Interactive lesson

A dog and a cat for the homestead, step by step

Interactive lesson: job first, then breed — livestock guardian, yard dog, herding dog and cats, how many animals, choosing a puppy, children, costs and paperwork.

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The whole lesson as text

1. Job first

Before you look at a single advert, write down what your homestead is really missing.

Write down what's missing — Wolves or coyotes, foxes, loose dogs, mice in the feed store or strangers at night. That decides which dog or cat you need.
Livestock guardian — Lives with the flock day and night. It doesn't drive the stock, it protects it: patrols the boundary, barks and stands between the flock and the predator.
Yard dog and herding dog — A yard dog barks when a stranger arrives and doesn't need to attack. A herding dog gathers the flock and chases only on command, and it needs work every day.
Rodents — A cat keeps mice away from the feed store, barn and loft. A terrier catches rats, but often kills a chick too if it isn't trained.

Why: A well-chosen dog and two healthy cats save you fencing, poison, worry and money. The wrong dog chases hens, kills lambs and barks all night. So the choice starts with the job, not with the cutest puppy.

One dog rarely does two jobs well. Decide what the main job is, and treat side jobs as a bonus.
For a backyard plot with hens, the best choice is often one calm medium-sized dog and two neutered cats.

2. Breeds for your area

Guardian breeds have been bred for centuries to live with sheep and goats.

Great Pyrenees — A large white guardian from the Pyrenees, calm by day and alert at night, the most common guardian in the US and Canada. 65–80 cm and 40–55 kg (90–120 lb).
Maremma and Anatolian — The Maremma is a white Italian guardian, quick to react and independent. The Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal are very powerful Turkish guardians for experienced owners and large predators.
They mature late — All these breeds mature late, at 2–3 years, and don't obey like a German Shepherd. They need an experienced, patient owner.
Herder, crossbreed, cat — A working-line Border Collie is the herding dog for an active owner. A medium-sized crossbreed suits the yard and the family, and a domestic shorthair cat suits every homestead.

Why: The Great Pyrenees, Maremma and Anatolian Shepherd are large livestock guardian dogs, widely used in North America against coyotes and also found in the UK and Ireland. Breed alone doesn't make a guardian: the dog has to grow up with the stock.

Old shepherds chose by the mother: a bitch that lies among the sheep and is calm with the lambs gives pups that carry this in them.
Heights and weights are rough; exact figures are in the breed standard.