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Puppy nose sticks up through the green grass.

Farming


It’s Not a Farm Without a Good Dog (or Cat)


We can’t get enough of seeing pictures of our farmer-owners’ farm dogs and cats. We want to boop all the snoots!

But don’t let the puppy-dog eyes, belly rubs, and milk moustaches fool you. These dogs and cats are more than pets—they’re also working members on our organic farms.

Many farm dogs are also trained to herd or guard animals, and some small dogs like terriers are bred to catch mice or underground pests. Cats are obviously mousers and good pest control for barns, but they’re also custodians, graciously “cleaning up” any spilled milk. We’ve even seen a couple cats deigning to give the occasional massage.

Here are some of our favorite farm dog and cat moments. We hope this brightens your day like they did ours!

A large dog lays on its side while a striped kitten walks on top of it.

This mastiff is taking just a short break from farm work for a tiny kitten massage. (Gretebeck Farm, Wisconsin)



A man standing in a pasture hides his face behind a little terrier dog in his arms.

Little dogs make great farm dogs too! (Johnston Farm, Oregon)

A black cat crouches on the floor and looks at something off camera.

Those eyes are always watching for a misplaced drop of milk. (Voegeli Farm, Wisconsin)

A white Great Pyrenees dog lays in a yard with brown chickens scattered around it.

Great Pyrenees dogs are great guard dogs, but they are also gentle giants—perfect for guard duty for this flock of curious chickens. (Toews Farm, Colorado)



A yellow lab dog sits in the driver’s seat in the cab of a blue tractor.

Just chillin’ waiting for the next tractor ride. (Hoffner Farm, North Carolina)

Three yellow cats and one gray cat drink milk from an old white enamel bowl.

Payment for these cats’ mousing services is easy—a daily dish of fresh milk. (Martin Farm, Ohio)

A brindle and orange dog missing a front leg looks into the camera while getting belly rubs.

Three-legged puppers make excellent farm dogs too! (Perkins Farm, West Virginia)

Three Holstein cows sniff a yellow dog standing in a green pasture.

Meet n’ Greet. (Klaphake Farm, Minnesota)

 A girl and a yellow lab sit in a pasture looking lovingly into each other’s eyes while a Holstein cow grazes in the background..

The image of devotion if we ever saw one. (Ranck Farm, Pennsylvania)

An overhead view of three cats playing in the haymow of a barn.

Having the run of the barn is the best! (Witmer Farm, Virginia)

A middle-aged man sits on a four-wheeler and laughs at his two dogs sitting on the back.

Farming is hard work, so it’s always nice to have a bit of company that knows how to make you laugh during the day. (Beard Farm, Iowa)

An artistic blurred picture of a dog riding in the back of a moving truck.

Riding in trucks is the best! (Mahaffy Farm, Oregon)

A border collie dog sits on a four-wheeler in a heroic pose with sun highlighting its fur.

Insert hero theme music here. (Beard Farm, Iowa)

A young woman wearing an Organic Valley cap smiles down at a black puppy in her arms with its tongue hanging out.

Just a farm girl and her farm pup. (Westaby Farm, Illinois)

A kitten covered in milk licks the head of another kitten also covered in milk.

“If you clean my head, I’ll clean yours.” (Ranck Farm, Pennsylvania)

An action shot of a golden retriever leaping out of the water at sunset with droplets of water in the air.

There’s nothing like a swim on a hot summer day! (McMahan Farm, Washington)

A yellow dog lying in some straw closes its eyes as a man pets its head.

We can learn a lot from dogs, such as the value of occasionally pausing in our work to enjoy some pats and snuggles. (Leisso Farm, Wisconsin)

We have so many more pictures of farm dogs and cats and, of course, cute cows out on pasture that we want to share with you. So be sure to follow us on FacebookInstagram and YouTube for your daily dose of animal love!

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  • animal care,
  • farm life