A dog on an Amish farm isn't a pet. It's a worker with specific duties.
Roles
Herding: gathers flock, drives where needed, retrieves strays. Border Collie, Australian Shepherd. Guardian: lives with the flock, protects from coyotes and foxes. Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd. General: a bit of everything + companionship. Mixed breeds, mutts — Amish don't chase pedigrees.
Training
Start at 3-4 months. Puppy grows up with animals it'll guard. No punishment — redirection. Commands: whistle + gestures (dog is far, can't hear voice). By one year — working dog.
Feeding
Table scraps + milk + meat trimmings. No commercial feed (expensive, unnecessary). Farm dog eats what the family eats. Always healthy — runs 10-15 km daily.
Cost
Puppy: $50-200 (from neighbor, not breeder). Upkeep: $100-200/year. Value: saves thousands in livestock. One coyote can kill 10 chickens overnight. Dog — zero losses.