Livestock guardian dogs

[centrarchid]

Hmmm...I don't know.  Recommended feeding is four to five cups for her size.  I think the can holds less than that.  Large kibble that is.  Anyway, the whole point of my and other's posts is these large breed dogs are not big consumers of feed as believed by many.  They are not high energy requirement types or even large volume requirements compared next to breeds half their size.

And dogs with a territorial protective instinct would not work in my area.  Can't have a dog with that kind of strong sense of territory attacking my neighbors and their dogs as they pass by on the public road.  Barbed wire is about the best we can do on fencing and that doesn't work on anything other than cows or horses, so a LGD was my best option if I wanted to free range my birds.  It has worked well.  Mine doesn't wander, unlike others report at times.  I did something right!

Interesting. LGD's are well known for the roaming tendency when kept on small acreages.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Interesting. LGD's are well known for the roaming tendency when kept on small acreages.

Yep, I read that when researching them. Wasn't a problem with her. She was leashed for the first couple of weeks when I brought her home and I spent time teaching her to walk on the leash and obey some commands. I introduced her to the chickens, brought her leashed in the pen with me when doing chores, walked her around the perimeter of our property twice daily and kept her close to (yet not accessible to) the chickens at night. I also spayed her. There were a few times while she grew out that I had to physically dominate her to remind her who was boss, but I was expecting that. My neighbor has cows that are sometimes in the pasture next to us, so she had to get used to them, and while she would sometimes bark at them, she never attacked them or their calves. Anytime I go outside she is there or well within earshot. We left for a trip for a few days once and left the coops open for the chickens. I worried some, but shouldn't have. She was right there when we returned and all chickens accounted for. I love the intelligence these dogs display and their ability to recognize friend or foe. Even when she sees "foe", as in the neighbor dog who attacked the chickens, I can rest assured she will not tear the dog up in front of my neighbors eyes. No, she wisely just barks and growls and escorts the troublemaker until he and his owner pass our property. If the dog confronts her, there will be a fight, but they usually hurry along. She can recognize which dogs have an unhealthy interest in my birds. Wildlife haven't received that kind of consideration. They better not even show up.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Yep, I read that when researching them.  Wasn't a problem with her.  She was leashed for the first couple of weeks when I brought her home and I spent time teaching her to walk on the leash and obey some commands.  I introduced her to the chickens, brought her leashed in the pen with me when doing chores, walked her around the perimeter of our property twice daily and kept her close to (yet not accessible to) the chickens at night.  I also spayed her.  There were a few times while she grew out that I had to physically dominate her to remind her who was boss, but I was expecting that. My neighbor has cows that are sometimes in the pasture next to us, so she had to get used to them, and while she would sometimes bark at them, she never attacked them or their calves.  Anytime I go outside she is there or well within earshot.  We left for a trip for a few days once and left the coops open for the chickens.  I worried some, but shouldn't have.  She was right there when we returned and all chickens accounted for.  I love the intelligence these dogs display and their ability to recognize friend or foe.  Even when she sees "foe", as in the neighbor dog who attacked the chickens, I can rest assured she will not tear the dog up in front of my neighbors eyes.  No, she wisely just barks and growls and escorts the troublemaker until he and his owner pass our property.  If the dog confronts her, there will be a fight, but they usually hurry along.  She can recognize which dogs have an unhealthy interest in my birds.  Wildlife haven't received that kind of consideration.  They better not even show up.

Mine took to roaming - or should I say, herding my neighbour and her two little dogs home whenever they passed by on their morning walks She's still a puppy, though, so even though she's well aware of her boundaries, if she sees something interesting on the other side she HAS to investigate! I have an invisible fence for her and since getting the "stubborn dog" collar and widening the boundary width she no longer dares cross. Instead, she watches the passersby go by, barking, and when they're clearly gone, she will go back to one of her posts. She doesn't mind entertaining neighbour dogs that come on the property, but then again none of the ones that have visited were among the local chicken-killers. One of those (chicken killers) she met once off-property when we were going to the beach and she did NOT like her! Their sense of "knowing" is certainly a wonder

 

[dickhuhn]

Interesting. LGD's are well known for the roaming tendency when kept on small acreages.

Indeed, we had the problem when we had only one lgd, after they are two this isn't a big issue, though from time to time they visit the next neighbour.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Interesting. LGD's are well known for the roaming tendency when kept on small acreages.

My Akbash has no interest in going anywhere. we have 2 acres but the goat area is a half acre

 

[Cmcclosk]

By all means. They are wonderful dogs. We live in the city and our pyr was bred from show dogs. But when we got chickens she knew she was not to hurt them. They go right up to her. Completely trust her. But no raccoons. She hates possums too

Candice

 

[centrarchid]

My Akbash has no interest in going anywhere. we have 2 acres but the goat area is a half acre

We have an Ackbash,, multiple Great Pyrenees and a Komodore x Great Pyrenees. All are within fenced in areas that usually exceed 2 acres with most around 10 acres. When dogs get beyond the fence they will go a couple hundred yards at least although the current dogs will come back and attempt to get back with stock. The 2 acre areas are simply too small to encompass all that interest the dogs. Previously singly kept dogs not properly bound to stock, like as occurs when chickens are stock, are much more inclined to wander much further and this proved to be a factor for their replacement.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

We have an Ackbash,, multiple Great Pyrenees and a Komodore x Great Pyrenees. All are within fenced in areas that usually exceed 2 acres with most around 10 acres. When dogs get beyond the fence they will go a couple hundred yards at least although the current dogs will come back and attempt to get back with stock. The 2 acre areas are simply too small to encompass all that interest the dogs. Previously singly kept dogs not properly bound to stock, like as occurs when chickens are stock, are much more inclined to wander much further and this proved to be a factor for their replacement.

maybe but I'm just saying ours doesn't like to leave the yard

 

[centrarchid]

maybe  but I'm just saying ours doesn't like to leave the yard

When dog shows strong fidelity to location / yard with out actually being bonded to stock, that is indicative of a home range which is a component of territoriality. Some parties a few post back have suggested the LGD's are lacking in territorial behavior.

 

[dickhuhn]

We have an Ackbash,, multiple Great Pyrenees and a Komodore x Great Pyrenees. All are within fenced in areas that usually exceed 2 acres with most around 10 acres. When dogs get beyond the fence they will go a couple hundred yards at least although the current dogs will come back and attempt to get back with stock. The 2 acre areas are simply too small to encompass all that interest the dogs. Previously singly kept dogs not properly bound to stock, like as occurs when chickens are stock, are much more inclined to wander much further and this proved to be a factor for their replacement.

Indeed, our lgds seem to treat about 100 m from each corner of the house as theirs, which is about 10 acres. Though there are zero fences here and luckily no others buildings in that area. The dogs don't go away if we are not home, they stay with the chickens that are free ranging all day. If we are home they do from time to time a patrol and during the night, when the chickens are secured.

Overall they do a great job, we didn't lose a single chicken since we have them! Before we had quite some losses, no wonder living in a forest. Of course you have to arrange with their sometimes strange nature, due to thousands of years protecting sheep mostly on their own (in a small team).