Anatolian Pyrenees

[farmerjan]

Just for a reference, around here they are selling these "designer breeds" of dogs, like Labradoddles for $500-1500... and to me they are useless except as a pet... so a $300 or more cost , of an LGD would be a very good investment... for someone that wants a dog to actually do some "work" around the farm...
We don't have any due to neighbor situations and no fences good enough to keep them in here, with all the rented land... we use donkeys/mules for protection from coyotes with the sheep... and might start running some with the cattle...have used llamas with the sheep in the past also...great for the dog problems and even the coyotes.... but they are of no use for bigger predators. Infared scopes and night hunting of the coyotes are employed regularly too...
Plus, I am not one to deal with a barking dog even though I fully understand they are doing their job. Night time barking, as warnings and such against predators, would not work for me. The donkeys and mules do a very good job with the sheep, stay in the fences the sheep stay in, and are pretty quiet, and can eat what the sheep and cattle eat. I fully understand the benefits of an LGD and for many they are really priceless...

 

[SageHill]

Trying to find him a female partner, but that is as I was trying to find him, almost impossible. Everyone thinks they got a gold mine wanting to charge $300 plus for a LGD, then factor in a 200 mile drive one way to get to them, and add in must be exposed to poultry and the list thins down quick.

Surely you left out a zero and meant $3000 right?? Yes, for a puppy. 55ish yrs ago I had Vizslas (who hunted - best damn bird dogs around in the 60's) and back then a pup went for $200.

 

[Weldman]

 

[Weldman]

Introducing Pooch to the bacon seeds, at first was pacing back and forth with hair up all over, but after awhile of assuring him they are harmless, petting him and such he is now perplexed looking at them.

 

[Baymule]

He instinctively knows pigs are predators and doesn’t like them.

 

[Weldman]

Looking at Pooch's brother, for some reason Pooch is double his size. I need to get him on a scale and see where he weighs in at. Still clumsy puppy and still can't keep up with me in stamina, were trying though. Get about hour in to a hour and half and he is stopping, Maybe it's a good sign he won't venture far since there is so much acreage he will wear out before leaving the property.

 

[Baymule]

I’m on a FB group called Farmers Only LGDs. Unlike the other FB LGD groups, this one is NOT for “pet princesses” and idiots get booted off. I mention this because of a real good post that I think might be applied here.

Caleb posted that he took his dogs, as puppies, out of his fence to patrol a 100 foot parameter around his place. To start with, he hung up those streamers of flags, on the imaginary lines. He walked them on leashes, then off leash, recalling them if they went past the flags. They learned where the imaginary boundaries are and now if they get out of the fence, they go no farther even if chasing off predators. He walks them around his farm now, once a week, letting them mark their territory. It keeps predators out farther instead of right up against the fence.

You have no fence, so walking the property line, like you are already doing, will help teach Pooch when to stop and not run off for miles.

If you are on FB, it would be a good group to join.

 

[Weldman]

I’m on a FB group called Farmers Only LGDs. Unlike the other FB LGD groups, this one is NOT for “pet princesses” and idiots get booted off. I mention this because of a real good post that I think might be applied here.

Caleb posted that he took his dogs, as puppies, out of his fence to patrol a 100 foot parameter around his place. To start with, he hung up those streamers of flags, on the imaginary lines. He walked them on leashes, then off leash, recalling them if they went past the flags. They learned where the imaginary boundaries are and now if they get out of the fence, they go no farther even if chasing off predators. He walks them around his farm now, once a week, letting them mark their territory. It keeps predators out farther instead of right up against the fence.

You have no fence, so walking the property line, like you are already doing, will help teach Pooch when to stop and not run off for miles.

If you are on FB, it would be a good group to join.

I'm on that FB group and been lurking a long time Pooch has visionary markers such as the road and a fence line and I do recall him if he gets on the road or other side of the fence. So far he has crossed the fence only once, I walk him almost daily around the perimeter.
Yesterday I took him out and introduced him to the ducklings, I put one in my hand and let him smell it, he tried licking it and told him no. I will introduce him more as time goes on and the ducklings get bigger since I will have more coming out this week.

 

[Ridgetop]

Teaching boundaries is important. We have an electric gate here in California. Luckily, we are on a private road so less traffic. We have one house past us and that gate is only about 50' from ours. We have trained the dogs not to go through the electric gate BUT we do not open and close it when other people are on the road, and close it immediately once our vehicles have passed through. When no strangers are around, the dogs do not go through. If they step foot over the gate track, a command to "get back" will cause them to back up. If any coyotes or strangers were on the road, and the gate was open, no command would stop them from going through the open gate to repel what they would see as a threat.

The dogs recognize the neighbors at the end of the road and do not bark at their cars. They do not bark when any of us come home but they stand in an attitude of expectation. They recognize the engine sound of our vehicles and those of the neighbors who regularly pass by. across the gully is a road across our property. We have granted easements on that road, and it is used by dog walkers and horses. When anyone is on the road other than occasional cars, the dogs will bark. Occasionally they will run down the gully and up to the corner of the fence to watch for dogs off leash. I would not trust them to leave the fenced areas if coyotes or predators did not leave. I would not trust them not to leave through an open gate if we were not present. I protect my dogs from litigious persons by making sure they are aways behind my fence.

 

[SageHill]

I’m on a FB group called Farmers Only LGDs. Unlike the other FB LGD groups, this one is NOT for “pet princesses” and idiots get booted off. I mention this because of a real good post that I think might be applied here.

Caleb posted that he took his dogs, as puppies, out of his fence to patrol a 100 foot parameter around his place. To start with, he hung up those streamers of flags, on the imaginary lines. He walked them on leashes, then off leash, recalling them if they went past the flags. They learned where the imaginary boundaries are and now if they get out of the fence, they go no farther even if chasing off predators. He walks them around his farm now, once a week, letting them mark their territory. It keeps predators out farther instead of right up against the fence.

You have no fence, so walking the property line, like you are already doing, will help teach Pooch when to stop and not run off for miles.

If you are on FB, it would be a good group to join.

That what we did with our dogs when I was a kid. (Vizslas - in the 60's they were unknown, smart and not idiotic like most are now)