Tracy Kobberdahl often rises before sunrise to do chores on her South Dakota farm. As she marches from her warm house to her cold barn, her dog, Tom, is often right at her side. Among Tom’s many jobs is helping to move sheep from the barnyard into stalls. When the sheep balk about going forward, Tom steps up, moving the animals gently without spooking them. Following a long tradition of farmers before them, Kobberdahl and Tom work the sheep together in a centuries-old partnership between shepherd and dog.
Kobberdahl, a professional dog trainer and breeder for more than 30 years, spent time preparing Tom for his herding job. That’s a requirement for all farm dogs expected to do specific tasks on a farm. Even dogs meant to be companions on the farm require basic training to keep them from wandering away or getting into mischief, Kobberdahl said. One of the first things she does when she trains a dog for farmwork is obedience training. “If a dog won’t heel, sit, stay, lay down, and come, you’ll never get him to do the work you want,” Kobberdahl said.
Kobberdahl recommends you research what kind of dog you want for the work done on your farm or acreage. Work with a trainer to help your dog develop its skills, then employ your dog. “A farm is a great outlet for a working dog, but it needs to be used,” she said.
Even with good training, some dogs are better suited to specific tasks because of their breeding. Here’s a rundown of some common farm-related tasks and the dog breeds that excel at them.
Herding Dogs
Adrienne Held
These dogs fall into two categories—ones that drive and ones that fetch.
Driving Dogs
These dogs move livestock such as sheep, cows, and even ducks and chickens. Kobberdahl says she uses dogs bred to push for “close-at-hand” chores. “The dog works at my side during the day, doing chores such as moving cattle into a pen and other little things,” she said. For big pasture and range work, when Kobberdahl is on a UTV or horseback, she uses driving dogs to help move animals in open country. These “distance dogs” work large open areas, driving livestock. Driving breeds include Australian cattle dogs, Corgis, and McNabs.
Fetching Dogs
While driving dogs push animals, fetching dogs do just the opposite. They gather up animals and bring the herd or flock to the farmer. Fetching dogs are active, smart, and like to work. “You need to keep dogs like this busy,” Kobberdahl said. When working dogs are underused, they may become destructive in a house simply because they are bored. Fetching dogs include Border Collies, Kelpies, and Australian Shepherds.
Ratters
Ideal for barns and other outbuildings, ratters do just what it sounds like: They find and kill rodents. Tops in this category are terriers, which were bred for this task and have been helping out on farms for centuries. Terriers are a lovable but hardheaded, high-energy breed. Although most are small in stature, they possess big personalities. The best ratting breeds include Jack Russell terriers, Border terriers, and Rat terriers. But most other terriers or terrier mixes also get excited about finding rodents.
Livestock Guardian Dogs
Meredith Operations Corp.
An important asset to a livestock owner is a dog that keeps flocks and herds safe from predators, such as coyotes, cougars, and wild dogs. Guardian dogs are usually large, so their presence deters predators. When pushed to protect their animals, these dogs become aggressive to a threat. Yet they are generally gentle and make excellent companions for humans. Breeds include Great Pyrenees, Maremma sheepdogs, Anatolian Shepherds, Komondors, and Akbash dogs.
Finding a Working Dog
Tracy Kobberdahl, owner of Billabong Border Collies and an American Kennel Club (AKC) judge, works with all kinds of dogs. Here are characteristics she looks for in a working dog.
- Trainability – “A dog needs to be extremely trainable,” Kobberdahl said. She starts with obedience training, then works on specific farmwork skills.
- Work ethic – It sounds simple, but a working dog must like to work. “The dog should love the job he does and ask for more challenges,” she said.
- Home-centric – A working dog can’t wander off or it may put livestock in danger. “It needs to stay home,” Kobberdahl said.
- Brains – Farm dogs need to be smart enough to judge dangerous situations, Kobberdahl said. For example, a dog needs to know when to avoid an angry cow or step in to help.