Dogs are beneficial on a homestead for several reasons. They provide companionship to their owners and animals, in addition to being great guardians and protectors. Having 1 or 2 dogs per 5 acres is ideal when taking care of livestock on a homestead.
What are the main uses of dogs on a Homestead?
Companionship
Dog truly is man’s best friend and having a buddy to walk around the property or hang out with you in the garden is always a plus. Having a dog on the homestead can help keep you company on cold days as well as provide entertainment if you like to watch them play.
Hunter
Certain dog breeds have natural prey drive and are excellent hunters. They can hunt small animals like mice, and raccoons and can even hunt large animals like boars and deer depending on their training. On a homestead, a dog used for hunting can provide peace of mind for any stored grain in your shed, and a great way to provide meat for your family.
Guardian and Protector of the home
Dogs are great protectors of the home and can deter humans, coyotes, large cats and other pesky critters from getting close to your house. Having a dog that will bark when someone approaches the house is a great benefit. Someone approaching your front door that you were not expecting will hear the dog or even see the dog and may think twice about coming any closer.
Livestock guardian
One of the prime uses of having a dog on a homestead is to protect the livestock. There is a whole section of the internet dedicated to Livestock Guardian Dogs or LGD. These dogs will bond with the animals they are charged to protect and will dedicate their lives to protecting these animals.
However, don’t let them be too friendly with too many people as they need to protect your livestock from people that may try to take them. In addition, these dogs tend to get aggressive if not given any work to do.
This video is fairly long, but describes livestock guardian dogs very well.
Herder
Another great use for dogs on a homestead is to have them herd your animals. There are great breeds that are specially trained for herding animals and make quick work of moving them from one pasture to another. However, these animals are similar to the LGD and may misbehave if not given a task to do.
What breeds of dogs are best for a homestead?
Australian Cattle Dog or Heeler
Great dog for herding cattle as their name suggests. Heelers are named so because they may bite the heels of the cattle they are herding.
These dogs need a job and like to have a lot of space to run. If not given a job, they may misbehave with barking, biting, or digging. They take their work seriously and can be aggressive with their work. They do well if you have tougher animals like pigs or cattle that need working.
Australian Shepherd
A very smart breed that need a strong leader to train them. They make excellent guardians and herders for all livestock. Australian Shepherds have a “look” called the Aussie stare that they use to intimidate their animals. They may be standoffish with strangers due to their attachment to their owners.
Border Collie
Known as the Einstein of canines. Primarily used for herding smaller animals like goats and sheep due to their gentler nature than a cattle dog. These dogs will follow any command they are trained to and more. They may even begin herding your kids and friends if you’re not careful.
German Shepherd
Guardian dogs to a fault. German Shepherds are known for their police work and other protector like qualities. They also have been used for herding animals as “shepherd” says. They are kind, intelligent dogs that excel in patrolling their space.
German Shorthair Pointer
German Shorthair Pointers are known for their intelligence with hunting. Especially birds. They have strong noses and big floppy ears to help them excel with tracking down animals. These dogs are very smart and love big fields to run in.
Great Pyrenees
The most common livestock guardian is the Great Pyrenees. These dogs are excellent for cold climates as they have a double coat to protect them from the freezing temperatures. These dogs are stellar guard dogs and can be very aggressive. However, they are very sweet and protective of their owners and likely to be giant lap dogs when off the clock.
Labradors
Great companions that have been used as retrievers in water. Not particularly aggressive unless trained to be so and not the best for large livestock as they typically do not bond with their livestock. These dogs are great for hunting and are easily trained.
Should I get a puppy or a grown dog for my homestead?
When selecting a dog to get for your homestead, take into consideration the time you have, to train a puppy, versus getting a trained adult dog. Purchasing an 8-week-old puppy will allow the dog to bond with the owner and be trained exactly how you wish. However, training will take months and the dog will not be ready to work when you bring them home. If taking home an older dog, remember the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Older dogs will come with history, and they may not have the history you want. There are facilities that train dogs to adulthood to provide the service you want but they are more expensive to purchase.
In short, a puppy will need to be trained, and an adult dog comes with more risk.
Adopting a dog or buying from a breeder
While adopting is a wonderful act, and how we got Apollo our Australian Cattle Dog, there is some risk. You do not know the training or background those dogs received. We are very fortunate that Apollo had some previous training, however he is not perfect.
For specific training purposes, buying from a reputable breeder like how we got Athena, our German Shorthair Pointer, will guarantee you are getting the dog you want for the purpose you want. We picked Athena for her athleticism and her intelligence. She is very smart and a great runner. In addition, since she is a puppy, we are able to give her commands that we want her to follow that an older dog has not been trained for.
Buying a dog can also be beneficial if their lineage has herding or livestock guarding in it. A dog literally bred to do one thing will be good at it. However, there are dogs that are just not cut out for the job, no matter the lineage, or training. Be mindful that dogs are animals, and may act as such.
Vaccinations for Dogs
*Please seek out a local veterinarian for your dogs needs*
These are the most common vaccinations given to dogs throughout their life.
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
- Canine distemper
- Canine hepatitis
- Canine parainfluenza
- Coronavirus
- Heart worm
- Kennel cough
- Leptospirosis
- Lyme disease
- Parvovirus
- Rabies
Visit the American Kennel Club’s page about puppy shots here https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/puppy-shots-complete-guide/
What kind of housing does a dog need on a homestead?
Based on the breed of the dog, an outdoor shelter, or indoor space will work for their housing. Often, dogs will stay with their livestock and sleep in a covered space protected from the elements. Certain breeds have “double coats” protecting them from extreme cold and hot weather.
For a dog that is more of a companion to the family, they may sleep indoors with you, or have a separate space outside to sleep. Be sure that the dog has food, water, and a dry place to sleep if they are staying outside.
More importantly, dogs on a homestead need to have a good fence to keep them on your property. Dogs that protect their livestock will push predators out of your area. These dogs will test their fences to make sure that no predators will harm their animals. You can check out our guide to fencing here.
What kind of training does a homestead dog need?
Training a dog for your homestead is determinate based on what you need the dog for. However, obedience training should be learned by all dogs.
Training should be a communication between owner and dog, use positive reinforcement like praise or teats. Training should almost feel like play. You may alkso keep young dogs that need training with older dogs that have already been trained. The young dogs learn from the old in their own way.
For example, if a dog is barking excessively, go and see what your dog is concerned about, tell them “enough” or “leave it” whatever command you prefer and your dog will see you have seen their concern and you respect their alertness to it. Experts say that training with “no,” treats, and praise are some of the best ways to have a dog listen to you. Discipline outside of the word “no” is frowned upon.
How to Train your Dog for Obedience
Start with exercise. If the dog is hyper, they will have a hard time listening.
Minimize distractions in the beginning. If the dog is distracted it will have a hard time focusing on what you are trying to work on, as the dog learns in quiet environments, upgrade to more distracting environments to make sure your dog has your full attention.
Make it fun. If training for a “stop” command, have fun with using toys but have the dog “stop” when you need them to leave the toy alone. This can be crucial with poultry training as small birds make for fun toys to most pups.
Listen to your dog’s reward system, figure out what reward your dog wants, food, play, cuddles, praise, etc.
Lastly, take a break. If you begin to get frustrated in your training take a break. Dogs are very intuitive and can see your frustration. Be patient. And be consistent.
Training can take months, so be sure that you are receptive to how your dog is doing. Some commands will be learned faster than others.
Common Commands
- Look at me – great for beginning of training
- Sit – important for stay command, easier one to teach and is a great ground word.
- Stay – incredibly important for safety, for the dog, and others.
- Come – very important as the dog may be doing something to danger themselves. If the dog hears “come” they will drop what they are doing and come directly to you.
- Leave it – if your dog has gone after a chicken and you say leave it, you want the dog to leave it and not kill your chicken.
- Off, or Down– good for jumping dogs and hunting. If the dog attacks the prey and you need them off, this well help get the dog off the animal.
- Stand, or Up – good for tricks and play
- Shake – great for rewarding your dogs. Think of a high five with a human
- Speak – great for warding off other humans or predators that you don’t want your dog close to.
Advanced Commands
- Barking – bark at animals, humans, or other dogs to help herd animals or deter predators
- Roaming and boundary training – if using an animal to herd specifically you can use electric fencing or certain collars to make sure the dogs know their perimeter and do not exceed it.
- Food guarding – some dogs may be aggressive about others approaching their food, or what they think is their food. This can be seen with livestock guard dogs, they think a new born animal is theirs and they will guard it form the mother.
If you are worried about dogs going after your chickens, check out this post from For the Love of Livestock for a step by step guide. https://www.forloveoflivestock.com/blog/training-livestock-guardian-dogs-to-chickens-a-step-by-step-guide
How many dogs should I have on my homestead?
For every two acres or less, one well trained dog is necessary for a homestead. However, dogs do well with a buddy to play with, therefore, two dogs are recommended.
Properties that are larger than 5 acres, or that have several pastures of animals may require one dog per herd of animals.
Are there any negatives to dogs on a homestead?
While dogs are very beneficial to a homestead, there are some negatives to take into consideration.
Dogs can be aggressive towards humans because they need to be aggressive with big livestock. They also need work and space to thrive. If they do not have the work or space, they may misbehave. Misbehaving can appear in many forms, digging, barking, biting, etc. By digging up your garden, the dog may cause several weeks of investment to go to waste.
Other negatives may include training and food. Training takes a lot of time and effort, as well as patience. Homestead dogs may also be expensive to feed, as they are large and can eat a lot. In addition, they may try to eat your livestock if not properly trained.
Overall, you should have a dog for your homestead if it will benefit you by protecting your home, animals, or by providing you companionship. They are great animals that will always greet you with a smile and a wagging tail, or nub in Apollo’s case.
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