# country-boy 'tricks'



## CocoNUT (Feb 17, 2013)

So - we were at dinner with some friends last night and we were going over the story of how Gus got HER name. Well...DH was showing them pictures of Gus (cell phone) and the husband commented "I could tell by looking at her that she's a girl." I joked about how she didn't have "boy parts" and he said "Nope, look at the way her tail flops over versus curls tightly...and her ears." 

I was like SERIOUSLY?! Now he's a "good ol' boy" from some SERIOUS back woods and grew up knowing some of those 'country' things us suburbanites or citislickers don't. He's also a big hunter and nature boy. But I have NEVER heard of sexing a dog by the shape/curl of it's tail OR the ear shape. And nope, he wasn't pulling my leg or leading me on. He was dead serious. (His daughter was as well.)

Has ANYONE heard of this? I mean I think this is a little bizarre...but who knows? Anyone think this is legit? 

(And just in case people think they're going to besmirch him-please don't. He's a good guy. Just wanting to know if anyone has heard of this kind of stuff.)


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## neener92 (Feb 17, 2013)

I'm a country girl and have been around a lot of old timers, and dogs....never heard of that. I don't think that has any truth to it.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 17, 2013)

Nope never heard of it. I too don't think there is any truth in it either though he may think so. I think we've all heard those crazy stories or ways that people swear are true but can't be.


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## greenbean (Feb 17, 2013)

I agree with neener and Straw.  Never heard of it and I highly doubt it's true.


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## goodolboy (Feb 18, 2013)

Oh yea, but I can't believe he told you "suburbanites or citislickers" how. I tought all us good ol' boys were going to keep it a secret. That a technique we use down in the hills when the dog is too far away to see the real parts.


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## CocoNUT (Feb 18, 2013)

I KNOW right?! 
That's what DH and I were thinking. He also didn't think Gus was "purebred"...I'm not sure WHAT breed of dog he thought she was! I've seen a LOT of photos and watched a LOT of youtube videos on Shars...and Gus couldn't be more true to her breed if we tried! 
Maybe there IS something to it...maybe not. Just wonderin' if anyone else had ever heard of this technique! 
Thanks Guys!


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## PotterWatch (Feb 18, 2013)

Sounds like a load of hooey to me.  Different breeds hold their tails and ears different ways so I can't see that ever being a way to tell males from females.  However, if you think that is interesting; I've got some ocean-front property just outside Phoenix I would love to sell you...


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## CocoNUT (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks Potter...but I'm already buying a bridge in NYC!


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## bonbean01 (Feb 18, 2013)




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## Southern by choice (Feb 18, 2013)

It's funny how those things get started and get passed down.... We have a good ol boy that delivers our mail. Super great guy.... raised on a farm where they grew and raised everything... they bought their sugar and that was about it.

He still believes, even after getting one of our "rainbow" carton of eggs that the brown eggs come from chickens that "get to walk all over and eat the grass and bugs". I showed him the different breeds and pointed to the brown, red, green, white, pink, and cream eggs and gently told him it was from the breed of chicken....  he wasn't convinced.


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## Grazer (Feb 18, 2013)

I agree with everyone else, I never heard of it lol 
I don't believe it's true either.

Like PotterWatch said, different breeds hold their ears and tail in different ways. Tell your friend he should take a look at these 3 dogs bellow (all 3 of them are purebred Tibetan Mastiff females  )
And btw, Gus is a gorgeous Sarplaninac. She definitely looks purebred to me. Her tail might be a little more curly than that of other Sarplaninac (usually Sarpla's will have saber shaped tails).
But again, she most definitely looks purebred to me.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Feb 18, 2013)

I LOVE TB's!! Love love them.


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## goodolboy (Feb 19, 2013)

I could tell right away they were all female by their tales and ears. You didn't have to tell us.


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## Grazer (Feb 19, 2013)

goodolboy said:
			
		

> I could tell right away they were all female by their tales and ears. You didn't have to tell us.


  That really cracked me up!


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## CocoNUT (Feb 19, 2013)

Good gracious! Those TBs look like LIONS! WOW! 

I think Gus is pretty typical of her breed too! She's GORGEOUS in MY eyes! Little stinker! 

Grazer - are/were Shars also used in HERDING? Cause Gus seems to display some amazing herding instincts! Like keeping the goats away from the pasture fence when I go through it to feed/water the pasture birds. Or herding the goats away from the low point of the fence...or the compromised driveway gate. Now If I could JUST get her to nibble off the tips of the hooves when I restrain the goats to trim their hooves.....

I do notice that Gus' tail curls more tightly when she is at "attentnion"....but laxes out when she's just walking around. If she sees something or is alerting...that tail is wound pretty tight! And she has the most adorable little spot on her tail...which matches the black spot at the tip of her tail...that tip spot touches the tail spot perfectly when she's between alert and relaxed!


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## Grazer (Feb 19, 2013)

TM's are absolutely stunning and majestic animals. 

Shars were to my knowledge never used for herding.
For herding, in former Yugoslavia they most often use a type of dog like this one here: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



But I have personally witnessed and experienced LGD's helping their owners with livestock/poultry by for example guiding the animals in the right direction, many times.
They are such intelligent dogs; they never cease to amaze me and they definitely are far more complex than Ray Coppinger painted them out to be in his book.

I think you might like this video here, of another purebred Sarplaninac who is helping in a very similar way like your Gus and who also happens to carry his tail in a similar fashion as Gus when she is alert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVhuz5HtATk
His owner claims his Sarpla helped him like that in many instances without ever hurting a sheep.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 20, 2013)

Thanks Grazer... you know I got stuck in the you tube loop....with one video after another..  

What about the CO with the tiger!!!!!!!! AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

What I saw in the video was the awareness of the handler/owner... here many LGD owners really don't know how to read their dog. When the dog had it's mouth on the sheep...most people would be screaming "NO" to the dog never knowing the dog is working along side of the handler.

It is my thought that many LGD's have somewhat of a herding ability, not an aggressive herding instinct, but a subtle "move them as needed" herding. I have to admit I see this far less in the Great Pyrenees, much more in the Toli's  and the lesser known LGD breeds. 
As Coconut has shared how her "Gus" has prevented escapes and kept the animals at bay... a pyr (in general) would see that opening in the gate and say"oh...I'm gone!"


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## CocoNUT (Feb 20, 2013)

Oh Grazer! How did you KNOW I've seen that video? I've also seen the other part to it as well...same thing, different sheep. That's exactly what made me think of the "other" uses for Shars. Gus very much behaves in the same way...even when I'm trying to trim hooves. Of course she's not as mature as the Shar in the video...but she has a LOT of the same instincts! 

Like Southern has said...I watch Gus and really try to THINK of what she's doing and why. (could be by sheer ignorance on my part, that I've noticed these things....but I like to think that she 'talks' to me with those soulful eyes...) She'll occasionally "chase" the goats/Baby...but it's mostly when she's gotten herself SO worked up and excited that she's like my daughter and can't settle down! This last episode of her chasing Baby though...I scolded her (verbally)...and I haven't seen her chase Baby since! She's growing up!

Oh...and what a COOL looking dog! LOVE the wavy coat. What kind of dog is that? Almost looks like a German Sheppard (ears/stance) type dog. 

*I also have to say, every time you say "former Yugoslavia"...it makes me think of an exchange student from Yugoslavia we had at my high school. Very nice girl...poor thing, she was in Hawaii with us during the whole war! I always think of her and hope she's doing ok...


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## Grazer (Feb 20, 2013)

Happens to me all the time too Southern and then before I know it, I spent too much time watching video's of LGD's again 

I so agree about the awareness thing. I think that has a lot to do with the concept of using livestock guarding dogs still being relatively new to North-America.
Whereas in eastern, southern and central Europe and in some parts of Asia, the farmers have been using these type of dogs for probably a few thousand years. 
On top of that, a lot what has been taught to farmers in North-America about the LGD's came from the Coppinger's. Who happened to have a very black & white approach when it comes to raising and dealing with LGD's.
But luckily that is changing and I feel like there are more and more people who understand very well how an LGD operates.

And I feel the same way, that behavior is definitely not identical to the one in herding breeds. It's more like it comes from their desire to do what's best for their herd and/or they sense what their owner needs them to do.
I have heard of many true stories where for instance an ewe ended up staying behind on a mountain because she had to lamb. 
One of the LGD's would not only stay behind with her but would also eventually safely guide the ewe and newborn lamb back.

@CocoNUT, I had no idea you already saw the video, but I had a feeling you might like it! 
You're right, young dogs do often get easily worked up and then end up chasing the animals they are supposed to guard. 
Eventually as they get older and if they were raised well, they settle down.
I feel like dogs are just amazing at understanding our intentions and our body language.

The dog in the picture is a non recognized herding breed from Serbia, called Vojvodjanski Pulin. They are very closely related to the recognized herding breeds Croatian Sheepdog and the Hungarian Mudi.
Most people can't tell those 3 breeds apart.

I can imagine how difficult it must have been for that exchange student during the war. 
For my family and me (as it is for anyone who has to go through a war) not only was that darkest period in our lives, but even after the war ended it took us many, many years to finally have a normal life again.


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