Livestock guardian dogs

[mkeawsh]

I find great pry not fierce enough, anything that has been used as show dog or being bred as pets i just wont use. I prefer dogs that nothing but working dogs in their backround. With a good dog I expect to not lose 1 hen or anything. Also they should be able to dispatch predators without hurting themselves so we dont have to take them to the vet which will make it more expensive. Their kills should be clean and quick. A heeler or whatever else dog catches a coyote there is going to be some nasty nasty bites alll over your dog. WIth a good LGD you should not have that issue. Also they aren't family pets id expect them to live with the animals 24/7 not just sometimes.

The good thing about komadors they have this thick fur that protects them from predator bites. So if a coon or something attacks them back they are well protected.





remember tho never pet lines always working lines never show lines

I so agree. My GP was raised since 6 weeks old with my goats and the chickens would hang with him and the goats. He is so bonded and protective of them. He has thwarted coyotes, diving hawks who were after a chicken and many more predators. Hawks fly away empty. It is cute to watch him watching the sky. He sleeps with my goats which is right next to where the chickens sleep. When he was eight weeks old a coyote was coming out of the woods straight for my goats and chickens. Buddy chased him up deep into the woods, came walking down and herded the goats further away, looked over at the chickens who at that point had headed into their pens and then went back on the hill, facing where the coyote had disappeared and sat there watching for 45 minutes, would look back to check on the goats, the sky and the entire perimeter. A black snake was traveling across the bottom land toward our creek and he followed him at a distance and once Buddy thought he was far enough away from us, he turned and let the snake go on his merry way. Haven't seen a copperhead here since getting him and we had more than a few that we used to encounter. At night, he and the goats are in a large fenced enclosure and I have Nite Guards blinking in all directions even facing the sky, on the chicken house and tractors, so nothing gets near. It doesn't mean he doesn't bark sometimes the whole darn night with hearing deer, owls, rabbits, foxes, skunks (besides smelling them) and what ever else happens to make noise in the night.

Buddy has never been in our house because he is here to protect my livestock but is the biggest lover I have ever had for a dog. I don't think he would have been as good at his job if I brought him in the house. He would not be totally focused on what he is suppose to be doing and wants to do - it is instinctive. When my grand kids come over, he just loves them and loves on them, but is then even more serious about watching and guarding. He has numerous times tried to herd the kids all together or move them back, when he thought there may be a threat. He is such a gentle giant with my grand kids, the goats and the chickens, even my cats know he is not a threat and will rub around his legs, go under him and lay with him. They all belong to him and he knows he is responsible for them.

I truly think the reason Buddy is so good at what he does is because he was imprinted with these animals from the beginning and lives, sleeps and eats with them.

 

[mkeawsh]

If I could change one thing about her, it would be her coat! It's getting to be that time of year again for a major workout of washing and brushing, brushing and brushing to get her ready for summer heat.

I so agree. How do you do it? Buddy hates it and how do you keep a dog still and down this big? He loves all the attention and even being sat on by my daughter to keep him down but hates the brushing and trimming to get all the knots out.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I so agree.  How do you do it?  Buddy hates it and how do you keep a dog still and down this big?  He loves all the attention and even being sat on by my daughter to keep him down but hates the brushing and trimming to get all the knots out.

First thing she gets is a washing. I wait until it gets upper 70's then she gets chained on a short short chain and the shampoo and water hose comes out. It usually takes a couple of washings to get most of the dirt out. If you can hook your hose to your kitchen faucet and give a tepid water bath that is best. That cold water from the hose has to be a shock. The coat is a little easier to work with once she is bathed. She likes brushing but is always more interested in guarding for me to get much work done, so I usually have to chain her for that also. It takes a few heavy brushes a week for a couple of months to get her all done. That's why it's such a chore. If it gets too hot before she is fully shed, I get the clippers out and shave her chest and belly so she can stay a little cooler. I really don't think they make brushes strong enough to last more than a few months with these coats. I did find an undercoat rake with a set of double teeth that has held up amazingly well for the past few years although it has lost a few teeth working through her coat. If your dog has knots, best thing to do is just take the scissors to them, especially on that fuzzy rear and behind the ears. I heard many people just take the shears to them when the weather warms up and they say the coat grows back but I can't imagine losing their top coat is a good thing for them. It has to provide some protection to them from the sun and pests and predators.

As far as keeping her down, if she wants up I would have to sit on her to stop her. Early on while she was a pup I taught her who was boss when she misbehaved by physically putting her down on the ground and keeping her down so she would know I am top dog. She does know a few commands and will generally obey IF she is on a leash. For some reason, she knows when the leash is on, I'm the boss.

 

[mkeawsh]

First thing she gets is a washing. I wait until it gets upper 70's then she gets chained on a short short chain and the shampoo and water hose comes out. It usually takes a couple of washings to get most of the dirt out. If you can hook your hose to your kitchen faucet and give a tepid water bath that is best. That cold water from the hose has to be a shock. The coat is a little easier to work with once she is bathed. She likes brushing but is always more interested in guarding for me to get much work done, so I usually have to chain her for that also. It takes a few heavy brushes a week for a couple of months to get her all done. That's why it's such a chore. If it gets too hot before she is fully shed, I get the clippers out and shave her chest and belly so she can stay a little cooler. I really don't think they make brushes strong enough to last more than a few months with these coats. I did find an undercoat rake with a set of double teeth that has held up amazingly well for the past few years although it has lost a few teeth working through her coat. If your dog has knots, best thing to do is just take the scissors to them, especially on that fuzzy rear and behind the ears. I heard many people just take the shears to them when the weather warms up and they say the coat grows back but I can't imagine losing their top coat is a good thing for them. It has to provide some protection to them from the sun and pests and predators.

As far as keeping her down, if she wants up I would have to sit on her to stop her. Early on while she was a pup I taught her who was boss when she misbehaved by physically putting her down on the ground and keeping her down so she would know I am top dog. She does know a few commands and will generally obey IF she is on a leash. For some reason, she knows when the leash is on, I'm the boss.

Thank you. He knows I am in charge. Taught him all the commands and is very obedient with all them and on a leash, but freaks when he hears the brush. It isn't loud but he hears it. Our neighbor has a GP and he told me the type of brush to get - metal, t shaped - and it works great when I can keep him down. It just really scares him. I can clip the knots around his ears and get him to turn over on his back to get the ones underneath but anywhere else, forget it. My son can really keep him down. He does not live here and is very busy, but is always willing to drop anything to come and help. I try to gauge when he is free and since I don't want to do it all at one time, would get a part done and not get to another section until weeks later.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thank you.  He knows I am in charge.  Taught him all the commands and is very obedient with all them and on a leash, but freaks when he hears the brush.  It isn't loud but he hears it.  Our neighbor has a GP and he told me the type of brush to get - metal, t shaped - and it works great when I can keep him down.  It just really scares him.  I can clip the knots around his ears and get him to turn over on his back to get the ones underneath but anywhere else, forget it.  My son can really keep him down. He does not live here and is very busy, but is always willing to drop anything to come and help.  I try to gauge when he is free and since I don't want to do it all at one time, would get a part done and not get to another section until weeks later.

Hear the brush? What kind of brush is this? And what is a t brush and where do you find one? The undercoat rake I have is T shaped with a double row of metal teeth. Is that a t brush?

 

[mkeawsh]

Hear the brush? What kind of brush is this? And what is a t brush and where do you find one? The undercoat rake I have is T shaped with a double row of metal teeth. Is that a t brush?

Yep, that is what I call a brush. Sounds like what I have. Just my general term - brush the cats, brush the dogs, brush the rabbits, I even used to brush my rats.

 

[Triple Willow]

Lots of great information on this thread from everybody. My question is still which LGD would be safe not to attack strangers that just happen by (such as the trash man, the meter reader(s), the telephone repair man, etc)? Which one will not try or jump the fence to attack someone walking down the road? Which one will not go to the neighbor's down the road and kill their foo foo dogs? I don't want something tragic to happen to someone or to be sued over an attack and the home owner's insurance policy canceled over it.

 

[lisa760]

I think some of it depends on the breed, but plenty depends on the dog and training. You are going to have a fence, right? Well, that keeps the dog from biting everyone and going anywhere. My dogs bark and look scary if anyone comes to my house, but they won't bite, they are actually pretty friendly, but no one knows that. I have had repair people here and my dogs left them alone. I have Mastiffs (Spanish and Pyrenean) they are over 100 pounds each, their size and bark intimidates most everything and everyone, but I'm sure if push came to shove they would win a fight.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Lots of great information on this thread from everybody. My question is still which LGD would be safe not to attack strangers that just happen by (such as the trash man, the meter reader(s), the telephone repair man, etc)? Which one will not try or jump the fence to attack someone walking down the road? Which one will not go to the neighbor's down the road and kill their foo foo dogs? I don't want something tragic to happen to someone or to be sued over an attack and the home owner's insurance policy canceled over it.

If you read up on the LGD breeds you will see that the Great Pyrenees is known to be the least aggressive of the LGD breeds. That said, all LGDs need to be socialized with people while they are still considered pups. Meaning bring them out in public several times. I didn't bring mine out much except a few visits to the vet, once to the pet store (she practically pulled my husband to his knees) and other than that just family that would visit once in awhile. My girl avoids people. She will bark and growl but generally keeps her distance from all that show up here. I noticed when I picked her up as a pup her mom would do the same. Bark and growl but did not get close. She prowled around the area. Her father on the other hand was HUGE and came to greet me at my car. All he did was sit at my door and look at me almost eye to eye! He was very mellow looking, quiet and confident. He wasn't barking or growling and it took alot of nerve for me to get out of the car. They seem to know who or what is posing a threat, but be aware that most dogs are not fully mature until two years of age and that is when they start performing really well.
Your reasons are the exact reason I chose the Pyrenees. I am rural, but do have neighbors, delivery men, people walking the road, etc. I'm not exactly tucked into the woods or off the traveled path and I have very small acreage. They say the breed in known to roam, but I haven't experienced it. Maybe because I fixed her or maybe because I leashed her and walked her around the edges of the property for the first few weeks before I turned her loose, I don't really know, but even though I'm not fenced, she is never far away. I do remember having to nurse her back to health from parvo about a week after obtaining her. Maybe that left some kind of impression on her. I've never seen her at the neighbors houses either. Maybe because they have dogs also and she knows that's their territory? Or she just takes her job seriously and sticks close to home. They are also reported to bark alot at night. Well, sometimes but not constantly in my experience. That's their way of warning predators away. So, if you have very close neighbors you might want to consider that.

 

[aart]

Lots of great information on this thread from everybody. My question is still which LGD would be safe not to attack strangers that just happen by (such as the trash man, the meter reader(s), the telephone repair man, etc)? Which one will not try or jump the fence to attack someone walking down the road? Which one will not go to the neighbor's down the road and kill their foo foo dogs? I don't want something tragic to happen to someone or to be sued over an attack and the home owner's insurance policy canceled over it.

I think some of it depends on the breed, but plenty depends on the dog and training. You are going to have a fence, right? Well, that keeps the dog from biting everyone and going anywhere. My dogs bark and look scary if anyone comes to my house, but they won't bite, they are actually pretty friendly, but no one knows that. I have had repair people here and my dogs left them alone. I have Mastiffs (Spanish and Pyrenean) they are over 100 pounds each, their size and bark intimidates most everything and everyone, but I'm sure if push came to shove they would win a fight.

I agree it has more to do with the particular dog and especially that dogs owner/trainer than a particular breed....there are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners/trainers.

I'm sure there may be LGD breeds that tens to be more aggressive, but I don't know what they are. Got to homesteadingtoday.com/guardian animals and start reading, lots of very good info and trainers there.