[Jacob-list] Guard dogs/ family dogs

[Debbie Bennett]

We had a chocolate lab, a "fetch dog" when we first moved to our  
farm. The Jacob ewes beat him up, and he tried to stay clear of them.  
He brought me chickens if they escaped from the coop, but he never  
hurt them (labs have a soft mouth). He was great with the kids, but  
not a guard dog.
We were given a collie/Aussie mix and she was a great herd dog, but  
she had a tendency to worry the sheep and my Jacobs wouldn't hold  
together as a herd, they'd split into 3 or 4 groups going different  
directions so that one dog couldn't bring them all in. She went to a  
cattle ranch and they love her.
We now have llamas to guard our herd. The sheep will run to the llama  
when he calls out a danger signal. And our Danny Boy not only has  
chased off predators, but also herds the sheep when we are trying to  
round them up!
Debbie Bennett
Feral Fibre Farm
Oakland, Or

On Aug 11, 2005, at 12:22 PM, ARTHUR PARTRIDGE wrote:

> Airedale terriers are great watchdogs, great with kids, and will  
> not hut
> anything that belongs on the farm.  They also do not shed.   
> However, they
> are worthless as sheep herders or drivers.  Our Airedale went in  
> the sheep
> paddock to check out (and play) with a lamb and got pummeled by the  
> mother
> ewe.  He never threatened her and just left very fast.  We have all  
> kinds
> of poultry at our place.  I got a blue heeler/German shepherd mix  
> to help
> me with the sheep.  We have had her for 4 years and she has killed 4
> chickens, 1 duck, and 1 wild rabbit.  But that interest is what  
> makes her
> good at driving sheep.  She now leaves the geese alone, but she is  
> still
> very bloodthirsty when it comes to chickens.  She has to stay in a  
> pen or
> the house for most of the time.  Not a great farm dog and I can't  
> trust her
> alone outside.  Be careful what you get.  I know similar farms that  
> have
> black labs and they do not go after poultry.  A bird-hunting dog  
> (pointer)
> is not a good choice.  That's my 2-cents worth.
> Cathy
>
>
>
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