Stray Dog is a LGD

[BlacksheepCardigans]

Mama looks like a good yaller dog - mix of many different things. Baby looks like Mama hooked up with a Shepherd or a high-percentage Shepherd mix.

It's a wonderful story and you should be very proud.

Just to clarify, the Livestock Guardian Dogs are all in the Working group, not the Herding group. They tend to be very large and they're bred to drive predators and other canids away from their herd. On a small farm, many times the instinct of a real LGD is overwhelming - they want to work hundreds of acres, not just a couple, and they will come racing over to chase away or kill your cousin's pug just as strongly as they'll race over to chase away a coyote. If you don't have the ability to keep a LGD behind a strong fence in with his charges, and can't tolerate the night-time barking and patrolling, it's often a better idea to get exactly what you have - a good farm dog. The breed or mix is a lot less important than the instinct to protect without getting overbearing.

Any breed of dog can be taught to herd, which has led to some hilarious pictures of toy dogs moving sheep around, but even in the purebreds you have some born really herdy and some who have to be taught to do it. It's lovely to have a dog who seems to know her job from day one.

Joanna Kimball
blacksheepcardigans.com

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah our 1/2 Anatolian not only barks all night but will howl back at the coyotes--it's funny because his voice always cracks! He has a perimeter he will patrol and does consider my in-laws' house across the pasture as part of his responsibility. We have had him cross the highway a few times to "help" move cattle as well (the other 1/2 is border collie) and he's got a VERY strong herding instinct...I just wish I knew how to train him better or he had the chance to work some sheep or something constructive!

He does do a good job at keeping the wandering cattle out of our haystack (we're in an open range area and they come right through our fences!)

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
Yeah our 1/2 Anatolian not only barks all night but will howl back at the coyotes--it's funny because his voice always cracks! He has a perimeter he will patrol and does consider my in-laws' house across the pasture as part of his responsibility. We have had him cross the highway a few times to "help" move cattle as well (the other 1/2 is border collie) and he's got a VERY strong herding instinct...I just wish I knew how to train him better or he had the chance to work some sheep or something constructive!

He does do a good job at keeping the wandering cattle out of our haystack (we're in an open range area and they come right through our fences!)

I agree wholeheartedly with this. We have 160 acres, and our LGD's patrol every bit of it. They do bark at night. They do roam. They can easily clear a 6-foot fence, especially when there is a precieved threat.

But I sleep well at night knowing my dogs are out there. We do not have neighbors very close so they do not bother other people. I've always hated barking dogs, but the strange thing is that now it doesn't bother me at all. I go to sleep even though they are barking, knowing Buddy and Sophie are on duty out there.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah our 1/2 Anatolian not only barks all night but will howl back at the coyotes--it's funny because his voice always cracks! He has a perimeter he will patrol and does consider my in-laws' house across the pasture as part of his responsibility. We have had him cross the highway a few times to "help" move cattle as well (the other 1/2 is border collie) and he's got a VERY strong herding instinct...I just wish I knew how to train him better or he had the chance to work some sheep or something constructive!

He does do a good job at keeping the wandering cattle out of our haystack (we're in an open range area and they come right through our fences!)

I agree wholeheartedly with this. We have 160 acres, and our LGD's patrol every bit of it. They do bark at night. They do roam. They can easily clear a 6-foot fence, especially when there is a precieved threat.

But I sleep well at night knowing my dogs are out there. We do not have neighbors very close so they do not bother other people. I've always hated barking dogs, but the strange thing is that now it doesn't bother me at all. I go to sleep even though they are barking, knowing Buddy and Sophie are on duty out there.

I just have a box fan in my bedroom that runs all night...it kind of muffles the noise of him barking...but not enough for me to not be able to get up and check on things if his barks changes. He has a kind of monotone bark, the howl and then the loud, rapid bark with growling in-between the barks...if he's doing that, coyotes are on our place and we get the gun!

 

[Ivywoods]

Hi Rare Feathers- LOL- I love to hunt, and I'm not opposed to dispatching a varmint. I've shot a number of varmints from the back porch, but since we got these LGD's, I haven't had anything to shoot at! Once in a while they come home bloody, and I know they've had a busy night.

We watched our two go after FIVE coyotes last year. It was during the winter and there was snow everywhere, so it was easy to see. They were about 1/4 mile away and those coyotes decided they wanted nothing to do with our two dogs. (The male is pure Great pyreneese, and the female we belive is 1/2 GP and possibly 1/2 anatolian. Mutt? Maybe, livestock guardian? DELUXE!)

We lost two barns to a windstorm this summer. I put up temporary, somewhat poorly constructed shelter for my chickens. I was worried the raccoons would be able to get in to them. There has been no problems, and I am sure it is because those two dogs are out there on duty. New coop is in process.

But seriously, I wouldn't recommend these dogs to someone who has a lot of neighbors closeby due to their barking and the amount of ground they cover.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah...Cash knows when he can take one or on or not. I have seen a "decoy" coyote come out and taunt him, just staying out of his reach to distract him while four others ran towards my coop!!

I have also seen one standing and not acting afraid from about 25 yards away while Cash was barking like crazy but wouldn't chase him. I went to another window in the house and saw that behind the slash pile were at least five other coyotes, waiting for Cash to come behind that slash pile. That's when I let out the Borzoi, LOL

Dogs 3, coyotes -3 LOL

It was amazing that 30lb coyotes would try to take on two 100lb dogs?? Cash had some minor injuries but Brodee needed stitches. His skin is pretty thin and Cash has a very thick double coat. I also make sure they're up to date on all of their shots!

 

[Pupsnpullets]

I love your story about your rescued dogs. We all need to hear stories like that from time to time. Lucky you, lucky pups.

I used to have a big old Rottweiller female. We had other young dogs around from time to time and there used to be little skirmishes between them but nothing ever got out of control cos the minute someone started something big ol' momma Rottie would simply sit on the instigator. No blood was ever drawn - actually it was probably hard to even draw a breath with 100+ lbs of muscle pinning them down. Your story of the fighting roosters reminded me of my fighting pups and the happy endings.

 

[Ivywoods]

Where there are multiple predators, I'm sure it is an advantage to have more than one dog. I've watched these two (I'm just amazed at how they do this instinctually!) One will get between the livestock and the threat. The other one will circle downwind of the predator and go for them.

When they see something they are unsure of, they both take off like ghosts in the night and circle downwind.

They've done this to me when I am walking in after dark from the far side of the field after hunting or something. I make sure they know it's me!

Our male dog is old. Sometimes he walks like every joint hurts. But if he smells something, or hears a coyote he takes off like a rocket and is gone like a streak of lightening. (That's his picture I use as my avatar)

CGMcCary- Not trying to hijack your thread. I get kind of excited about the subject. We have several dogs, and almost all of them have been rescues, including our livestock dogs. Yours look and sound like great dogs. You are lucky to have found each other!

I just hate it when people dump and abandon their pets. So sad.

 

[cgmccary]

Ivywoods wrote: CGMcCary- Not trying to hijack your thread. I get kind of excited about the subject. We have several dogs, and almost all of them have been rescues, including our livestock dogs. Yours look and sound like great dogs. You are lucky to have found each other!

Ivy: No worries on hijack; I love hearing all the dog stories and how the LGDs work. I agree the topic is exciting.

I only have about 6.5 acres and my original intent before I moved here was I planned on buying a LGD breed. Maggie and Sue suddenly & unplanned came into the picture & then I thought I might still get the LGD. My thoughts were the coyote packs, like you describe. I hear them at night, and it sounds like a large number of coyotes. Maggie is only 55 -60 lbs although she has the deep bark of a much larger dog (Sue's bark is also loud and deep & a friend down the road says Sue acts as ferocious as Maggie when we aren't here and she comes by). However, I don't know that Maggie and Sue could hold off a coyote pack. My other concern was the roving pack of stray dogs that are around. I have few neighbors (only one close-- directly behind me, a kin to the original owners- a couple of the acres between us but he has an easement on one side of my property for the dirt road going to his place & that neighbor is the one that shot at Maggie when we first moved here - she frightened him when she went on his property). The "invisible fence" has kept Maggie confined; otherwise she would be all over the place.

I am rethinking the LGD. Perhaps, a LGD would be too much dog for my place although there is nothing but forest behind me for miles & only forest across the road & lots of predators. I am told the LGDs do not bother people unless the people bother the livestock they are guarding. Maggie, on the other hand, guards against people coming on or near the home, which, around here, is a double good as there is plenty of thievery. The word is out and nobody even turns around in our drive-way. On the other hand, I still worry about the "pack" predator. I don't really worry about Aunt Mary's Pug because Maggie is aggressive toward strange dogs too (she accepts & loves my blind half Bloodhound and my Maltease- both indoor dogs); however, Maggie jumped a friend's Border Collie that the friend brought over & we had to physically pull her off the dog. I could restrain the LGD to the 6+ acres but do not want a dog going crazy either for lack of room.

Is Sue and Maggie enough? I am happy with them. What u think?

Chris​

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
You've got 2 AVDs! Wonderful dogs and wonderful story! Thanks for what you did for these wonderful girls!

(... and this from a pure-breed GSD owner for the last 35 years!)

mmaddie's mom - Miss Maddie is my old GSD girl! (my second once-in-a-lifetime dog)