Our Canine Security Team

It’s no surprise that we love our canine friends here at BDA Farm! We are so proud of the work they do each day to keep our animals safe. Our dogs have one specific purpose, and that is to guard our animals.

Meet the Dogs

Some of you have met our guardian dogs! If you haven’t, I wanted to introduce you to our animal security team. We have 7 dogs on property that help protect different species of animals here. In with the sheep are Abe, Sue, and Petunia. Abe and Sue are Komondors. Komondors are also known as the Hungarian Sheepdog. You can easily recognize them by their ‘mop-like’ fur. They are affectionate, fearless, and gentle animals but mostly known for their intelligence and protective nature. They are in the large-dog category, which also aids them in serving as protectors of our flock. Petunia is our other sheep dog that loves to greet those visiting the property! This is her way of figuring out who is there and determining if they are a threat to the sheep. Petunia is a Great Pyrenees. Great Pyrenees share a lot of the same traits as our Komondors. One specific trait that stands out for her breed is that they are naturally nocturnal. They were bred to guard the flocks at night while owners, such as shepherds, could sleep. This characteristic makes them the perfect home alarm for potential burglars.

Our other Great Pyrenees on farm tend to our chickens! Bri, Tank, and Ella watch over 3,000 chickens day-in and day-out! If you have ever seen this flock, you know that is not an easy task! These chickens are known to wander all over the driveway and over the pastures, but Bri, Tank, and Ella can watch from different areas of the pasture to keep them safe!

Safe from what?

The typical predators most people think of are coyotes, bobcats, or larger stray dogs, however, birds of prey are a common predator to chickens. Our dogs are really good at seeing birds at a distance and keeping these predators away from our chickens!

Our last canine friend we have on the farm is Jake! He is practically the mascot of BDA Farm. He is a retired guardian dog that currently protects us from house flies and any leftover food! He loves getting petted or curling up with the farm cats to take an afternoon nap. Don’t be fooled by his cute begging face, he does get plenty of food and lots of love from all of the BDA Farm team!

We can’t wait to have you visit the farm so you can see our farm dogs at work! I know the dogs are just as excited too!