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Why Your Homestead Needs A Dog

One of the reasons many people want to homestead is to find a safe place to get away from it all, and wait it out if civilization happens to crumble.

Of course, even before the proverbial feces hits the fan, there are many reasons to keep a homestead safe. For one, there will always be natural predators who may be very interested in what you have growing in your garden or sleeping in your hen house.

We can’t all afford to make mini-compounds out of our land, and of course, there are many options when it comes to fencing and homestead security. But there is one amazing animal you can get who will take the security of your homestead as seriously as you do:

A Guard Dog

What is a homestead or farm without a trusty dog? Or three? Dogs are not only wonderful companions, they’ll happily and loyally guard your homestead from human and animal predators alike. Dogs are pack animals which means when you’re they’re owner, you’re part of their pack. They will see you as the pack leader and be eager to keep you and the rest of the pack, your family and other animals, safe and aware of any threat. All that barking dogs do is for a reason! And if you train them to “bark with a purpose” so to speak, they won’t just bark incessantly for no reason-they’ll do it to warn you.

What kind to get?

Some breeds are better suited for guarding or fighting off attackers or prey, respectively, but of course for a homestead the classic breeds are sheepdogs or laboradors. Pit bulls get such a bad rap but raised right, they are insanely loyal, territorial, and fierce, so they can protect your homestead, will ruthlessly fend off any furry attackers and will also be gentle and sweet to your children.

Puppy or adult?

It’s probably best to pick the breed you think would be best suited for your homestead (adopting is always cheaper and more humane than buying purebreds though) as a puppy and train them to guard as well as leave your other animals alone. If you adopt an older dog, make sure it’s one who has already spent time around other animals and is well-trained to guard and hunt themselves.

There’s nothing as reliable as another creature that is as committed to the security as your homestead as you are, and they will probably do more to keep your homestead safe than any fence or weapon.