# Advice on choosing a LGD breed



## Hickoryneck (Oct 6, 2011)

I need a Guardian that will be child friendly, not eat my poultry and protect my goats and farm. 
Predators here are dogs,coons,opossums,hawks,skunks and foxes. 
In the past we have had GP's and I loved them but they roam way to far I do not want to have to keep my dog locked up. 

So is there a breed that will fill the above needs? 

Thank You so much for your help


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## Roll farms (Oct 6, 2011)

My GP's (2) have never left our goats.

I've read and read about wandering LGD's but none of the 4 we've had have been that way.

I've wondered if getting them fixed would help, but our female isn't fixed (yet...might breed her 1 more time) and she never leaves.


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## Hickoryneck (Oct 6, 2011)

I had 3 of them one fixed male rescue, 1 female we got as a pup we fixed her at 3 or 4 years old, and a young male we got as a pup who died at about 2 of suspicious reasons think a neighbor fed him something all of them roamed far and wide we tried to contain them but they make goats look easy no fence can hold them unless it's a prison like fence


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## lilhill (Oct 6, 2011)

I have a female Great Pyr and she never leaves the goats either.  She is not spayed.  Guess some aren't cut out for the job.


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## Hickoryneck (Oct 7, 2011)

Does anyone on here have other breeds of dogs?


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## Roll farms (Oct 7, 2011)

We also have an Anatolian Pyr cross and we had his dad, a pure Anatolian.  He was more aggressive than I liked but neither has ever left our property.


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## RareBreedFancier (Oct 8, 2011)

I've been told training is an important part of if they stray or not. I'm looking at getting a LGD for my chickens and goats so I've been doing a lot of research and that point keeps coming up. I don't have a lot of land here so I'll be making sure I put in the time with that training. 

Good luck.


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## watchdogps (Oct 9, 2011)

How much land do you have, and do you have neighbor dogs you don't want harmed?


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## currycomb (Oct 9, 2011)

we got 2 pyreneese dogs, both fixed. the male will wander some if he has a buddy. the female just flat out runs off, so she is in a dog pen. my goats are terrified of the dogs if there is no fence between them, so the male just roams free. he gets along with the neighbor dogs, loves the kids and does not bother a live chicken. dead ones he carries around, and prefers his dog food  be outside to eat.(carries the bowl to his favorite spot) he dug out of his previous farm, and jumped on the kids. taught him no jumping here, and since he is not fenced in, no digging. will not be getting another pyreneese. they do wander too far from home. my blue heeler has really spoiled me, he never leaves the yard.


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## Hickoryneck (Oct 10, 2011)

watchdogps said:
			
		

> How much land do you have, and do you have neighbor dogs you don't want harmed?


I have 8.5 acres pyrs wondered about 100 acres .
If a neighbor's dog comes on my place it's fair game but I can't have a LGD roaming looking for trouble and hurting them on their place.
I have had great luck with Rough Coated Collies in the past but am worried they aren't aggressive enough to handle the coyotes that are moving into our area.


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## 77Herford (Oct 10, 2011)

First of all I have knowledge and years of training dogs.  I just can't decide what kind of to get for our weather.  I'm in Iowa and we can get extreme heat and humidity in the summers and very cold temps in the winters.  I have some sheep now and have had cattle for years.  I have two well trained German Shepherds but they weren't trained to be LGD's.  
I'm just worried abou the heavy coats of some of the breeds and then again the lighter coats, lol.


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## carolinagirl (Oct 10, 2011)

Coat length was a concern of mine as well since I am in South Carolina.  Anatolian Shepherds have nice shorter coats but also get a good thick double coat in the winter and can handle the cold just fine.


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## watchdogps (Oct 10, 2011)

Hickoryneck said:
			
		

> watchdogps said:
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On a place that small, I can't say id suggest a free range lgd, regardless of breed. There are some who might stay close, but you won't know if that is the dog you get until you have it in that situation. Id suggest a fenced area of the more crucial spaces, like the actual stock pens. If it doesn't matter if the dog damages a dog who wanders in, underground fencing might work. I generally am opposed to invisible fences, but in a rural area where you don't have nieghbors or a lot of kids as frustrations, it can work.


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