Roaming hound

[Prismseed]

Broad wish list in a dog but here is what I'm looking for, any breed in particular good for this?


Can be left to run loose in rural area.
Won't be a threat to neighbors/riders going down the road.
Runs off varmints
People friendly and not to hard on the house/furniture.
Good with kids.

[Otter]

Ask here;
http://americanbeagler.huntingboards.com/

[Maura]

It depends, in part, how isolated you are. A hound of any type is going to follow his nose. A smart working type of dog may get into trouble out of boredom.

One choice would be a rough coated collie. Any dog will bark a warning. A collie may run after bikes or horses on the road because of their herding instinct, but there are plenty of collies out there with little or no herding instinct. You can also train your dog to stay away from the road or at least not to chase.

Beauvier des Flanders. Bred for herding cattle, a well bred dog will be gentle with the family, stay near the house, and threaten someone who is a danger to give him a chance to go away. Can be trained for whatever you want, including staying away from the road.

Neither of these dogs are particularly people friendly, like a spaniel. They do like to be with their own family.

Some terriers will work out well, also. Look for companion animals that were bred to stay near their people.

[jen74145]

Your first requirement kinda raises questions. Most folks do not like dogs that aren't theirs on their property... so, if by rural you mean "small rural town, neighbors just down the road" I would seriously reconsider.


Or just search SSS, dog + chickens, or some such phrase.

[Willow101]

The dog you describe is made....not born. You want a dog with high pack drive...moderate territorial drive...low prey drive and very trainable. Then you should dedicate about a year to molding the dog into what you want.

There is no 'good with kids' gene but there are many dogs, when socialized correctly, that will make great kid's pets. What most people do not understand is that dogs go through fear periods where fearful things are remembered much longer than normal. A child stepping on a puppy's toe during a fear period could lead to aggression towards children as an adult...where that same accident outside the fear period will only result in a yelp and nothing lasting. Making sure that a pup has nothing but good and positive experiences with children as a young dog are critical to the dog's future attitude towards children. All activities should be monitored and children should be encouraged to have positive interaction with the pup...such as offering treats and playing gentle games with the pup. Neighbor children should be invited to join in in these activities so the dog learns that children in general are not a threat.

Dogs left alone to get into trouble...usually do. In a perfect world we would love to be able to leave a dog loose to enjoy the outside without doing bad things. Boundary training would be a must do. If you do not prevent the dog from roaming...either by physical means or boundary training...then the entire territory he roams will become his...in his mind. He will protect it...and if that includes the neighbor's yard and the road...then he will chase cars and bikes and joggers. Teach him his limits.

Running off varmits is another area where training is key. The dog needs to know that various neighborhood pets are ok while still identifying those that are not ok. Training will often do this. Introduce to cats, other dogs and various pets and discourage any prey or aggressive behavior.

Car chasing has many root causes...protecting territory, preditory behavior...or just plain bordom. Once started it is hard to break. Prevention is key.

Almost all of the bad or undesirable behaviors that I read about on all the discussion lists are related to just a few things. Unfair expectations of a breed, mismanagement of the dog or lack of management. Dogs are not born aggressive towards children. It is a learned behavior. They aren't born cat killers however some breeds are more inclined because they have very high prey drive...stimulated by movement. When I was selling pups I counseled the buyers before I approved a sale. I told them they needed to devote a year to molding the pup into what they wanted. And if they did that, their odds of getting the dog of their dreams was very high. If they were unwilling to do that they were very likely to get a dog that had all the bad behaviors known in the breed.

Some thoughts on the breed.... I would not recommend a hound of any kind. They lack trainablity and when bored...they will hunt. The sporting breeds are basically very high energy...with some exceptions....with a lot of prey drive. They make great dogs for outdoorsy people but they are going to get in trouble when left alone. No arctic breeds...lacking in trainability and very high prey drive. I would probably suggest looking at the dogs in the herding and working groups....and then looking closely at specific characteristics to see if they fit.

I think the Golden Retriever is a nice dog..or a show bred lab....although both breeds are riddled with genetic problems. The farm collie would be nice but they are hard to find. The show bred collie has way too much coat to be allowed to run free...unless you boundary train. Major grooming for that breed. Grooming should be considered in any breed or mix that you decide on. The livestock guarding breeds have some characteristics that would work.but they lack trainablity (in general) and do wander. Mixes can be perfect but you have to be careful of the mix. Keep in mind that mixes combine the characterisitics of their parents and the inheritance is pretty much a crap shoot. You could get the best of both parents...or the worst.

The most important things to consider.....trainability and your ability to dedicate training time when the dog is under a year old. You can judge trainability by what the breed is supposed to do. Does it work alone or does it take direction from a handler to complete the task the breed is known for. Those who must work alone and make decsisions independant of a handler are generally less trainable than those that work with a handler. People tend to thing the dogs that are less trainable are dumb...but that is a common misconception. They aren't dumb...just not very excited about taking direction.

Good luck in your search...but remember...the dog you are looking for is going to be mostly of your own making. You will take the raw materials and shape it into what you want.

Willow101

[Tillysgirl]

Well I have a thing for Newfoundlands, I have two of them and they are the best dogs we have ever had! My Newfs are very kid friendly and people friendly. They are big but they do not eat a lot of food I can keep my big Newf in a 50 lb bag of dog food for about 2 months, This is getting a half of a coffee can full twice a day. He dose not get food if he is leaving food. My little Newf has been sitting on command from 7 weeks old and now is coming, learning to lay down and she started search and rescue training (she is 10 weeks).

Newfoundlands are highly trainable but are sensitive.

Tillysgirl

[Windy_jem]

Put up a huge fence and get any kind of dog you want to

[beaglady]

Hounds can't be left outside unleashed and unsupervised if you have any hope of them still being there next time you check on them. With proper training, likw Willow 101 describes, an English shepherd or intentional ES/collie cross might meet your criteria.