Golden Retrievers

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Use: Because of the Golden Retriever dog breed’s intelligence and obedient personality, it does well on the farm as a bird dog, both in water and on land, and excels in hunting and tracking.

History: The Golden Retriever was developed in Scotland in the 19th century by crossing a yellow Flat-Coated Retriever with the Tweed Water Spaniel (now extinct). It was later crossed with other breeds to become the breed it is today.

Conformation: The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized, sturdy breed. It stands 23 to 24 inches tall and weighs about 65 to 75 pounds, with females being proportionately smaller. Golden Retrievers have a medium-length, dense undercoat and an outercoat that repels water. It comes in varying shades of gold.

Special Considerations/Notes: Golden Retrievers have a gentle, well-mannered personality that makes training them easy. It has plenty of energy and enjoys physical and mental exercise through activities on the farm. In addition to making a great hunting dog, it is an ideal family companion. The breed’s life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

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Use: The Labrador Retriever dog breed is used on the farm for hunting, tracking, retrieving, carting and as a watchdog.

History: The Labrador Retriever dog breed originates from Newfoundland where it helped fisherman by jumping into the icy water to retrieve nets. The breed is eager to play in the water and, to this day, never passes up the opportunity for a swim. It was taken to England in the 19th century where it was crossed with hunting breeds in order to hone its hunting instincts.

Conformation: The Labrador Retriever’s outercoat has short, straight, dense fur, and it has a soft undercoat that is resistant to weather. It comes in black, chocolate and yellow colors. It stands 21 to 24 inches in height at the shoulder and weights 50 to 80 pounds. It has a medium-length tail that is thick, round and tapers to a tip.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Labrador Retriever dog breed is easily trained but need constant socialization with humans. If left to roam the farm as they please and do not receive adequate mental and physical exercise, they could potentially become destructive. In addition to being a great hunting and watchdog, this breed makes an ideal family companion.

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Use: The Weimaraner dog breed’s high stamina and hunting instincts make it a great companion for bird or small-game hunting, although its good-natured personality makes it well-suited for family life.

History: The Weimaraner dog breed descends from German hunting dogs, including the Bloodhound. The breed was developed as a gundog by the Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar and used for hunting big game, such as bear and deer. Contrary to their original use, Weimaraners now typically hunt smaller game, such as birds.

Conformation: The Weimaraner is a medium-large dog breed with an athletic build. Males stand at about 26 inches in height at the shoulder, with females about 2 inches shorter. The breed weighs 60 to 80 pounds. It has a sleek, smooth coat that comes in varying shades of grey, possibly with a white spot on the chest. It is generally short-haired, but some have a long, feathery coat. It’s eyes are shades of light amber, gray or blue-gray.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Weimaraner dog breed’s life expectancy is 11 to 13 years. It is prone to bloat, so feed it several small meals a day as opposed to one large meal.

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Use: The American Foxhound is an intense hunter often used in fox hunting. It also has talents for tracking and as a watchdog.

History: The American Foxhound dog breed descended from English hounds imported to America in the 17th and 18th centuries. Over the years, an American type of hound evolved, with varying characteristics depending on whether it was used in competitive field trials, fox hunting, on trails or in packs. Its bell-like voice will welcome you home and alert you to approaching visitors.

Conformation: The American Foxhound dog breed has a medium-length, close-lying, hard coat. The coat colors are generally white, black and tan. Both genders measure 21 to 25 inches in height at the shoulder and weigh 60 to 75 pounds.

Special Considerations/Notes: The American Foxhound is known to be a sweet, affectionate dog breed that has an intense and brave temperament while on the hunt. The breed’s life expectancy is about 10 to 13 years. The American Foxhound’s hard coat requires weekly brushings with a firm-bristle brush. Bathe and shampoo this breed only when necessary.

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Use: The Basset Hound dog breed is a good trail hound. It’s often used to work in packs or alone trailing deer, hare and rabbits.

History: The Basset Hound directly descends from the Bloodhound line and was developed in France, where it worked as a trail dog.

Conformation: The Basset Hound has a hard, smooth and short coat that comes in any combination of black, tan and white. It stands 14 inches in height at the shoulder and weighs 40 to 60 pounds. The breed, whose name is French for “low-set,” is known for its short legs and long ears.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Basset Hound dog breed’s life expectancy is 8 to 12 years. Be sure to check its eyes and ears regularly for signs of infection. Excess weight can place a burden on its legs and spine, so closely monitor its weight gain.

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Use: The Beagle dog breed has high energy and great stamina, making it an excellent hunting dog for small game.

History: The Beagle probably descended from a cross between the Harrier and other hounds in 16th century England. The breed was used in packs to hunt small game, such as rabbit, hare, pheasant and quail. Its name is thought to have come from a Celtic word meaning “small” or a French word meaning “gape throat,” referring to the sound of its bark.

Conformation: The Beagle has a sturdy, square build. The breed comes in two varieties. One variety stands at 13 inches or less in height at the shoulder; the other stands at up to 15 inches. Its weight depends on its build and muscle tone. The Beagle has a close, hard coat that comes in bicolor or tricolor combinations: black, tan and white; red and white; or pale tan and white. Its feet and the tip of its tail are usually white.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Beagle dog breed’s life expectancy is 12 to 13 years. Obesity is a problem in this breed.

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Use: The Anatolian Shepherd dog breed is very loyal, intelligent, alert and easy to train, allowing it to work as a flock guard.

History: A breed of ancient lineage, this fiercely loyal guard dog is used to protect sheep in its country of origin, Turkey. The Anatolian Shepherd dog breed is a flock guardian with superior sight and hearing, but is not a herding dog.

Conformation: The Anatolian Shepherd dog breed is large and strong. Male dogs are 28 to 30 inches in height at the shoulder, and female dogs are 26 to 28 inches in height at the shoulder. A male’s weight ranges between 100 and 150 pounds, and a female’s weight ranges between 90 and 130 pounds. Anatolian Shepherd dogs have a short or rough double coat. The coat generally comes in fawn with a black mask; however, all color patters and markings are acceptable. The coat comes in two lengths: medium and medium-long. The length of the coat will depend on the dog’s lineage and the season.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Anatolian Sheperd dog breed’s life expectancy is about 10 to 15 years. Its coat requires a thorough brushing during seasonal shedding; otherwise, the breed requires minimal grooming the rest of the year.

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Use: Bernese Mountain Dogs are intelligent and easy to train, making them good choices for dairy cattle drivers or watchdogs.

History: Regarded by many as the most beautiful of the four breeds of Swiss Mountain Dogs, the Bernese Mountain Dog is the only one with a long coat. Its ancestry traces to mastiff-type dogs of Roman times, which crossbred with local herding dogs to produce offspring smaller in stature but just as trustworthy and devoted. The mountain dogs herded livestock and were used as cart dogs to transport goods and produce to market.

Conformation: The Bernese Mountain Dog has a medium-long, glossy black coat with distinctive markings in reddish brown and white. The breed’s weather-resistant coat is moderately long, thick and slightly wavy or straight, but with a soft undercoat. The coat colors generally are black with tan and white markings. Male dogs measure 24 to 28 inches in height at the shoulder, and female dogs measure 23 to 27 inches in height at the shoulder. Males weigh 85 to 110 pounds and females weigh 80 to 105 pounds.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Bernese Mountain Dog is large, strong, sturdy and intelligent. The breed’s life expectancy is 7 to 10 years. Its coat requires daily to weekly brushing, with special attention during the shedding season. Bathe weekly to monthly when necessary.

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Use: The Giant Schnauzer is a reliable, brave and loyal dog breed, allowing it to work well as a watchdog or herding dog.

History: As the tallest of the three Schnauzer breeds, the Giant Schnauzer is a good-looking bearded dog that is thought to have originated in Bavaria near Munich, where it was called the Munchener. The breed’s history traces to the late 1800s when it developed from what is now the Standard Schnauzer. It is assumed that local herdsmen’s dogs also contributed to the Giant’s heritage. Later, black Great Danes were used to increase size and substance. Because it resembled the Standard Schnauzer, the breed’s name was changed to Giant Schnauzer. The Giant Schnauzer was originally bred by cattlemen seeking a dog that was large and bold enough to move livestock to market.

Conformation: The Giant Schnauzer has a hard, wiry, dense outer coat and a soft undercoat. The coat colors come in black, or pepper and salt (gray). Males measure 25½ to 27½ inches in height at the shoulder, and females measure 23½ to 25½ inches in height at the shoulder. Males’ weights range between 60 and 80 pounds, and females’ weights range between 55 and 75 pounds.

Special Considerations/Notes: Giant Schnauzers are an intelligent, versatile working dog breed. The breed’s life expectancy is about 12 to 15 years. To care for the dense undercoat comb or brush it weekly with a short wire brush. Also trim the fur around the eyes and ears with a blunt-nosed scissor and clean the whiskers after meals.

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Use: The Great Pyrenees dog breed is courageous, loyal and affectionate with its owners. The breed is often used to guard livestock.

History: The Great Pyrenees is an elegant, long-haired, gentle giant. Owners credit this with the ability to sense danger, thus determining the trustworthiness of individuals it encounters. A calm dog with dignity, the Great Pyrenees breed has guarded families and flocks in the Pyrenean Mountains for centuries.

Conformation: The Great Pyrenees dog breed has a weather-resistant double coat. The undercoat is dense, fine and wooly, and the outer coat is long, thick, coarse and flat. The coat colors come in solid white with or without wolf-gray, badger or tan markings. They also have black eye rims. Male dogs measure 27 to 32 inches in height at the shoulder, and female dogs measure 25 to 29 inches in height at the shoulder. Males’ weights range between 100 and 125 pounds, and females’ weights range between 85 and 115 pounds.

Special Considerations/Notes: The Great Pyrenees dog breed’s life expectancy is about 10 to 12 years. The breed requires weekly brushing to keep its long double coat in good condition; however, extra attention is needed for its dense undercoat during shedding season.