I'm getting ready to get some chickens (once I get the coop finished) and I need a decent guard dog.  I already have a dog, an Antolian Shepard.  While she's great for cars and people coming down the road and letting me know they're there, she's leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to varmints.



For example, a couple weeks ago, I got up around 6 am and saw a coyote about 50 yards from the house.  My dog just sat there and looked at it while I went and got my AR to shoot it (missed it, dang it!).  Another time, about a year and half ago, I looked out the window and a fox was walking/jogging just past my front porch, while my dog just sat there and looked at it again.  It's great that she doesn't do this for deer and turkey - which we see far more of - but I need something that will protect the chickens.



I also have four shop cats, so the dog will have to live with them as well as the chickens, so there are two limitations or necessities.



What do you guys recommend?



Thanks,

English mastiff. The original guard dog.

I don't see anything wrong with the breed that you have, maybe she just needs some training on understanding what things have a standing 'git em' command.

I've got cow dogs (Border Collies) that love to chase things, and they will bark at things they see in the fields around the house (deer, too, but the deer don't seem to care).  But they won't launch unless I come out and say git em (which is what I prefer).  They never catch the coyotes, but they're not afraid.  Hell, they're not afraid of a 2000+ pound bull.

Instead of running for the AR next time (and I miss em, too), get her excited about that evil thing out there and understanding it's a threat.  Run out there with her and chase it off together.  She'll learn, I betcha.

I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback. She's great at being a guard dog. The wife's little ankle biters bark at everything. When the ridgeback barks or growls I know I should probably take a look.

Great Pyrenees

We have had 2 Akita's, great guard dogs.

Ladner blackmouth cur.  Best friend or worst enemy period.

This. Great on a Ranch.

if your wanting them to fend off yotes you need more than 1, a yote will lure your 1 "guard dog" away and then they will ambush him. if your wanting a dog that is going to get up and do something against a yote get 3 of a breed that will be able to fend for each other when they get surrounded

Cane Corso or a few. Roman estate guard dogs....back in the day.

Mine has only barked once in 2 years and it was at a very weird guy who was later banned from the premises we were on (vineyard). Very very creepy vibe.

This, raised alongside the stock you want to protect.

Rotterman;  Purebred Doberman / Purebred Rotty mix, temperament of the Rott with the speed and agility of the Dobermans. I got one that's 10 months old, weighs 80 pounds, she's a badass!

More for a warning system rather than active defense for yotes.  



 

Get a Blackmouth Cur or Catahoula.  Mine rip the ass out of anything they can catch.

Turkish LGDs or Great Pyrenes or a cross between them.  The Turkish LGDs are great livestock and protection dogs be it Anatolian Shepherd (a catch-all for all the local breeds) Kangal, Guregh/Boz, Akbash, etc.  They get the job done with a graduated threat response so are less likely to go overboard on someone unless they truly are a threat that doesn't retreat.

I saw to of these guarding a flock of sheep in SW Virginia once.  They were both about 180 degrees apart, and facing outwards.  I slowed down to watch them- the dogs were alert, and constantly slowly moving. Mostly watching outward, but sometimes looking in to see what the sheep were doing.

Awesome ranch dog in every way. I grew up with aus shepherds but the gp loves to work and live in the field. The work great in pairs and will decimate brave yotes trying at a calf.

Great breed

I disagree.  My experiences with them have been negative, because people just think they come programmed to work.  Neighbor mile down the road with goats had a bunch of them and all they did was roam.  Come on my place and challenge me in my own fields, chase my calves, run the deer around.  Regulated the sons a bitches on the spot.

Unless people put some time in training, they're just food--crap converters.  You don't get something from nothing.

This is the correct answer.   They do pretty well guarding.   But the ones I have seen haven't been very social with people - not hostile, but just not friendly, probably b/c they are work dogs.

De-barked Chihuahua

This.  Had one as a kid.  She was 185 lbs.

Great family dog...but will absolutely keep trouble away.

One of our dogs is half Old English sheep dog and the other half is Akbash and retriever or something.  He looks like an Old English sheep dog but with longer legs. Is about 30 inches tall at his shoulders and weighs close to 100 lbs.  Very protective of our property (about an acre) when other dogs show up. Watched him bulldoze a Saint Bernard right out of the yard one time. Didn't bite it but that dog wanted nothing to do with ours.  Have seen him bite another dog but only as a last resort to get it to leave.  

When the neighbor's had a yellow lab, that dog quickly learned that as long as it stayed out of our yard, it was fine. Step from the street onto our lawn and he was getting chased home in a heartbeat.

Loves our cats and the neighbors cats. Shares a yard with our chickens and a barn with 100+ rabbits with no issues at all.  When he sees another dog in the area he will actually herd the chickens away from that dog. Good with people but scares them at first because of his deep bark and how big he is.  Once introduced, he does just fine with them.

Only complaints are he will bark at other dogs a long ways off and when the alfalfa field next door is cut and the coyotes are there at night, he barks all night long.  Have never had a dog, coyote or other critter get into the yard or barn while we have had him.

I think the sheep dog and akbash mix make a good combination but have no clue where to find such a dog.  We got ours from my wife's sister's dog rescue group when he was about 4 months old.

2nd

Not a typical guard dog but my chocolate lab is always barking at coyotes letting me know they are around and recently a little gray fox I found is living in my woods.  And he usually comes home dragging something dead animal.

My buddy has a goose and it is a hell of a guard "dog".

Best farm guard dog there is imo. I've had them on my place for about 20 years now and Coyotes and foxes,coons etc. stay the hell out. The few that have been dumb enough to to try for a chicken dinner didn't fare well at all.

I have a male and female right now and nothing gets past them.

Say Hello! to Bonnie and Clyde:







According to the previous owner, they are half full-Lab and half full-Great Pyreness.  Clyde is gonna be a big dog!!!



 

Giant Schnauzer. 96 pounds of loyal 6 ft fence jumping guardian. Of course I'm biased though.

FPNI.

Or a bull mastiff. Mine is constantly alert and wnt let anything or anyone near his fence.

A couple more pics:

Congratulations! Train them right and they'll be one of the best decisions you've ever made.

Already started!



See those flowerbeds?  We just put those in a couple weeks ago.  They've almost ruined one plant, so now they are banned from being in the rock; the railroad ties are ok, but not the rock.  They're learning what "no" means.   Only been two days and they are less than 8 weeks old.



Thanks!