22 Best Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds For Small Farms Jenny Graham, November 25, 2023November 24, 2023 When it comes to choosing the the best livestock guardian dog breeds, strong protective instincts are the top quality you want to look for. Lets sort through the list of livestock guardian dog breeds so you can choose the best guard dogs for your farm animals. The Best Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds The list is long but lets go! Jump to the most popular livestock guardian dog breeds. Guard Dogs Characteristics In general, most guard dogs will have characteristics in common. They are typically large dogs that will form strong bonds with farm animals. You will find that they are loyal but independent dogs that are very alert and courageous when faced with a perceived threat. Most breeds have a thick double coat making them well suited for most climates. Working Dogs With Farm Animals to Protect These large breed dogs are an excellent choice when you have farm animals to protect. A good working dog can be the best way to protect smaller livestock, such as chickens, rabbits, goats, and sheep. Early and consistent training is extremely important when it comes to the success of these livestock guardian dog breeds. A consistent job is also necessary to keep a livestock guardian dog satisfied. Get to Know the Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds Getting to know the livestock guardian dog breeds will help narrow down your choices. Some have different characteristics that may or may not be right for your small farm or homestead. For example, some guard dogs may be higher energy than others. Choosing the Right Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds for Your Farm Choosing the best livestock guardian dog breeds will depend on your specific needs on your small farm or homestead. What breed is right for how you will keep your guard dogs? Will they free range or will you keep them in an enclosure, like a chicken coop? Taking into consideration their energy levels is important. Figure Out What Your Needs Are Do you have small livestock out on pasture that needs protecting? Determining exactly what you will use your livestock guardian dog for will help you end up with an excellent guard dog. Another factor to consider is time. Do you have the time to provide the necessary basic training for livestock guardians? Or perhaps it’s best to find a working dog that is already trained. Prepare for Your Livestock Guardians Dog’s Needs Like most living creatures, guard dogs need food, shelter, and water. A basic dog house will do, along with lots of clean fresh water. Another requirement is proper fencing for your guard dogs, as many of them love to roam. Be prepared to pull out all the stops when it comes to this. They tend to jump short fences, dig under tall fences, go through barbed wire fences, and are willing to go through an electric fence to chase off a perceived threat. Livestock Guard Dog Basic Training Basic training with your livestock guardians will help them become an excellent guard dog. Getting them aquatinted early on with the livestock you need protected is important, as well as teaching them property boundaries and basic commands. Learn About Different Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds While the list of livestock guardian dog breeds is long, you will find that some are much more popular than others. This will make some livestock guardian dog breeds much more accessible than others. There are even some on this list that are close to extinction. Learn About Each Potential Guard Dog Not only do you need to consider each breed, you also need to consider each individual guard dog. When considering a guard dog, you’ll want to know if it is coming out of working dog stock and if it was able to shadow it’s parents as a working dog. Early exposure, under supervision, to farm animals is very important to the success of livestock guardians. Introduce the Guard Dogs to Your Livestock After you have confirmed the temperament and upbringing of your guardian dog puppy, you’ll want to introduce it to your livestock. Never allow your new guardian dog to be unsupervised with your livestock until you are sure they will not consider them prey. The Most Popular Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds Lets start of by covering the most popular livestock guardian dog breeds. These lgd breeds will be easier to find, giving you access to more livestock guardians to choose from. Great Pyrenees Great Pyrenees are often known as the gentle giant, especially with the flock or family they are guarding. They are usually good with children and are loyal companion dogs. Great Pyrenees have a strong protective instinct and are courageous in the face of potential threats but are not aggressive without reason. This makes the Great Pyrenees an excellent choice as livestock guardians. Anatolian Shepherd Dog These livestock guardians are intelligent and have an independent streak. Early socialization and consistent training are a must so they develop into well behaved, obedient guardians. Anatolian Shepherds tend to be higher energy and are territorial dogs, which is why they are excellent in protecting livestock out on larger pastures. Maremma Sheepdog Maremma Sheepdogs are known for their gentle nature, making them great family dogs on a farm. They are loyal, calm, and patient. However, they also have a strong protective instinct, especially when it comes to their livestock. They are intelligent and quick to learn but just like any of the other livestock guardian dog breeds, they need early and consistent training. Border Collie Border collies are known to be extremely intelligent dogs, with very high energy and exceptional livestock herding skills. While they may not be one of the typical livestock guardian dog breeds used for farm animal protection, they are a great choice for a working dog. They do require a high energy job and training. Akbash Dogs Akbash dogs are intelligent and independent thinkers. They have a slightly more independent streak compared to some other popular livestock guardian dog breeds. Akbash dogs have a strong protective instinct, controlling potential threats to their flock or family. Akbash dogs are hardy, making them adaptable to various climates and terrains. Kangal Dog Kangals are known for their calm nature. Just like many other livestock guardian dog breeds, they are loyal, independent, and protective, especially when it comes to guarding their flock or family. Kangals are often used to deter bigger predators, such as wolves, mountain lions, and bears, from approaching livestock. Rhodesian Ridgeback While not traditionally not of the livestock guardian dog breeds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks can exhibit protective instincts toward their families and territiory. They are alert dogs and make excellent watchdogs. Due to their hunting background, they may have a strong prey drive so consistent training is a must. Mastiff Breeds Mastiffs are known for incredible size and calmness. They are loyal, affectionate, and patient, especially with the livestock they are guarding. Mastiff breeds are natural guardians. Their size alone can be a deterrent to potential threats. There are different Mastiff breeds such as: Spanish Mastiff Tibetan Mastiff Pyrenean Mastiff Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds You May Not Have Heard Of While many people are familiar with the more popular breeds of guard dogs, there are many other livestock guardian dog breeds worth mentioning. These rare breed dogs are not as common and may be harder to find, especially in the United States. Bernese Mountain Dog (Berner) Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Armenian Gampr Polish Tatra Sheepdog Bucovina Shepherd Portuguese Cattle Dog Rafeiro Do Alentejo Slovak Cuvac Komondor Kuvasz Kuchi Sarabi Dog Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds at Risk of Extinction Several traditional livestock guardian dog breeds face challenges that put them at risk of extinction or decline in population. These livestock guardian dog breeds have seen a decline because of changes in agriculture that have resulted in a reduced need for traditional livestock guardian dogs. Karakachan Tornjak Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka) Central Asian Shepherd Similarities Between Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds As you can see, many livestock guardian dog breeds have similar characteristics. Most are large dogs, often with a white coat, and strong protective instincts. Many of these independent, working dogs form strong bonds with the small livestock they protect. Deciding Between Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds Deciding between these protective breeds will largely depend on what you need in a farm dog and their availability in your area. Do you need a guard dog that is willing to lounge around with your livestock that is cooped up on your homestead or do you need one of the lgd breeds that is higher energy that can cover a large pasture area? Either way, early consistent training is key. Basic Training of Livestock Guardians It all starts with their parents. Do they come from a working line of dogs? Were they exposed as young pups to working with small livestock and chickens? Early and supervised training, so no bad habits form, early on is the key to having a successful livestock guardian dog. Proper bonding with the livestock that they are intended to protect is important. About Their Environment All of these livestock guardian dog breeds are bred to withstand the elements. They are hardy dogs and have thick, water resistant coats. They keep very well being outside 100% of the time. Please know that most of them a diggers. They will dig huge holes to hide in. You can expect wherever they are kept to be full of holes. Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds are all Intelligent Dogs They are smart enough to pick up on when something isn’t right or when danger is lurking. Always pay attention to the clues these intelligent dogs will give you. Livestock Guardians on Our Farm For the last five years we have kept two livestock guardians on our 10 acre farm. They are a mix of Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd. We got them both as puppies and even though they came from the same farm, same litter, and got the same training, they have different personalities and have to be kept and cared for differently. Our Farm Dogs and What Farm Animals They Protect On our farm, we use our livestock guardian dogs to protect our egg laying hens, meat chickens out on pasture, sheep, cows, and pigs. Olive is our gentle giant who favors the Great Pyrenees genes more than her litter mate. She has a longer coat that requires brushing. Olive tends to be a lower energy dog and is happy living in our, VERY large, chicken coop amongst the chickens. Pepper is our high energy farm dog who favors the traits of an Anatolian Shepherd more than the Great Pyrenees she is mixed with. She is a harder keeper, in the respect that she LOVES to roam and chase off predators. She is excellent at knowing when they are lurking in the woods. Pepper does not hesitate to flush a coyote out of the woods and will stop at nothing in order to do so. While we find value in her, our neighbors are not so thrilled about her roaming. How We Keep Our Livestock Guardian Dogs Contained Over the years we have tried many different methods. They all work until they don’t. The truth is, when a livestock guardian dog wants to get out, they will. There have been times when we have kept our guard dogs with our sheep and rotationally grazed them around the pastures, times when they have been pinned up with chickens or sheep, and times when they have been kept on 100 foot cable runs in the pasture with meat chickens. We found that letting them free range our property wasn’t possible because they just wouldn’t stay, even with electric fence. When they feel the need to chase off a predator, that is exactly what they will do. Our Livestock Guardians & Barking Over the years I have learned to listen to when my dogs are barking. I have found that it is very rare that they just bark for no good reason. The continuous intense barking of a livestock guardian dog means that there is a predator lurking somewhere. Farm Dog Personality Raising a farm dog from a puppy is one way to help ensure that they have a sweet personality. While both of my livestock guardian dogs have their jobs and are doing that 100% of the time, at the end of the day my kids and I still raised them and love on them often. FAQs What Breed of Dog Protects Livestock? The most popular livestock guardian dog breeds are Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Maremma Sheepdog. What is the Longest Living Livestock Guardian Dog? The lifespan of livestock guardian dogs can vary based on several factors such as genetics, overall health care, diet, and living conditions. Overall, large breeds tend to have shorter lifespans compared to smaller breeds. Livestock guardian dogs will often live for 8-12 years. How Much Does a Lgd Dog Cost? If you are buying a lgd puppy from a reputable breeder you can expect to pay at least $500. Where as a fully grown Lgd can cost up to $1500. In conclusion There are many different choices you have when considering a livestock guardian dog for your small farm or homestead. Considering what type of protection your farm needs is important. Not only is choosing the right breed important but also choosing the right breeder. The success of your livestock guardian dog will largely depend on this and training. Researching the correct training methods will help guide you in making a plan for training your Lgd. It is also wise to find a mentor that has extensive knowledge in livestock guardian dogs. They can be a valuable resource and help with questions along the way. Reputable breeders can often be the person for the job. Also be sure you are 100% ready with your training plan, a dog house, and proper fencing before you bring a livestock guardian dog, or any farm animal, onto your homestead. On my farm livestock guardian dogs have been the hardest keeper out of all the animals we’ve had. Are they worth it? Why yes, I do believe that they are. They have provided consistent protection from predators over the years. You may also enjoy reading, How to Process Chickens: Home Butchering Guide for Beginners Happy Homesteading & Good Luck With Choosing an Lgd, Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm Jenny and her family have been homesteading for over 20 years. They are currently farming on their 10 acre Florida farm, that they built from the ground up, 8 years ago, growing 100% of their meat and a lot of their vegetables. From their small herd of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, Pastured Poultry, Sheep, and seasonal pigs, they are able to raise enough meat for the family while selling extra to the community. All the while, striving to butcher at home, as much as possible, and use the bits and pieces of their harvest by preserving food, making bone broth, and (Jenny’s favorite) tanning all kinds of hides! Homesteading Livestock