We use them to guard the sheep. They are very independent and love to roam. I live out in the country and it is not uncommon to not see them for a few days, or to find them over a mile away. But when they have cattle or sheep or even people to guard they stay closer. I have one that stays with my sheep so well that I have not touched him since I brought him home about 7 years ago as a pup. We have some others that stay around the house and have been broken to people and they stay close. They do bark quite a bit at night, but this can be a good thing to alert if coyotes are close or if people pull in the drive late at night. They are hard to train, and shed heavy.
If you need a gentle giant dog that is great with family or kids I highly recommend them. You also need a very large yard, or a considerable amount of land. They are not dogs to take on a run at the lake, or to catch a Frisbee in my experience.
