Dogs
Sharon February 19th, 2009
We lost Rufus, our older American Working Farmcollie the other day. He was an unusually large dog for his breed – much bigger than either parent, and the vet suspects that he had a hidden heart defect that sometimes affects large dogs. He was fine in the morning, but began to decline rapidly in the afternoon, could barely walk into the house, and by the time Eric got him to the vet, he was gone. We miss him.
His half-sister, our other dog, Mistress Quickly, really misses him – the two of them have been inseperable since the day we brought her home. We called them the “doofi” (plural of doofus, although they are actually terribly smart dogs) because they came through every door together, no matter how badly the fit or how long it took to get both furry bodies through. She was his miniature twin – he was huge, she was on the small side for a farmcollie, and they were a unit. Now she’s bereft.
Rufus’s great moment of heroism happened when he was a puppy – I was 8 months pregnant with Isaiah when 3 1/2 year old Eli took off running towards the road. I couldn’t catch him with my huge belly – and Rufus interposed his body between Eli and the cars. He was fearless – he ran off the coyotes and the foxes, and once what we suspect, from the sound, was a bobcat. As a puppy, he killed a racoon after our chickens that was bigger than he was – and when it tried to escape up a tree, he went up the tree after it. We’re going to miss him.
But I think we’re not going to be able to wait and grieve too long to get another dog – Quickly is simply too heartbroken, and while I doubt another dog could take his place, getting her a companion is a priority. And discussing the subject with the kids distracts them from their loss. So I suspect that despite Eric and my inclination to wait, we’re going to look for a dog fairly soon.
Which brings us to a set of questions. What breed or mix of breeds? Adult or puppy? Shelter dog, rescue group or breeder? What do we want from a dog? For us, whatever we choose, it has to serve some larger purpose as well as provide all the wonderful things that dogs do – company, pleasure. On a working farm, all creatures great and small are part of the whole.
We’re still sorting out what we want. The boys want a corgi, mostly, I think because of Tasha Tudor 
. I actually have a real fondness for corgyn, having known several wonderful ones. We talk about a livestock guardian dog, maybe a Pyr, but I’m more interested, at this stage, in a family dog. Most of our animals are down by the house, and I don’t know how well an LGD would do bonded to the family.
We could seek out another farmcollie – they are wonderful dogs, bred to recreate the old working farm dogs that could herd, guard the family and handle predators. But somehow while I can face the idea of another dog, the idea of another AWF seems like a betrayal of Rufus.
It has to be a dog that can handle farm life – we can’t keep an animal who will kill poultry or chase the goats and sheep. For this reason (and the four small kids) I’m a little reluctant to adopt an older dog, since you don’t know what their prior experience has been. Too bad – I actually like settled down older dogs better than puppies (not that puppies aren’t cute, but I’m still housebreaking my kids ).
We’ve talked in the past about bonding a dog to Eli, also, to help keep him safe on the property. A lab or a mix might be just the right dog for that. Or maybe there’s a better breed, one that could serve some farm purposes, and also free range a little with the kids.
And then there are aesthetics – the dogs of my early childhood were all big – owned by family members and friends they were shepherd and wolfhound mixes. I’m partial to big dogs, despite the disadvantages of a dog that can look your kid in the eye – or down on them, despite the shorter lifespans. The kids, I think, would prefer a smaller dog, one that felt like a dog at heel even to them, and Eric sort of agrees. We do need something big enough not to be prey for the coyotes, at a minimum, though, and one suited to covering some ground on a farm.
We’re still mulling over what we might need or want in a dog. I certainly would welcome suggestions and advice as we make this transition, for which we were not ready.
Sharon
- dogs
- Comments(70)
If I was in your shoes, I would choose a Golden Retriever or Golden/Lab mix. Both are wonderful family dogs, bravehearted, and reliable. They are big enough to protect the farm, but too laid-back to chase the livestock. And they are wonderful, social, loving dogs, just happy to be alive everyday.
As the owner of two German Shorthair Pointers, I would definitely NOT recommend one of them. GSPs have a high prey-kill instinct and are definitely high energy dogs.
Did MQ have the opportunity to see Rufus after he passed? It seems grim, but this is a good way for her to understand what has transpired and to deal with it.
Cathy
We have Aussie Shepherds, in the 45 lbs range. They are wonderful dogs, were bred for the sort of work you want, are loyal, loving, and smart. Highly recommended
- cybele
Really sorry to hear of your loss. They are family members, no question.
I know you’re familiar with my dog tribulations; you’ll be glad to know that Delilah seems to be working out; a Catahoula/Boxer cross. Still quite young, but very smart, good instincts, and a huge desire to do the right thing; and definitely more “trainable” than Bruce, who was quite sure he knew best, regardless of instructions. And he usually did; so I let him- which eventually lead to the great chicken disaster.
The AWF sounds almost ideal for my own needs- but I worry about the very long coat. Our woods, and we live in them, are absolutely full of plant burrs in summer; once little curly coat terrier that came to visit had to be shaved after romping in them. How much time do you have to spend on their coats?
I like mixes, for their generally better health, and often better intelligence; though purebreds are probably more predictable.
I think there is no substitute for raising a young puppy as part of the family- the bonding you get that way cannot be achieved with an older dog.
And I like bigger dogs- many reasons, coyotes and thieves among them. The kids can have their small dog desires fulfilled with the puppy.
We’re about to add a puppy; Delilah is old enough, and “potty trained” (no training involved; purely a matter of maturing; as soon as she could control it, she started going exclusively outside.) One dog on a farm is not enough, if you’re looking to them for livestock and family protection. It takes several, as all old farmers knew.
Thinking about having our shelter lady look around for an Anatolian Shepard cross… as long as we’re not in a hurry, she can search a bunch of nearby shelters for what we want.
Basically, though- you probably can’t go wrong; you’re not rookies. You’ll find a good one.
Lurker and dog lover here. Australian Shepherds have an inate urge to herd and protect. They’re good size, while not often having the heart and hip issues that the giant breeds do. Even the rescue/older dogs tend to be kindly toward children. They’re quick to do tasks and love to “work”. Your setting sounds ideal for one of these dogs. They aren’t as intensely focused as a Border Collie, can take the rough-and-tumble of family life and are large enough not to easily become a meal for a coyote. If you like the look of your farmcollie, this look should appeal to you as well. They do carry a recessive gene for deafness if they are intensely linebred for white color, so make sure that you do a hearing test. Good luck in whatever breed you choose and thanks for providing so much wonderful info on your site.
Patty
Just wanted to tell you how sorry we all are and to send hugs. We’ll miss Rufus too.
Sharon,
I’m soooo sorry to hear of your loss! I know what that is like and it is can be a crushing blow!
I do have one potential for you. Beagles! Both mine are rescues and they are great rabbit catchers should any come to deface your garden. They are also notoriously healthy and hale, as well as being the most forgiving dogs on earth. (That is part of the reason they are so often taken for research where horrible things are done to them, they forgive anything.)
I’ve not yet met a Beagle that wasn’t always wanting food, terminally lazy for several hours a day, and sniffing around to ensure a full catalog of visitors is achieved.
Older Beagles are usually easy going and even work well indoors with cats even if never exposed to them before. They are just…friendly.
Lots of rescues out there. The one I got my treasured Old Man from is probably too far for you. Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland. But there are tons out there.
Oh, and if you are looking for a guard dog, they are just no good. They will bark and howl whenever they see someone interesting coming up to the house and then greet them profusely while they rob your house.
Christy
Oh, Sharon, my condolences to your family (Mistress Quickly included).
In the realm of practical dog advice:
We have a new border collie/red heeler/something (lab?) cross puppy, and we’re working on helping him learn to be a farmcollie type of dog. So far, so good – way less ‘intense’ than I had feared, particularly with the red heeler in him, thankfully. But as you know, puppies are a whole lotta work, and even more so with small kids around. Still, we have high hopes.
If you’ve got the energy to train one from the get-go, this sort of cross (collie mixed with something) might be a good choice. Lots of opportunity to play fetch, anyway!
We have a Pyr who lives with the sheep – you’re right, that’s probably not what you’re after. We do, however, have an Akbash/Maremma cross who is SUPER people friendly, loves the kids, loves the critters, chases coyotes … and my mom just told me yesterday that she went to another farm to visit and she was sure our big Akbash/Maremma walked up to her to say hello! His personality was just like our Bob’s, very friendly and happy in that goofy kind of golden retriever way, but with a business-like side to him as well … so with two of them on completely different farms turning out to be much the same, maybe that speaks well for that particular cross. I think bonding a dog like that to Eli would probably work really well.
In the realm of comfort to the grieving:
I just had an amazing dog story occur in my life yesterday … it’s got a happy ending, and perhaps in your sorrow it would cheer you. You can read it here: http://applejackcreek.com/blog/2009/02/miss-rubys-dog.html
May there be happier days and more wagging tails in your near future.
I would suggest a Great Pyrenees, were it not that they’re rather large. We had two at the goat dairy where I worked, and they were extremely loyal, gentle, and hardworking.
So sorry to read of your loss. May the right pup/dog appear at the right time for you & your family.
P.S.–maybe our Pyrenees were exceptions to some sort of greater Pyrenees rule? All I know is, I loved lying in the hay with Artemis at the end of a hard day’s work, and she loved it, too!
I’m sorry to hear of your loss of Rufus – it sounds like he was a great part of your family and that he had a very good life with you all. I’m sure you’re right that Mistress Q will be happier with a companion again, the sooner the better. I hope you are able to find a suitable and nice dog at a shelter or rescue and avoid a breeder. There are so many shelter dogs that need homes. Just like buying something new at a store encourages more unnecessary production of that thing, getting a dog (or any companion animal) from a breeder encourages more unnecessary breeding.
Your description of the relationship your dogs had reminded me of Where the Red Fern Grows. Very sweet. So sorry to hear of your loss. Especially for the kiddos.
Sharon, this is my first comment. I’m just about done reading Depletion and Abundance and visit your web-site daily. I love your writing and feel I’ve come to know you and your family through it. I can’t help on the dog issue – we have 3 cats. But, I can thank you from the bottom of my heart for the way you and your family are living your lives and the fantastic way you are sharing that with the rest of us. Peace, Mark
Sharon,
Speaking as a dog trainer here, not the normal homesteader/90% rioter hat I usually wear, I think you’re looking for two different dogs.
A farm dog: Australian Shepherd sounds about perfect for your needs. Some Pyr can settle with families as well as animals. Anatolians take a lot of handling. Believe me, I know!
For Eli: I think a service dog for him would be great. Almost any dog is capable of the job if properly trained. But based on your location, Eli’s size, and other things I know about you I’d say either a chocolate lab (soft mouth and easy as a puppy) or a German Shepherd (much harder as a puppy, because they are much mouthier). Which ever you choose be careful and do a lot of research on breeders. You want to be super selective with a service dog.
Kim
So sorry for your loss! When we lost our dapple-gray percheron Duke, his little brother Bob was heartbroken. They were a draft team, afterall, and Bob had never known life without him. I can’t stand when ignorant people say animals can’t feel emotions, because obviously they can!
On our farm, we have an Old English Sheepdog named Eddie and a Golden Retriever named Duke (after the horse). They’re a wonderful pair! Eddie is mean, chasing off woodchucks and coyotes, but he LOVES to kill skunks and tries to bring the dead, stinky skunk in the house. He gets sprayed at least once every summer. And now that he’s older, he’s going blind, but he’s just as grumpy as ever and jumps to go out and chase coyotes when he hears them at night. Duke is more of the family dog. He chases bunnies and coyotes, but I think he’d be scared to chase the bigger animals without Eddie as a partner. They’re really a great pair! I’d recommend either. The Golden is very loving, and the Sheepdog is extremely protective, and that’s how he shows his love.
I wish you and your family luck in finding a dog!!!
Are there any charities in your area that offer helper dogs trained for Autistic kids like this program in Canada
http://www.nsd.on.ca/index.php
Getting a dog pre trained to deal with your son’s issues would solve your problem of trying to pick a breed with the traits you need and also aleviates the problem of house training yet another kid.
I’m very sorry to hear about your Rufus. I can’t offer dog advice I ‘ve only lived with cats. My sympathies to you and your family,
Peace,
shamba
one more Aussie vote! we have two and they are the best (and smartest) dogs I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. they are wonderful with our five year old (bought one of them as a pup when our daughter was 2). great guard dogs, love to play…very much like a border collie.
our Aussies are VERY leery (sp?) of people they aren’t around very much. some might see that as a drawback, (we’ve had contractors afraid of entering the backyard) but we love that attribute.
and btw, once the contractors were around for a couple of days (and were friendly with us and the dogs) the dogs LOVED them
Sharon, I’m sorry for the loss of Rufus from your family. I’m afraid I don’t have any breed/mix suggestions, except that you probably don’t want anything with ChowChow in it. Our Toby is half chow, and he’s scared of everything/everyone and not friendly with any children except our own son! Good luck with your search, and may Quickly find some solace in whomever you choose.
May I second labs. My lab has been trained to chase magpies away of all things, because my MIL hates them, and is a great, patient babysitter for my 15-month old.
So sorry to hear about Rufus. Give MQ an extra pat from cyberspace for us.
Theresa, generally speaking, for people looking for pets, particularly adult families, I feel very strongly about rescue dogs. But I don’t agree with your blanket critique of breeders – this presumes that all dogs are dogs, and that there is no need to breed specific characteristics, or that all dogs can be taken at any stage of life into any situation. And that’s just not true – there are compelling reasons for people to want specific breeds of dogs at specific life stages – particularly if you have very young children who need to establish their role in the dog hierarchy early, or if you are seeking working characteristics. That’s not to say that there might not be the right rescue dog for us – but there isn’t always.
We get our cats from shelters, and I’d love to adopt a dog – but I’m not willing to bring an animal that can’t adapt to our situation, or that will be aggressive towards children or animals into our home, and then have to give them away – that’s a betrayal of the animal. And the reality is that many shelter animals are given away because people can’t train them, or by people who don’t care for them well.
I’d be happy to see the end of people breeding badly – but I think it isn’t fair to tar the good breeders with the bad.
Sharon
Kim- I understand that pure Anatolians are high-maintenance under most conditions. Which is why I was thinking cross- do you have any experience with Anatolian crosses?
We’re on 160 acres- lots of room; and really need dogs with good self-reliance as well as good behavior- I partly picked up on Anatolians because some folks use them for large poultry operations… where we may be heading…
That and, we’re starting to get more reports of random cougars and bears around here, with the occasional wolf… beagles and Aussie shepards would just be snacks.
http://www.petfinder.com
Try this website. You can search shelter dogs or rescue dogs by your location (it’s nationwide), type of dog, size, age etc. Different shelters and rescue centers post their dogs who are looking for homes here. It is a great resource. You can learn the history of many of the dogs and also get in touch with the current owner (shelter) if you like.
Good luck!
A great source for good dogs is to get the washouts from “Guide Dogs For The Blind.” These dogs usually wash out for reasons that would have no impact at all on their relationships with sighted people. For example, if a dog shows any inclination towards skin conditions they wash out because if you can’t see you can’t tell your dog is having a problem. I have a friend who got a dog with a “rash propensity” who never got a rash again. Sometimes the stress of service can cause dogs to break out in rashes and other stress-related diseases. Take away that stress and the problem goes away.
These dogs are gentle, well-trained and even-tempered. They tend to be labs but other breeds are also available. Definitely worth a look.
Arthur
Sharon,
I, too, send my condolences and wish you all the very best in your family’s healing process.
A breed that I have a lot of experience with is the Belgian Sheepdog. I raised my son,from infancy, with seven of these wonderful dogs. Friends and family referred to him as “Wolfboy”.
Currently, I have a female from the Belgian Tervuren( this is one of the 4 types of Belgians) rescue society. She is very intuitive about children and displays the utmost gentleness and protectiveness with them. She is “mother” to our 10 chickens, whom she raised from day old fluffies. This is a high energy breed, but as still as a rug once indoors. I can provide more info, if needed.
All my best intentions….
Sorry to hear about your loss. Our bond to canine friends is very special.
I’ve heard that Great Pyrenees are great in a farm and very protective of the family. We adopted our Border Collie/Golden Retriever mix from a local rescue group when she was one year old. We’ve had her for five years and she is wonderful — intelligent, protective and very loving with the family.
My favorite dog is the hunting size gordon setter — not overbred, very smart, loves water, bonds to families/owners — it’s a working dog, but not exactly the skillset/aptitude you are looking for.
Re labs — we had labs when I was growing up in the country. They ran unleashed on my parents’ land and only came in during really really cold winter spells or tornado warnings, AND they hunted, big time, bringing in foxes, skunks, pheasants, rabbits, turkeys, the neighbors’ poultry. A lovely smart dog, requiring a lot of training when young, but I’d be leery about having on a poultry farm.
For loyalty to and protection of children, I doubt any breed would do better than a German Shepherd. They are incredibly devoted dogs. So much so that the Seeing Eye program had to drop the breed because the dogs were not adjusting well to being raised by one person and then given to another for service. They bond *very* strongly. I grew up with them, and my parents never thought twice about sending me out and about on my own with just the dog. Admittedly, it was a less paranoid age where children are concerned.
Don’t know the exact details on how they would do with livestock, but they were clearly bred originally to herd. Exceptionally intelligent, highly trainable, and an eager to please breed they are. I’ve seen a GS trained for wild area rescue that literally worked to herd a group of alpine hikers in order to keep them closer together. Damnedest thing I ever saw. Might be a good match for Eli.
Another dog of Rufus’s breed could also be an extreme honor to him – he was so wonderful that he spoiled you for any other kind of dog
As most of the others have said – I think a Lab or Lab/golden mix might be best for you – considering you want it to be Eli’s dog…
There are great lab rescues around – a really good one in CT. My sister who used to work with Save-a-Dog in MA always recommends your family meeting a dog and any other dogs in your family meeting before bringing home anyone new. Sometimes females can be a little tempermental too…So for the sake of your MistressQ consider setting up a meeting for her and any potentials.
We always had labs and the last one my parents had would let my kids practially take food from her mouth she was that gentle – but let another dog get near my kids – one she didn’t know – forget it – she would get between the other dog and kids and grumble until the other backed down.
Sharon, I agree with what Arthur said. My dog, a German shepherd, came to me at 18 months after flunking out from a guide dog training school because he was too exuberant. He is a total joy. He’s 4 now. I was on a waiting list for three years.
Kate
Just wanted to express my sympathy for the loss of Rufus. He sounded like such a big part of your family.
Greenpa–I have trained several Anat-crosses. They were both lovely, lively dogs. They still need strong leadership and training, but were successful integrated into family life. With your set-up and if you don’t want the dog as a family pet, a pair (or trio) of Anatolians would answer quite well. Pretty much you just turn them loose–they just know how to do the work.
German Shepherds do bond VERY strongly. I personally think one would be perfect for Eli’s situation, but they are rather a handful when they are puppies. German Shepherds typically don’t simply chase livestock. Their problem as a herder is they don’t protect the flock, they MOVE the flock! And they like to keep the flock all together in one little knot.
Kim
Sharon, my big dog is a lab/aussie mix and she is a wonderful dog. Sweet, loyal, smart her only problem is that even at 4 she is a bundle of energy.
Also, I would say don’t give up on a rescue/shelter dog right away. If you can find a rescue group that is really good they might be able to help you find a dog that has been well-treated and trained and is being given up due to some sort of life event (death in the family, illness, etc). I know a couple of people who have gotten really good dogs that way.
Also, a friend of mine had a Pyr, and while I don’t know how they are with stock, that dog was wonderful with her little girl and very protective. She would walk the girl to the bus stop in the morning and wait on her in the afternoon. Whenever they would go anywhere she would get between the girl and any strangers who got too close. She was a very gentle, loving dog.
So sorry for your loss. Our beloved shelter rescued mixed breed was hit by a car last month. Our family understands your family’s loss.
On corgis, my best friend has a wonderful corgi. He’s friendly, loyal, kid tolerant (her granddaughter and my son play dress up with him). On the flip side, as with many pure breed dogs, he has inherited problems. At age 1yr he started dragging his hind quarters. They have had him to the vet many times. All the vet can tell them is that it’s some kind of a congenital defect (somewhat common in that breed I guess) in his hips that causes him lack of control over his hips. It’s not all the time, he still bounces around and loves to chase a frizz bee. Often by night time he’s dragging his backside around, sad to see in any animal let alone such a young one. Our shelter rescued mixed breed (we think she was some mix of doberman, pit bull, shepard, boxer, who knows for sure) was hands down the nicest, well behaved, tolerant, loyal, intelligent dog we’ve ever had. We too have an autistic son, Abby was his best friend, she was completely tolerant of all his twitchy behaviors. We adopted her as a small puppy from the local PAWS. If I ever get over the heartbreak, I would definitely adopt another shelter puppy.
So sorry to hear about Rufus. I fear the day when I find my English Setter Maggie gone; she is 13 and living on borrowed time with tumors and deaf as a post but still enjoying her life. As Mom to my wonderful Corgi Arthur I’ll put in a vote for them. Artie has always been a farm dog and he is a great watchdog, has spent time herding sheep and cows…he is basically fearless..no steer too much for Mr. Bold! Has even killed a copperhead, arrrgh. Corgis looks small but they think they are BIG dogs. He is very protective of his family. Any dog is only as good as the people that train them. I spent alot of time with his as a pup so he would have manners. Second choice would be an Australian Shepard…very popular as farm dogs here in MO. Border Collies tend to herd anything…friend has one that has been hit twice trying to herd cars; they need actual work to keep them busy and happy. Hope you find the perfect dog and your girl finds a new friend. DEE
Sharon,
Sorry about your dog. We got our first family dog last Saturday. My husband got a wild hair and said, “Let’s get one!” We looked at shelters and perused the newspapers until we found a black lab/german shepherd mix. He is five months old and needs lots of training, shots, etc. We unfortunately also have to kennel him because of our proximity to a road.
We lost one of our outdoor cats on Saturday. He was mutilated by a car, which makes me really hate automobiles all the more. We are moving one of the cats inside out of fear for his survival. The remaining outdoor cat will get occasional feedings, but he comes and goes, so we don’t worry about him.
I hope our dog choice is a good one. This dog is great with the kids and walks right by our sides when off leash. I think he’s got the protective instincts of a shepherd along with the hunting abilities of a lab.
The best dog I ever had growing up was a collie/black lab mix. He never left the farm and would guard every sick animal on the property. He knew an animal was sick before we knew! He was a real smartie. My dad felt aweful when he passed on of old age.
Good luck if and when you get another dog.
Sharon, I’m so sorry. Poor kiddos.
Voice of bitter experience here: if you go with a German Shepherd, make sure it’s specifically bred for the jobs you have in mind. We used a truly fantastic breeder, but we figured the smarter the dog the better. We also assumed we could provide enough work for a working dog. The breeder told us all about our dog’s parents and their Schutzhund training, and we ignorantly thought, um, cool. Thousands of dollars later we ended up miserable and the dog ended up so upset she was physically ill. She was with us for one year, and looking back I can’t remember ever crying that much. Mercifully the breeder adored her and worked beautifully with her, so she ended up with a happy home. But it really was a nightmare and we only just got brave enough to try again… with a mutt we rescued from the woods.
Good luck!
Sharon,
I’m sorry about your sudden loss of Rufus. It is quite an adjustment – I know.
My dog is a wonderful purebred Black Lab who we raised and trained from puppyhood. He is great with our kids, and enjoys sleeping in the yard with our chickens on a sunny afternoon. He is very inquistive about the rabbits, but not overly so. He is protective in that he has a very big voice and will alert us if he hears anything that sounds awry. But he’s not so protective that I worry about him hurting people who just happen to startle him, for example. For awhile I also had a very nice rescued Beagle who I loved very much – she was perfect for warming up your lap on a cold winter evening. But — she dug holes in the yard like crazy and I really don’t think I could have ever trusted her with the chickens. I’ve also rescued a big elderly Lab that was homeless due to divorce – he was a great dog too!
I think that you will end up with a good dog no matter what you choose, because so much of a dog’s value comes from what we put into it – training, love, patience, and play. Best wishes to you and your family!
I’m so sorry for your loss, Sharon. My husband’s family (from a rural area) have had a number of golden retrievers and Labs that were great family dogs, big enough to take care of themselves when the raccoons come around but not at all inclined to be aggressive to the kids. You can’t replace a beloved companion, but you can find new ones who will be loved in their own way. Good luck!
I just realized part of my first comment was lost. I am really sorry for your loss, Sharon. I know how awful it is to lose a beloved pet. I hope you all heal soon (including Mistress Quickly).
So sorry to hear about Rufus!
We have a Collie/German Shepherd mix whose attributes are the same as your AWFs. Once he learned his farm boundaries(easily) he has never set foot outside them unaccompanied.
Several neighbors who live a mile or more away have goldens, labs and beagles who are always wandering from home and are prone to chasing chickens and cats. They are friendly dogs but I don’t really want them coming here.
It is sometimes important to know the breed for the characteristics that are important to you in a farm/family dog.
Hi Sharon,
I’m so sorry to hear about Rufus.
Our big collie – rough collie (think ‘Lassie’) would be a great farm dog and a wonderful companion for children.
Our other dog is a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix but she has a VERY VERY strong prey drive and probably couldn’t be trusted around chickens. Otherwise she’d be a good farm dog too. She has no other flaws (if that’s a flaw).
They both HATE it if one of us goes off alone when we’re all out together; they would both probably keep Eli at home if they possibly could.
We got the collie from a collie rescue group near Binghamton. I’m sure that Googling ‘collie rescue’ would find it for you; after almost eight years, I no longer have the address.
We got both our dogs as young adults; it has worked out well. The non-collie came from the local SPCA.
Pat
So sorry about Rufus, it’s so hard to lose the furry family members.
I have Corgis. I think one would be fine as a companion for the children but I would caution you to find a reputable breeder and find out what characteristics they breed for. if you want a herding dog, get a breeder who does herding trials and breeds for this.
If you like I can put you in touch with a breeder in your area. I would recommend a puppy, perhaps around 12 weeks of age, it would be the best way to raise them around the livestock and train them as they grow up.
My girls were raised around chickens and don’t chase them at all. While they both have herding instinct we exercise that with a large beach ball. If we had livestock we’d use them on the livestock easily.
Temperament wise I love the Pembroke Welsh Corgi because they are playful yet love to cuddle and both of mine are talkers.
Sharon, I’m sorry to read of your loss. Working dog or not, they occupy a special place in our hearts and homes.
My last dog was part Australian shepherd and very smart. Our current dog is, we think, part Australian shepherd, cattledog, and probably bull terrier. She’s dumb as a rock and lazy to boot. The only thing going for her is her great personality. She actually is a good guard dog, growling and straining to get out anytime a coyote trots by or a person comes up the drive.
If you get a cattledog, be sure to curb the nipping instinct unless you want the dog to herd your children by biting their heels.
Border collies are great dogs!!!! (We had one growing up that was a border collie/german shephard mix and she was the loveliest, gentlest, most protective dog in the world. Let us hold her puppies as soon as she got them cleaned up, mama’d us, kept us in the yard -even though we were old enough to roam by that time- by “nipping” at our heels, was playfully protective when Dad would “rough us up”, to where Dad knew that if anybody really WAS trying to hurt us, Charlie would protect us admirably. She was a pillow, a confidant, a paper-plate-frizbee-catching-champion. Not overly large for a bunch of growing kids, she was mid-way between German Shephard and Border collie. She was a great dog. Never ONCE attempted to hurt my sisters or I. She died at about 10 years old.
I know it’s hard to hand-pick breed mixes (which, I’m sorry, but pure-breeding dogs isn’t necessarily a great thing, IMO), but if you have a chance to find a dog like this, or some similar mix, that’s what I’d do. And heck, as a rule, Mix-dogs are generally better tempered and have less health problems than pure-bred dogs. I’d head down to the pound and check out the shelter-dogs. (Or, if your shelter has a web-site, keep an eye on the dogs there as something may come in that would suit your family beautifully.)
Hi.
If you want strong, stubborn, smart, loyal, and tough as nails, think about an Australian Cattle Dog. we’ve had two. They are absolutely fearless; as a puppy, our first one tried to take on a life-size statue of a mountain lion, which he took to be the real thing at first glance. The next morning he walked up and barked in its face, once, just to let the stone know who was boss. Great dogs.
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. It’s not easy when one loses a pet.
We have a chow-chow and a beagle, both of whom we love dearly. Our chow, in fact, is an amazing dog, but I think she’s an anomaly to her breed, as chows don’t have a very good reputation, from what I understand. But she’s stout, and can even pull a wagon with a small child. So, she’s a good work dog, and I’m not sure how, but she makes an amazing “farm” dog. She even puts the beagle in his place around the rabbits and chickens. She’s never chased either. She’s also very gentle around the children, but she’ll put herself between me and any strange man who happens on our property, and because of her size, she’s a little intimidating, which is good.
If I had to chose a breed, though, I would never have chosen either of the ones we have. I’d get a pyrenees or a burnese mountain dog, because if the worst happens, one of those two breeds could double as a “draft” animal for small carts, and in the meantime, dogs are acceptable for suburban areas, where I happen to live
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Sorry to hear about Rufus, it is so hard to lose a dog who is so near and dear.
I have to ditto the Australian Shepherd votes. We love ours, and they are excellent around livestock of all types, and are especially good watch dogs and companions.
And Greenpa, our Australians keep the cougars at bay – ours are on the big side of the breed, 65+ but they are smart, loyal and very useful dogs.