# I am so proud of my puppies.



## terrilhb (Nov 5, 2012)

I am so proud of my puppies. I went outside to just check on everyone. I did not see the puppies so I called them. They come running so proud of themselves with a squirrel in one of their mouths. I immediately said NO LEAVE IT. Gallagher dropped it immediately. Flash must have thought he was in trouble cause he ran and hid. (He is very sensitive to me raising my voice.) I went in to get the squirrel out and it was still alive. I told Gallagher again to leave it and I ran in the house to put my boots on and call my husband. He told me if it was hurt badly to shoot it. I could not do it so I called my neighbor. He said he would come down. But lo and behold the squirrel was just wet and ran off safe and sound. I could not believe they dropped it like that though. Good puppies. I can not believe how well they are listening. I know they are mixed with GP/husky and Lab but I swear they are the smartest dogs I have ever had. All I have to do is raise my voice just a little and they know what they are doing is not right and they stop. I know they have alot more to learn being so young. They are only 9 months but it really amazes me. Here is a picture I took of them just the other day. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I just had to share. They really do amaze me at their willingness to learn and how they love to please.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 5, 2012)

Why would you tell them NO LEAVE IT?


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## terrilhb (Nov 5, 2012)

I started that when I 1st brought them home. When they got to excited when they saw the chickens and the goats. I told them No Leave It and now I assume they know not to mess with whatever it is. And they leave whatever it is alone.  They also know come, sit, No, up (to get them on a stand so I can brush them) and out when I don't want them in the chicken coops. I misread your question. I told them that cause I am not sure if they ate it if that would cause them to go after my chickens or goats.


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## CocoNUT (Nov 5, 2012)

Congratulations! Isn't it wonderful when they start to 'get it?'  They're beautiful too - or should I say handsome!


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 5, 2012)

Why in the world would you tell an 'LGD' in training to drop what it has killed or is killing. Chicken, yes, it needs to drop it. That's not ok but something that it went and caught. You let it have it's prize. Let him eat the squirrel. He is learning and doing what he is supposed to do. How is that dog going to learn to guard, protect, and kill whatever it needs to to in order to keep your animals safe if you tell him to drop it? What you are telling this dog now is that he is not allowed to do that. You even said the one is very sensitive to you. Do you think he's going to want to go out and do that? To kill a rabbit or squirrel now? He's going to be scared. That's taking the instinct right out of him.  

Next time that happens, allow him to keep it. Let him eat it and praise him. Tell him he's a good boy!!

This is a counter productive method of "training". These small kills (rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, possums etc) are actually building his confidence. He needs that, if you keep telling him not to kill the foreign creatures than what is your purpose? So when a larger predator that can and will kill your goats, sheep etc comes in then what? You taught the dog to "leave it" ??


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## terrilhb (Nov 5, 2012)

I did not know that.  Thank you. This is my 1st time raising dogs with the goats and chickens. I learn something new everyday. But now I feel bad. Because he looked so proud.  I will let them next time. Thank you again for the advice Straw Hat Kikos. Lesson learned.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 5, 2012)

terrilhb said:
			
		

> I did not know that.  Thank you. This is my 1st time raising dogs with the goats and chickens. I learn something new everyday. But now I feel bad. Because he looked so proud.  I will let them next time. Thank you again for the advice Straw Hat Kikos. Lesson learned.


It's a learning curve. You made a mistake but be sure next time he does that to praise him.


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## babsbag (Nov 5, 2012)

It is tight rope walk raising these LGDs around animals you want them to protect and others you want them to kill or chase off. I learned the hard way that my dogs don't like new chickens in their field. I brought in 15 four month old chicks and lost one to the dogs every morning for about a week. And it was always a new chicken and always in the morning when the checkens came out of the coop and the dogs had alot of energy.  Not too long ago a young guinea woke up out of its tree on the wrong side of the fence and the dogs killed that too. That is when the light went on for me.

The last chickens I introduced lived in a dog run inside the pasture for about 2 weeks before turning them loose. The dogs went into the kennel with me to feed and water and of course they saw the chickens all the time. When I let them out the dogs had no interest at all in chasing them. Now if I could only get the chickens to live in the coop...

I had lost a few chickens to the dogs in the 2 years I have had them, and I was always trying to figure out the trigger as to why they would suddenly kill a bird after months ogf good behavior; but looking back on it it was always a new or newish one that they would pick. I can't really fault them for protecting thier pasture from percevied threats; but I wish the ground squirrels would move into the pastue.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 5, 2012)

Straw made my point about asking why would you tell him to leave it.  Hopefully my question did not come off as aggressive. 


The "new additions" always should be introduced slowly,  ALWAYS!  

Babsbag's experience is normal. A LGD should respond that way to any new addition. Too many inexperienced new LGD owners scold and yell at the dog for the dog doing it's job. Most things gone wrong with an LGD is owners fault! I do not mean that harshly at all!!  When starting with "NEW"  stock, meaning the mature alpha female is not there to teach,  it really takes longer  for LGD's to work. The mature dogs teach the younger everything! A mature LGD will understand new lambs/kids being born in the field and they will protect them and not see them as foreign because of the bond with the mature goats. Poultry, well that just takes time and work because this is more like an animal that they would catch and eat, like a rabbit or a squirrel etc.


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## terrilhb (Nov 5, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Straw made my point about asking why would you tell him to leave it.  Hopefully my question did not come off as aggressive.
> 
> 
> The "new additions" always should be introduced slowly,  ALWAYS!
> ...


No it did not come across harshly at all. I appreciate all the advice. I did not know anything that Straw said. But know I do.  I just feel really bad for raising my voice at them now.  I thought about letting them keep it but I figured if I let them keep it then they would think it was ok to kill anything. But know I know. So I won't do it again.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 5, 2012)

I am an experienced canine trainer from long ago, almost seems like a past life now and I can honestly tell you that working with LGD's is absolutely different than any dogs I've encountered.  Canine behavior is what I love most in the field of canines. With all my experience I know I can still learn and glean from others.  

I made a mistake with my one pyr boy, his name is "D". He is my baby love! I could go on and on but then I would never get to my point.  We have geese, they are a pain. They became a pain when we added a pair of Toulouse. It was going into breeding season and the ganders were getting a bit aggressive, they would really charge, esp the Toulouse. So often I would have to make the gander submit. You do this by grabbing its neck and pushing it to the ground and forcing the body down also. It may sound awful but you don't hurt the animal you just pin it until it submits, then let go and he will go away. It never dawned on me that my 4 1/2 old pyr boy was watching all of this. The geese ALWAYS hated the pyrs because they are guard geese and to them the dogs did not belong. They would attack the dogs nonstop and the dogs would move on their way. LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO. But one day the geese decided to charge us again and "D" walked over put his mouth around "Colby's" neck, gently not really biting down, and took his giant paw and pushed down on his back. He held him there for about 45 seconds then let him go. Goose ran away. "D" had watched us and learned very early on how to handle the geese. I liked this, unfortunately I didn't think this through, I was so proud of my baby! In the end they developed a hate/hate relationship. The geese charged the dogs constantly and "D" felt it was necessary to go directly for the male geese(usually the males) and step on them. WE ended up having to separate them. We are now selling off our geese. 4 out of 6 gone.   keeping the last 2 but have to always keep them separate. The dogs are 11 months now, this pattern is very established now and it's hard to go back and do the no bad dog when you already sent the message, good boy! 

Ya see, I should've known better and I messed up. LGD's are too flippin smart and it's usually our errors that cause the issue.


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## terrilhb (Nov 5, 2012)

Thanks Southern. I thought I was crazy because I swear I have never seen dogs as smart as these 2. I have had people tell me that when they were chasing the chickens to pop their butts. I was like no there is no need to. If I tell them to leave it they do. On sat my one Gallagher thought it would be fun to try and chase a hen. (I was there) I corrected him immediately. I told him No Leave It and he did. Came to me and laid down on his side like he was submitting. I never have to put my hands on them. I just raise my voice a little and change my tone and they listen. Thank you again.


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