Farm dog breeds

[pkarkos]

Hi All,
I'm wondering what everyone's experience with their farm dogs. What breeds or mixes did you have? I know breed isn't everything and that training and socialization is important, but some breeds are just more adaptable or meant for certain lifestyles than others. What age did you get them and what training did you have to do?
I'm not looking for a dog right now. My dog is 9 and very healthy so hopefully I'll have several more years with him. But I am curious about what dogs make the best farm dogs. My dog is a hound with a super strong scent drive so I don't like to let him out by himself or even off leash outside so he is not the best farm dog. He's also afraid of our horses and will try to chase the chickens ( only when they are in the coop though?? He's a weirdo, I don't know ).
I have been having trouble with predators since our old farm dog past away. He was a shi tzu so he was a great watch dog but I always worried about letting him out with the foxes, coyotes, Fisher cats, etc.
So ideally I'm looking for a dog without a strong scent/prey drive who could hold his own against predators if he needs to. I do also have some limitations because my family and myself have allergies to some dogs. I'm allergic to some Spitz dogs (related to huskies and the like) and my parents are allergic to all Spitz dogs and Shepards.
So what is your experience with your farm dogs?

 

[PirateGirl]

When you say farm dog, I think of two different classes of dogs...

I think of LGD type breeds that are large and slow and mellow that hang around and roam the property all day and are happy to sleep outside at night and hang with and guard and protect the flock/herd.

I also think of small quick working dogs that are used to round up livestock etc., smart and high energy, various cattle dog type mixes.

When you say farm dog, what are you thinking? What kinds of jobs do you want it to do?

 

[pkarkos]

When you say farm dog, I think of two different classes of dogs...

I think of LGD type breeds that are large and slow and mellow that hang around and roam the property all day and are happy to sleep outside at night and hang with and guard and protect the flock/herd.

I also think of small quick working dogs that are used to round up livestock etc., smart and high energy, various cattle dog type mixes.

When you say farm dog, what are you thinking? What kinds of jobs do you want it to do?

So ideally I was thinking of a dog who could also be a house dog. I would like to have a dog who will be outside with me when I'm working outside with the animals and who I could also let outside at night if he or I hear something so he can ward the predator off while I get my shoes on.
I don't think I specifically need a dog that will herd because I only really ever plan on having horses, goats and maybe alpacas. But some of the same instinct on protecting a herd that a herding dog would have might come in handy.
I find that even the presence of a dog who roams about the property was enough for where I live so I don't think he needs to be outside 24/7.

 

[Serin]

I would definitely recommend looking into collies - not necessarily borders, but like rough collies are very nice dogs with some protective instincts and not a ton of prey drive as it's been redirected as herding instinct - shelties too though they are smaller. Australian shepherds are in a similar camp I think.

German shepherds can be socialized with small animals and are very protective, I have heard of them being excellent all-around farm dogs, though they don't herd very well they will protect a flock from predators if they're raised around other animals from a young age.

The biggest dogs to avoid are hunting breeds, so the hounds and labs especially. Labs will be fine with goats and other animals but it can be a challenge to keep them away from birds as it's in their breeding to grab them.

There are some guardian breeds that are best suited to live outside with the flock, however the Great Pyrenese in recent years has also been raised as a pet dog and they can do very well as a pet. The only issue is that I've read they are best trained to be one or the other. A house dog won't be as inclined to guard the animals, and a dog raised outside won't really care to come inside.

 

[pkarkos]

I would definitely recommend looking into collies - not necessarily borders, but like rough collies are very nice dogs with some protective instincts and not a ton of prey drive as it's been redirected as herding instinct - shelties too though they are smaller. Australian shepherds are in a similar camp I think.

German shepherds can be socialized with small animals and are very protective, I have heard of them being excellent all-around farm dogs, though they don't herd very well they will protect a flock from predators if they're raised around other animals from a young age.

The biggest dogs to avoid are hunting breeds, so the hounds and labs especially. Labs will be fine with goats and other animals but it can be a challenge to keep them away from birds as it's in their breeding to grab them.

There are some guardian breeds that are best suited to live outside with the flock, however the Great Pyrenese in recent years has also been raised as a pet dog and they can do very well as a pet. The only issue is that I've read they are best trained to be one or the other. A house dog won't be as inclined to guard the animals, and a dog raised outside won't really care to come inside.

Yes, Collies seem like a good idea. I think I will try to find a breeder or a friend with Collies so I can see if I am allergic. I think an Aussie might work for us, too. My parents are definitely allergic to gsds but I might not be. I think a great pyrenese might be something I would be allergic to though. It's hard to tell but luckily I have found that many breeders are happy for people to meet the dogs to see if they are allergic to the dogs and whether the dogs will be a good fit.
What do you all think of terriers, especially the larger terriers like Airedales, as farm dogs? They do have a prey drive for rodents, but how are they with birds?

 

[wyoDreamer]

We have a 100+ pound German Shepherd named Gustov and we live on a 25 acre farmstead property. GS are a farm dog breed. Large enough to keep away predators - but not much prey drive. Ours lives to make us happy - give him a job and he does it. Smart and eager to learn. He would stay around our place without wandering off - but he is in a fenced yard all day because of our other dog. My husband has taught him our property boundaries and he has decided that it is his job to keep "other" animals off our property - along with fetching his ball... He spends the night inside with us, but i think he would be plenty happy to stay outside all the time - if we were out there with him.

Our neighbor has a Maltese named Tiny. Tiny is really small - and Tiny doesn't like anyone or anything and must bark at everything. Tiny thinks he is a big dog and rules the world. One day DH was walking the property with Gus and the neighbor was out with Tiny feeding her horse. Tiny came barking across the hay field at Gus. Gus took off and met Tiny about 1/2 way across the field. Tiny hit the brakes, did a 180 turn and raced back to his mom. Gus loped next to him all the way to the fenceline - looking down at Tina as if to say "Nice day for a run, hey? Come here often?"

 

[wyoDreamer]

You can train most dogs to leave birds alone, especially if you get a younger pup. Make sure any dog - especially a farm dog - learns that basic obedience commands. Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Leave It and Heel. I add GO HOME to the list because it is a pain to work in the field and have the dog getting in the way of the tractor.
Leave It comes in very handy to tell a dog to Leave the chickens alone or leave that puddle of anti-freeze alone.

 

[Peaches Lee]

I by chance ended up with an Australian Cattle Dog when my father picked her up roaming as a puppy in North Texas farmland.

Pros: Very smart. Born housetrained. Excellent recall. Never worry about small animals with her from kittens to chicks. Small size=more affordable Veterinary visits/supplies and food. Extremely healthy. She is 12. No problems. And I work at a Veterinary clinic and we just do not see a lot of ACDs for health issues. Zero wandering. Stays home.

Cons: Not very loyal. (Compared to a Doberman--not sure if they have any equal in the loyalty department!) If she thinks someone will share a delicious piece of steak with her or has a chance to go outside and do chores...she'll stay where the food is. Smaller size=coyotes are a threat as is a larger dog. Not people friendly, takes a long time to warm up to people.

In a nutshell, I think ACD are really great farmdogs. If you are a busy farmer, you don't have a lot of time to train a dog not to harm your livestock, and the ACDs seem to be very in tune with their master in what is expected of them.

I wouldn't mind having another one, but because of their smaller size, I have been researching the Beauceron breed, which is a very old French farm dog breed. Not sure if that is a breed you would be interested in or not. I've only met one, but was really impressed with his calm, stoic, demeanor. Good luck in your search.

 

[NightingaleJen]

Our collie is nearly thirteen years old and we haven't any livestock yet, but I can tell you that they tend to be very attached to "their people" (I had a collie as a girl, too, and he had the same attitude!). They also tend to stick pretty close to home, or at least ours have; I can let Ben (our sweet senior collie) wander around the property off-leash while I hang laundry or play in the garden and he doesn't go far, and certainly not off-property unless he sees a good friend. Granted, I began training him with the basics—including the all-important "leave it"—literally the day we brought him home. They also tend to be very tender-hearted (Ben has rescued kittens) and gentle, and actually really like smaller creatures, so they might be quite good with chickens. Wouldn't surprise me; it's a shame we've not yet been able to get some. Ben would probably flop out in the grass and let the birds snuggle up to him.

So far as allergies go: My husband tends to be allergic to animals (wasn't exposed to many as a kid, I guess) but has had very little to no problem with Ben. My parents' Goldens are a different matter.

It is worth keeping in mind that there are two kinds of collie: Rough, with a big coat, and Smooth, which is a short-haired dog—not as short as a Dobie, but shorter than a Golden; maybe closer to a Lab-style coat (I prefer Rough collies, so that's what we've had).

So, if the big floofy coat causes an allergic flare-up or is intimidating—and they do require some work, though IMO it's worth it—the Smooth Collie may be an option for you. Of course, you also forego the collie tumbleweeds drifting across the living room floor three minutes after you swept and vacuumed, but that's life.

 

[DuckyBabies]

We have a golden retriever and she is the perfect farm dog! She roams our 17 acres with us when we go out to work in the field or garden. She watches over my ducks, and my family. She also comes inside at night and hangs out with us.