Best LGD breed/mix

I’m considering getting a lgd once I get sheep. What breeds are recommended and any training recommendations?

You will find as many recommendations for the "best" breeds from everyone who has an opinion - and they won't all be the same, lol.

If you go to the livestock guardian section of this forum there are lots of ideas.

frustratedearthmother said:

You will find as many recommendations for the "best" breeds from everyone who has an opinion - and they won't all be the same, lol.

If you go to the livestock guardian section of this forum there are lots of ideas.

Livestock Guardians

www.backyardherds.com

Click to expand...

I understand I’ll get a lot of opinions. But getting first hand experience is helpful

We had Pyrenees for years. Like their temperaments with everyone, but they were almost impossible to keep on the property. We had fenced 6 acres with at least 5 head of small stock so it wasn't as if they didn't have enough to guard. We switched to Anatolians after our last Pyr ded of cancer. We bought an 18 month old trained bitch from Erick Conard. He is acknowledged by most Anatolian breeders to have some of the best LGDs. He is in Texas and we drove out to pick up the dog. Harika died last November at 12 years old, having trained 3 other LGDs. She was the best LGD we ever had and we still miss her. Over the years we owned her nephew (also dead), her great niece, and two others closely related to her. All of them fabulous guardians of our sheep (and grandchldren).

My favorite LGD breed is the Anatolian. However, they can be hard to train, and unless you get one from a good bloodline with good temperament and with the proper LGD attitude, they will not suit everyone.

Another thing for you to realize is that although the dog may be from a livestock guardian breed, not all members of even the same litter will be good guardians. Like people, each dog is different. It is important to buy from someone who can judge the dog's abilities as a puppy. Also ask for proof of OFA or CHIK which will prove that the dog does not have inheritable hip or elbow problems. Some breeds also need eye screening for genetic problems prticular to their breed.

Where are you located? You can also contact the TEMU LGD association about LGDs.

I live in Oregon

Ridgetop said:

We had Pyrenees for years. Like their temperaments with everyone, but they were almost impossible to keep on the property. We had fenced 6 acres with at least 5 head of small stock so it wasn't as if they didn't have enough to guard. We switched to Anatolians after our last Pyr ded of cancer. We bought an 18 month old trained bitch from Erick Conard. He is acknowledged by most Anatolian breeders to have some of the best LGDs. He is in Texas and we drove out to pick up the dog. Harika died last November at 12 years old, having trained 3 other LGDs. She was the best LGD we ever had and we still miss her. Over the years we owned her nephew (also dead), her great niece, and two others closely related to her. All of them fabulous guardians of our sheep (and grandchldren).

My favorite LGD breed is the Anatolian. However, they can be hard to train, and unless you get one from a good bloodline with good temperament and with the proper LGD attitude, they will not suit everyone.

Another thing for you to realize is that although the dog may be from a livestock guardian breed, not all members of even the same litter will be good guardians. Like people, each dog is different. It is important to buy from someone who can judge the dog's abilities as a puppy. Also ask for proof of OFA or CHIK which will prove that the dog does not have inheritable hip or elbow problems. Some breeds also need eye screening for genetic problems prticular to their breed.

Click to expand...

Ridgetop said:

Where are you located? You can also contact the TEMU LGD association about LGD

Click to expand...

I have a Maremma Pyrenees cross and a Pyrenees. The Maremma has been gentler with the livestock, easier to train and less likely to roam.
However, a good breeder is just as important as breed, like Ridgetop said. I got my Maremma from a reputable breeder that does health testing, trains the pups with livestock and has dogs with excellent guardian genetics. It will be more money but worth it to make sure you stay away from backyard breeders.

In another thread you mentioned that you will have 1/4 to 1/2 acre. For a space that small, a LGD would be hard to contain. I recommend building a strong exterior fence, hot wire it top, bottom and in the middle. Get a large yard dog, teach it to leave the sheep alone and keep it in the yard next to but not in with the sheep. It will bark and make lots of noise at predators.

I have 2 Anatolians. My farm dog is half Great Dane and half Labrador. He does NOT go in the working fields. The Anatolians would, and have, attack him. He also is transfixed by newborns (look like rabbits to him) and would probably eat one if given the chance. After a couple of weeks, he loses interest and it’s safe for them to be in my yard, grazing. He barks, a lot. So he contributes to the warning away predators with his barking.

Baymule said:

In another thread you mentioned that you will have 1/4 to 1/2 acre. For a space that small, a LGD would be hard to contain. I recommend building a strong exterior fence, hot wire it top, bottom and in the middle. Get a large yard dog, teach it to leave the sheep alone and keep it in the yard next to but not in with the sheep. It will bark and make lots of noise at predators.

I have 2 Anatolians. My farm dog is half Great Dane and half Labrador. He does NOT go in the working fields. The Anatolians would, and have, attack him. He also is transfixed by newborns (look like rabbits to him) and would probably eat one if given the chance. After a couple of weeks, he loses interest and it’s safe for them to be in my yard, grazing. He barks, a lot. So he contributes to the warning away predators with his barking.

Click to expand...

Ok. I was wondering if the area we will have to use would be too small. We have a total of 5 acres of you include all our land but due to the other farm dogs and mom and dads that live on property, plus only part of the land is used for livestock currently. Only those parts with livestock are fenced

Are you sure you even need a livestock guardian dog? Depending on where the animals will be kept, the ability of predators to approach them, etc. you might not even need one. Just be sure your own dogs can't get to them. Stray neighborhood dogs are a big threat.