Dog Suggestions

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Thanks...I'll pass your compliment on to Ivan as soon as I get home.

We'd never heard of the breed until we got him, and it was sort of a fluke that we got him at all. He hadn't been socialized and was already 6mo old and very snappy and growly, so we knew we were taking a gamble with him.. His owners were out of options, basically, as they couldn't keep him but couldn't sell him in the shape he was in...so they actually gave us the dog -- $0.00 -- in exchange for our taking the risk and giving him an honest to goodness shot at getting him turned around..

He came around to my wife almost immediately, but he hated me.. I did my homework, though, and learned a lot about fear aggression and how to deal with it. He was broke to the point that I could pet him in maybe a week or 10 days.

Best buddies now.

When I talk about him, people always ask "What kind of dog is he?"

"Sarplaninac."

It's always the same...."Sharplawhat?!?"

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

He looks so intelligent and yet sweet at the same time. Mine is sweet. Maybe not so smart...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=203674 Look at post #5

 

[morelcabin]

We have always had boxers...and chickens. I had one boxer that no matter what you did she would go after those birds as soon as your back was rutned, but the other two ( after puppyhood, of course) were/are really good about not chasing my birds.
The other day I was out there working and I heard my chickens squaking and running all over and saw what looked like my boxer giving chase. She was actually chasing a squirrel away from the feed:>) So boxers can be good!

 

[mamaKate]

Boondach Saints wrote"No dog can stand up to several coyotes". I know that's generally true but I've had some coonhound mixes that could hold their own (at least with only 3 or 4) and a psychotic Dane who had to be ordered to "drop" an Irish Setter. The hounds were great with chickens,too. I'm sorry you lost your dog and hope you find a new comforting friend soon.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Smart, yes...obedient, not so much. Some folks equate the two, but those rules go out the window where LGDs are concerned.

He always meets us at the gate with a big wagging tail, though.

Cute pup you got there, too..

I dunno if any of our dogs would allow passengers like that, but then again, our chickens are wild as March hares so I wouldn't be able to test anyhow.

 

[rachiegirl]

I really hope this post keeps going as I want to glean all the info I can. Ivan is absolutely adorable!
I have 3 dogs an 11 yo Akita who would go down protecting the kids but would looove to have a chicken (and the cat)for dinner, a 6 yo rat terrier who also would looove to have chicken for dinner whilst on a date with the cat and an almost 1 yo beagle who just wants to play catch with the chickens. He has gotten out once and as a result we lost 2 birds. He didn't eat them, they just never came back and we couldn't find them. He's young though and is responding very well to training. I am glad it was him that got out, the other 2 would have decimated the flock. Cooper was just "having fun."

I agree that most herding and other high activity working breeds should probably be avoided for chicken tending. Not only for the mere herding factor, i.e. nipping etc., but more for the fact they are highly intelligent and very active dogs that need more of a "job." Let's face it, how exciting and mentally stimulating is guarding chickens! These dogs need something to keep them busy and engage their minds. When bored they can develop bad habits and will invent things to do. Digging, chewing, barking, chasing and even at times self destructive behaviors like scratching and chewing on themselves.
While Sadie(Akita) is still going strong at 11, I am thinking ahead to the day when we will need to find a replacement. The kids would love to have a dog to interact and play with. I would like something that would guard the house, kids and chickens. Tall order, I know. We only have a acre and a half and live close to the road. I don't know how happy a LGD would be here though. I wouldn't want to get one if it would make them unhappy.
I am open to any and all suggestions though!

 

[LilbitChicken]

HUM.....we have a blue heeler. She is 10 months old now, and has learned over the past 4 months our birds. Are a "no mouth" and "no bark" area. I think it really depends on what age you raise your dog from.....she is our herder for our goats, our alert system and protection for our yard and animals. SHe has learned a lot, and still needs to learn in the years to come.......

I am sorry for your loss....good luck with your new family member!

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Thanks! We think so too.

Quote:
Meh..not really. Not for the right dog, anyway.

If you need to have a LGD guard multiple things, all you really have to do is find one intent on guarding itself and put it around the things you need guarded. That's how Ivan operates; he doesn't really have any special "flock/guardian bond" with the goats, nor the chickens, nor the house, nor the tools in the barn, nor is he particularly territorial.

What makes Ivan tick is fear aggression.. He has no "flight" impulse -- only "fight." When something rattles his cage, he's hardwired to act aggressively toward it. If it moves away, that's usually good enough. If his aggression triggers an aggressive response in return, a fight will ensue and...with his size...he'll most likely kill it.

The "guarding" part is largely incidental...he could be in a bare sandlot with nothing to guard or in a bank vault with millions of dollars, and he'd act exactly the same way. In our case, we have goats and chickens and tools in the barn, and they're effectively "guarded" by virtue of the fact that a very large fear-aggressive dog lives with them.

Aside from also having ZERO prey drive, that's really all there is to Ivan.

While I've never owned one and can't say with absolute certainty, Anatolians seem to have the same fear-aggressive drive as Ivan does with perhaps a touch more territoriality.. If I needed a dog to guard everything near it and couldn't find a Sarplaninac (they're hard to find), I'd get an Anatolian.

In fact, we're looking for an Anatolian female to add to our pack and cross with Ivan. Talk about some pups...they should be something else!

Anyway...most breeders of Pyrs, on the other hand, strongly recommend that the dogs be "bonded" to the stock they're intended to guard, which indicates to me that something else makes them tick. I've never owned a Pyr either, so that could all be hogwash.

I have been in the field with Pyrs to whom I was a complete stranger, and they never so much as made their presence known. I didn't like that.. They may have chewed my hind end if I'd lunged at a goat, but what if I'd been there to steal tools?

Conversely, all you have to do is come off the road onto our property, and Ivan makes quite a display of himself.

Quote:
We have a total of about 26 acres, but Ivan and our goats only have access to maybe 2 acres. Most of the time, Ivan can be found sleeping somewhere shady. He's not exactly a "patroller," preferring instead to leave one ear up and...ahem...conserve his energy, um, ya know, for that big fight he might have to get in.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Point being...I don't think 1-1/2 acres would be too little for him.

You didn't mention if you had/would have fences, though... Fences would be absolutely essential for *any* LGD, if only for the liability.

I'm waaaaaaaay past rambling...sorry.

 

[LizzyJo]

Can one disgruntled person actually have a thread closed? I ask because there's trouble brewing on another thread that I found interesting. I'd hate to see all the interesting and funny comments disappear because a couple of people don't like what others have to say.

Can a moderator please answer this for me (or anyone else that knows). I thought things had to get into forbidden fields (flaming, religion, politics and like that) before steps were taken.

If people don't like what is being posted (for instance there was one thread where there was a LOT of discussion about killing predators, and some people were offended) why don't those who are offended just quit reading the thread instead of torturing themselves and trying to make others conform to their point of view.

 

[sephiroth]

I have a pit bull too. This one has a very low prey drive and is pretty laid back. Raised from a pup.

We haven't let him free range with the chickens yet but he doesn't bother them in the run or anything. He likes to leave his scent around the coop though.

So far he's needed little supervision around the birds.