Livestock guardian dogs

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As a groomer, livestock guardian breeds are some of the ones I am most careful with until I know the dog. Even ones raised as pets generally do not take kindly to strangers messing with them! They're impressive at their job for sure.
 
rainbowhatchery said:
Your very VERY right about the stranger thing. By breed they are generally leery of strangers and we do not socialize our dogs with strangers at all to amplify that by choice. I have been in law enforcement for 15 years is a small community so Im overly zealous when it comes to home protection and my dogs double as livestock as well as home protectors. Our property is very securely fenced in and we have had one person trespass and try to get onto our back porch about 5 years ago and our oldest male who is 8 now got them so bad they had to be taken to the ER and had nerve damage in their butt cheek he bit them so hard when they tried to run away after they saw him. Obviously if you socialize they are not all like that but since you mentioned strangers I figured i would bring it up. I have worked with alot of protection breeds in my field and just had to put down our german shepherd this year due to medical issues that was trained in protection, tracking and narcotics and I think I would rather face 2 of the modern protection breeds over 1 LGD dog anyday and they are much more trustworthy around your kids yet still ferociously protective.
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All of my pure Pyrenees are sweet hearts to folks once they feel they are ok to be here but you got to get threw that gate to get to me and that is where the pitbulls and rotweiler are, you get past them and make it to the house you better hope someone opens the door when you knock case the Anatolian/Pyrenees will be right behind you, his growl will make your bones hurt.

I rely on my dogs for protection and help with the farm also, i am in a very secluded place no neighbors even remotely close enough to see or even hear what goes on back in here and that is the way i like it.
Plus i am a hudge dog lover, they have always been my best friend .I just wished their life was not so short.
 
We have a Bandogge Mastiff in the house, he is still young but you wanna talk about an intimidating looking home protector, he basically looks like a 150lb pitbull. I have come up on him once as someone mentioned earlier in a post where I went around back to do something and my wife went in the front and let him out so he ran outside and then I came around the back of the barn after dark. For about a second there he didnt realize it was me and that look and bark would not be something I would want to be on the other end of if he didnt know you thats for sure. I still prefer our LGD's all around. Some breeds might make better in the house protectors, some, well alot are more obedient and good for protection work but when it comes to just an all around VERY safe dog in terms of now way they would ever turn on you or your kids but would protect you to the death nothing beats an LGD. Plus in my work and trianing with modern protection breeds like german shepherd, traverns, dobys, rotts, ect..... Most of those dogs that are not properly trained can be backed down by someone knowing what they are doing. I know most people think no way my dog would never be backed down but I have watched trainers do it over and over again with something as simple as a broomstick and aggressive behavior. The dogs look intimidating 5 ft away barking and growling but the trainers are usually always able to back them up. LGD dogs work on whats called a defense drive as opposed to prey or play drive and when they attack it similar to a mom protecting her babies (same kind of drive) and there is no backing them down and they will actually aggress an attacker, I have seen it. Not putting down any breed, we loved our German Shepherd but if it werent for the fact he was pro trained Im sure he could have been backed down as well. I also saw someone else mention that if you have LGD predators will avoid your place and thats very accurate as well. Dumber one like possums ect... might still come in but smarter predators like fox, coyotes ect... will just avoid your farm all together.
 
I have a wonderful aussie shepherd. He's a big boy, larger than average. He is fantastic with the birds, he even helps me gather them in the run after free range time, its amazing to watch as I've never taught or asked him to do it. He runs ANYTHING off. Yotes, coons, strays, you name it, even big crows/hawks he'll go bother if they perch around. Time and training varies by dog I think. I'd stay away from traditional bird dogs though.
 
My Pyrs freaked out this morning when a hawk swooped down over the place. My girl ran barking after it and it changed its trajectory and landed on the house. Both dogs circled the house keeping an eye on it. When it flew off, they gave chase until it crossed the fenceline, where they turned back. A great deal of praise and treats were administered. That was one aspect where I wondered, even though they barked at geese flying over, but it definitely appears that they will take on an aerial predator if possible.

They are out there now, barking very aggressively at something.

It has been fun to go out after a fresh snowfall and see their prints, which where and just how much they patrol during the night. They go visit each coop, which are scattered over the property, visit the horses (who do not need their protection), hang out with the hogs for a bit, then return to the garage until their next round.
 
SunnySkies said:
My Pyrs freaked out this morning when a hawk swooped down over the place. My girl ran barking after it and it changed its trajectory and landed on the house. Both dogs circled the house keeping an eye on it. When it flew off, they gave chase until it crossed the fenceline, where they turned back. A great deal of praise and treats were administered. That was one aspect where I wondered, even though they barked at geese flying over, but it definitely appears that they will take on an aerial predator if possible.

They are out there now, barking very aggressively at something.

It has been fun to go out after a fresh snowfall and see their prints, which where and just how much they patrol during the night. They go visit each coop, which are scattered over the property, visit the horses (who do not need their protection), hang out with the hogs for a bit, then return to the garage until their next round.
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That is what is needed to protect the barnyard. Keep them interested.
 
SunnySkies said:
My Pyrs freaked out this morning when a hawk swooped down over the place. My girl ran barking after it and it changed its trajectory and landed on the house. Both dogs circled the house keeping an eye on it. When it flew off, they gave chase until it crossed the fenceline, where they turned back. A great deal of praise and treats were administered. That was one aspect where I wondered, even though they barked at geese flying over, but it definitely appears that they will take on an aerial predator if possible.

They are out there now, barking very aggressively at something.

It has been fun to go out after a fresh snowfall and see their prints, which where and just how much they patrol during the night. They go visit each coop, which are scattered over the property, visit the horses (who do not need their protection), hang out with the hogs for a bit, then return to the garage until their next round.
Click to expand...
thumbsup.gif
Mine also chase off strange birds, well all but one cause he just keep coming to roost so the figured he must belong here
lau.gif


This is Critter he lives here most of the time but when he stays gone for a while he has to work his way back in with the flock before the dogs finely stop trying to run him off.
 

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