What is the "Jack of All Trades"?
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i would say rottie. i remember reading back when i had one that they were bred to be an all-round dog. obviously, bred for herding. but also for guarding the cattle and other belongings from bandits, etc. they were also bred for carting. supposedly, a common scenario for an old rottie owner was a family who raised cattle in the hills. needed a dog that could live with the family during the year, heard the cattle down to market once a year, pull a cart full of supplies back up the hill and guard in the midst of all of that. apparently, they used to tie the money from the cattle sales around the dogs' necks. they love the water and make excellent retreivers. excell in schutzhund and other competitive dog events. are great with children, etc.
i think there are a lot of individual dogs that could be trained for everything. but as for breeds in general, there aren't many that could NATURALLY have the instinct to do everything. like someone mentioned, poodles and labs are great all-round dogs in many ways -but could they easily be trained to herd?
i think there are a lot of individual dogs that could be trained for everything. but as for breeds in general, there aren't many that could NATURALLY have the instinct to do everything. like someone mentioned, poodles and labs are great all-round dogs in many ways -but could they easily be trained to herd?
I would have to say with kids the Cattle Dog and Malinois, if no kids GSD.
If you raise up all from a pup, the GSD doesn't take to strange kids while at a group function, GSD separate who they know from who they don't.
I've noticed with the Cattle Dog and Malinois they except strangers and include them in the bunch.
This is what I searched for so long.... in every breed for kids, now I know.
Just my opinion of course. Good Luck.
If you raise up all from a pup, the GSD doesn't take to strange kids while at a group function, GSD separate who they know from who they don't.
I've noticed with the Cattle Dog and Malinois they except strangers and include them in the bunch.
This is what I searched for so long.... in every breed for kids, now I know.
Just my opinion of course. Good Luck.
Perhaps, but should we list a Husky or Greyhound here? I'm sure someone can teach them to herd ducks. Instinct and and ease of training have to come in, or else it just turns into a best trainer contests.
The hunting and herding in particular are such instinct driven areas that the dogs do need some underlying ability.
The hunting and herding in particular are such instinct driven areas that the dogs do need some underlying ability.
I don't quite agree with this. Most ACDs that I have met were one person dogs, meaning they liked their family and that was it. Didn't like visitors, strangers in public, strange kids, they tolerated them, but were not very social at all.
We had a wonderful shepherd from east german working lines. She was the worst guard dog on the planet. Well, not quite. She would bark, but as soon as someone got close enough to pet her she'd be all over them licking them and happy. She LOVED every single child she ever met. She was actually stolen from us. We let her out to go potty and the thief left her collar draped on the fence.
We fostered another shepherd who also adored every single child she ever met. She would get down on her hands and knees and low crawl up to very small children and babies, then roll over on her back when she got close to them. This is something she decided to do on her own, we never trained her for it. She would let any child do anything to her, including body slamming, bite her ears :yikes: try to ride her, pull fur, she loved every minute.
I think GSDs and Catahoulas are very strong canidates. The only reason I put them over border collies is I don't think a BC has the build and strength for draft work. Labs are great at all those things except for herding. Pit bulls are awesome, but I don't know if they could herd either.
We had a wonderful shepherd from east german working lines. She was the worst guard dog on the planet. Well, not quite. She would bark, but as soon as someone got close enough to pet her she'd be all over them licking them and happy. She LOVED every single child she ever met. She was actually stolen from us. We let her out to go potty and the thief left her collar draped on the fence.
We fostered another shepherd who also adored every single child she ever met. She would get down on her hands and knees and low crawl up to very small children and babies, then roll over on her back when she got close to them. This is something she decided to do on her own, we never trained her for it. She would let any child do anything to her, including body slamming, bite her ears :yikes: try to ride her, pull fur, she loved every minute.
I think GSDs and Catahoulas are very strong canidates. The only reason I put them over border collies is I don't think a BC has the build and strength for draft work. Labs are great at all those things except for herding. Pit bulls are awesome, but I don't know if they could herd either.
I'm sure they could, but I don't think a greyhound could be a manstopper. So maybe I should re-word what I said above. Ease of training is a good thing, but instinct to do a particular task is not really necessary. I don't think there is any one dog who posesses the instinct to do all the jobs that a multitasker could be asked to do. A GSD may posess the instinct to protect and herd, but does he posess the instinct to pull and retrieve, or does he have to be trained that way? Or a Golden posessing the strong retrieving instinct; would he have to be trained to herd and protect? I'm sure. Yet both of those breeds could probably qualify because of their potential.
I believe that a dog with a strong work instinct and bond to its owner can be taught to do anything.
I believe that a dog with a strong work instinct and bond to its owner can be taught to do anything.
Well I don't think they will replace ACDs but they have and can
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp4lFKmWU8M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp4lFKmWU8M
I have to disagree as well. Missy was a pound dog, and she loves kids. I highly doubt she was socialized with a group of kids, all kinds of strangers, ect as a puppy.
I've taken her to the day care I work at and I couldn't ask for a more well behaved dog - the kids absolutly Love her!
From everything I've read, and the two ACDs I know, I think your information is wrong. But that's JMHO
I've taken her to the day care I work at and I couldn't ask for a more well behaved dog - the kids absolutly Love her!
From everything I've read, and the two ACDs I know, I think your information is wrong. But that's JMHO
Another biased vote for the GSD. Aside from being bred to be a jack of all trades type of dog, they can handle any climate, which is a downfall of shorter hair breeds. I think the Belgians would be a good choice too.
As far as the only accepting people they know, that isn't 100% true. What they are good at is determining who is a threat and who isn't. They are supposed to be aloof. It's funny watching Daisy and Gunnar interact with visitors. Gunnar will go over, have a sniff, get a pet from them, then go back to what he was doing. Daisy has to be in the person's face for 15 minutes "look at me! look at me!". Part of that is puppy, but when Gunnar was her age he was the same way he is now. A snob, lol.
And yes, a GSD is a retrieving maniac. Hours and hours and hours if you can keep up. Also, it's not just throwing a ball. You can have them go retrieve things that are already out there. Like my morning paper Or, a toy or ball that is out in the yard. Heck, I used to tell Gunnar to go get Midnite when she was out in the yard and couldn't hear me calling her. He'd run off the porch and herd her back in.
As far as the only accepting people they know, that isn't 100% true. What they are good at is determining who is a threat and who isn't. They are supposed to be aloof. It's funny watching Daisy and Gunnar interact with visitors. Gunnar will go over, have a sniff, get a pet from them, then go back to what he was doing. Daisy has to be in the person's face for 15 minutes "look at me! look at me!". Part of that is puppy, but when Gunnar was her age he was the same way he is now. A snob, lol.
And yes, a GSD is a retrieving maniac. Hours and hours and hours if you can keep up. Also, it's not just throwing a ball. You can have them go retrieve things that are already out there. Like my morning paper
Or, a toy or ball that is out in the yard. Heck, I used to tell Gunnar to go get Midnite when she was out in the yard and couldn't hear me calling her. He'd run off the porch and herd her back in.I notice people say ACDs are wary of strangers true but does not mean that they won't get the job done in fact quite the opposite. They are by far less likely to break from task. They will do what ever their owner has trained them to do.
As far as coming up on a larger breed how many dogs are bigger then bulls ? My ACD that was a herder was launched across a field by a monster bull and got right back up and went back to force the bull into submission and go where he was supposed to be going.
I really don't think people give the ACD enough credit. I have owned many and I am willing to put my ACD up against the best of the best. I have yet to see a dog out there that has the serious concentration of an ACD.
I have owned most breeds that have been posted in this thread and I stand on the fact that while they are great and can do the job do not under rate the ACD. The only one here I have no experience with is the Fila. I still have never even seen one in person.
As far as coming up on a larger breed how many dogs are bigger then bulls ? My ACD that was a herder was launched across a field by a monster bull and got right back up and went back to force the bull into submission and go where he was supposed to be going.
I really don't think people give the ACD enough credit. I have owned many and I am willing to put my ACD up against the best of the best. I have yet to see a dog out there that has the serious concentration of an ACD.
I have owned most breeds that have been posted in this thread and I stand on the fact that while they are great and can do the job do not under rate the ACD. The only one here I have no experience with is the Fila. I still have never even seen one in person.
I have to disagree as well. Missy was a pound dog, and she loves kids. I highly doubt she was socialized with a group of kids, all kinds of strangers, ect as a puppy.
I've taken her to the day care I work at and I couldn't ask for a more well behaved dog - the kids absolutly Love her!
From everything I've read, and the two ACDs I know, I think your information is wrong. But that's JMHO
I've taken her to the day care I work at and I couldn't ask for a more well behaved dog - the kids absolutly Love her!
From everything I've read, and the two ACDs I know, I think your information is wrong. But that's JMHO
Every single GSD I have ever lived with has innately known how to interact with children of different ages and different demeanors. They've been quiet with the ones who were a little afraid and willing to play with the ones who wanted to dive in and be rambunctious and never went too far. And Purdue, my first one, and Bimmer are the only ones I raised from a pup, the others have all been from the pound, and were about four years old or so when they came to me. Even Bear, who was GSD/Akita and by everything you hear should have been very aloof and unwilling to play with kids. And HE ended up being a therapy dog for a battered women's shelter and a runaway shelter.
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I'd say a well bred Briard would fit the bill....perfectly. Those are some very versatile dogs.
The occasional great dane perhaps? Don't laugh, my last dane showed up the sporting dogs at a kennel I worked for when it came to flushing and pointing wild fowl. She also would retrieve the birds when asked to do so....she was a fluke, but they're out there. She was living proof. She was also a registered therapy dog, saved my butt more than once while protecting me, and would pull anything you harnessed to her. She herded my cats (lol) and also small children.
I'd also agree that Giant Schnauzers, ACD's and GSD's would be a good choice as well.
Don't know enough hands on about fila's to say, but I'll take Renee's word for it.
The occasional great dane perhaps? Don't laugh, my last dane showed up the sporting dogs at a kennel I worked for when it came to flushing and pointing wild fowl. She also would retrieve the birds when asked to do so....she was a fluke, but they're out there. She was living proof. She was also a registered therapy dog, saved my butt more than once while protecting me, and would pull anything you harnessed to her. She herded my cats (lol) and also small children.
I'd also agree that Giant Schnauzers, ACD's and GSD's would be a good choice as well.
Don't know enough hands on about fila's to say, but I'll take Renee's word for it.
