Livestock guardian dogs

[zazouse]

My two. They came up and looked in the sliding glass door.

 

[zazouse]

Annie and Marty are loving this cold weather

 

[MrsBachbach]

Here's my girl from a few years ago.

 

[zazouse]

Beautiful dog,

Not sure if i posted photos of this girl, she is the boss around here.

 

[Spanishchick]

In regards to the vet bill comment I do all vaccines except rabies Myself. I'll do Stitches and lots of things that cut vet bills.

 

[zazouse]

In regards to the vet bill comment I do all vaccines except rabies Myself. I'll do Stitches and lots of things that cut vet bills.

Same here , I use the local rabies clinic that comes to our town , I give them the rest of their shots and wormings have them on a heartworm preventive and flea preventive that don't cost me an arm and a leg, the only time mine go to the vet is to be altered, When you live on a farm you should know how to handle things that is part of farm life, just like your birds, ain't many bird vets out there and I ain't heard of even one around my area.

 

[Spanishchick]

I wish I were as rural as you are. My fil is a cattle rancher but also has every other animal you can imagine. He breeds mules as well. They do everything themselves which gave me the idea especially since I worked as a cardiac tech when I was younger.
If I can do an iv on a human I can do an intramuscular injection although I think most people could handle it too.
Where do you get heartworm meds? I havnt been able to find those I think its because the dig has to be tested negative which mine is. The new puppy needs tobe looked at.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Also [LSGD] ....aren't family pets id expect them to live with the animals 24/7 not just sometimes.





remember tho never pet lines always working lines never show lines
.

The Great Pyrenees like most working or hunting dogs are ruled by their inbred instinct. Their outward appearance is a creation of the human mind, developed to help them do their jobs. A young GP should be allowed to live and sleep with your chickens at least part of every day. They must imprint on the livestock charges that you want them to protect while the dog is still young so that they begin viewing your chickens as part of their pack or family. If you do not do this when the dog is young, then you will be in the unenviable position of trying to break your dog from killing what to him are those pesky chickens in your back yard that are eating up all your chicken feed and crapping on your lawn.

Less you think that you can easily dissuade a non imprinted adult GP from killing chickens, remember that every time he kills a chicken, and you admonish or punish him for it most dogs that are to old to learn a new trick may get it into their head that you are punishing them because they aren't killing your chickens fast enough to suit you. In the Old World working environment that GP and other LSGDs originally came from they were expected to live with the sheep high in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain and protect their owners sheep from all manner of predators, but especially from wolf packs. GP are serious dogs, their happy go lucky temperament not withstanding.

As part of their development GP were bred with a thick and warm coat that shielded them from the elements like cold, rain, and snow but that also allowed them to sleep comfortable in windy subzero condition without the benefit of housing. The Basque herders had no use for house dogs, yard dogs or lap dogs, the Basque wanted practical working dogs that could make their lives easier and that is what they bred. I doubt that the dog in the above photograph has ever had a bath or a good brushing. It he has had either I think that it would interfere somewhat with his purpose in life, which is to gnaw the chicken killing apparatuses off the faces of every coyote that crosses his path.

Less anyone thinks that the use of LSGD reported below was an instant success it was not. It only succeeded after a third pair of 2 month old dogs was introduced to Middle Island and then kept there alone long enough to bond with or to imprint on the little or blue penguins living on Middle Island. The second pair of older dogs were in fact worst than the foxes that the dogs were supposed to protect the penguins from. Need I say more?.

http://news.wildlife.org/featured/sheepdogs-save-australias-endangered-little-penguins/

 

[chickengeorgeto]

...even a smallish dog can whip an intact adult coon with minimal risk of injury so long as fight is clear of water and tight locations restricting dogs ability to maneuver. Do not pit you true LGD against a healthy coon in water, otherwise be prepared to get a new LGD as replacement owing to being ruined if not drowned.

A big coon round here will weigh 30 pounds, in corn country I'm told they can grow to 40 pounds or 'worst'. Like centrarchid said, a large coon perched on top of your dog's head in deep water equals one very dead dog.

 

[tatertot]

Awesome thread