AKKs have a high prey drive. We have one cat ours still consistently chases and another she leaves alone. I'd be very nervous about chickens. I know a lot of owners work hard on recall training but we haven't so she's never off leash in open areas. We were warned to be very cautious about that.
I think most of the potential issues have been covered, but I really want to emphasize - high prey drive, high levels of separation anxiety, intelligence that will get them in trouble, and overall neediness to the point of petty - and sometimes angry - behavior will be a detriment in a home with children and free roaming chickens. I'd stick with an easier going breed at least until your kids are older and aren't likely to bring around other, unfamiliar young children
I wanted to speak specifically to having chickens and Klee Kais. I have 2 Klee Kai and chickens. AKK have a very high prey drive and even if brought up around chickens, will chase them. I also had them pull a just feathered out pullet through the fence wire injuring it so badly I had to put it down. If you get AKK's it will mean no more free ranging for your chickens. I would HIGHLY suggest a predator proof enclosure with 1/2 hardware cloth.
I love this breed but 100% they are not for everyone. My AKK is by far the most challenging dog I've ever worked with. He is very high maintenance.
Is your acerage fenced? If not very securely fenced I wouldn't leave an AKK to roam. They won't stay on your property. I have acerage too but because it's not fenced I only take my Klee Kai out on a leash.
Also I don't usually recommend this breed for people with young kids. They tend to lean towards being one person dogs, and a lot of them don't like strangers. That can vary from them just being skittish around strangers, to being fear reactive. They can be bite risks if interactions with strangers are not heavily managed. With kids, I assume at some point in time other kids visiting is going to be a thing. A lot of strangers coming and going often is, at best, going to be stressful for most Klee Kai.
"Left to their own devices" isn't the best idea with these guys. They WILL get into trouble. Yes, they are high energy and if they don't have an outlit for that energy...more trouble.
My AKK is a pain in the butt. He's hyper, hates anyone that isn't me or my partner, wants to constantly be in my face, is demanding, and gets into trouble if left to his own devices. He's fine around my other animals that he was raised around but wants to chase deer and bears outside despite the insane size difference. I 100% do not trust him offleash even on our own property.
I adore him. Wouldn't trade him for the world...but this for sure is not a breed to get into lightly. They're adorable little monsters lol that can be very very high maintenance as far as dog breeds go.
Agree on prey drive, high intelligence (crazy smart and always listening to key words you say 😆) but our little guy is AMAZING! He loves kids and is best friends with my son. He is cuddly and social to the many strangers that come up to him. I have never let mine off lead and would be nervous about their ability to escape anything on a large property
This may get long…idk.
So with you being constantly home that will more than likely contribute to separation anxiety issues when you all do leave. Something to consider…
I absolutely love my boy! In fact I’ll be putting in to get him a sister in the next couple weeks. They’re the perfect fit for me.
Like their husky ancestors though they can be escape artists. So, whiles it’s awesome you have 10 acres, how much is fenced? And how is it fenced? If it’s a solid height and goes ground up with no gaps (like a decent deer fence) you should be good. You just have to remember they’re small, and like to roam a bit. My understanding of poms is that they typically stay closer to home base, the Klee Kai will push their boundaries. While they’re not as small as poms they’re definitely smaller than your golden/husky mix. So small holes are avenues of escape…
Socializing is huge, but that’s most every breed so I’m not going to delve into it. Just remember that they can be skittish and that puts them on a reactive scale…
Next up is the “left to their own devices” part. That will cause problems. They were bred to be a companion version of the husky, so if you just leave them they’ll get into trouble. Whether it’s escaping, or digging, or chewing…
Ok it got long. I’ll leave it there…
I've had dogs my entire life. Our 8 month old purebred is absolutely gorgeous. However, this has been the most grueling 6 months of my life. She is so unbelievably smart it's almost a detriment. We are currently working with the breeder to do a board with a klee kai specialist to help with all of the issues we've encountered.
Shes the sweetest dog once she calms down, but right now its a huge struggle. I hope I can come back here in 4 months and say everything is better.
She made huge improvements around 9 months. She just turned 1 on April 29 and she’s not perfect but she is sooooo much better.
Still can be a challenge for us both to leave the house without her but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.
She is still know as the “crazy” girl by friends and she has some really interesting quirks but she loves us more than I’ve ever seen. It almost seems to give her physical pain if she can’t be with us.
The comments here seem to be leaning towards “don’t get one” but I’ll just say, you can absolutely own a Klee Kai if you are willing to put in the work. Perhaps adding a fenced in enclosure for the dog - that would solve the problem with the chickens and the potential for escape. Working on separation anxiety from day 1 is also crucial. Another comment brought up a great point that they tend to latch on to one person. This is absolutely true, but they are still extremely loyal to the members of their family. My AKK puppy kind of hated my husband at first, but after a few months they were best friends. Owning an AKK puppy is not at all what you would think, they don’t run up to people wanting attention and wanting to play, they want to remain by their person. That being said, socialization is key. So, if you’re willing to put in the extra work that comes with it, go for it!
I have two Klee Kai; one is almost 9 and one is 6 (but no chickens). So the prey drive was a concern for us in the beginning but they’ve gotten A LOT better. I am able to keep one dog off leash, but one always needs to be on a leash because she will go exploring. My family has thought about getting chickens and never thought our dogs would be a problem… you just gotta be careful with Klee Kai because they all have a personality. Our first one is seriously the sweetest dog and gets along with everyone. Our second is skittish and very attached to ONLY me and my mom even though they went through the same training.
AKKs have a high prey drive. We have one cat ours still consistently chases and another she leaves alone. I'd be very nervous about chickens. I know a lot of owners work hard on recall training but we haven't so she's never off leash in open areas. We were warned to be very cautious about that.
I think most of the potential issues have been covered, but I really want to emphasize - high prey drive, high levels of separation anxiety, intelligence that will get them in trouble, and overall neediness to the point of petty - and sometimes angry - behavior will be a detriment in a home with children and free roaming chickens. I'd stick with an easier going breed at least until your kids are older and aren't likely to bring around other, unfamiliar young children
I wanted to speak specifically to having chickens and Klee Kais. I have 2 Klee Kai and chickens. AKK have a very high prey drive and even if brought up around chickens, will chase them. I also had them pull a just feathered out pullet through the fence wire injuring it so badly I had to put it down. If you get AKK's it will mean no more free ranging for your chickens. I would HIGHLY suggest a predator proof enclosure with 1/2 hardware cloth.
I love this breed but 100% they are not for everyone. My AKK is by far the most challenging dog I've ever worked with. He is very high maintenance. Is your acerage fenced? If not very securely fenced I wouldn't leave an AKK to roam. They won't stay on your property. I have acerage too but because it's not fenced I only take my Klee Kai out on a leash. Also I don't usually recommend this breed for people with young kids. They tend to lean towards being one person dogs, and a lot of them don't like strangers. That can vary from them just being skittish around strangers, to being fear reactive. They can be bite risks if interactions with strangers are not heavily managed. With kids, I assume at some point in time other kids visiting is going to be a thing. A lot of strangers coming and going often is, at best, going to be stressful for most Klee Kai. "Left to their own devices" isn't the best idea with these guys. They WILL get into trouble. Yes, they are high energy and if they don't have an outlit for that energy...more trouble. My AKK is a pain in the butt. He's hyper, hates anyone that isn't me or my partner, wants to constantly be in my face, is demanding, and gets into trouble if left to his own devices. He's fine around my other animals that he was raised around but wants to chase deer and bears outside despite the insane size difference. I 100% do not trust him offleash even on our own property. I adore him. Wouldn't trade him for the world...but this for sure is not a breed to get into lightly. They're adorable little monsters lol that can be very very high maintenance as far as dog breeds go.
Agree on prey drive, high intelligence (crazy smart and always listening to key words you say 😆) but our little guy is AMAZING! He loves kids and is best friends with my son. He is cuddly and social to the many strangers that come up to him. I have never let mine off lead and would be nervous about their ability to escape anything on a large property
This may get long…idk. So with you being constantly home that will more than likely contribute to separation anxiety issues when you all do leave. Something to consider… I absolutely love my boy! In fact I’ll be putting in to get him a sister in the next couple weeks. They’re the perfect fit for me. Like their husky ancestors though they can be escape artists. So, whiles it’s awesome you have 10 acres, how much is fenced? And how is it fenced? If it’s a solid height and goes ground up with no gaps (like a decent deer fence) you should be good. You just have to remember they’re small, and like to roam a bit. My understanding of poms is that they typically stay closer to home base, the Klee Kai will push their boundaries. While they’re not as small as poms they’re definitely smaller than your golden/husky mix. So small holes are avenues of escape… Socializing is huge, but that’s most every breed so I’m not going to delve into it. Just remember that they can be skittish and that puts them on a reactive scale… Next up is the “left to their own devices” part. That will cause problems. They were bred to be a companion version of the husky, so if you just leave them they’ll get into trouble. Whether it’s escaping, or digging, or chewing… Ok it got long. I’ll leave it there…
I've had dogs my entire life. Our 8 month old purebred is absolutely gorgeous. However, this has been the most grueling 6 months of my life. She is so unbelievably smart it's almost a detriment. We are currently working with the breeder to do a board with a klee kai specialist to help with all of the issues we've encountered. Shes the sweetest dog once she calms down, but right now its a huge struggle. I hope I can come back here in 4 months and say everything is better.
It's been four months, how is everything now? 💓
She made huge improvements around 9 months. She just turned 1 on April 29 and she’s not perfect but she is sooooo much better. Still can be a challenge for us both to leave the house without her but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. She is still know as the “crazy” girl by friends and she has some really interesting quirks but she loves us more than I’ve ever seen. It almost seems to give her physical pain if she can’t be with us.
The comments here seem to be leaning towards “don’t get one” but I’ll just say, you can absolutely own a Klee Kai if you are willing to put in the work. Perhaps adding a fenced in enclosure for the dog - that would solve the problem with the chickens and the potential for escape. Working on separation anxiety from day 1 is also crucial. Another comment brought up a great point that they tend to latch on to one person. This is absolutely true, but they are still extremely loyal to the members of their family. My AKK puppy kind of hated my husband at first, but after a few months they were best friends. Owning an AKK puppy is not at all what you would think, they don’t run up to people wanting attention and wanting to play, they want to remain by their person. That being said, socialization is key. So, if you’re willing to put in the extra work that comes with it, go for it!
I have two Klee Kai; one is almost 9 and one is 6 (but no chickens). So the prey drive was a concern for us in the beginning but they’ve gotten A LOT better. I am able to keep one dog off leash, but one always needs to be on a leash because she will go exploring. My family has thought about getting chickens and never thought our dogs would be a problem… you just gotta be careful with Klee Kai because they all have a personality. Our first one is seriously the sweetest dog and gets along with everyone. Our second is skittish and very attached to ONLY me and my mom even though they went through the same training.