Best Dog Breed For Farm?

[diamondsmith]

Help! We are getting a pair of puppies this summer to add to the family farm. We put our old wheelers/ borders collie must down last summer and I had to give up my pointer/shepherd/lab mix backbone shelter became she was attacking lambs, and killed all of our chickens and geese. My lil sis is already getting a corgi or corgi/ mini Aussie mix (auggi). I'm not sure what breed I want. I like medium, short haired dogs, no flat noses dogs. I may run cross country so they would also serve as a running partner and we usually go on about 5 mile trail rides about 3 times a week. Thanks very much for your help!!

 

[diamondsmith]

Oh my gawd. Sorry for the stupid spelling flaws. Autocorrect is out to humiliate me.

 

[Honey Maid]

I vote for B/C, or B/C mix. They would have the energy to go on a run with you, and be good around the animals. I was on a 25 mile conditioning ride, years ago, and one of the riders had her B/C along. That dog would run ahead of us, then wait for us, and had plenty of energy after the ride, that dog had a blast.
Maybe a Q/H and a B/C. We had a Q/H years ago, he was great with the chickens, and would lay by the baby chickens and guard them.

 

[diamondsmith]

So, would a border collie become destructive in the winter though? We don't run or ride due to the extreme cold and deep snOw. And I had one a few years ago, she was extremely aggressive and we ended up having to send her back to the breeder. And what's a q/h?

 

[Honey Maid]

Queensland Heeler, now known as Austrailian Cattle Dog. Hmmm, I didnt see that you were in South Dakota. I go out in all kinds of weather where I am, but at the most we get 3 feet of snow, so my dogs are outside, when I am outside, and that is most of the day, rain, sun, sleet or snow. I HATE being in the house!
You may want to nix the B/C then, maybe a Q/H and an Austrailian Shepard? We had an Aussie too, he was a smart dog, let us know when the chickens got out of their pen.

 

[Honey Maid]

I've had a ton of dogs, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, she was also very smart, Q/H, Aussie, GSD, Doberman(my ABSOLUTE favorite breed), and I can hardly wait till I can get another. Mcnab mix(a stray someone dumped on the main road) , rottie mix (a stray my DH brought home from town) , jrt mix (another one found on the road), Great Danes, B/C Q/H mix, pain in the butt mix, but she was a great dog, Crotchity like the QH and smart like the BC, English Mastiff, an English Bulldog. two other nondescript mutts.
We have been very fortunate, all of our dogs get/got along with the goats, chickens and cats, and most of them were 9 months or older when we got them, strays, or rehomes. At one time we had 8 dogs at once, maybe 9, right now we have 5. I can hardly wait till we are down to 3, then I can get my Dobie

Sorry for talking your ear off, good luck in finding the dog to fit!

 

[diamondsmith]

Very informative! Thank you! What about corgis? Which breed is an absolute hell no?

 

[Honey Maid]

I've never had Corgis, but since that are a herding breed, my bet is that they would be fine. Hunting Breeds, for me, are a hell no, from what I've seen and heard from people that have hunting breeds, they take off, follow their noses.... I like breeds that stick around the house.

 

[dldolan]

i love my Border collie/Anatolian Shepard mix. Smart! And you get a great farm dog with the herding and guardian instincts.

He barks at birds of prey that might hover near the chickens, HATES raccoons, got two jackrabbits from the vineyard this week, and lets me know if a coyote comes too close. Good boy!