What breed of dog is good for homesteaders?

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What breed of dog is good for homesteaders?

by Mike
(Texas)

We want a good homestead dog. Intruder alarm (two- legged or four). Does one breed stand out above others with your readers for being a good yard dog.
Great site, keep up the good work.

Mike

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What breed of dog is good for homesteaders?

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Good homestead dog
by: Gene

I think the border collie is hard to beat as a homestead dog. As a herding breed they are natural watch dogs and don't roam. They are medium sized high energy dogs that prefer to be outside most of the time but are also friendly and even tempered dogs that are good with children. These are hard working dogs that love nothing more than pleasing their masters. Lastly, they can be easily trained to guard and herd any kind of livestock, including chickens.

Livestock Guard Dog
by: Sue Merriam

Hi Mike!

As far as owning good dogs go, we're a bad example. We have a black lab and two shih-tzus. Labradors have a reputation for killing chickens, but we got our lab as a pup and have managed to train him to stay away from the chickens. We put up an electric wire around the chicken tractors, and after a couple of shocks, our dog learned to stay away.

Then last year, we were given two Shih-Tzu puppies. Unfortunately, they also love chasing and killing chickens, and have proven to be much harder to train, so we certainly can't recommend them as a good homestead dog.

But one breed I have heard of that is good to have on the homestead is the Livestock Guardian Dog, also known as an LGD. These dogs have been used for centuries to protect livestock from predators and are also supposed to be gentle around children.

You can learn more about these dogs here

By the way, thanks for the kind words about my site!

Sue

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