What is the best breed of dog for protection and on a farm?

[shanrose]

I had a couple of German Shepherds show up in the yard one Sunday morning. They were in bad shape and we ended up spending way too much getting them back healthy but they turned out to be fine pups. I had always owned labs but the last 2 had the hip issues associated with them and it just hurt too much.
Anyways, the shepherds turned out to be good companions. I believe that the female was used just to spit out puppies and the male was her son. They settled in and we named them Rocky and Daisy. They did not care what or whom ... it did not belong in their yard! My wife said that one day she heard a horn blowing and she looked out to see a FedEx truck in the yard. She thought that a bit weird but went out to see if they had a package for us - she was expecting one. As she got in hearing distance, the driver, sitting still and both hands on the steering wheel, asked her if she would get her dog. It seems that he was new to our area and did not know to give out treats to the pups. He had gotten out to deliver the package and without him noticing, Rocky followed him into the truck and was just sitting there staring him in the face Both of them were better than 100 lbs after we got them over their issues. Boxes were lucky to be just thrown out in the yard after that

Excellent pups. I was cutting grass one day and spotted them cutting up - there was a snake in their yard and Rocky was not having it.



I found him dead one cold January evening. He was below the house, letting the coyotes know that they were not allowed and just died. I buried him in the bottoms that he kept a watch over. Daisy is still here.

That's a good video! Beautiful shepherds. And I would love ones that kept snakes and other varmints away.

 

[shanrose]

a thundering herd of "blood-thirsty" Toulouse Geese, keep everything out of the yard. Even run the Grizzly Bears off the property.

For real?

 

[INresponse]

This is what I suggested in your other thread.......
As for training, it is very easy to learn how to properly train a puppy simply by watching YouTube videos. Search up How To Train a Puppy and look at the comments and reviews, watch a bit of each video and decide who you want to listen to and learn from, the voice and personality of the person in the video needs to be someone you can relate to and understand. Our girls did this for 6 months prior to us buying our first chicks and it was easy for all of us to recognize which 2 people we wanted to learn from and which people we thought were annoying or simply unhelpful. It doesn't take much to train a puppy, other than patience, time, and love. Slowly introduce them to the other pets/animals you have and let them know what animal is good and what animal (fox/coyote) is bad. Nice, soft, friendly voice for the good animals, mean and growling voice for the bad animals. Once house broken, trained to sit, heal, come and fetch, the next thing you do is walk them around and teach them your property boundaries. The most important part is the boundaries, a well trained dog will not cross the line, real or imaginary, if you teach them right. Our dogs never crossed the line in the driveway where the gate closed even if the gate was open, even if another dog walked by or a cat or a squirrel they would not cross that line. Even if a friend or family member came home they would not cross that line, because we taught them the boundary.

Just one opinion, others will vary in their suggestions, but a good Rottweiler will be a large enough dog to deal with the coyotes. They were bread to herd and protect cattle way back when, but they got a negative news rating about 40+ years ago because some people raised them "for protection and security" and a few people were attacked by aggressive "pets". When I bought my Rott way back when I researched and learned they are an AWESOME family dog and are actually very friendly, until they recognize a threat. One thing to consider, because they are a herding dog it was their job to "nip" or nudge at the heals of the cattle or sheep to get them to move and stay with the heard but when my kids were little and would run across the room the dog would nudge their leg and the kids would trip and fall. Even with the tile floor the kids never got hurt, but it was kind of funny to watch. She only did this when the kids were playing, she never bothered them or anyone else when walking, fast or slow. Also, Rotts are typically a calm dog and wont bark unnecessarily. They will know you are they family and they will stay close and be gentle and loving, without getting under foot or needing constant attention.

 

[INresponse]

I think they used geese in the army if I'm not mistaken. I could put a few geese where the pond is. I wonder if they kill snakes.

You can train a dog to do it's business in a certain area, the goose will drop its mess anywhere and everywhere. You would want a male goose, good luck with that as we ordered a male goose and we were surprised about 8 months later when it laid an egg letting us know she was a female. She is still protective, but not as protective as a male.

 

[shanrose]

That is kind of ironic...

Keep in mind too..there are many dogs who find themselves at shelters by no fault if their own.
For example, My boxer, her 80 something year old owner got cancer and died. Bella was in the care of the owners daughter but would have been headed to the shelter if she had not found a home for her soon.
Bella, she was a easy dog to rescue. Very few issues and is overall a wonderful girl..and well past the puppy stage. Her issues are separation anxiety, chasing kitties and she has had to learn some manners because her older owner pretty much let her do whatever and never left her.
Learning manners was easy for her..she only needs reminding occasionally to not rush a door or chase the kitty's.
Her separation anxiety has been fairly easy to manage too..I don't leave her in a excited state or make a big deal comming or going. If she is overly excited when I return, she gets no attention untill she calms down. I don't feed into her excitement so she learned pretty fast calm equals attention.
But my point is many easy good dogs are available.
AND..the shelter staff can help you if you are clear about what kind of dog your wanting.

Most important than what breed...

Your energy level and lifestyle need to match what kind of dog you want..and your willingness to learn and train that dog to be well behaved will result in a good experience.

A small dog misbehaves...you can pick it up..

A big dog misbehaves..and someone or something is getting hurt, mauled and sued.

I would highly recommend finding a local trainer to help you or at the very least youtube some training videos in earnest.

Big dogs are also no guarantee that they will be effective with predators..their size is a deterrent and can give them a chance but that is it.

Livestock guardians breeds can hold their own usually if they are not outnumbered, but they usually do not make good pets and are not for people who are not that experienced with dogs.

Good ideas. We were younger when we had our other dogs so that's a good point. My husband is dead set against a dog but I have been yearning for one since our dog died about 4 years ago. But she required a lot of upkeep - she was white and would roll in the dirt and I had to give her a bath once a week and she hated it. The vet warned me to return her because her jaw was misshapen from inter-breeding he told us but by then we had bonded. So she always had trouble chewing. But in spite of that she was adorable. Her legs were damaged and she hopped like a bunny but every night she'd lay in my lap and we watched "Golden Girls" and I massaged her legs and unbelievably she began to run normally and she ran like the wind - faster than any dog I saw run - so I'm a big believer in alternative healing combined with love.

But you're right in considering your energy level and I'm no spring chicken. If we were in a neighborhood I could pay a kid to jog a pet but I guess it would get the run of the yard which is good.

There's a lot to think about but I think that dogs are good for older people to add that extra layer of protection. Our dog would pick up on hearing things long before we would and she was on her feet doing her job, barking and alerting us. And with crime about to increase I think that a dog is a wise investment.

 

[shanrose]

This is what I suggested in your other thread.......
As for training, it is very easy to learn how to properly train a puppy simply by watching YouTube videos. Search up How To Train a Puppy and look at the comments and reviews, watch a bit of each video and decide who you want to listen to and learn from, the voice and personality of the person in thiee video needs to be someone you can relate to and understand. Our girls did this for 6 months prior to us buying our first chicks and it was easy for all of us to recognize which 2 people we wanted to learn from and which people we thought were annoying or simply unhelpful. It doesn't take much to train a puppy, other than patience, time, and love. Slowly introduce them to the other pets/animals you have and let them know what animal is good and what animal (fox/coyote) is bad. Nice, soft, friendly voice for the good animals, mean and growling voice for the bad animals. Once house broken, trained to sit, heal, come and fetch, the next thing you do is walk them around and teach them your property boundaries. The most important part is the boundaries, a well trained dog will not cross the line, real or imaginary, if you teach them right. Our dogs never crossed the line in the driveway where the gate closed even if the gate was open, even if another dog walked by or a cat or a squirrel they would not cross that line. Even if a friend or family member came home they would not cross that line, because we taught them the boundary.

That's wise. I can't believe that your dogs wouldn't cross your property boundaries - we always had to fence our dogs. The last dog we used an electric fence but when she saw the two Rottweilers she broke through it and went after them. You must have invested a lot of time training them.

 

[INresponse]

But you're right in considering your energy level and I'm no spring chicken. If we were in a neighborhood I could pay a kid to jog a pet but I guess it would get the run of the yard which is good.

Teach the puppy to fetch and it will forever want to run after the ball and bring it back. If your arm gets tired they make those plastic ball thrower things to get more distance with less effort.
They also make automatic ball throwers. If you are good and lucky you can teach the dog to drop the ball into the machine, but you may have to do that part yourself but that may still be easier than throwing the ball 100 times.
https://iheartdogs.com/best-automatic-ball-launchers/

 

[joel]

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/about-to-buy-a-guard-donkey.15032/

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/farm-dogs-heelers-livestockuardians.16656/#post-490600


https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/dangerous-dog-breeds.12307/#post-335337

 

[INresponse]

That's wise. I can't believe that your dogs wouldn't cross your property boundaries - we always had to fence our dogs. The last dog we used an electric fence but when she saw the two Rottweilers she broke through it and went after them. You must have invested a lot of time training them.

Dad did the training. Simply put the puppy by the crack in the driveway, hold the nose to the line, lightly smack the butt and sternly say NO. It does take a week or two but every time they stop at the line you say Good and pet them and maybe give them a treat. Heck, I remember the few times we had a litter of puppies and all the puppies knew to stop at the line in the cement, and this was before they were 6 weeks old. It really isn't difficult, and it is easier with just one pup on a leash.
Ours was a 12 foot wide gate on the cement driveway next to our house so there was a distinctive line, but I trained my dogs, when I let them in the front yard in the city, to stop at the sidewalk and the "imaginary" property lines. Just like how dogs that are trained with a shock collar learn where the wire is buried underground a dog will learn where you say NO when walking them around on a leash. It isn't hard, it just takes time. When they stop in the general area you say "Good, Stay" and if they start to go too far you sternly say "NO!" and maybe swat them on the nose or butt.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Good ideas. We were younger when we had our other dogs so that's a good point. My husband is dead set against a dog but I have been yearning for one since our dog died about 4 years ago. But she required a lot of upkeep - she was white and would roll in the dirt and I had to give her a bath once a week and she hated it. The vet warned me to return her because her jaw was misshapen from inter-breeding he told us but by then we had bonded. So she always had trouble chewing. But in spite of that she was adorable. Her legs were damaged and she hopped like a bunny but every night she'd lay in my lap and we watched "Golden Girls" and I massaged her legs and unbelievably she began to run normally and she ran like the wind - faster than any dog I saw run - so I'm a big believer in alternative healing combined with love.

But you're right in considering your energy level and I'm no spring chicken. If we were in a neighborhood I could pay a kid to jog a pet but I guess it would get the run of the yard which is good.

There's a lot to think about but I think that dogs are good for older people to add that extra layer of protection. Our dog would pick up on hearing things long before we would and she was on her feet doing her job, barking and alerting us. And with crime about to increase I think that a dog is a wise investment.

Wait until you get livestock. Good chance your new dog will roll in and eat fresh cow pies. Then they'll bring the dried ones home. I highly suggest that you fence off a few acres around the house for your dog. You want to make sure that the dog doesn't chase game, your livestock or your neighbors livestock. That's a good way for him to get shot. Our German shorthair thinks he's a cow dog. He does a pretty good job of herding cattle, but doesn't always put the cows where I want them.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Did not read nearly all the responses. So please excuse me if I duplicate someone else’s post.

Dogs are such an individual preference and I think we all enjoy many different breeds. I do! Depends what you need the dog to provide.

My top pick for protection (that won’t attack people unless they “need” to protect you) is a Bouvier des Flandres. They are the best judge of character I’ve been around. I consider them to have 2 separate lines. One is the “Show” line and the other “Herding” line. These dogs are hypoallergenic, so even though they are hairy they don’t shed much at all. Great herding dogs for larger animals. They are calm and a bit standoffish to strangers. Very protective of even children they don’t know. The are not barkers, unless someone comes onto their land. Their bite force is impressive.

“The Bouvier des Flandres is known for its powerful bite force, which is estimated to be around 556 PSI. This is stronger than the bite force of many other breeds, including the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler.”

I value that my dogs can’t be “bribed” with food. They won’t accept anything from others. Once my son (who they know very well) tried to give them steak and they just stared at him. He threw it on the porch floor. It laid there for an hour before I picked it up and gave it to them.

Here’s a picture

 

[shanrose]

Wait until you get livestock. Good chance your new dog will roll in and eat fresh cow pies. Then they'll bring the dried ones home. I highly suggest that you fence off a few acres around the house for your dog. You want to make sure that the dog doesn't chase game, your livestock or your neighbors livestock. That's a good way for him to get shot. Our German shorthair thinks he's a cow dog. He does a pretty good job of herding cattle, but doesn't always put the cows where I want th

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/about-to-buy-a-guard-donkey.15032/

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/farm-dogs-heelers-livestockuardians.16656/#post-490600


https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/dangerous-dog-breeds.12307/#post-335337

Has anyone had their homeowner's insurance jump up from owning one of the breeds listed? That's something I'd never thought of.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Has anyone had their homeowner's insurance jump up from owning one of the breeds listed? That's something I'd never thought of.

Not mine. That's a question that's never come up with my insurance guy. Of course I'd never own a potentially dangerous breed anyway.

 

[shanrose]

Not mine. That's a question that's never come up with my insurance guy. Of course I'd never own a potentially dangerous breed anyway.

If you read the list that Joel posted, German Shepherds are on there and also Rottweilers. It kind of surprised me.

 

[Mountain trapper]

If you read the list that Joel posted, German Shepherds are on there and also Rottweilers. It kind of surprised me.

I'm usually not able to open any attachments from our location. I'm bearly able to get on this site.
I like German Shepherds, but they can be risky too. My daughter had a female German Shepherd and that dog was potentially dangerous. She was too protective to the point of wanting to attack kids that would come over to visit. My daughter had to get rid of her. She now has an English chocolate lab. He's still protective, but not crazy. He's a great family dog.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

I’ve never had that problem, but know others that have. In my humble opinion it is not calculated properly…but most likely the only way they know how to. German Shepherds are popular, therefore there are more of them. Ditto with Rottie’s (whom I love), but more than a couple of them are over protective and aggressive. Anyway, when you take the data of singularly figuring out which breeds bite more often, they only add up the number of bites. Not the percentage of bites.

People didn’t used to sue over dog bites very often, but now do. It affects the insurance companies bottom line in the end.

 

[Hooch]

Yes..that is a good point and
YES..
there is a long list of breeds of dogs, some small breeds too, that insurance companies WILL DROP YOU if you own..
I've been asked what breed of dog do I own by 2 of my insurance carriers.
HOWEVER. They did not ask for proof of breed , pictures, vet records
Some might..mine did not.

Lab mix, or mutt type mixed breed is a good answer If you even admit you have a dog.

 

[shanrose]

I’ve never had that problem, but know others that have. In my humble opinion it is not calculated properly…but most likely the only way they know how to. German Shepherds are popular, therefore there are more of them. Ditto with Rottie’s (whom I love), but more than a couple of them are over protective and aggressive. Anyway, when you take the data of singularly figuring out which breeds bite more often, they only add up the number of bites. Not the percentage of bites.

People didn’t used to sue over dog bites very often, but now do. It affects the insurance companies bottom line in the end.

I see what you're saying. Yes we're in a tricky society now and you have to watch everything.

 

[shanrose]

Yes..that is a good point and
YES..
there is a long list of breeds of dogs, some small breeds too, that insurance companies WILL DROP YOU if you own..
I've been asked what breed of dog do I own by 2 of my insurance carriers.
HOWEVER. They did not ask for proof of breed , pictures, vet records
Some might..mine did not.

Lab mix, or mutt type mixed breed is a good answer If you even admit you have a dog.

A family member bought a house and the prior owner left the dog there with a collar it had outgrown, tied up, with no water or food. They rescued the dog and it turned out to be a huge predator and went after a little dog walking by. It turned into a nightmare - it wasn't even their dog and they ended up having to pay vet bills. The woman was a shark and tried to tack on other expenses like missing a day of work but they said no. I think that they should have had the prior owner pay but they paid it.

 

[dademoss]

Only had one pure breed dog. Ralph was a laboratory beagle, not a good protector, but a Canine Good Citizen dog.

Rex, our first dog, and Teddy Ruxpin, our 3rd were/are rescues, and if you mess with their pack, you mess with a "bus load of snakes"

If your dog is bonded with his family/pack, they won't let you down.

 

[Hooch]

Thats too bad.

Chaining and caging dogs can lead to alot of behavior/ physiological issues. I'd bet the last owners never put any time, training or affection in that dog since they left it to die too.

If they adopted it after finding it tho , they in fact became the new owners. It's unfortunate for both them, the dog and the little one that got attacked.

I'm sure their hearts were in the right place By rescuing it though.

Did it break out of its yard or get away from them on a walk? Do you know?

 

[shanrose]

I Thats too bad.

Chaining and caging dogs can lead to alot of behavior/ physiological issues. I'd bet the last owners never put any time, training or affection in that dog since they left it to die too.

If they adopted it after finding it tho , they in fact became the new owners. It's unfortunate for both them, the dog and the little one that got attacked.

I'm sure their hearts were in the right place By rescuing it though.

Did it break out of its yard or get away from them on a walk? Do you know?

I can't bear cruelty to an animal. I doubt the prior owners did anything. I don't recall what they said about how the dog got loose - it was probably on a leash because the prior owners left it chained out back and it didn't get loose. The people moved out and said not one word about the dog and just left it there. The dog went after any other animal it encountered though. So I don't know if it was the breed or behavior problems.

 

[Spikedriver]

GF has a silver Lab. The dog is small for a lab, 55 pounds. But she has a big bark and she is protective of GF and anyone else she thinks needs to be protected. The dog (Ruby) loves my daughter, and daughter stayed in GF's house while we went for a bike ride. When we got back and walked in without announcing ourselves, Ruby went nuts with a nasty growling bark. She also doesn't like most men getting near GF if it's dark out.

Labs aren't the best guard dogs, but they can have thesaw guard instincts and I believe they are the best all around dogs. I'm also a big fan of Heelers if you've got a lot of space for them to run. The best farm dogs I've ever known have been heelers...

 

[DrHenley]

I'm also a big fan of Heelers if you've got a lot of space for them to run. The best farm dogs I've ever known have been heelers...

My uncle had a heeler as a guard dog on his farm. Worked out about the same as when they hired the Hells Angels to work security at that Altamont Stones concert, LOL. That is the most vicious dog I have ever seen in real life (in the movies it was only topped by Cujo) He ended up having to keep it locked up after it killed the neighbors' dogs. (which included a German shepherd and a Doberman)

 

[Spikedriver]

My uncle had a heeler as a guard dog on his farm. Worked out about the same as when they hired the Hells Angels to work security at that Altamont Stones concert, LOL. That is the most vicious dog I have ever seen in real life (in the movies it was only topped by Cujo) He ended up having to keep it locked up after it killed the neighbors' dogs. (which included a German shepherd and a Doberman)

I've seen healers who were so protective that one might consider them to be mean, but I've never known one to be that violent. They can be nippy - my dad's heeler did bite someone who was dumb enough to challenge it. But my experience is they have a lot more bark than bite...

 

[Pearl]

 

[DrHenley]

I've seen healers who were so protective that one might consider them to be mean, but I've never known one to be that violent. They can be nippy - my dad's heeler did bite someone who was dumb enough to challenge it. But my experience is they have a lot more bark than bite...

 

[DrHenley]

I am assuming you are talking about an Australian Blue (or Red) Heeler.
I didn't know anything about heelers at the time and I thought that was normal. I learned later that it was not. I was actually afraid to walk past that dog's kennel for fear it would get out! I don't think I have ever been that afraid of a dog before.

 

[Amish Heart]

I am assuming you are talking about an Australian Blue (or Red) Heeler.
I didn't know anything about heelers at the time and I thought that was normal. I learned later that it was not. I was actually afraid to walk past that dog's kennel for fear it would get out! I don't think I have ever been that afraid of a dog before.

Wondering if it was trained to be nasty, or just mental. Heelers are high energy dogs for sure, and need a job. We are on our third heeler. The other two died of old age in the last 40 years...Scraps was first, then Chookie a blue heeler that died earlier this year. So now we have Rowdy...who is half red and half blue, and is almost 6 months old. He is in a constant state of training (ha). Turning into a really good dog. He has his "backyard" area that is his alone, but has run of the farm when I'm out there, or little granddaughter is, doing our farm chores. Worst thing he does is chase guineas, which has me yelling no, but he gets focused. Hasn't caught one yet, and they fly up in a tree. Love hate relationship with our barn cats (11 of them) who would attack him as a smaller pup, so we couldn't let him outside without a chaperone. Those cats routinely take down squirrels and rabbits and gut them. Now he's bigger than they are. Lately he's been trying to sniff their butts, and that doesn't go over well. He's a great barker, alerts us to everything. Good companion dog, and those two things were what I was looking for. Housebreaking him was a bear, but it's good now. So far, he is afraid of the neighbor's young kids (they are too hyper for him) and afraid of loud machinery, like the tractor and the garbage truck. Fine with me.

 

[shanrose]

My uncle had a heeler as a guard dog on his farm. Worked out about the same as when they hired the Hells Angels to work security at that Altamont Stones concert, LOL. That is the most vicious dog I have ever seen in real life (in the movies it was only topped by Cujo) He ended up having to keep it locked up after it killed the neighbors' dogs. (which included a German shepherd and a Doberman)

That's a double-edged sword there. I read about a pair of lawyers who owned vicious dogs - can't recall the breed - and it attacked and killed their neighbor. That must have been one vicious dog to kill a Shepherd and Doberman.