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Geese work great if the dogs are intimidated by their hissing and posturing. But they're just as vulnerable to attack as other birds. They just go down fighting.
It would take a while to train a good guard dog, but you might be able to get one that is already trained. Lots of people need to rehome their livestock guardian dogs for a variety of reasons. You would need to have your property fenced, if you don't already, but guardian dogs are a great source of security. They are capable of taking and dishing out an amazing amount of damage, as they were developed to fight off wolves. They are fearless and WILL NOT back down from a threat. For me, the biggest disadvantage to a livestock guardian dog (LGD) is that they do bark a lot. They can be trained to only bark at actual threats, but until then they tend to bark at everything that moves -- sparrows, butterflies, raccoons, attack dogs, eagles, deer, cats, everything they perceive without any filtering. Their main goal is to scare away threats, and to fight them off only if they aren't intimidated by the loud bark. Most of them are very loyal to respectful owners, but don't have a high desire to please people. They don't have a retriever personality. Some can be aggressive, so you have to be selective about the dog, and dominant in the relationship but very respectful. These dogs are very intelligent and want to work. They often do best as working pairs. My favorite breeds are Anatolian Shepherds, Turkish Kangals, Maremmas, and Black Russian Terriers, but there are many others that are also fabulous. (The Maremma may have too much hair for New Mexico, but the Anatolian and the Kangal were bred for work in a hot climate, and the Black Russian Terrier is often groomed short, so they would all do well for you.) If you are interested in one, there are many LGD rescue organizations that may be able to help you find the right one, as well as breed chat groups, etc . If you get a puppy from a breeder, the inherited portion of the puppy's behavior is influenced more by the mother than the father, so it's best to get a puppy from a mother that loves guarding chickens, as chicken protection is specialized work that not every LGD will enjoy. Many people get an already trained adult, and then get a puppy that the trained adult dog can help raise and teach it how to do the job. That's the easiest option for people who are new to LGDs. Alternatively, you may be able to find an excellent guardian dog for a shelter, but it's more of a risk. But even non-traditional breeds can be excellent guardians. I know someone who uses Standard Poodles to guard her chickens, although they probably wouldn't do as well as a Kangal in a fight, especially against a Pit Bull.
I don't know any Anatolian or BRT breeders, but can get some referrals for you if you're interested. Just PM me. Here is a link to an excellent Turkish Kangal breeder in GA:
http://www.shadowwingsfarm.com/Index.html. That site will give you a lot of information about the breed also. I don't know if they ship puppies or not, but they may be able to give you a NM referral if you're interested.
Please do come back to this thread when you're up to it. You'll be missed, but I do understand why you have to leave for a while. What happened to you is so sad.
