Now on a dairy farm, the cows are really the stars of the show, but farm dogs are specialists in stealing the spotlight. Since it is the dog days of summer (although with this mild, cool, rainy summer the dog days are a little more dog-friendly!), I wanted to feature some of the dairy farm dogs I’ve meet working here.
Here are a few dairy farm dogs who know how to get ready for their close-up.
First up is Pete the Farm Dog, from Troxel Dairy Farm in Hanna, Indiana. Pete is notorious for giving the baby calves lots of kisses (especially when they have tasty milk in their whiskers after a bottle feeding!). You can follow some of Pete’s adventures on the Troxels’ Facebook page.
When Ken Hoeing’s farm dog saw the film crew setting up on the Hoeing family’s Rushville, Indiana dairy farm, she knew she wanted to be in the shot. Ken’s wife, Denise, says the best way to locate Ken out on the farm is to look for his dog.
The Sommer family’s dog is definitely in the running for the award for the largest farm dog I’ve seen. She’s a Saint Bernard living on this family farm in Berne, Indiana (she actually started as a house dog, but decided herself to become a farm dog!). This big girl is photogenic enough to get an official place in the family photo (and Lance Sommer, standing with his hand on her head, picked the photo he preferred based on the best shot of the dog).
At this photo shoot at Willemsen Dairy in Frankton, Indiana, I was trying to snap a picture of owner and fourth generation dairy farmer Tejo Willemsen with his favorite cow–but with all attention focused on the cow, Tejo’s dog got a little jealous.
And last but not least, here are the Justin and Sarah Wagler with their daughter Emma and, of course, their canine companion. You can check out Wagler Dairy Farm on Facebook for more updates from this great family.
