# Newbie Question on LGD



## emily381 (Dec 10, 2014)

We are getting a LGD puppy in a couple weeks. She is around 11 weeks old. This will be our first one so I have been reading lots and getting lots of conflicting answers. We want her to do her job when she is older but we also want her to be part of our family if that is possible. We do not have our chicken or goats yet. Just closed on our house and getting them in a couple months. Do we leave her outside as a puppy or can I bring her in the house to sleep? Will this ruin her? I hate to leave her outside all alone. I can put her in the barn with our rabbits but this will require an alarm so I will remember to let her out in the middle of the night.


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## secuono (Dec 15, 2014)

Better to keep her with some kind of livestock right from the get-go. 
If you bring her in the house, she will hate sleeping outside and will want to be with the family too much.
Her job is to protect livestock and live outside 24/7 365 days a year. Let her do that. 
Mine was out from 7wks old, few days of crying and then she got over it.


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## Agampr (Jan 18, 2015)

emily381 said:


> We are getting a LGD puppy in a couple weeks. She is around 11 weeks old. This will be our first one so I have been reading lots and getting lots of conflicting answers. We want her to do her job when she is older but we also want her to be part of our family if that is possible. We do not have our chicken or goats yet. Just closed on our house and getting them in a couple months. Do we leave her outside as a puppy or can I bring her in the house to sleep? Will this ruin her? I hate to leave her outside all alone. I can put her in the barn with our rabbits but this will require an alarm so I will remember to let her out in the middle of the night.


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## Agampr (Jan 18, 2015)

I got an lgd April 2013 she was 8 wks old.
I took her to work with me(over the road truck driver) til she was 5 months old. Too big for truck after that!
Got goats when she was 8 mo old. I have horses, mules, donkeys, goats and chickens. She is great with all. 
She would rather be with me at all times. Including on my bed. She loves the house. But she stays outside with my border collie mix. She's fine with it. They play a lot. 
BUT, believe me, she guards everything. House, yard and she sounds like Cujo when she's in my pick up. 
She's great. I even took her to a dog show in nov and Dec. 
I'm sure I just got a great dog. It's not my training ability that's for sure. 
Good luck


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## Agampr (Jan 18, 2015)

I don't know y it says "herd lurked" under my name. I didn't 
Put it there. My first time posting on this site


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## Southern by choice (Jan 18, 2015)

Agampr said:


> I don't know y it says "herd lurked" under my name. I didn't
> Put it there. My first time posting on this site


Herd lurker title is because you are new to the site. 

Acclimating the dog to family life is fine however there are strict guidelines you should follow if you truly want your LGD to be a good LGD. We are strong believers in bonding with the dogs yet the dog should grow up and live in the field with its future charges.

Having social family time is great but it needs to be done with routine and for short periods.

I have many posts about this but hard to find right now. Perhaps later I can give a better description.

Taking her in and out willy nilly will not be good for her as a future guardian, but having that 15 minutes -30 minutes 2x day outside of her field for family and basic obedience is good for her.


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## Agampr (Jan 18, 2015)

Oh. Thanks. Wondered how that got there. 

All my livestock are in secure pens within 6' chain link yard. When she patrols perimeter all are guarded. 
She even chases raven and hawks out. If the herd of goats were loose I sure she wouldn't stay with then. If I open gate to front and goats go out she stays with me. But she's great with all of them. 
I guess I have mostly a personal body guard. I just luv her!


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