Can anyone suggest good herd dogs?

I live in a rural area – fairly wet, with hot summers but fairly cool winters. My son will be born in March, so it would need to be good, or at least tolerant, of children. It would spend most of its time outdoors – I have a lot of space for it to run around – and would be a working dog, guarding alpacas. It would also be around llamas, cattle, horses, chickens (in a coop), and cats. I was thinking a maremma – any suggestions?
Thanks!
Sorry – a guardian dog is what I need, he would have to guard the herd.
Yes, a flock guard is what I’m looking for. And the ranch is my business, so it’s very important that the dog matches at least the criteria I gave since it’s not just a pet (though I love dog), it’s an integral part of a working ranch.
Bobbie L, we actually do have 2 llamas for that purpose. But we’d like a dog as well, as an extra precaution against mountain lions, coyotes, and the like.

Hearding and Guarding are two different things.

I thnink it a flock guard your after and Maremma maybe perfect for you,
Here are some Flock Guards
Akbash Dog
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Austrian Shorthaired Pinscher
Bukovina Sheepdog
Bulgarian Shepherd Dog
Cao de Castro Laboreiro
Cao da Serra da Estrela
Cao da Serra de Aires
Carpathian Sheepdog
Caucasian Ovtcharka
Central Asian Ovtcharka
Chien De L’ Atlas
Estrela Mountain Dog
Great Pyrenees
Hellenikos Poimenikos
Kangal Dog
Karst Sheepdog
Komondor
Kuvasz
Maremma Sheepdog
Mioritic Sheepdog
Owczarek Podhalanski
Perro de Pastor Mallorquin
Pyrenean Mastiff
Rafeiro do Alentejo
Sarplaninac
Slovensky Cuvac
South Russian Owtcharka
Spanish Mastiff
Tornjak

GraceWrites: Spotlight on an Alpaca and a Guard Dog

Comments are closed