Dogs are normally an important part of any remote farm or ranch. Good working dogs are vital because they provide extra pairs of eyes and ears, outside, many hours a day. When you have any kind of livestock, be it sheep, goats, or chickens, the right dogs can help prevent loss from predators. Over our 10+ years living in a remote home we have had a handful of dogs, each unique, with their own quirks. In this series we’ll be sharing our livestock guarding stories and experiences so that you may benefit in your plans.
Heidi is one of the 3 dogs we presently have on duty here at the ranch. She is half Australian Shepherd and half Great Pyrenees. Everyone looks at her and thinks, oh its a Husky, but its not. This one, Jackie picked out as a puppy and brought home 7 years ago. Every dog has “their” person, and Heidi picked Jackie.
In our area, the dry side of the Cascade mountains, you will find two predators, coyotes and cougars. Coyotes are the primary enemy of our animals and we hear them frequently. Cougars are rarely seen, yet their evidence and tracks are not uncommon. We’ve only seen one cougar, actually my son, not me. Cougar kills are seen every year either at the bottom of the washboard where the steep narrow gully makes it a good place to grab an occasional deer. Otherwise, the cougar/coyote kills are near our home and our scavenging dogs always manage to drag some fresh bones home.
Since we keep free ranging chickens and guineas, every dog must be chicken friendly. Heidi is extremely “chicken friendly” and we never have to worry or suspect her in any incidents. She has that natural herding instinct but lacks any formal training. We don’t let her in the pasture with the Shetland sheep much and she seems more interested in herding Jackie and the people with her. However, there was this one incident …
It was late spring and the chickens were doing their thing, you know, broody hens finding new places to quietly and secretly set on a clutch of eggs. There were several batches of hens and chicks roaming around in various places. This day Jackie was shooing a hen and small chicks back to their designated area. The chicks were only about 3 inches or so tall. While she was moving this group I herd her and the kids shriek loudly, “Heidi! Heidi!”. We looked over and Heidi had a chick in her mouth! She sheepisly put the chick down next to the hen, and gave us a curious look. A look that said, “whats the matter with you?”.
Later when we reviewed what had just happened, and determined that Heidi was not eating the chick, but was herding it with the group of other chicks, since this one was several feet behind the group!! The chick was unharmed since Heidi used her delicate grip.
So chicken herding is not a standard requirement for a good livestock guarding dog, but a bonus with our dog Heidi. There are many other qualities that are helpful and entertaining for your dog. What are these qualities for your dogs? Please share your comments!
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[...] She is the best dog EVER. Over the years she has chased off coyotes, alerted me to rattlesnakes, hearded baby chicks, and even saved my life when a berserk llama attacked [...]