Livestock Guardian Dogs

[baggywrinkle]

We deceived ourselves for two years that we were safe. I thought/hoped that
the electric fence would be enough.

It was not.

A month ago two huskies crossed the electrified high tensile wire fence and
attacked our sweet French Alpine Chloe. She was not dead when we discovered
what had happened. The female husky took off when we came out. The male
continued the attack on the prone goat while my wife screamed at him. When I came out he stood over the goat gazing at us, refusing to leave.

I put a bullet into his chest ending the drama. Then I had to put Chloe down also.
It was a very sad day. I allowed the more timid female to escape.

Our solution to the predation is a livestock guardian dog. Purpose bred for five
thousand years, these magnificent animals nurture their herd, provide companionship to their owners, and will fight to the death to protect them.

These are not pets and do not fetch or play dead. They exercise their own
judgment and are trained by the herd they watch over.

Our guardian in training arrived Monday from a farm in Kansas. On arrival he bypassed the house and was not released from his travel kennel until he was in
the goats sleeping shed so he would be in familiar surroundings. He was born in
a barn among goats.

We visit him, spend time with him, and will train him for basic commands (come stay leave it kennel), but the bulk of his training will come from the herd itself.
He must bond with the herd preferentially over people. His chief instructor
is Queen Mayo the Nigerian pygmy who still has her horns.

His first night here he settled in and fell right to sleep. Not a peep from him. Then
later he exhibited his protective instinct by barking at a low flying jet liner. Early
the next morning I heard yelps - the first tough lesson from Miss Mayo, no doubt.
Then today I was excited when he freaked out because we had allowed the herd
out to pasture and kept him shut in. He was happy when I called the herd back
to baby sit him till we can trust him out on the pasture. One of our saanans sniffed
at him and he rolled over in a submissive display.

All in only three days.

Meet Moggy, our guardian in training.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i129/Jonash2004/DSCN9680-1.jpg

[Nasu]

Good work. I have heard that alpacas are good at the same job, they too assume the alpha position within ranks of the goats or sheep and will attack anything that threatens the herd. Keep us posted..N

[blufire]

Baggywrinkle,

I would like you to meet my guardians of the farm and home.

“Chewy” our half Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd who guards the livestock and “Oakley” my German Shepherd who guards me and my girls.

I too have had to “put down” roaming dogs and coyotes . . . .a task that is so very difficult but we have no alternative do we??




7149

[blufire]

Side Note . . . my above pic was about 3 years ago. Chewy is now 130 pounds and his favorite place to sleep is with Hank my 160 pound Nubian Buck. . . . sometimes Chewy doesn't smell too good LOL :p

[pyrangello]

Amen brother , I have 4 labs, White, Chocolate, black and tan. The chocolate is the leader when it comes to protection although there all at the window or door if you decide to enter without permission.

[sunflower]

You wouldn't want me around your dogs. I'd have them so spoiled they wouldn't do their jobs properly! Heart-tugging pics. Made my day.

[Carmen]

Ohh! I recognize that puppy. He's a Maremma? No? I have one, he's three now and I call him 'Bear'. He looks after me and all my livestock. Lovely big dogs. Bear's back is level with the table. His best friends are the cats.They love sleeping on his tail.

Since buying Bear people have told me lots of Mareema stories. They use them for guarding all sorts of animals, even hens. One story was from Australia of several Mareema guarding a large flock of lambing ewes in the Snowy Mountains. There was a severe snow storm and many lambs died of cold. When the owner came to check the flock the Mareemas had gathered up all the dead lambs into a heap, and were guarding them to!

[norman]

It raises my spirits to see real sane dogs.

So many dogs I see as pets are basically mentally ill.

I was raised with dogs, even sleeping in the hay with a litter of pups snuggled up around me while their mum went for a walk.

I wouldn't have a dog living with me in this poky little street house I'm in now. It frustrates and angers me to see other people around here aquiring dogs and giving them an absurd life, for a dog.

[Carmen]

Yeah, a big dog needs plenty of room. They need the opportunity to run.

[Marianne]

Wonderful photos, Baggywrinkle and Blufire!

The most well adjusted dogs are those with a job to do. It's tough for city dogs, but even little jobs help--if they have any guarding instinct, then nurturing that even in an apt.

My brother who lives in town had a little terrier who was kept in the garage and brought in the house rarely, and he was sooo nervous and ill adjusted. But then he came to stay with my mom and he's a whole different animal. My mom knows how to train animals. Little dog has a job now, protecting her.

I too hate to see people get a pet who don't know what to do with it.

[Flash]

those are good work dogs. I hope everything will be fine this time. What did you do about the dogs' owner of those that killed your animal?