How effective are livestock guardians? Desperate for your answers

[yinepu]

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my old lady insists on spending the nights out with the flocks.. no matter how bad the weather is she gets antsy around 4 in the afternoon pacing by the door wanting to go out to be with them.. she is getting arthritis in her joints.. on days that she feels fine she refuses to come inside..

we never discouraged her from coming in the house when she needed to.. my husband has done 3 tours in Iraq and we felt it was important for her to be well socialized with him since he's the one who dispatches the meat birds when the time comes

the birds seem to love her too.. it's as if they know she is there to protect them from the raccoons and coyotes

 

[watchdogps]

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Aww, what a good girl!

 

[eggcited2]

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my old lady insists on spending the nights out with the flocks.. no matter how bad the weather is she gets antsy around 4 in the afternoon pacing by the door wanting to go out to be with them.. she is getting arthritis in her joints.. on days that she feels fine she refuses to come inside..

we never discouraged her from coming in the house when she needed to.. my husband has done 3 tours in Iraq and we felt it was important for her to be well socialized with him since he's the one who dispatches the meat birds when the time comes

the birds seem to love her too.. it's as if they know she is there to protect them from the raccoons and coyotes

She sounds special and loved and you sound special too for caring so much.

 

[eggcited2]

Thanks for all the info and answers. I know a lady who raises LGD's, Great Pyrenees. She has all kinds of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, goats, horses, rabbits (show rabbits in outside cages), and small pet dogs (doxie and other small dog). Everyone of her GP's are raised with all those animals, even the babies she gets out of all the various animals.

She currently has two 5 1/2 month old pups and three 7 month old pups. They have been around all those various animals since birth.

She is asking $350. Is that a good price? Too high or good price? We live about 60 miles out from St. Louis. She sells 8 - 10 week old pups for $500.

 

[Baymule]

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Sounds like you need to get one of Tex's puppies.

Unless he is neutered.

 

[watchdogps]

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Personally, I wouldn't, but that's because in dogs I want the Mercedes, not the Hyundai. By that, I mean that I want dogs that I can track their parents and their health testing. Pyrs are prone to some serious health issues, and I want to see parents and littermates and aunts and uncles OFA ratings. I want to know about their thyroid and their cardiac. For $350, you wont be getting that. Which means they may be fine, or you may have a walking vet bill in a couple of years. A sound dog should be able to work till they are 10 yrs old, maybe longer. Over that lifetime, spending $1000 upfront saves you a lot of money.

The good thing is that they are with the stock, but I would caution you to make sure you SEE them in with the stock, dont take her word for it. I know a lot of people who made that mistake and got their dog home and it wasnt nearly as good as the seller said it was. It does make me wonder though why she is marking older pups down. A trained dog is worth MORE than a green pup.
Also, does she have the 5 mos, the 7 mos AND the 8 week olds? I'd be concerned that she has too many litters.

 

[mulewagon]

I was worried about getting a purebred, too, so we got a Pyr/Catahoula mix. He's a sweet-tempered, intelligent puppy. We made him more of a pet, so he's guarding us instead of the chickens. But that's fine, as their pen is in the backyard. He's driven away stray cats and dogs, and is clearing the area of turtles (okay, he's young!)

 

[lishah2000]

My pyrs are very effective. Wouldn't say they are bonded to the poultry, but they protect the property. Both were adult rescues.

Before getting the first one I was getting something in the traps about 4 times a week. I've had her about a year and a half and have only had something in the traps three times. Two of those were in the very beginning. The neighbor has had lots of problems with bobcat, but the tracks will come right up to my fence, then turn around. (he has three dogs, but not LGDs)

I had a bobcat visiting just about every night. It was just watching and waiting to catch the ducks off guard. It stopped visiting after just a few nights.

I love mine and even feel safer when I have to go out at night.

 

[watchdogps]

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Mixed breeds are only as healthy as their purebred parents. Hybrid vigor doesnt occur in the true sense in dogs because their DNA is so similar among breeds. Thus, if the cross is of two dogs who have the same health probs, the pups will get those issues. For example, labs and german sheps both have very high rates of hip dysplasia, so the chance of a lab and a shep with hip dysplasia meeting in an alley is pretty high, so many lab/sheps have hip dysplasia.
Catahoulas are pretty free of health issues, so the chance of doubling up on bad genes is low in that breed.
That said, I would never BUY a dog that was a cross simply b/c its irresponsible to make them, and i wont reward someone for being irresponsible. I would rescue one if I were going to take that chnace though.
I feel the same about discount purebreds. If you only want to spend $350, go to a rescue and get one that probably came from that lousy breeder in the beginning. Give it a home, and dont encourage the lousy breeders to breed more dogs.

Final caution about cross breds - if you do get one, I strongly suggest you do not get one that is a cross of breeds with varying purposes. LGD/herding dogs are polar opposites and you never know how DNA will roll the dice. it may look pyr, but have a high prey drive, etc.

Oh, and before everyone jumps me with "any dog can be an LGD" and examples of their tucktail terriers and flat footed booby hounds that are fabulous with their chickens, i will say yes, their are individuals within any breed that CAN be good with livestock, poultry etc. Just as there are individuals within any breed that do not do the job they were intended for. There are poodles that herd, and goldens that do NOT retrieve. BUT, you will be most likely to be successful if you select a breed that was designed for the prupose you have in mind. Just as you do not hire a mechanic to design a house for you, you hire an architect.

 

[southerndesert]

Our Blue Healer and Rottie do a fine job....