[Brucklay]

We have 2 border collies - Tess now 16, our first dog is an angel so loving - doesn't bother the pygmy goats, the duck, the hens or the cats. Blue was a re homed dog now 14 and is nuttier than Tess, even though he loves us and we've had him about 10 years he still doesn't like you to hold his collar - with a lead on he's fine but no lead and he's not happy (must be a past memory there). We lost a Collie/Retriever Cally who was a fantastic, friendly and really good natures - very bouncy - to save on dog bed space Allen made bunk beds for the dogs - Tess on the bottom and Cally on the top - she loved it bouncing into her bunk!!! The came Sash, I didn't want a Cally replacement so thought we would offer a rescue GS a home and after inspection etc surprisingly we ended up with a 16 week old pup - Like Little Blue's post we've and times when we've lived in a submarine which is fine if your used to it but it's such a worry with guests - Sasha was fine for 4 years and then one day out of the blue attacked Tess - she was bleeding and crying it was awful - things calmed down but I realised it could happen again and about a week later it did - throwing a bucket of water on Sasha only meant the kitchen floor was slippery and added to the confusion - now maybe i didn't deal with it correctly but now Sasha and Tess never come into contact with each other and at least we know things will be OK. Sasha is great with people - one bark and she's told them she's about, a few sniffs and she lies down - I should have known really as I was determined to do well with her at puppy classes and she hated it - when wee dogs were happily playing she would hide under a seat. As I say I don't know what I did wrong - probably spoilt. So one day if we were ever to get another dog that would be happy with the livestock I would probably go for a collie - Taken a long time to get to that!!

[doganjo]

I have the same problem with my GWP - doesn't like other bitches, fine with the boys and absolutely brilliant with people especially my grandchildren!  She's got worse as she's got older and at 13 I won't change her now.  But I have found a solution whereby she can run with all my other dogs now.  She wears a well fitting, comfortable, cloth muzzle put on as soon as she comes out of her kennel.  Absolutely no problem now, and if she gets a wee bit uppity with one of the others I just need to get a hold of them and reprimand them if they start anything  as Hester can't do any harm so doesn't retaliate.  Life is so much calmer now, Hester doesn't mind her muzzle at all since she can still pick up chicken poo And I can walk her in public without any looks from other people since she is dark coated and the muzzle doesn't really show up unless you are close up to her.   All 5 will be running together again as soon as Freckles is better.

[starcana]

we have an Airedale (always wanted one as my grandparents had one and you don't see that many nowadays) and a Cocker Spaniel which was rescued by my son and passed to us. They are both lovely, Airedale is gorgious temperament, and a great character. CS is greedy, but loving and fun. Neither are good around the chickens though. Score so far is Max the Airedale 2 chickens 0 (they are better fenced in now in a very large plot and he seems to leave the others alone knowing he can't get to them). If you can put up with having to watch an Airedale around stock they are gorgeous dogs. Yes, I know I should be able to chicken-train him but whenever I try to take him in the chicken area on a lead, all the chickens run for cover under the camelias and rhodies so there's no chance to train!

[little blue]

wise chickens?!

[Annie22]

We have a cardigan welsh corgi (the corgi with a tail).  we have found him to be loyal, friendly with other dogs, a good guard dog, excellent herder (sometimes with the children ), obedient, low maintenance.  The only thing it took awhile to get him to stop ankle biting, teaching him to herd the cattle stopped that.

[Castle Farm]

On a Smallholding or farm there is only one dog for the job.

Always alert.
Always ready for work.
Cannot be still for a moment.

[MrsJ]

Lovely Pics Castle Farm, but I wouldnt be without my 3 spaniels.  Okay, so they retrieve the chickens and barked at my orphan lamb but I still wouldnt swap them for the world!

[Jackie]

You know Im sitting here reading all these posts and looking at the pictures and wishing I could have oh so many more breeds than I do.
 Id love a corgi and have wanted one since my best friend at my grandads house was a beautiful little corgi bitch. Grandad lived in the country so animals had to be my friend as there was no other human kids around for miles.

Id love to see how I could work one or two of Annies breed, the Brttanys. They sound a lot of fun (and hard work) but at my age my figure and lungs wouldnt keep up.

Ive always wanted a spaniel or two, simply cos they wiggle their whole back end when they are happy and are so funny. I was very serious about having a spaniel at one time and studiied the breed group and lines etc to find out the problems etc. I still dont know after all that study just why I didnt get one. I supsect it was that I couldnt decide exactly which spaniel to have, although I was offered an american cocker bitch for my daughter to train for the show ring. A friend is a top breeder for these.

Oh and a mastif or two would be great, lollopy and slobbery great things that flop down and fill a room.

Oh and dont airdales look sooo good when they are strutting?

Flat coats and labs are just the best house dogs (along with Goldens of course), as long as there is an endless supply of food and cuddles.

I have promised myself a lap dog breed for many years, a bichon or something like it.

Recently I have been looking at and studying Otterhounds, a rare and interesting breed and am very drawn to owning a small pack, but then sense kicks in and I back off. So far!


Oh so many breeds so liitle time/room.

Thank goodness we have just bought a boarding kennels so I can love the dogs without having to be the 'wierd old lady in the village that has millions of dogs' 

[doganjo]

Id love to see how I could work one or two of Annies breed, the Brttanys. They sound a lot of fun (and hard work) but at my age my figure and lungs wouldnt keep up.

And what makes you think mine do?

They aren't going at 100mph 100% of the time.  Sometimes they sit on my knee, or curl up on teh conservatory settee together.   I couldn't cope otherwise!

[Rosemary]

In my dream world, I'd have a whippet (a silvery grey one), a Cavalier King Charles (one without any medical problems) and a wolfhound, plus our two collies (who would be calm and "normal"). Hey ho, one can dream.

[ballingall]

Collies, every time. Though I do appreciate a Jack Russell for the ratting benefits.


 

[jembo]

It has to be lurchers. They are very easy to stock train, you also have no problems with rabbits around as they go straight in the pot, and the foxes seem to have disappeared???

I have 3 of them so an completely biased, but doubt I would have any other breed now. 

[doganjo]

The problem with lurchers is they aren't a breed, they are mongrels and can't breed true to type - that's why they aren't registered with the KC.  They can be just about anything mixed with anything else so vary quite a lot.  I've never seen the attraction myself till I met Sandy's daughter's one last week.  She is an absolute sweetie, I've been converted

[plumseverywhere]

I'd love a border collie one day - unfortunately we had a dalmatian a few years ago and the experience has put Tony off of dogs for life    I'm sure there's good and bad in all breeds but we certainly picked a classic!!

[xnbacon]

Funnily enough, I was contemplating putting on a reply to say 'whatever you do don't get a dalmatian', but refrained as it was a bit negative and unfair to all those many perfectly well behaved dalmatians that I am sure exist in the world, all of which I have failed to meet!
We have one, and a collie/lurcher (ok, mongrel of dubious breeding but that's the about the closest description) and to be honest they are like chalk and cheese.  Not that the collie is perfect, but he has proved somewhat easier to train and live with!