Dog breeds for mini farm

[Budweiser John]

Three Jack Russell Terriers and a Dalmatian on my place so haven't seen a live rodent around here in years.
Best to call ahead if planning to drop by. Dalmatian is a little grumpy.
B. John

 

[GLyford]

When people talk about herding dogs, realize that there are several types of herders, not including the livestock guardian types.

There are the chase and bark types, which would include the Aussies. Possible GSD and Rough Collie too? Believe these would be a sort of "general purpose" herding dog.

There are the heelers, who are used get in close and nip heels. Must have enough drive and independence outright mulish stubbornness to contest will with a one ton animal and win. This would include cattledogs, kelpies, and corgis. Mostly used on cattle, which aren't as susceptible to the head games and need more direct enforcement.

Then there are the "eye" dogs, that work by pressure, eye contact, and psychology. This is the Border Collies, used mostly on sheep which don't do well with the more direct enforcement of a cow dog. Sometimes goats, depending.

Personally, I would not want any sort of biting-type herding dog anywhere near fowl. My cattledog, at 13 with arthritic hips and knees so bad he needed a ramp to make it down three stairs from the deck would STILL spend all day chasing the chickens from one end of the pen to the other through the fence. (He had to run around the adjacent dogpen to do it, and they would move just a couple feet, so it was much harder on him than them...we allowed it because it kept him active and moving.)

Then there is also this: most of these breeds have "working" breed lines, with a lot of drive, a big need for activity, strong independent stubborn self-motivated thinking (read pain-in-the-butt for a house dog), and "pet/show" lines, where they are meant to mostly get along with people and other dogs.

Our "farm/show" bred Aussie is much easier to get along with (and does much better with people) than our straight working lines cattledog ever was.

But he will still manage to get his mouth on any chicken that escapes into the dog yard, he just gives them up when we tell him to.

Lastly, breed characteristics are only half the battle. Individual dog temperament has as much to do with how they behave around people, other dogs, and other animals as any of that. For every laid-back loves-everybody labrador like mine you can find another with a high prey drive that's territorial and an escape artist...but they will probably both be goofy galoots.

A first impression can tell you a lot about a dog, but you won't know completely what they are like until they settle in for a couple of weeks (I have seen shy dogs suddenly blossom into party animals, etc.).

Best advice I can give is once you have your base breed info, meet the individual dogs you want directly, interact and watch them interact with others, and ask lots of questions. The best way to find out what any particular dog is like is face to face, to get the full sum of their character.

 

[rbstern]

Much appreciated on all the input. One thing it made me realize: Prioritize the desired traits.

1) Companionship (dog will live inside).
2) Neatness. OCD wife won't except slobbering and immense shedding.
3) Compatibility with goats and chickens.
4) Guarding, watchfulness.
5) Not a needless barker.

Weimaraners fit #1, #2, #4 and #5 very well, which is why we've had them for years. The new part of the equation is #3.

We're still about 15 months away from this move, so there's a chance we might get a small, companion type dog while we're still in the burbs, and then add an appropriate breed once we've made the move.

 

[nybirdman]

My parents poodle was the smartest dog I was ever around;but the most neurotic.Couldn't be left alone.Another problem with them they need to be cut/sheared regularly.Trainable to do about anything.I read an article in a birddog magazine that a poodle in the dog trial was the best pointer/retriever in the field.

 

[GLyford]

Shedding is going to be based on coat type, not on length, all dogs have about the same number of hairs per square inch. Even a "short" haired labrador has fur over an inch long. Labs blow little bits of coat constantly. I thought Weim's were similar, so if that works for you a lab probably would too. My long coat Akita, with her 4-5" guard hairs and 2-3" undercoat would only shed twice a year (but it was a fight getting the undercoat out of the guard hairs, best done by a groomer) but when she did shed, it was clouds and constellations of fur. Any of your long double coated dogs will be similar, and if the guard coat is not too long for the undercoat, it will come out on its own (Goldens, GSDs, regular Akitas, Malumutes, Rough Collies, ...).

While I am not a fan of paying good money for a fly-by-night designer mixed breed "doodle" dog, the ones I have actually met have been very nice dogs (I just have a problem spending real money to shyster breeders who breed and sell them as hypoallergenic, some are, some aren't). But if it is simply coat management, and not allergies you are after then any of them should do fine.

All the Standard Poodles I have met have been very nice dogs, you could do much worse than one, and you don't have to give it the silly French show cut, the sporting and juvenile cuts are much more practical (basically just a single length clip). I cannot speak to their prey drive, but technically, before the French got ahold of them, they were a German bird retrieving dog (poodle=puddle) so it is something you would need to look into.

I tried to look up the prey drive of portugese water dogs, another non-shedding dog, but got mixed results on a search, which probably means that it varies from dog to dog within the breed?

 

[Egon]

My parents poodle was the smartest dog I was ever around;but the most neurotic.Couldn't be left alone.Another problem with them they need to be cut/sheared regularly.Trainable to do about anything.I read an article in a birddog magazine that a poodle in the dog trial was the best pointer/retriever in the field.

Poodles originated as water dogs.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I never liked the fu-fu haircuts some people have done to their poodles. I stayed with the 'juvenile cuts which I did myself every 2 or 3 months. I suppose there's some methods to the madness of those fancy haircuts, which some do for just about every breed, but I don't see it. Just call me old-fashioned.

We currently have a pair of Rat Terriers. Those are very similar to Jack Russel's, but not nearly so hyper. Rat Terriers breed were developed for guess what? Catching and killing rats. Their record in contests is 2500 per hour! JR's are better at finding underground varmints, but RT's are shy about that either.

RT's come in 3 sizes, toy, medium and standard, with standard being about 25#. Great hunting dogs... Smart dogs though. The toy size are lap dogs whereas the standard is a great hunting companion for coons, squirrel, etc. Not so great at fending off coyotes though. Between the three, RT's, JR's and Poodles, the Poodle will be easiest to train and are fearless.

I've had Pit Bulls, Doberman's, Boxers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Fox Terriers, Manchester Terriers, and Rat Terriers. I'll be happy to share my experience with you on each breed if you wish, but in short, the Poodle was easiest to train and smartest.

 

[forgeblast]

I have a red golden doodle (f1b means a back cross).
Got it at first due to the wifes allergy issues with dogs, but I will only get them from now on.
The dog is amazing with my daughter, they are best friends.
The dog has (when a chicken got into her run) herded a chicken stood on it until I got close enough then let it up has done it a few times my other dogs would have had a chicken dinner.
The house has no dog hair in it, no spring or fall dust balls, no dog mess its awesome.
Barks when needed, but we trained her to ring a bell on the door to go out as a pup to me if you train them to bark to get something you get a barker.
Great great dog, the best dog I have ever owned.
Available Doodle Puppies - Ridley's Red Retrievers is who we got ours from.

 

[wawajake]

An Aussie covers all five boxes of your priorities, and mine is smarter than me , at least that's what my wife says !

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I have a red golden doodle (f1b means a back cross).
Got it at first due to the wifes allergy issues with dogs, but I will only get them from now on.
The dog is amazing with my daughter, they are best friends.
The dog has (when a chicken got into her run) herded a chicken stood on it until I got close enough then let it up has done it a few times my other dogs would have had a chicken dinner.
The house has no dog hair in it, no spring or fall dust balls, no dog mess its awesome.
Barks when needed, but we trained her to ring a bell on the door to go out as a pup to me if you train them to bark to get something you get a barker.
Great great dog, the best dog I have ever owned.
Available Doodle Puppies - Ridley's Red Retrievers is who we got ours from.

I'd like to learn more about that breeder. Can you PM where they are located.
Seems like they have a lot dogs. Did it feel like a puppy mill to you? Were the dogs in a house or "kennel" area?
Thanks.