Working Dogs
On the Farm
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Berkshire Grown on February 21, 2025
On some farms, the most valuable employee might be the fastest-harvesting veggie crew member or the most efficient milker. On others, it’s the big fluffy dog keeping livestock safe from predators.
Dogs can play many roles on a farm; in the Berkshires “livestock guardian” is one of their most common jobs, but they can also act as herders, mousers, and as devoted farmer companions.
Farmers raising sheep and goats in the Northeast contend with serious threats from coyotes and poultry farmers face losses from foxes and birds of prey. When predators learn that easy prey is available, their attacks can be frequent and devastating. Fences and other deterrents can mitigate the threat, but predators are clever and persistent. In many cases working dogs are necessary for farmers to coexist with wildlife and for livestock to have safe access to grazing land. When we asked member farmers about their dogs, the universal response was “We couldn’t farm without them.”
Most livestock guardian dogs in the United States descend from European guarding breeds, either purebred or crossed. A few common breeds are Great Pyrenees, Maremma, Anatolian Shepherd, and Akbash. These breeds are large dogs suited to cold temperatures and bred to be vigilantly attentive to livestock.
In the 1970s, the Livestock Guardian Dog Project at Hampshire College studied the effectiveness of guardian dogs, tracking results on farms across the country for a decade. Their research showed significant reductions in predator losses once dogs were introduced. This contributed to the popularity of livestock guardian dogs (LGD) among American farmers.
Working with dogs is an investment of the farmer’s time and energy. A successful guardian dog results from both genetics and training. Ideally, the dog will be raised around the livestock it’s meant to protect and will bond strongly with those animals. Older dogs can help teach younger pups how to behave, though the farmer also needs to put in a fair amount of work training new dogs.
As Dominique Frink of Lion’s Tooth Farm in Windsor, MA, points out, “with livestock guardian dogs you have to commit the first two years of their lives to training. They are not truly ready to work completely on their own until after this time period.”
Barking is a consideration – most LGD breeds bark frequently to help deter predators, a fact that nearby neighbors might not appreciate. And some LGDs have a tendency to escape and wander. The farmers we spoke with feel that the rewards of a working dog more than make up for the challenges. Mike Yund of Yundwell Farm, located in Canaan, NY, says there is “a level of joy that we get from seeing these dogs doing their job.”
Farmer Mary Berle of Lila’s Mountain Farm in Great Barrington has a longstanding relationship with livestock guardian dogs. Her parents worked with the researchers at Hampshire College, training dogs that needed extra guidance.
Mary now works with six dogs (and has two retired LGDs), trusting them to protect her flock of more than 300 sheep. Berle, whose farm sits at the junction of three roads, says that people need to be aware that the dogs are not there to look cute or get human attention. Admirers of the rural beauty of her farm need to “recognize these are working dogs who are here to take care of the sheep and land.”
Not every working farm dog is a trained guardian. Dandelion Hill Farm relies on Shiva, a Border Collie, to keep the goats and chickens in order. Farmer Melissa Martin notes that “Border Collies make great farm dogs because they work hard and always are ready for action.”
Other dogs do valuable work hunting rodents in veggie fields, or keeping farmers company during long workdays. Farmer Michael Gallagher of Square Roots farm in Lanesborough, Mass., says that “it's always nice to have a dog who is so happy to see you when you head out to the chicken coop for chores.”
Dogs bring joy to a farm but they are there to perform valuable work. When you see a working dog, remember to appreciate it from a distance and let the dog do its job.
