Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[nicole63021]

ok, i'm contemplating lgd's... but would prefer something on the smaller size- ok that's a relative thing... smaller being about the same as my spoo (standard poodle) who stands 25-26" tall and weighs about 65 pounds.

ideally i'd like something that doesn't shed too... (komondor come to mind...) I have issues with hair on my clothing and everything else the dog (cat, horse, etc) touches. LOL call it mental, whatever. shed hair on my clothing makes me itch. especially longer finer hair like my maine coon cross cats have. short coarse hairs aren't as much an issue (like my DSH tabby cat)

anyone have any thoughts? Sunny does great as a part-time lgd, but being my service dog is more important at times than guarding the chicken coops at night.

A Puli may be something to look at as well, though they may not fit your needs since they are classed as a herding dog. They do make good LGD that aren't too big, and would be closer to Komondor in coat. Another option if you don't mind keeping it clipped would be a Polish Lowland Sheepdog. They are a great dog, don't really shed, but do mat, and are great at watching a flock (typically sheep, but if you raised a pup with chickens it would work well I think). They are a mid sized dog as well, so not much heavier than your standard. Best of luck in finding a dog to watch the flock! PS-If you don't mind shedding, Entelbuechers are another option!)

 

[ki4got]

Quote: ICK! HAIR! NOOOoooo.....

ok i'm not really THAT bad, but those who've met me know my opinions on hair I think... it grows. it's a nuisance.

fur makes me itch. spoos have HAIR not fur...

I cut mine shorter than the spoos... ok well maybe not, but close. LOL seriously. I use a # 3 3/4 (1/2") blade on myself and that or a # 5 or 7 on the dog depending on seasons. (and a 15 on his face/feet) LOL bigger # means shorter blade. the 15 leaves something like 3/32". hubby uses the 40 blade for shaving. LOL ( and why not? these blades can get sharpened without having to buy a whole new shaver.)

 

[Bulldogma]

LM - We need a chick update!

 

[nicole63021]

ICK! HAIR! NOOOoooo.....

ok i'm not really THAT bad, but those who've met me know my opinions on hair I think... it grows. it's a nuisance.

fur makes me itch. spoos have HAIR not fur...

I cut mine shorter than the spoos... ok well maybe not, but close. LOL seriously. I use a # 3 3/4 (1/2") blade on myself and that or a # 5 or 7 on the dog depending on seasons. (and a 15 on his face/feet) LOL bigger # means shorter blade. the 15 leaves something like 3/32". hubby uses the 40 blade for shaving. LOL ( and why not? these blades can get sharpened without having to buy a whole new shaver.)

I know what you mean, I'm a groomer by profession (have been for 10 years now, and I'm only 29!). I have used a 10 blade on some of them, and on standard poodles I have in the pattern areas (I work in an area that can support people paying me for show continental clips) gone as low as a 50 blade! 10's or 30's (depending on owner) reversed are my prefered for face/feet/tail base on poodles. On a personal note, I keep full coated Australian Shepherd Dogs, but they are NOT LGD's, they work the birds. Both of mine have herding and agility titles, and they have done disk or flyball for fun. To me, however, it's all fur, lol, but that is a lot of show training to grooming! I would stand behind any of those breeds however to help you out, Puli aside (again, a HERDING breed). Entelbuechers are great though!

 

[ki4got]

Quote: well, i'm not a professional groomer, but I think I do a pretty good job most of the time... this time around, I never did finish his back legs. my get up and go got up and went about the time I got him down to his bloomers. LOL by the time I get his back end done i'll need to do the front again!

this is how he USUALLY looks... (a bit longer in the fall)


and shorter for summer. not a huge difference, but enough.




I still think he's the best 'part time LGD' out there.

 

[SunnySkies]

Virtually all LGD breeds are big. Maremmas are the smallest, but they are still easily 65-85 lbs. They have to be good sized to take down large and medium predators. Even a cornered raccoon would really damage a labrador, border collie, poodle, etc. I have sewn up many pet dogs that tried tangling with racccoons. All LGD breeds are somewhat hairy too. The Anatolians have shorter hair, but they shed and are big and fast. The hair is protective and insulates them from heat and cold (do NOT clip LGDs). I'm not loving my puppies' tendency to behave like a lint roller right now, in that everything gets stuck in their fuzzy hair, but their adult coat is self cleaning.

My experience with Komodors and Pulis....not good. The Komodors freaked me out, and I am not easily frightened by dogs. But the silent menace they exhibit was eerie. I wondered if it was just that owner, but it was every one. They were pets and not LGDs, so I have wondered how much was frustrated guard instinct being aimed at me. The Pulis were insane. But the coat is nonshedding. You teach it to go into dreadlocks.

However, an LGD is outside. Mine never come in the house (unless someone leaves the door open and they scavenge off the floor...but that is because I have 4 boys 8 and under who don't seem to understand the door is not self closing). They can be as hairy as they want outside. They bond to your stock, so they really do need to be outside. Mine sleep on the deck at night, so they can see out over the property, and my girl woke me up last night barking at something...at 14-15 weeks old!

LGDs do require excellent fencing. We have electric on part of the property, and I am also training them to a Stubborn Dog in ground fence, in the recommendation of a friend of mine with LGDs that were jumping and climbing her no climb 5-6 foot fence. She actually was able to take the fence down and just use the Stubborn dog fence, which was a huge blessing as trees kept falling on her regular fence and knocking it over, which was not helping with the dog problem either. Now everything -- the pet goats wear the radio collars too -- stays on her side of the property line.

I studied up on LGDs for about 8 months. I had planned to get one after we moved in, but it got back burnered and then came back to the forefront. I am enjoying my dogs a great deal. We have had two issues -- a dead chick, that I suspect my girl killed on accident then ate (!) and they caught and licked all the feathers off a very stupid Silkie. Reinforcements have been made to prevent further losses while the dogs continue their education.

I had zero luck with LGD rescues, but you could try that route.

 

[Bulldogma]

and they caught and licked all the feathers off a very stupid Silkie.

 

[SunnySkies]

   

Yep, when I recovered from the shock of finding a naked chicken with my dogs standing over it and figured out what they were doing and why, I was all and myself.

The hen looks even stupider than usual now. She is currently residing in a box on the dining room table. Suppose she could go back out to her roosters -- 3 of them look after this idiot Silkie -- tonight. If she wasn't willing to sit any and all types eggs every 2-3 months and stay until they hatch or rot, I'd find her a new home, or she would die of complications related to complete stupidity.

 

[Bulldogma]

LOL - Thank goodness they aren't all that dumb!

 

[PugBug]

well, i'm not a professional groomer, but I think I do a pretty good job most of the time... this time around, I never did finish his back legs. my get up and go got up and went about the time I got him down to his bloomers. LOL by the time I get his back end done i'll need to do the front again!

this is how he USUALLY looks... (a bit longer in the fall)


and shorter for summer. not a huge difference, but enough.




I still think he's the best 'part time LGD' out there.

He's got such a pretty face!