Great Pyrenees Chicken And Livestock Guard Dogs

[BuckeyeDave]

Maggie and Dusty had puppies on March 6th and will be ready for their new homes on April 17th!!!

We have 4 boys and 4 girls available. Our Great Pyrenees guard our flock and have spent time with goats over the last year. They are very friendly and have all of the GP traits that everyone loves. They have the double dew claws and the full circle tail. Our Pyrs are out with the flock year round and rarely use their dog houses in the winter, they are very cold hardy. Our kids love the puppies so they spend alot of time with humans and get plenty of play time. We are asking $350 per pup, first reserved first pick.

The pups are at our farm in Minster, Ohio 45865 and are $350 each.

Email david@buckeyechickens.com if you are interested in reserving a puppy.

Check out more pics at ohiopyrenees.com

Thanks!!
Dave

 

[jodief100]

So these puppies have been raised around chickens? Do they guard them and not try to pluck them like my LGD's do?

 

[BuckeyeDave]

So these puppies have been raised around chickens? Do they guard them and not try to pluck them like my LGD's do?

Well the puppies are 9 days old, they don't have their eyes open yet. they are still in the whelping area with their mama.

The parents are with chickens all of the time and we raised goats with them last year, we have had no issues. They will spend some time with chickens before they go to their forever homes.

 

[BuckeyeDave]

TRAINING YOUR LGD IS VERY IMPORTANT!
The trick with raising chicken friendly LGDs is to only let them be in with your chickens while you are with them and able to reprimand them and to let them know what you are expecting from them. The first 8 months never ever let them alone with chickens, they will chase them, catch one and slobber it to death, all puppies see them as is a toy and you can't blame them.

I have placed my Great Pyrenees run all around my chicken pen so they don't have a choice but to be near them. I put a two or three roosters in with the juveniles and spend time with them getting used to the rooster and being able to sniff on him etc.

I have heard of some people buying muzzles for them and training them that way. I don't know about that. I have found spending time with them and actually participating in their training is the only way to go.

You need to protect your LGD from the animals that they are supposed to protect as much as protect the animals from your LGDs. Goats and larger animals can punish the LGD as a puppy to the point that the LGD sees the animal as an adversary or rival instead of a friend or family member. I have heard of that happening more than once.

Some people want a dual purpose dog, one that heels and sleeps at your feet and will protect the flock when you want it to. I have never heard of this working out well. It's almost as if the dog gets confused. When it's outside working it wants to be inside snuggling and when it's inside snuggling it wants to be outside working. I have found that the best working GPs will come up to you for a pet and a scratch behind the ears and then will drift back to the flock walking the perimeter with their 1,000 yard stare after a minute or two.

If you want your GP to be an LGD, leave them with their flock or herd, they will love their life and have a very content existence.

Here is a great webpage that has tons of information. omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/sheep/facts/10-033.htm

 

[jodief100]

I got my LGD's as adults and I never could train the "ATTACK anything that comes near my goats" out of them.

I was just thinking if the parents are trained as chicken guards then I would have better luck than with one whose parents were solely goat guards.

 

[BuckeyeDave]

I got my LGD's as adults and I never could train the "ATTACK anything that comes near my goats" out of them.

I was just thinking if the parents are trained as chicken guards then I would have better luck than with one whose parents were solely goat guards.

Yessum. Having a chicken friendly line and being able to train them to be chicken friendly from birth would be a huge plus. Huge.

 

[Roll farms]

We kept our first one as a pup in a stall w/ 2 wk old chicks.

I took a book and sat w/ him....any time he offered to chase / pester the chicks, he got corrected (rolled over, and I'd bare my teeth at him and say NOOOO in a growly voice).

Then I took him into a chicken pen, and did the same thing....

It didn't take long for him to decide chickens weren't worth the correction...

He never hurt a bird his whole life.

 

[freemotion]

Will they protect chickens from hawks?

How do you teach the goats not to hurt the dog?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

We kept our first one as a pup in a stall w/ 2 wk old chicks.

I took a book and sat w/ him....any time he offered to chase / pester the chicks, he got corrected (rolled over, and I'd bare my teeth at him and say NOOOO in a growly voice).

Then I took him into a chicken pen, and did the same thing....

It didn't take long for him to decide chickens weren't worth the correction...

He never hurt a bird his whole life.

I would have liked to have seen that.

 

[BuckeyeDave]

Will they protect chickens from hawks?

How do you teach the goats not to hurt the dog?

Think about it from a birds eye view, "little brown chickens, little white chickens, little yellow chickens, little black chickens, little red chickens, little tan chickens, little speckled chickens, little fancy chickens, OOOH CRAP THERE'S A BIG WHITE DOG!!!"

Just like when you introduce a new goat, once the pecking order is established the goats should leave him alone once he's a part of the herd.