Please Help Me Choose My Next Dog.

[Purdie]

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I think you would need to keep chickens in a seperate secure part of your yard no matter what breed you get.

Actually I would trust a random greyhound with chooks before I would trust randoms in a LOT of other breeds LOL but I just wanted to make the point that in many instances, rural dwellers need the dog to have access to the chooks to protect them from feral cats and foxes etc. The ferals have been known to enter "secure" chookyards and wreak havoc while laughing at the madly barking dog locked outside.

Good point..When i bred birds my last dog guarded the aviaries and bird room from foxes and cats..

Surprising how many foxes and cats are around at night even in suburbia.

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Edited August 2, 2016 by Purdie

[mita]

Why not another Amstaff?? A few reasons, my girl has never really shown any inclination to guard the property, she had a lot of skin irritations (common for Staffy's) up here. Also she was a fairly dominant at times around some other dogs and once got herself into a fight whilst doing off lease agility.

Could that've been just an individual Amstaff, as all breeds differ when it comes to the individual?.

Family friend has a p/b Amstaff which she took in as a young dog from nephew going to naval college.

I'm a one-eyed tibbie tragic, but Aisha, now 14 years, is one of the soundest dogs I've met.

The friend had undiagnosed epilepsy & a couple of times she blanked completely out when going to the local shop with Aisha.

First time, she woke from the seizure to find that Aisha had led her safely to the nearby dog park. Second time, she fell unconscious & woke up to find Aisha patiently sitting at her head.

After diagnosis, she had to spend a lot of time home alone because the seizures couldn't be controlled enough for her to venture far on her own. But she (& her family) knew that Aisha would give security because she'd bark a warning if any stranger came on the porch.

But, thro' all that time, Aisha never gave any sign of being aggressive. She had (& still has at 14 yrs) the loveliest, soundest temperament. Our friend would often have small breed dogs (belonging to friends & family) coming to stay for periods. Aisha was patient with them & the little dogs returned the favour by treating her with respect. Same when our friend took in permanently her doctor son's little tibbie, Ruby. In recent years small grandchildren have been born. From the time they're babies, Aisha has been a reliable nanny dog & the small ones love her. Playing ball with Aisha is the preschoolers' joy. :)

Edited August 5, 2016 by mita

[RuralPug]

I agree that not all Amstaffs have skin conditions and most will act as alert dogs and bark when someone comes. Being a decent size bull breed, that is enough to deter most would be intruders. One would hope the OP does not want a dog that guards the property by rushing people - it is not unknown for police officers to fear being rushed and shoot the dog.

In Victoria, where the OP is NOT, Amstaffs are legally considered pitbulls unless they have a certified ANKC pedigree (rolly eyes here at stupid BSL). There seems to be a growing trend up north, where the OP is, to include Amstaffs in pig dog breeding, so I would think that they would cope reasonably well with the climate there.

Edited August 5, 2016 by RuralPug

[Jack_E]

An Airedale would fit a lot, however not all of your wants. They can be very property protective, however as it is with every breed it varies between individual dogs. The show coat for the Airedale is high maintenance, however if you shave them seasonally and brush them occasionally you will find little to no hair in your house. i have had an aussie bulldog that sheds far more than my current Airedale. If introduced to chickens when they are smaller then the chickens, they seem to get along fine with them and leave them alone, however i would not recommend getting chickens with an Airedale if not introduced at a very young age. Airedales are relatively healthy dogs, provided they receive enough stimulation, however they do bark a lot if there are people they don't know near your property. my current dog also freaks out and barks excessively around possums. Whilst i am not as experienced with dogs as many of these other people, i have owned this breed so i hope this helps. Good luck on the hunt for another dog!