mr.frosty, I don't know if you can train the mule to stay, heel, fetch, or go get the paper, but they can be trained to protect sheep and goats from coyotes. Most of the people that run sheep and goats out in this part of the world moved away from dogs and started to use a donkey or llama to run with the stock. One friend had tried just about every breed of dog, and still lost stock. After putting both a donkey and llama in the pasture he hasn't lost one to the coyotes or wild dogs.