The three most common types of livestock that herding dogs work with in the United States are ducks, sheep, and cattle. Other animals that are regularly herded with dogs are chickens, geese, turkeys, and goats. Some talented dogs can herd all of these species. However, many others are a little more specialized, particularly in theContinue reading “A Guide to Herding by Livestock Species”
Tag Archives: Pets
Teaching the Rules of the Hunt
Have you ever stopped to think about the amazing instinct that propels a dog to herd sheep or cattle? The fact is, your furry assistant is a wolf in dog’s clothing. Herding is hunting—without the kill.
Top 10 Reader-Favorite Dog Breeds
Dogs can play all sorts of roles on a small homestead, from herding sheep to guarding goats to controlling vermin to hunting game for the table. You may be curious to know what dog breeds our readers have gravitated to during their research. Here’s the answer. 10. Border Collie The classic sheepdog can be aContinue reading “Top 10 Reader-Favorite Dog Breeds”
Dear Readers and Riders
Have you ever wondered about the true stories behind Marguerite Henry’s books? If so, you may find the answers to your questions in Dear Readers and Riders. In this book, Henry has answered many of the questions that her readers asked her in writing again and again. She has explained the facts, events, and charactersContinue reading “Dear Readers and Riders”
Pygmy
Sweet and spunky, the lovable Pygmy goat endears itself to all who know it.
Shetland Sheepdog
The Shetland Sheepdog dates back to the Viking invasions of the 9th and 10th centuries. The fierce invaders who colonized the Shetland Islands brought with them small herding spitzes to tend their livestock. These dogs were ideally suited to the harsh climate of the islands, being quite hardy. In the 1470s, however, the Shetland IslandsContinue reading “Shetland Sheepdog”
Rottweiler
As invading Roman armies traveled, they tended to leave a trail of abandoned dogs in their wake, no matter where they went. The dogs were large and mastiff-like, but they were kept to herd sheep and cattle to feed the soldiers. As the livestock was eaten up, surplus dogs were left behind. One area thatContinue reading “Rottweiler”
Redbone Coonhound
Foxhounds had a long tradition in Virginia, earning a place on large plantations well before the American Revolution. However, after the war, Americans began moving westward, taking their dogs with them. In the backwoods of the South, they started to run into difficulties—foxhounds were bred to chase foxes across the land to their burrows. ManyContinue reading “Redbone Coonhound”
Pointer
Sometime after 1650, a new kind of dog came into being all across Europe. This dog was the result of mixing various breeds of foxhound, bloodhound, greyhound, and setting spaniel types. Its original purpose was to partner with greyhounds in chasing down hares. The new dog went ahead of the hunters to sniff out theContinue reading “Pointer”
Old English Sheepdog
The Old English Sheepdog, contrary to its name, is not terribly old. A 1771 portrait of the third Duke of Buccleuch by Gainsborough is commonly asserted to contain the first known likeness of the sheepdog. However, the dog in the portrait appears to be of a small breed, leaving us at a loss for aContinue reading “Old English Sheepdog”
