What dog breed is best for outdoor farm life and livestock guarding?

I recommend a Great Pyrenees or other livestock guardian dog. They learn the farm boundaries and the animals and people in the household and stay around to protect everything. They are gentle and prefer to live outside. They will become protective if one of their ‘family’ is in danger only. Many breeds, as you are aware, are more hunting oriented and will take off and follow a scent or go exploring when they want. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

For purposes of looking after children, the first breed to come to mind is Great Pyrenees. They are flock guardian dogs, are known to be loyal and protective, and are large and robust enough to live outdoors if given proper shelter. As a thick-coated breed, they do require regular brushing and grooming to keep from getting matted. German Shepherd/Alsatians are also excellent family dogs, very loyal and protective and highly intelligent. Bernese Mountain Dogs are loyal, confident and intelligent. Rottweilers are also a good breed as they are very loyal and protective. Some people are put off by their reputation but they are a product of their environment, as is any dog. As long as the children are taught to respect and properly treat a dog, there is no need to worry.

That answer is going to depend more on the individual dog's temperament and socialization- reaching out to breeders in your area is a good idea to see what early socialization they do, if the litters are raised with other animals/dogs, etc. Any puppy, if socialized well enough, should be OK to get along with your current pets. Most active working guardian dogs also spend most of their time with the flock than with other dogs (unless they are also guarding), but the key is to lots and lots of socialization early on so that your guard dog recognizes your pets as "friend".

There is no agreed-upon consensus in the dog world as to which one, single breed is "best" at this - so I'm afraid it's not really possible to give you this kind of answer :) Much also has to do with the particular breeding lines you get your dog from, as well as the way the puppy is raised and trained. A Caucasian shepherd would be a very reasonable breed choice for a guard or protection dog, so if this breed appeals to you, go for it! Depending on your lifestyle and specific needs, you could also consider a Great Pyrenees or German Shepherd. If it's important to you that the dog be a good protection dog, I would also strongly recommend seeking training from a professional in your area to ensure that the dog understands what you want.

The Caucasian Ovcharka has a better temperament and is more affectionate I think. It is also a little more relaxed and should make a better companion. They both are excellent livestock guardian dogs. They both need to be trained and socialized and learn the farm boundaries and who and what they are to guard. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Great question! This is a bit of a tough question in that a number of breeds of dogs who are good guard dogs are also difficult. For example, a German Shepherd. Good guard dogs, but require a lot of training and are not for a first time dog owner. If you don't know how to handle them, they can be aggressive to humans and small animals. They are also high energy dogs. Personally, I would recommend a Golden Retriever. They are absolutely lovely dogs, extremely loyal, very easy to train, excellent with humans and small animals, and if need be, could defend the owner. I had a Golden for 12 years, and she was honestly the best dog I have ever owned. So sweet and caring, but I knew that if I was ever in trouble, she would defend me. Goldens are a large breed dog, and large breed dogs can be intimidating to strangers. My Minnie would bark if someone came to the door and knocked, but otherwise didn't bark much. Sometimes a bark is enough to scare someone off. I would look into getting a Golden Retriever for the reasons I listed above. I hope this helps!

I do not recommend a Rottweiler or Bullmastif for a first time dog owner. These are very strong willed dogs, and are not ones that should ever be owned by someone who has no experience with dogs. A great family friendly dog is a Golden Retriever. While they aren't a guarding breed, you need to know that the typical guarding breeds are not suitable at all for first time owners. They can be aggressive if not trained and handled correctly, and that is not safe at all for your kids. A Golden Retriever is very smart, friendly to the family, but they do bark and can look after a family. I also don't recommend keeping a dog outdoors all the time. Best of luck, I hope this helps.