Which breed of dog

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phideaux

Old fashioned
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Location
West Ky
Here's the story...
Wife and I live alone in the boondocks, on a small 25 acre farm.

My house is 1/4 mile off the highway. We are prepped .

We have had many different breeds of dogs over the years.

Most were great dogs, but almost every one of them dug craters in my yard, which is a hillside, which runs gulley's .

I want a dog that will love the freedom of the farm, sleep on the front porch, a great outside companion, hangout with me in the garage and shop.
Play well with the kids, be standoffish to strangers. Alert me if anybody comes up to the house.

But , will not dig holes big enough to bury a Volkswagen , which takes months to repair . Haul dirt , seed , fertilize, straw. Just too hard to do anymore.

Am I asking the impossible?

We have had Aussies, Great Pyrenes, German Shepherd, Malemute, Hounds, Terriers.
Beagles, and probably missing a few.

Opinions.

Jim
 
Am I asking the impossible?

Maybe. Most dogs have a propensity to dig holes. If it's strictly an outside dog even more so IMO.

My vote would be Malinois, but I'm kinda kooky like that, lol. :D
 
I am all about the Rottweilers. We have had many over the years and none of them were diggers. We did have a couple eat slats out of fences and chew down trees though. And one chewed the tires off a bicycle. They have all been absolutely loving with children and very protective of them too, but they definitely exceed standoffish with strangers. More like cross this line and suffer the wrath of dog. And not just with strangers, with people who have been invited into the home before. They expect non-residents to be invited in each and every time or they presume they are simply not allowed on the property. They want to be where the people are however. ALL of the time.

I grew up with Black & Yellow Labs and they were all diggers. Ditto that with my bosses Dutch & German Shepards.

My older sister has a HUGE Labradoodle that is about 3 years old now. He has been the most happy go lucky horse size dog. Never digs, never destroys anything, follows her around like she is his Mama, loves her kids, loves anyone she is nice too, and is pretty dang obedient. He is also very quick to get between her and anyone he doesn't know.
 
A lab from a good bloodline can be an excellent companion. Smart too. My buddy down the road had Dusty, he would lay under the car and toss out a handful of tools and tell her he needed a screwdriver, she would pick it out of a handful of tools and give it to him, same with a wrench, pliers etc.

Great with kids, but must be raised around them to an extent so they acclimate to them, didn't dig although if they were in the house to dog would be too.

If you give thought to a Mal, I know a rescue probably not too far from you that is very good at matching a dog to your preference, not all Mals are crazy, LOL. How far from McKenzie TN are you?
 
I am all about the Rottweilers. We have had many over the years and none of them were diggers. We did have a couple eat slats out of fences and chew down trees though. And one chewed the tires off a bicycle. They have all been absolutely loving with children and very protective of them too, but they definitely exceed standoffish with strangers. More like cross this line and suffer the wrath of dog. And not just with strangers, with people who have been invited into the home before. They expect non-residents to be invited in each and every time or they presume they are simply not allowed on the property. They want to be where the people are however. ALL of the time.

I grew up with Black & Yellow Labs and they were all diggers. Ditto that with my bosses Dutch & German Shepards.

My older sister has a HUGE Labradoodle that is about 3 years old now. He has been the most happy go lucky horse size dog. Never digs, never destroys anything, follows her around like she is his Mama, loves her kids, loves anyone she is nice too, and is pretty dang obedient. He is also very quick to get between her and anyone he doesn't know.

Would the Labradoodle be a good outside alert dog?

I don't want an attack dog...just make strangers think he's an attack dog.

Jim
 
A lab from a good bloodline can be an excellent companion. Smart too. My buddy down the road had Dusty, he would lay under the car and toss out a handful of tools and tell her he needed a screwdriver, she would pick it out of a handful of tools and give it to him, same with a wrench, pliers etc.

Great with kids, but must be raised around them to an extent so they acclimate to them, didn't dig although if they were in the house to dog would be too.

If you give thought to a Mal, I know a rescue probably not too far from you that is very good at matching a dog to your preference, not all Mals are crazy, LOL. How far from McKenzie TN are you?

About hour and 15 minutes .
My wife's sister and nephew live in McKenzie.

My friend ,Doc, is looking at Malinois.. he found some at $2k and $10k.

Jim
 
Would the Labradoodle be a good outside alert dog?

Alert yes, guard dog not so much. But that breed would actually be a good fit for what you described above. They will need plenty of room to run and play, and they are super intelligent.
 
Alert yes, guard dog not so much. But that breed would actually be a good fit for what you described above. They will need plenty of room to run and play, and they are super intelligent.

That would describe her dog perfectly. He has a very loud and thundering bark and looks like he could knock down a telephone pole. She said he was supposed to be around 75# but ended up being 105#. They determined it was because she feeds him that high protein no grain dog food.
 
Best dog I ever had was an Australian Shepard. Smart as a whip. Protective, and at the same time was so gentle she didn't chew her own food. Fantastic with kids. I would get another one in a heartbeat.

We kept her inside most of the time, but I never had any issues with her digging.
 
That would describe her dog perfectly. He has a very loud and thundering bark and looks like he could knock down a telephone pole. She said he was supposed to be around 75# but ended up being 105#. They determined it was because she feeds him that high protein no grain dog food.

Who are you referencing?

Jim
 
Who are you referencing?

Jim

Curmudgeons response about the Labradoodle.



According to movies and tv I thought all of you country dwelling Southerners were supposed to have a big old bloodhound on your porch?

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Best dog I ever had was an Australian Shepard. Smart as a whip. Protective, and at the same time was so gentle she didn't chew her own food. Fantastic with kids. I would get another one in a heartbeat.

We kept her inside most of the time, but I never had any issues with her digging.

My Aussie was great at alerting and never did dig.

It herded horse for me perfectly.
It herded the grandkids. It herded everything , it's last herding was a train. I found his body a mile down the tracks.

Maybe consider an Aussie.

Jim
 
Curmudgeons response about the Labradoodle.



According to movies and tv I thought all of you country dwelling Southerners were supposed to have a big old bloodhound on your porch?

View attachment 34696

My neighbor, down the road has bloodhounds . All they do is sleep, eat, poop.

Other neighbors have coondogs.

They don't bark ...just yulp and howl.

Jim
 
I'd stay away from heeler's. Maybe it was by chance but my experience... they are dumber than a box of rocks. The worst one, someone gave my dad one years ago. It would stand in the rain and bark at rain drops splashing in puddles, beyond stupid. Almost daily that dog would do something that'd leave me shaking my head in befuddlement. It eventually got run over on the highway, dumb dog wasn't even smart enough to stay out of the road. o_O
 
We have a "thrift store" mixed Aussie Shepard/stuff. Inside 65 lb "lap dog". He has only dug chasing a mole, but is smarter than I am :p Herded the chickens till I told him no, and knows the alert sounds for the outside cameras. Heaven help you if you knock on the door, he goes nuts. Once you are allowed in, he is good, but exuberant :p
 
We have a "thrift store" mixed Aussie Shepard/stuff. Inside 65 lb "lap dog". He has only dug chasing a mole, but is smarter than I am :p Herded the chickens till I told him no, and knows the alert sounds for the outside cameras. Heaven help you if you knock on the door, he goes nuts. Once you are allowed in, he is good, but exuberant :p

BINGO !!

I forgot to mention ...that's the main reason all my previous D.ogs dug trenches in my yard ....MOLES.

I may be fighting a loosing battle.

Jim

 
My Aussie, and my Great Pyrenees never dug holes.

Great Pyrenees are too busy patrolling the farm to learn anything else.
I had to let him go because he finally was stopping cars down on the hwy from going past the farm entrance.

Jim
 
Get yourself some old glass bottles or new beer bottles, find the tunnels for the moles and place the bottles with only the neck out of the ground at a 30-45 degree angle.

You remember the sound the bottle made when you blew into it? The wind will cause it to make the same sound in the ground. Grandpa did that one year and we never had another mole hill in the yard. He did place them in the flower beds so they were never taken out.
 
and knows the alert sounds for the outside cameras.

LOL, I finally had to turn the sound down on mine, every time they hear it they start the barking routine.
 
Jim I grew up on a ranch and worked in a vet clinic for 6 ish yrs. As mentioned above, there is no breed in particular that doesn't dig. If you want a bit more mellow dog though (aside from training) there is a tip when picking out puppies. Figure out the size and type of dog you want: bird dog, cow dog, guard dog etc. When you go to look at puppies, hold the puppy on its back. If it squirms and wiggles to flip right over, it will be a higher energy dog. The puppy that lays there and looks at you like "I don't know why you're doing this to me, but I don't really feel like trying to flip over" will be more mellow. It's more about temperament but a dog that has to move and wiggle will be more apt to dig, a lazy dog less apt. On the other side of that, if anyone wants a working dog, they probably want the one that flips right over.
Hope that makes sense.
(Or you could be like hubby, the first one we look at "Oh, he's so cute. We'll take him :rolleyes:)
 
Get yourself some old glass bottles or new beer bottles, find the tunnels for the moles and place the bottles with only the neck out of the ground at a 30-45 degree angle.

You remember the sound the bottle made when you blew into it? The wind will cause it to make the same sound in the ground. Grandpa did that one year and we never had another mole hill in the yard. He did place them in the flower beds so they were never taken out.
You know how long I've fought those little buggers! I know they don't like noise, but didn't want windmills all over the yard. Thank you- will give it a whirl.
 
I just can't tolerate digging trenches on my hillside yard.

I'd love to have a companion outside . Wife can't tolerate inside dogs , dander allergies.

I need a good alarm dog .

Jim
Some dog breeds are better for people who have allergies. I think labradoodles are better, but I don't think they are probably good for always being outdoors.

I know many wonderful dog breeds, but it seems that dogs don't live outdoors these days, unlike when I was a child.
 
Some dog breeds are better for people who have allergies. I think labradoodles are better, but I don't think they are probably good for always being outdoors.

I know many wonderful dog breeds, but it seems that dogs don't live outdoors these days, unlike when I was a child.
Our dog does. I like dogs but am allergic- great fun trying to find a motel room that hasn't had a dog in bed.
 
Some dog breeds are better for people who have allergies. I think labradoodles are better, but I don't think they are probably good for always being outdoors.

I know many wonderful dog breeds, but it seems that dogs don't live outdoors these days, unlike when I was a child.

Everybody around here, and my relatives have outside dogs year round.
Some ALSO. Have a tiny lap dog that never is outside.

My pastor has I mini poodle...we visit and it sets my wife off .... allergies.
Doc says it gives off dog dander.

I always had outside dogs .
Hard to keep a 200 lb Great Pryenees in the house.

Jim
 
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Everybody VB around here, and my relatives have outside dogs year round.
Some ALSO. Have a tiny lap dog that never is outside.

My pastor has I mini poodle...we visit and it sets my wife off .... allergies.
Doc says it gives off dog dander.

I always had outside dogs .
Hard to keep a 200 lb Great Pryenees in the house.

Jim
I can tell you that a Rhodesian Ridgeback is not the kind of dog you want. It will be outside if its owner is. If owner goes into the house, RR wants to be as well. It wants to be wherever its person is, even in bed. They want to have eyes on or be in close proximity to their owners, snuggling right up. They are loyal and devoted and protective. If a stranger comes into your space, they will come up with a deep growl and a scary bark. They do well living with a group of other RR, but they are active and can be rowdy dogs. They are the second fastest dogs, behind greyhounds. They love to run and run! Not the kind of dog you want, but I love the breed. They were bred to hunt and protect from lions. You probably don't have a wild cat problem. They will chase any other animal: cats, birds, rabbits. If it moves, they are after it.
 
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