What kind of farm dog would you recommend?

[Named'em Tamed'em]

We've had heelers for 40 years, always been good with my kids. Some were hard headed though. Females only here.

 

[HOSS]

I have a red heeler and a German shepherd pup. The heeler is the smartest dog I have ever owned no contest. Be prepared for full time energy with a heeler though. They are a challenge as a pup.....nothing is safe. They will chew and bite on everything. Like someone else said they need a job. Mine, if not kept busy, makes a hobby out of collecting the ear tags off of cows. He will grab their ear tag and pull it off. Then he brings the tag into the garage. This GS pup is helping keep him out of trouble since he now has a buddy to occupy him while I'm at work.

 

[dbrews1954]

lot of good reading and info here, going through the same thing, i have a 12 year old rott, i have had 2 of them great dogs, now i bought a farm with some beef cattle, been looking at dogs, would like to try a different breed even though i think the rott could be trained to herd, they are the oldest herding dog there is, they go back to the roman days, but have decided to try a heeler, have not got him yet, but put money dn, hope i did not make a mistake by not going with a rott, well good luck on finding a new farm dog
dave

 

[Kell-inKY]

Our farm came with a Great Pyrenees. Awesome dog, but ancient, we liked him so much that when he passed we got another one. This dog was great around chickens but then ate a donkey foal!, she had to go, did not want her eating a calf when the time came. So since we don't learn our lesson well we went and bought 2 full blooded pups to "raise them right". Put them around our chickens and they did great, then one day they both started killing and nearly wiped out our entire flock. $300 lesson there. I won't own another Pyrenees, plus the long hair is a pain. But I sure did like the old guy, constantly walking the perimeter on guard.

We are left with our mutt from the dog pound of my sons. My vote is a mutt

 

[fenceman]

Anydog will do, as long as its a border collie

 

[TexasBred]

Our farm came with a Great Pyrenees. Awesome dog, but ancient, we liked him so much that when he passed we got another one. This dog was great around chickens but then ate a donkey foal!, she had to go, did not want her eating a calf when the time came. So since we don't learn our lesson well we went and bought 2 full blooded pups to "raise them right". Put them around our chickens and they did great, then one day they both started killing and nearly wiped out our entire flock. $300 lesson there. I won't own another Pyrenees, plus the long hair is a pain. But I sure did like the old guy, constantly walking the perimeter on guard.

We are left with our mutt from the dog pound of my sons. My vote is a mutt

Never have seen one like that. Ours would actually lead the geese from the back yard down to the tank to take a daily swim....then bring htem back....

 

[PBangus]

I have had Pyrenees for about 10 years and would not trade them for the world. Do an awesome job keeping unwanted visitors out or the pasture and the yard. Great with all of my animals, (cows, chickens, cats, goats). Every time I have a calf born They in the pasture they are right there...not too close... But there, and will stay out there until mom feels like it's time to bring the calf up. Awesome dogs.