Prick-Eared

There was a bold claim made about hunting dogs being used as farm dogs. It was a pretty gutsy call as some things are innate and some things are learned. However they were not called herding dogs for a reason.

I haven’t really found out what Vallhunds are supposed to do other than herd, but from what I understand, they are supposed to be farm dogs that can do it all like the American Scotch Collie. It kind of makes sense because Norrbottenspets and Finnish Spitz were supposed to be farm dogs too that could bring in the horses and cows into the stables. However the concept of breed only arose what? 120, 150 years ago? So really, it’s all nebulous, no?

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Don’t know about the other Nordic spitz types, but I have great doubts whether the Finnish Spitz was ever widely supposed to drive cattle and horses back to the stables. I’ve never heard of it, it’s not in any Finnish breed histories I know of (not that many, admittedly), they don’t exhibit any tendencies for it and I’ve certainly not seen it in Finland. This of course doesn’t mean it didn’t ever happen, but still… I don’t think so. It’s not that kind of dog. Great all-round hunting dog for the forests, though.

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The comment following the claim is right: Norrbottenspitz and Finnish Spitz are not bred to herd, nor is there any history associated with them herding anything. Every account just calls for them being all-around hunting dogs in the forests on small farms. However, they are not associated with any of the hereditary traits which make other hunting breeds such as the English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointers or the Münsterländers stand out. What makes barking spitzes unique, at least according to Vangen and Klemetsdal in 1988, is their intelligence and eagerness to work.

So, what constitutes a farm dog? It largely depends on context, and how people define them.

Most people know Shiba Inu as a hunting dog. There are no traditional herding dogs in their native homeland of Japan.  Even so, most Shiba Inus fill the niché of pursuing small games.  Why would this come up?

Well, while we were visiting the relatives in central Alberta, they were crop farmers with only a handful of chickens, a  milk cow or two and a pair of Border Collies. These people were not keen on livestocks. However everyday just before dark, the Border Collies would fetch the cows and bring them to the barn. Then in the morning, the relatives would let them out of the barn to graze. The Border Collies’ job description wasn’t to herd– they were meant as family pets who could roam when they wanted to ranging from visiting neighbours to barking at coyotes. Everything else was secondary. For the most part, the Collies left the cows alone except at dusk.

Apparently off-leashed Shiba Inus among cows are rare.

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Well, of course, we brought our Shiba Inu along. He got along fine with the Collies, which was surprising since he always got into a scruff with the dogs belonging to relatives on my stepdad’s side of the family; never with my mother’s side. Anyway, he was left tied up since it was uncertain if he would take off and be unseen for a couple of days. So he spent the days watching the Collies.

Well, the Shiba managed to slip out of his harness after the second day. We thought, “okay, he’s not going anywhere– let him be. We are in the middle of nowhere. He is not going to do anything, cause anything or stir up any troubles.” Sure enough, just before dusk, before the Collies got around to the cows, the Inu was fetching the cows and driving them back to the barn. Must be a fluke? He did the same thing the day after, he beat the Collies at their routines and did it again– same time of the day at dusk on the dot. And so on.

Now that being said, Shiba Inus are not known to herd. There is nothing in their breed history signifying this. There are no anecdotes of this. Most of the trial folks probably would call it a predatory drive or “livestock chasing.” So what gives?

Tod was about five or six years old when he did this. He never grew up on a farm, except in a kennel run on a ranch for the first eight months of his life. He didn’t pay any attention to cattle or deer for that matter prior to the visit. There was no display of hunting behaviours, and the cows were never bitten; nor did they run for their lives. However the relatives called him a smart farm dog.

The Border Collies were called “good herding dogs.” The unexpected turn of event earned Tod the title of “a good farm dog.” Two different concepts. In their book, anyway.

See, this Shiba Inu would never pass a Herding Instinct Test, nor would he be biddable enough to obtain titles. It is dubious he would be able to handle more than a couple of livestocks. As emphasized: he never listened. However he picks up on routines and emotions, then put them into context quite well. Actually, he never really did anything that would be disapproved by others or anything worth giving him heck for.

However the relatives asked if they could keep him as they were astounded a dog who never obeyed was able to do these things. They needed a dog that could also flush birds and catch mice. Nope. No how. No way. The dog belonged  to the kids.

I say this because herding dogs can hunt, and hunting dogs can help out with the chores.  They are still farm dogs by definition. Helping out with bringing home a few cows or bringing the horses into the stables is not herding; it is part of a routine. The only difference is, if someone wants a dog that could control more than a handful of livestocks, they probably will go for a herding breed. If they want to hunt with a dog, then a hunting breed would be a priority. Everything else is just bonus points.

If dogs don’t partake supplementary tasks, no harm no foul. The dogs probably weren’t purchased for those reasons. If they can, then it is an unexpected asset.