Bruce's Journal

[Southern by choice]

you are doing the right hing Bruce.
I can tell you have already fallen in love with Merlin.
The trial period honestly a tough one for everyone.

Some time ago one of our Pups (2 years old now) went to his home they LOVED him and had visited for months waiting to get him.
About a month later there came a situation with an impending move and there was so much up in the air I requested the dog return back to us.
It was painful for the family - I would have kept him forever- lo and behold I got a call in Dec and everything was worked out, they were nervous that I wouldn't allow them to have the dog.
Truth is I knew this dog would return to them when the time was right. I can tell you allowing him to leave the 2nd time was tough on me but he really was meant to be with them.
Sometimes things just don't work out. Sometimes things take twists and turns you don't expect.

Yet I hope you take comfort in knowing that you cared for him very well in the short time you had him, and that Merlin will be ok. PQ is doing the right thing as well by taking him back.
Most important is that you care and love your wife.

 

[NH homesteader]

Sorry Bruce. I wish I had adequate fencing, I'd be making a call to purplequeenvt. Merlin sounds like a lovely dog. But definitely the right thing to do, never a good thing to have an animals owner suffering or fighting because of him.

Maybe look into a Llama?

 

[Mike CHS]

This was a hard thread to catch up on but I truly hope Merlin gets his perfect home and your life can get back to being less of a challenge.

 

[Bruce]

Sorry Bruce. I wish I had adequate fencing, I'd be making a call to purplequeenvt. Merlin sounds like a lovely dog. But definitely the right thing to do, never a good thing to have an animals owner suffering or fighting because of him.

Maybe look into a Llama?

I thought about you but know you don't have proper fencing. Really too bad since you are close. I think @Mike CHS needs a pair of dogs and since he already has Maisy, he needs a male At least he has a more reasonable number of livestock than I do for dogs to guard.

No llamas. No value there, it could as easily be prey for coyotes as fend one off if it crashed the fence. And it would do nothing against raccoons nor the @#$%^&* woodchucks that are undermining everything.

 

[Bruce]

This was a hard thread to catch up on but I truly hope Merlin gets his perfect home and your life can get back to being less of a challenge.

That would be nice but he was part of the solution to making my life less of a challenge.

 

[NH homesteader]

If it was spring I would send my husband out to work on the fencing today lol!

 

[CntryBoy777]

I wouldn't give up on the dog "Pursuit", but would search out the breeds to find a better "Fit" for your situation. This one didn't quite work out for ya, but has made ya Wiser of what to be concerned with so a "Perfect" fit can be more easily found. Maybe a 90-120lb dog could do the job and be less vocal, or at least not a disturbingly loud Bark. There are many out there to choose from, so don't give up on it totally.

 

[NH homesteader]

But on the other hand there are many ways to deter predators other than dogs. And if the primary deterrent of predators is barking, any other dog may not be a good fit. Good fences, electricity, locking them in the barn... Will all work.

 

[purplequeenvt]

I thought about you but know you don't have proper fencing. Really too bad since you are close. I think @Mike CHS needs a pair of dogs and since he already has Maisy, he needs a male At least he has a more reasonable number of livestock than I do for dogs to guard.

No llamas. No value there, it could as easily be prey for coyotes as fend one off if it crashed the fence. And it would do nothing against raccoons nor the @#$%^&* woodchucks that are undermining everything.

Actually, a llama is not a bad idea. Most are excellent guards against coyotes. I had llamas for years before the dogs. I switched to dogs as my llamas got older and the predator load changed due to a move.

The biggest plus would be that they are camelids, just like the alpacas. Same feed, same health care.

 

[Beekissed]

Basenji, Bruce....they don't bark, supposed to be excellent homestead dogs.

https://www.basenji.org/joomla/inde...t&view=category&layout=blog&id=109&Itemid=345