Farm dogs can play a lot of roles on the farm, from herding livestock or guarding property to the joyful companionship they bring to their families. Many dogs make every step their farmers do as they complete their daily chores.

Last year, Georgia Farm Bureau set out to recognize an outstanding farm dog in the first Georgia Farm Dog Contest.

The winner, announced at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, was Belue, a Shetland sheepdog from Americus. According to the Georgia Farm Bureau, Belue works sheep and cattle for his owner, Brinson Brock, and attends the middle school agricultural classes that Brock teaches to encourage students’ interest in veterinary science.

We bring this up now, five months after Belue’s win was announced, because the GFB has begun accepting entries for the 2025 Georgia Farm Dog Contest.

The contest is open to GFB members ages 18 and over. For complete contest rules and the criteria entered dogs will be judged by, visit https://gfb.ag/25farmdogcontest.

Entries will be accepted until 10:59 p.m. on May 1 or until 200 entries are received, whichever comes first.

Judging for the contest will take place in May.                                   

The winning dog and its human will be recognized in October at the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo. The grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card. 

We hope farmers from across the Lowndes County region submit their farm dogs for consideration. We’d love to be able to report on a local winner.