# Anatolian and Great pyr temperament testing



## crazyland (Jan 28, 2012)

Hey y'all!
We are going to go pick up two brothers in a week. I was going to get a pup from a rescue but when I asked about a temperament test and they said they couldn't at 9-10 weeks of age I walked away. Well I found a lgd litter an hour away and reserved two brothers.
I know how to temp test a gsd for working drive but don't know what to look for in a lgd pup.
They will be with our goats when old enough. I have bottle babies they will be introduced to while little. And whatever other animals the breeder has on their farm. 
Can you please help me out here? Thanks!


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## Mzyla (Jan 28, 2012)

Checking/testing pups, its not gone tell you much.
Check the parents, if youll be allowed to do so.
As GENETICS play the biggest role.
The way you see the parents are  the way the babies are/will be.

Then its up to you, if you want SBMISSIVE or DOMINANT dog.
Dominant will be standing out, being pushy at feeding time looking up and forward as not being afraid.
Submissive will be sort of hiding in a background.  It is somewhat easier to handle submissive dog.

Guarding behaviour is breed in.
It is YOU, who will be influencing this dog(s) further actions.

Lastly, two males will be fighting for dominance. Sometimes lethal fight.
Unless you plan to keep them separated for life?

Good luck on your new puppies. And  do show us the pictures!


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## crazyland (Jan 28, 2012)

Ok that contradicts everything I have read. While they are strong dogs they are fine when brought up with other dogs. Genetics is part of it. I agree but there is always something to look for when temperament testing. You don't want an extremely submissive dog or it could become fearful and aggressive. The same with dominant they can become overbearing and aggressive. 
But I am lookin for a different working dog than my gsd. I know how to temp test a pup for schutzhund. But that is a different world from livestock guarding. 
I'm waiting on pictures. All are white but one who has some tan.


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## Renegade (Jan 29, 2012)

Mzyla said:
			
		

> Lastly, two males will be fighting for dominance. Sometimes lethal fight.
> Unless you plan to keep them separated for life?


I have to agree with Myzla on this. I have a friend with two male pyrs and they are constantly fighting.

Donna


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## Karma (Jan 30, 2012)

Not sure how you would go about grading temperment testing these guys since alot of the attributes that make them fit for guarding livestock are not developed at such a young age. I think that is what Mzyla meant. For example, such young puppies even of breeds not typically know for having high prey/toy drives will show it as youngsters. They also don't tend to be as offput by a strangers presence, even though that may be a trait you want to see in an adult, most puppies won't show it.

With GP's if the parents are not working guardian dogs I would walk away, they have been bred for human companionship and show more often than most other LGD breeds so you do need to be careful as temperments and working ability can fall short in those dogs as they have been bred down to make them more suitable companions and easier to handle.


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## crazyland (Jan 30, 2012)

Thank you all. I really am trying to process all the data. 
The parents are working dogs. 
So why do so many farms have 2 dogs, or more, guarding their flock? Most I know are two males, a few male-female and even less two females. 
Are the fighting makes from the same litter and neutered?
Seeing as these are mixed pups they could take after either breed. 

I'm just the kind I person that when told the sky is blue I ask why.


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## carolinagirl (Jan 30, 2012)

I know of many people who are running two or males together with no issues at all.  Most of the time they will fight, work out their differences and be fine after that.  Unless there is a female in heat somewhere, in which case the fighting may be worse.  At some point, I'll get one of my male Anatolians neutered, but not until they are older.  From my experience with other breeds, two females is often much more of a problem than two males are.


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## crazyland (Jan 30, 2012)

We only have males around here locally. The only females are a mile away at a lab breeders and very well contained. 
My animals are all fenced in. We have livestock and no climb. Constantly upgrading the quality.


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## carolinagirl (Jan 30, 2012)

Honestly....I'd get two males.  Mine are 9 months old and have had one small battle....over a deer head.  Eli had a bit of blood on his ear but was back trying to get the deer head shortly after so it must not have bothered him too much.  When I feed them, their bowls are inches from each other.  When one gets done eating, he usually sticks his nose in his brother's bowl.  Never so much as a growl out of either of them.   I know that the day will come when they probably will fight, but unless it gets really bad I will probably let them work it out.  Two dogs work great together and really back each other up especially in a high predation area.  I am glad I got two of them.


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## Karma (Jan 30, 2012)

I think you see more males because females in season can be extremely distracting to the males, not to mention they can't be exposed to each other if you don't want pups. Or how enticing it could be for coyotes or stray dogs to hang around. I know when I had my intact husky bitch and she went in season we had 2 of the neighbors dogs constantly in the yard just waiting for me to slip up and let her out alone. So I think it is just easier to go with two males and have atleast one neutered when they are done growing(2ish) unless you are wanting to breed them or plan to spay/neuter. As far as spay/neutering a mature LGD, I think it is a wise idea if you live anywhere near people and don't fence securely enough to keep your dogs in and others out. 

As far as fighting, it's really just a crap shoot when you get a dog from a breeder who just has two opposite sex dogs and you have to do the best you can emphasising proper dog interaction and taking steps to reduce the reasons for fighting like feeding seperately and not keeping intact females in season with them. Fighting for food or to breed I can understand but one of my dogs fighting there own for no reason but to fight is not something I would want to see intact or not. I'd spay/neuter and place them in a single dog home if it persisted. Just my opinion but it's not a favorable trait in LGD, having a dog more interested in fighting another male than protecting his herd/flock is just not something I want to see since it will be distracting to the other dog and dangerous for the other animals.


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## peteyfoozer (Jan 31, 2012)

Mzyla said:
			
		

> Lastly, two males will be fighting for dominance. Sometimes lethal fight.
> Unless you plan to keep them separated for life?


I have two Maremma full brothers. I had them both neutered at 5 and 7 months of age, respectively. They had some spats as puppies as they established who was gonna do what, but no blood was ever drawn. I did have to teach them not to be food fighting, by standing between them when I set down the bowls. They  now use a self feeder with no problems.  They are almost 2, and practically inseparable. They work beautifully together, one staying with the stock while the other patrols, unless he needs back up. There is occasional posturing, but no fighting between them, other than the playful wrestling that is a constant entertainment for both them and us. As long as they are neutered, I see no problem in keeping two males to work together. Testicles are not a necessary component in a good Livestock Guardian...if nothing else they are a distraction and mostly just lead to poorly bred pups that can be hard to place.

The changes these dogs go through between weaning and working are phenomenal. Ours have the run of the ranch, able to access every pasture, and never go very far from us or the stock. (we are on 250,000 acres with no roads, so it is safe for them to do this). They guard chickens, sheep, goats and calves against cougars, coyotes, bobcats and small as well as aerial predators and act as  body guards to myself, or to my old Golden Retriever when either or both of us venture out from the house. (the pack of ranch dogs used to attack him, but not with these two in tow) The LGD's are one of the best investments we've ever made. Good luck with your pups!!


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## Mzyla (Jan 31, 2012)

peteyfoozer 
I see you don't mind to bring them inside as well?
I do the same, especially when I'm doing their brushing, pedicure, mottled hairs cutting, checking for ticks, etc....
It's just easier for me to handle all of that inside, where I have all my tools and medication readily under hand...
Afterwards, they just shook off and to the door they go


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