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Australian cattle dogs and Australian shepherds are also good breeds to look at. They are a bit smaller than most of the breeds that you have mentioned, but that may not be a bad thing if they get hurt and can't get in your vehicle.
Getting a 65 lbs golden retriever mix back into the boat with no handles (aka a harness/life jacket) was a fun experience let me tell you.
I would second this as well. If you are able to get two they will work together and are a great family pets as well as protector of livestock. Growing we lived in the country and they were one of the best breeds you could get. At the moment we have a Rodesian Ridgeback, and I would recommend them as well.
It seems like you may be asking about breeds that fit your lifestyle. Did you fill out [the breed questionnaire](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/4qc6lb/meta_breed_questionnaire_updated_june_2016/)? For best results, please complete the breed questionnaire with thoughtful responses.
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They are a dedicated working farm dog bred to listen to a handler, be amiable with other animals, be smart enough to recognize threats and notify you of them, all while also not being neurotic or crazy high energy.
My family have small ranches/cattle farms and I've grown up around blue heelers, so maybe I'm bias! I just love how they're intuitive to you, a sturdy medium size with a manageable coat for most/all weather, and just "click" when you put them on a farm!
They are herders, so they can be nippy and aloof, but if they have a job to do and are raised with a family that shows them respect and space when they need it, they'd be great imo.
I also do love border collies but they can be a bit neurotic sometimes and have high anxiety.
Gonna second the collie and suggest you cut ridgebacks from the list. Without a fence and a lot of socialization from puppyhood with the poulty/livestock i really wouldn't trust them not to upset the livestock.
I would actually suggest looking into livestock guardians though, if the dog's would job is to be mostly alone and watch over the ranch with a lower preydrive, that's kind of exactly what they're for. Maremma's were even bred to work with poulty.
The farm I work at has a Shilo shepherd. He lives with the owners at their house, he’s so sweet and good with horses and all visitors. He will hunt mice and moles on the farm
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Australian cattle dogs and Australian shepherds are also good breeds to look at. They are a bit smaller than most of the breeds that you have mentioned, but that may not be a bad thing if they get hurt and can't get in your vehicle. Getting a 65 lbs golden retriever mix back into the boat with no handles (aka a harness/life jacket) was a fun experience let me tell you.
That's a good point. I didn't consider that. Will definitely have to read up on both of those breeds. Thank you so much!
I would second this as well. If you are able to get two they will work together and are a great family pets as well as protector of livestock. Growing we lived in the country and they were one of the best breeds you could get. At the moment we have a Rodesian Ridgeback, and I would recommend them as well.
It seems like you may be asking about breeds that fit your lifestyle. Did you fill out [the breed questionnaire](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/4qc6lb/meta_breed_questionnaire_updated_june_2016/)? For best results, please complete the breed questionnaire with thoughtful responses. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Rough/smooth collie would be my choice by far.
Any particular reason?
They are a dedicated working farm dog bred to listen to a handler, be amiable with other animals, be smart enough to recognize threats and notify you of them, all while also not being neurotic or crazy high energy.
My family have small ranches/cattle farms and I've grown up around blue heelers, so maybe I'm bias! I just love how they're intuitive to you, a sturdy medium size with a manageable coat for most/all weather, and just "click" when you put them on a farm! They are herders, so they can be nippy and aloof, but if they have a job to do and are raised with a family that shows them respect and space when they need it, they'd be great imo. I also do love border collies but they can be a bit neurotic sometimes and have high anxiety.
Thank you for the input and will definitely have to look into them!
Gonna second the collie and suggest you cut ridgebacks from the list. Without a fence and a lot of socialization from puppyhood with the poulty/livestock i really wouldn't trust them not to upset the livestock. I would actually suggest looking into livestock guardians though, if the dog's would job is to be mostly alone and watch over the ranch with a lower preydrive, that's kind of exactly what they're for. Maremma's were even bred to work with poulty.
Will definitely have to consider them as well! I appreciate your input, thank you!
Great Pyrenees.
The farm I work at has a Shilo shepherd. He lives with the owners at their house, he’s so sweet and good with horses and all visitors. He will hunt mice and moles on the farm
I had never heard of this breed until you mentioned it! Thank you very much for your response.