Guide to Best Dog Breeds for Different Jobs
We all know that dogs are not created equally, and some breeds are better at performing certain tasks than others. Dogs are also excellent workers, and they can be a tremendous benefit to you as you prepare for self-sufficient or post-SHTF living. The trick is to choose the best breed that will match your needs and expectations. Below is a quick guide to some of the more common breeds and the tasks that they excel at performing.
Herding
If you plan on raising livestock, whether sheep, goats or cows, a dog will be an invaluable asset to have at your disposal. Some of the more popular breeds that are particularly adept at herding include collies, corgies and sheep dogs. These breeds have an instinctive knack for rounding up animals by chasing and rounding them up into groups.
There are also dog breeds that are good protectors of herds. They will not hesitate to guard boundaries and chase predators away. This is important because one of the biggest threats to your herd will be from opportunistic predators. This applies to livestock as well as smaller animals such as chickens, ducks and rabbits. Protector dogs also don’t generally harm the animals they are guarding. Good breeds include shepherds, great pyrenees, and maremma.
Vermin Patrol
If you have problems with vermin such as gophers, rats, field mice, possums, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, or similar animals, certain dogs can chase them all day long and never get bored. The terrier is one of the best breeds to consider because they were created for this specific purpose. This includes the Rat and the Jack Russell. However, any terrier breed loves to chase small animals. Dachshunds and a variety of mixed-breed dogs or mutts are also adept at chasing and playing with all sorts of pests.
Hunting
Hunting dogs can either catch and kill certain prey or retrieve ones that you’ve bagged. They generally have boundless energy, a keen sense of smell, can run through all sorts of terrain and have a knack for finding animals that are hiding and scaring them out into the open. Retrievers are probably the best known for their friendliness, ease of training and love of fetching. Labrador and golden retrievers are the most popular. They are ideal for retrieving birds that you’ve killed.
Beagles, foxhounds and pointers love going after small game and they are just as adept at killing them as they are at rooting them out. Bloodhounds have a keen sense of smell and are one of the best tracking breeds out there. Coonhounds are perfect for rooting out raccoons and the weimaraner will go after all kinds of birds that are hiding in tall grass and prairies.
Defense
Almost any dog can be trained to be a guard dog, but some breeds have a more notorious reputation than others. Pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds often get a bad rap due to their ability to be trained to be vicious. However, these breeds are also very docile, intelligent and family-friendly if raised well and given a nurturing home. Other breeds that are more family-friendly include the akita, great dane, boxer, doberman and saint bernard.
Training and Care
Remember that these and other dog breeds have an instinct or inclination to hunt, fetch and chase. However, they still need to be trained in order to perform at their best. In addition to their talents, it’s important to consider their temperament, dietary requirements and make sure that you are giving them plenty of rest, love and attention.
At the end of the day, dogs can make the perfect companion on the road to self-reliance and long-term survival. Just make sure that you do research in order to find the best match for your family, lifestyle and environment.
