Rottweiler Who ‘Defies the Odds’ as Farm Dog Up for Award

A rottweiler named Margo “defies the odds” by being an “aggressive breed” in the running for a farm dog award, her owner told Newsweek.

Margo is one of five finalists for the American Farm Bureau’s “Farm Dog of the Year: People’s Choice Pup” contest, American Farm Bureau spokesperson Cyndie Shearing told Newsweek in an email interview. Voting, which can be done on the Farm Bureau’s website, ends December 20.

“People’s Choice Pup is part of the overall Farm Dog of the Year contest, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers in producing nutritious food for families and their pets across America,” Shearing said, adding that the winner of People’s Choice Pup will be determined by the results of the online public voting.

Margo’s owner, 26-year-old Rachel Hyde, of Noblesville, Indiana, told Newsweek in an email interview on Tuesday that the 4.5-year-old Rottweiler is a “gentle giant,” weighing roughly 110 pounds, who loves everyone that she meets.

“Although Rottweilers are usually known for being a bully breed, Margo is far from it,” Hyde said. “She loves to play with toys, enjoy treats, relax in her pool, chase shadows, but most of all, be in the tractor and working on the farm.”

Often stigmatized as a dangerous or aggressive breed, Rottweilers are frequently banned from apartment complexes and even prohibited in some U.S. cities.

The American Kennel Club describes Rottweilers as “world-class guardians,” and states that a “well-bred and properly raised Rottie will be calm and confident, courageous but not unduly aggressive.”

Hyde said she’s experienced breed discrimination when out with Margo.

“I take her to walk in public or to farm stores and Lowe’s that allow dogs so she stays very socialized, and sometimes I’ll get dirty looks or people steer clear of her,” Hyde told Newsweek.

However, once people see Margo’s “big smile” and learn how sweet she is, their demeanor changes, Hyde said.

Margo helps Hyde on her family’s seventh-generation central Indiana farm, where they grow corn and soybeans, as well as raise about 300 show lambs.

Hyde said a rottweiler is not a typical working dog like border collies and Australian shepherds, breeds that she says “aim to please and be obedient.”

“Margo is a bit different, but we love her,” Hyde said. “Margo knows her basic commands and is obedient, yet she doesn’t always aim to please like many working dogs. Margo is a happy-go-lucky, sweet girl who makes a wonderful companion on the farm.”

Hyden said that Margo is often referred to as a “passenger princess” because her favorite job is riding in the tractor or combine, adding that during the long 12–18-hour days during planting and harvest seasons, the pup is a “great companion.”

“The public should vote for Margo for the People’s Choice award because she’s the underdog,” Hyde said. “She’s a breed no one would think about as being a farm dog. She’s different. She’s unique. Margo defies the odds and doesn’t bark at people or be aggressive; she is a huge sweetheart that just loves farming and being a wonderful companion.”

Shearing told Newsweek in an email on Tuesday that in the six years the Farm Bureau has hosted the contest with Purina, a majority of the dogs nominated have been herding breeds such as border collie, Australian shepherd and Australian cattle dog.

“A smaller but still significant number of labrador retrievers have been nominated along with a fair number of pit bulls,” Shearing said. “A handful of dogs from several other breeds, including rottweilers, chihuahuas and St. Bernards have been nominated.”

Hyde said while Margo “can seem scary or intimidating,” she is actually a goofy girl who loves tractors, “her Grammy” and her pool. She said that just because a dog breed is often described as a bully or aggressive” it doesn’t mean those depictions are accurate.

“She will lick you to death before getting aggressive at all,” Hyde said. “Folks can give rottweilers a bad rap, yet I feel it’s all about how they are raised in how they behave. Margo was raised with a basset hound for a sister, so she acts more like a lazy hound dog than a protective rottweiler most days.”

If Margo wins the People’s Choice contest, Hyde said her family will celebrate by getting the pup a cake and having a party.

Meet the People’s Choice Pup Contenders:

Casper—a great Pyrenees from Georgia, known for fending off coyotes to protect his flock of sheep.

Trip—a border collie from Ohio, known for moving and managing livestock on the farm.

Margo—a rottweiler from Indiana, known for being a great companion during long hours on the farm as well as sporting her bandana “uniform.”

Morgan—a Bernese mountain dog from Idaho, known for watching over livestock, kids and the family ranch.

Cinco—a corder collie from Utah, known for helping her family’s dairy farm run smoothly.

You can cast your vote on the Farm Burau’s website and the winner will be recognized at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in January 2024 and take home a cash prize of $1,000.

The five contenders for the award did not score high enough to advance in the overall Farm Dog of the Year contest, but “had interesting stories,” Shearing said.