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  • From: Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Finding a farm dog. . . still looking. . .
  • Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 21:01:36 -0500


Hi, Folks!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I've started looking at the posters in my local vet's offices and I joined a couple of doggie e-mail lists, including the one for Bearded Collies. I've talked to one breeder who thinks my lifestyle is "interesting," but is torn between offering me a discount for a dog that would get a WONDERFUL home or going for a traditional suburbanite who can pay $700-$1000/dog.

Agriculture -- we don't make any money, but gosh, we eat well and can lay on the sympathy!

(Ignore that line when I'm telling everyone that garlic is the perfect cash crop! ;-D)

Since I don't have sheep, if I was going to get a large dog, I would get a Russian Wolfhound. (They are Afgan-like dogs adapted to Russian winters.) One of our former gardeners (they saved up enough money to buy a house with land and moved) had one that was the *perfect* garden dog -- Alexi could outrun the deer (even at 12 years old!), scared the wild turkeys into flying OVER the treetops (that was something to see!), would sit quietly in the paths next to me while I worked in the garden and adored having the public housing kids fuss over him. Unfortunately, he was just too big -- when I stayed at his house while his family was away, he would get up in the morning, see his family wasn't home yet, then crawl into bed with me, put his head in my lap and whimper. I had no room (and he was all bone!), but he looked so sad I couldn't kick him out.

So, I think I need a smaller dog.

But not *too* small -- one of my farmer friends has a Yorkie that someone dumped on his property. This dog is having the time of his life and is convinced that he is THE ULTIMATE FARM DOG -- he struts around the place (nothing can strut like a 4 pound Yorkie!), tried to herd the sheep until he got too close to a lamb and was kicked by the mama ewe and now herds the chickens, patrols the entire farm and barks at strangers. Sassy is convinced that he can DO IT ALL, but I think I need something large enough that the deer won't step on.

However, if I get a male dog, I'm going to visit Marlin and let him demonstrate his technique -- why pay $100 to my local vet when twice that will get me a nice trip to Virginia and a story guaranteed to make any male human blanch for years afterwards? :-D

My husband grew up with a Border Collie, so I'm not as nervous about that breed as I probably should be (especially since he [the husband] runs marathons, so if a dog starts getting too manic, it can go on a 20 mile training run with HIM!) However, "child-friendly" BCs are almost impossible to find -- they VANISH overnight at the shelters and according to the BC rescue page, most of them have either nipped children or failed at herding or both!

The bottom line seems to be temperament and smaller size. So, I'll keep cruising the vet's offices, the rescue lists and talking to breeders until someone takes pity on me and a homeless dog and brings us together.

If you know any homeless (or soon-to-be) small-to-medium dogs with friendly temperaments that like children and cats and want to live the urban agriculture lifestyle, send them my e-mail above!








Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460






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