Convince me I need one....

[Camelot Farms]

Ok, so I lied. I dont need convincing but I need help convincing DH that I NEED a guard dog..Pyr maybe?

I'll set it up for ya...

We live on 2 acres in rural southwest Virginia. The property is sort of rectangular. The house sits in the front left quarter.
The barn is on the back left quarter. The pond is on the back right quarter and the paddock takes up part of that back right quarter and the whole rest of the right side.
The paddock is fenced in with 5 strand high tensile from when we had a horse.
The barn is pretty open, built 50 years ago to house farm equipment 40x60. Now it has many many chicken pens in it thanks to DH.

In a few short weeks, the paddock will be filled with 50 semi-dwarf fruit trees for our orchard. This will take up about 1/2 of it. The other half will be planted next Spring.
Right now I have about 20 free range layers who are slowly being picked off by the neighbors dog and wildlife. *This morning I chased a small coyote/large fox out of the paddock who was after my layers.

I cant take finding feather piles anymore. I am not quick with a gun nor do I want to carry one with me everytime I step out the door.

This leaves me the option of a guard dog. We have 2 indoor dogs. A lab mix and a chow mix. Both of whom are formidable predator hunters but when they are sound asleep in their doggie beds, they are useless.

I am thinking that a nice big doggie house in the paddock would be a lovely home for a Pyr or something like that.

I am going to be running a tight weave garden fence around the high tensile to keep the chickens out of the paddock while the cover crop for the orchard (buckwheat and vetch) get started. So, this would keep a dog in.

I think (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong) that just having the Pyr in proximity to the barn and the free rangers would be a turn off to any predators even tho the birds are not in with the dog.
I also think it would be an advantage to have a dog in the orchard to keep out the growing Whitetail population.

Taking suggestions on arguements for and against my morning brainstorm and breed suggestions.

 

[GeneJordan]

You need an Old Yeller, Maw...

 

[chickenzoo]

What ever dog you decided, especially with GP's is to have a very good fence... as they tend to wander if not in a secure area. That said, mine respect electric fence run with wire fence as a barrier. Mine are great with the chickens and other animals, but like all dogs they need to be trained around them... Our geese will bite them, climb up there backs, bite their belly or ears and our GP's will just sit there and take it.... poor dogs...

 

[Judy]

Honestly? If your indoor dogs are already safe around the chickens, or trainable, I'd build THEM a nice big doggy house. It will be months before a pyr will be ready to be a good guard dog, unless you get an adult, which has its own set of problems. They may not like the idea at first, but they might also greatly enjoy being free to run critters off. I've been around a few dogs who started indoors then were put out to live; I don't think any of them would stay in for longer than a visit now.

 

[Moabite]

So many great dogs out there that would love to come live with you. Dogs are meant to be sentinels. I don't know how you could have a farm with one.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Quote:
So which one of those are you sending me?

 

[chickenzoo]

Any good trainable dog can be a livestock guardian if properly trained and they have some drive to protect and not harm. My white GSD was given to me when she was 3 years old. She lived in an apartment most of her life and when her family split up I gave her a home. Best dog I have. She is good with the animals, the only thing she will chase are squirrels and snakes. I trust her around all animals, kids, people, doesn't matter. She may not be the best, but she listens and stays put. She is at my friends now guarding my animals while we are looking for a new home. I don't have to worry about her wandering or hurting anything new or not mine. Lots of good dogs looking for a good home.... no matter the breed. I love all mine, although GP's can be hard headed and strong willed.... but they look fierce..... even though most of the time they are drooling puppies.

 

[RiverOtter]

As a general rule, Pyrs eat chickens and need way more then 2 acres to roam and if they don't have it they will get out of most fences to find it. Good pyrs are the exception more then the rule and they are bred to kill anything they don't feel they own which is why they are the only breed I will instantly shoot should I see one roaming my property - and I LOVE dogs - not in the giddy, aren't they cuuute kind of way, but in the take in rescues and work at shelters and volunteer at more and pay to spay other's pooches kind of way.

How old are your 2 other dogs? It is pretty easy to give a dog a job and unless they are starting to suffer from age related ailments like hearing loss or arthritis there are your guard dogs right there.
Sure they can!
I've got a beagle on his way to being a good poultry guard and here's how. Daily, and preferably several times a day, call the dogs, leash them if necessary, and walk your property line. Act really interested in any odd things, game trails or scat. If there is a hawk in the sky, make a breathy, chuffy, What's that? kind of noise and stare at it. Praise the dogs when they follow your lead.

Encourage them to mark your fenceposts. If they are male this is pretty easy (though I admit usually my DH helps me with this). Where you mark, they mark.

Whenever you see the neighbor's dogs, call your dogs and charge.
Whenever you see a coyote/fox, call your dogs and charge.
Whenever you see anything that shouldn't be on your property, call your dogs and charge.
Whenever you hear the chickens make an alarm call, call your dogs and charge.
Pretty soon your dogs will charge without you.

When you find a pile of feathers, call the dogs and make a big show of investigating all around it.. Growl and mumble under your breath, keep calling the dogs attention back to the ground around the crime scene. Take them and walk the fenceline.

Work?
Nowhere near as much as convincing your average Pyr to stay on 2 acres and not eat chickens.
Seriously. They are bred to stay on vast tracts and kill anything that isn't the one species they are bonded with. Convincing them to stay on small parcels and accept lots of critters is really not what centuries of breeding has designed them for.

 

[chickenzoo]

I have 3 GP's that guard everything from Seramas, Emu, geese,swans, cranes, peafowl, turkey, ducks, mini horses, horses, goats, mini cows, llamas, our cat etc..... I raised them all from pups. The female I did have problems with as a puppy and lost a young duck, but now she is pretty trusting. They are right now on fenced property under 2 acres, but we have good fencing..... When they were puppies I did have to teach them they were not allowed to drag the ducks around by their tails, they were not allowed to wrestle with the turkeys..etc.... but other than that and the female killing a duck once as a puppy, I've had no trouble with them. I think shooting them just because they are GP is a bit harsh. I do understand protecting your property, but if mine ever got out and lost they would be searching for animals to be around as that is what they are familiar with. If some one shot them just because of the sight of them, I would be heart broken as they are 3 of the most loveable dogs there are. They are good guardians that seem to know our property from others. Once off the property they only guard me. Right now we are moving to bigger property and most of the animals have been moved to a friends. My GP's are depressed that their friends are gone and they have no one to protect. ( my friends fencing is not secure enough for me to let them over there).

 

[Camelot Farms]

*sigh* This is becoming complicated.

I admit I was looking for an easy solution and at the moment the Pyr seemed like a great idea. You all have given me some food for thought.
My other 2 dogs are older and definitely indoorsy, lay in front of the fireplace/air conditioner, slacker dogs.
However, if they are out with me and they see so much as possum in the area, they are on it and all heck breaks loose.
But as each summer passes, they become a little less interested in the chase. lol

Thank you again for all of the information. No matter what our decision, it will be an informed one