tend to have a higher prey drive. Hunting breeds are...well, they're bred to hunt, so birds or bunnies might be too much for them. Some of the best farm dogs we had were labs or lab mixes, though, who got along well with small animals (at least those they knew were also pets), so it is very much an individual dog thing.

Herders can be safe around poultry, but they do still like to chase. Shepherds didn't want their herding dogs mauling their flock of chickens! The more "gentle" herders might be better choices, though. Generally, they're not chasing to kill...they're chasing to chase, but sometimes they get excited and accidents happen.

I would also suggest selecting a reputable breeder for whatever breed you choose, as many take care to introduce their puppies to different animals like cats, chickens, and other farm animals before they come to your home. It will make training your pup to leave your other pets alone much easier.

 

[stbob]

I currently own 2 ducks and 2 rabbits who all have free roam of the garden. It is secure and surrounded by 5ft fences. I am highly considering getting a puppy but was wondering if this would actually be possible with training for them all to get along? Are there any specific breeds which would be better suited? I am looking at getting a small/medium sized dog.

My Bosco loves rabbits. Sorry about the lack of audio, youtube and their silly copyright rules...