Pyrenees and ducks

[Lilyt]

Has anyone ever used a Great Pyrenees to guard their ducks? We live on 6 acres in the country and we seem to have developed a predator problem, whether it's wildlife or local dogs, I'm not sure. We have dogs but they are more barkers than protectors and I've decided to look into Livestock Guardian Dogs. The Pryn seems to ideal, but that 's on paper. Just curious if anyone has actually had any experience guarding their flocks with these dogs. Thanks

 

[laughingdog]

Id go against it with sheep or smaller unless you can train to your flock yourself. i hear people who breed to sell them say how great and gentle they are, same with heelers, but my personal experiances with them, including neighbors, friends, those getting rid of them for being stock killers of sheep and goats ect, and some local chicken and duck keepers to me on here that had them kill everything in site even going through windows doors and fences and breaking tether to get at fowl, is that they have to be raised and/or trained maybe with each group supposed to guard ect. I've seen them play with coyote and kill the sheep ment to protect then coyote got blaimed till owner was off one night and saw personally. being fair, i have seen two instances were great pyraneese were great trained visual deterrence to human predators, when trained. my collies have herded one to four pyraneese right up with stock, so i question how well they'd actually do more than look tough if persistent pred attacked. plus them being dogs they may as seen decide to be friend canine preds as seen when only dog due to their size and how much they eat.

 

[laughingdog]

Id go with collies, as theyv worked wonderfully for me, especially rough collies as naturals though my border collie had to be told no once when she first met and went to quick at my first poultry which were babies. sheperds are all around great and plan to get a couple when poultry multiply, and get mini goats. I've heard some really great things with jack Russell terriers for guard dogs trained and kept with poultry, and heard they're great and will kill mice to coon boars easily and quick in confined spaces kept with poultry at night. my own one experience with a half to part jack Russell terrier, was that had to work with him diligently for hour or so to break him of trying to attack chicks, but after he gave up he was great though always looked like wanted to attack them but resisted, and always at their poop and licked them like tasting, but loved hunting mice and attacking coons that came in fenced yard.

 

[Lilyt]

I've thought about collies but they're herding dogs and I really don't need a herder. I need a protector. The ducks don't wander far from the pond, but they come off the water at times and that seems to be the issue . . . especially at nights. Lately, though, I think whatever is getting my ducks is getting them during the day and that's why I wonder if it's not another dog. My one dog is part lab/part German Shepherd and she will kill a duck if it can't get away from her fast enough. (She's 2 years old.)

Thanks for your input. I intend to do A LOT of homework before I make a choice.

 

[laughingdog]

yeah, I've never seen an untrained lab/lab mix that won't kill a duck. the breeding is to mouth, and term of being a soft mouth is trained and usually uses many training birds tore up in process (I've known many owners of gun dogs, breeders, and trainers of). Any breed at any age can be retrained, as I've rehabed stock killers before (without abuse). you just have to at first be able to control the dog physically at least at first, with slip lead at top of neck at skull and jaw line, maybe making slip lead into head halter, not letting him ever look at the stock to start. control the body if still spazes by using other end in slip lead around waist at thighs. make him walk along, lay by, and sit with them. All those fangled devises are just useless and gimmicks. Use verbal correction as sharp quick sound as needing to give sharp quick small jerk and release for correction or to just redirect focus, continuing what you were doing with training. I've been trained to handle and work with police, military, and private security dogs, as well as. and owned and worked with wolves and wolf hybrids, and did fighting pit rescue for three years (turning them into therapy and service dogs, among other public service work), and starting out with these basics have never taken more than week, a month with gun dogs as they seem pretty much stupidest or hard headed of all breeds worked with.. lol but herding type and mastif breeds like sheperds rotts and pitts, can be trained to basics of not to go after in minutes to day/s, so i recommend them most and most common breeds, cheapest and to others as easiest to see quick lasting results that I've got.

 

[Lilyt]

I did put the lab mix on a leash last Friday and took her in the pen with my buff ducks. The buffs get special treatment. They have their own fenced in yard with a pool and a house and they are put up every night. Our pond ducks are usually mallard mixes and we consider them pets. The buffs are "supposed" to be my employees although I give their eggs away instead of charging for them. lol lol I digress.

Murphy didn't lunge at the ducks or snap at them. I had her lay beside me and she did - until the buffs started walking towards her and at that point she stood up, but even then she didn't run towards them. I'm hoping she's trainable. We shall see. I liked the idea of a "guard" dog to keep out coyotes, if that's my problem.

It sounds like you have your work cut out for you!! Although I would think traning dogs is its own reward. You can actually SEE the results of your work!

 

[Lilyt]

An update, not that anyone asked . . .lol. We bought what was supposed to be a full-blooded, eight week old, Pyrenees (Rufus) on August 8th. He's been in the pen with our buff ducks ever since. He's amaziing to watch and I would LOVE to get inside his head!! He has yet to kill or mangle any of the ducks (knock on wood) although, he has had a mouthful of tailfeatthers a couple of times. I will sit in the pen with him and play Alpha dog. If the ducks try to mate and the duck is throwing a fit, he will walk (or lop) over to them and break them apart. If two are squabbling, he'll break them up as well. Some times, I've seen him, after he breaks up the racket, chase the male under the duckhouse. And, if they are in a blindspot, he'll run over there and put them where he can see them. He's very interesting to watch.

I don't trust him 100% yet, and I know that eventually he will run the property, so my main concern right now is making sure that he thinkis of the ducks as "family", if he thinks about them at all.

He goes back to the vet this week for his 3rd round of puppy shots and I'm curious to see what he weighs.

 

[Amiga]

An update, not that anyone asked . . .lol. We bought what was supposed to be a full-blooded, eight week old, Pyrenees (Rufus) on August 8th. He's been in the pen with our buff ducks ever since. He's amaziing to watch and I would LOVE to get inside his head!! He has yet to kill or mangle any of the ducks (knock on wood) although, he has had a mouthful of tailfeatthers a couple of times. I will sit in the pen with him and play Alpha dog. If the ducks try to mate and the duck is throwing a fit, he will walk (or lop) over to them and break them apart. If two are squabbling, he'll break them up as well. Some times, I've seen him, after he breaks up the racket, chase the male under the duckhouse. And, if they are in a blindspot, he'll run over there and put them where he can see them. He's very interesting to watch.

I don't trust him 100% yet, and I know that eventually he will run the property, so my main concern right now is making sure that he thinkis of the ducks as "family", if he thinks about them at all.

He goes back to the vet this week for his 3rd round of puppy shots and I'm curious to see what he weighs.

Good report!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good report!

X2!!

 

[BladeDuck]

My friend loves her GP! She doesn't have poultry but has horses. Let me tell you, those horses BELONG to that GP! lol. She sleeps in the hyper stallion's stall most days and it keeps him calm. When the foals are born every year, she is enamored by them.

Sounds good so far! You are good to keep an eye on the situation.