big brown horse
Overrun with beasties
Livestock Guardian Dogs?? Should I get one? (more pics)
- Thread starter dianneS
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #32
dianneS
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 974
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 176
Okay, no pics just yet. My camera battery went dead and I asked my husband to pick up a new one for me, and he forgot!! 
We got the pup home last night and it had been raining. Really dark sky and its getting darker earlier now anyway. I let the pup in the goat pen and the goats weren't as frightened of him as I thought they would be. Puppy was just confused and scared, so we just put him in his own pen inside the goat pen and locked everyone in together for the night. He barked for a little while, which I tried to discourage (nonsense barking is a no-no!) but he doesn't know the meaning of the word "NO!" just yet.
Unfortunatly while we were away, picking up the puppy, the wind had blown the chicken house door shut. When we got home it was dark enough for the chickens to have put themselves to bed. Well only about half of them made it inside the hen house! The other half were outside roosting in trees or something, because I could not find them! Amongst the chickens remaining outdoors, was a hen and two new chicks. I knew they had to be on the ground somewhere and just hoped and prayed that they were well hidden from predators. Well this morning, everyone was accounted for, except the two chicks.
Momma hen is limping a bit so she must have tried her best to defend them. (She killed a baby skunk that got after her chicks once before. He got four chicks, but she saved the remaining seven!) Momma hen is limping around calling for her babies today. Its sad, but at least it was just two and not more.
I'm more anxious than ever to get this puppy to work! He's out with the goats right now. I'm watching out the window. He has no interest in chasing them at all and the goats are not as frightened of him as I thought they would be. So far so good. He's sitting on the bank next to them, just hanging out with the goats. He had a big breakfast and I kept the goats away from him so they wouldn't try to steal his food (I don't want him to get food aggressive). I feel much more confident already than I thought I would at this point. I think this is going to work out well. But I will proceed with caution of course.
I'll try to squeeze one more photo out of this camera battery
and will be getting a fresh battery ASAP! I'll be back with pics soon!
We got the pup home last night and it had been raining. Really dark sky and its getting darker earlier now anyway. I let the pup in the goat pen and the goats weren't as frightened of him as I thought they would be. Puppy was just confused and scared, so we just put him in his own pen inside the goat pen and locked everyone in together for the night. He barked for a little while, which I tried to discourage (nonsense barking is a no-no!) but he doesn't know the meaning of the word "NO!" just yet.
Unfortunatly while we were away, picking up the puppy, the wind had blown the chicken house door shut. When we got home it was dark enough for the chickens to have put themselves to bed. Well only about half of them made it inside the hen house! The other half were outside roosting in trees or something, because I could not find them! Amongst the chickens remaining outdoors, was a hen and two new chicks. I knew they had to be on the ground somewhere and just hoped and prayed that they were well hidden from predators. Well this morning, everyone was accounted for, except the two chicks.
Momma hen is limping a bit so she must have tried her best to defend them. (She killed a baby skunk that got after her chicks once before. He got four chicks, but she saved the remaining seven!) Momma hen is limping around calling for her babies today. Its sad, but at least it was just two and not more.I'm more anxious than ever to get this puppy to work! He's out with the goats right now. I'm watching out the window. He has no interest in chasing them at all and the goats are not as frightened of him as I thought they would be. So far so good. He's sitting on the bank next to them, just hanging out with the goats. He had a big breakfast and I kept the goats away from him so they wouldn't try to steal his food (I don't want him to get food aggressive). I feel much more confident already than I thought I would at this point. I think this is going to work out well. But I will proceed with caution of course.
I'll try to squeeze one more photo out of this camera battery
and will be getting a fresh battery ASAP! I'll be back with pics soon!- Thread starter
- #33
dianneS
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 974
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 176
Okay here is one pic that I managed to get before the camera totally quit on me!
Its not a "good" one. I want to get a pic of him laying with his goats, which is what he is doing right now! I'm watching out the window. The goats lay next to the barn every morning until the grass dries off and the sun comes out, before heading to the pasture to graze. He's out there next to the barn just laying with them!
My little house dog followed me to the fence and the pup saw her. Wasn't aggressive toward her, but backed up next to his goats and barked and howled until the little dog went away!
Sorry I can't post to this site, but here's link to the pic. He's a rare red Karakachan!
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats078.jpg
Its not a "good" one. I want to get a pic of him laying with his goats, which is what he is doing right now! I'm watching out the window. The goats lay next to the barn every morning until the grass dries off and the sun comes out, before heading to the pasture to graze. He's out there next to the barn just laying with them!
My little house dog followed me to the fence and the pup saw her. Wasn't aggressive toward her, but backed up next to his goats and barked and howled until the little dog went away!
Sorry I can't post to this site, but here's link to the pic. He's a rare red Karakachan!
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats078.jpg
ksalvagno
Alpaca Master
What a cute little guy! 
oldbarncat
Chillin' with the herd
I have been raising Maremma LGD's for over 10 years now. We own a 125 head sheep, dairy cattle , alpacas and exotic birds and chickens. Now we have NOT had any predators what so ever attack any animal, person or bird on the property since we got the dogs.The Maremmas here do not kill any of our cats,birds and what nots. They are one of the best dogs we have ever owned. Would I recommend a LGD? You are darn tootin' I would.
big brown horse
Overrun with beasties
Hi oldbarncat!! Welcome to the herd.
That is the cutest durn pup I ever did see! He looks like a giant Benji dog!
I'm so glad you got him, be prepared to relax a little with him around. (Not saying you don't have to do a little work with him, just saying that having one around makes life so much easier!)
That is the cutest durn pup I ever did see! He looks like a giant Benji dog!
I'm so glad you got him, be prepared to relax a little with him around. (Not saying you don't have to do a little work with him, just saying that having one around makes life so much easier!)
- Thread starter
- #37
dianneS
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 974
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 176
Here's a few more pics of the puppy and his goats.
I'm so thrilled with him already. I'm so glad I got him. He is really settling in well. He is no longer barking at everything, and only barking at what he should bark at.
He informed me of an escaped goat already. He's suspicious of anyone that approaches the fence, but not aggressive. He allows me to handle the goats, but you can tell it makes him anxious. Its so cute. I'm able to stand at the fence and he stays out with his goats and just does his job, he doesn't come to the fence or try to get out, follow me or get my attention. He keeps good watch of the chickens too.
He's an awesome dog already at only 5 months!
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats087.jpg
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats094.jpg
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats090.jpg
Welcome oldbarncat! I do feel more secure with him around already. I new that the silence last night (no barking) meant that all is well!
I'm so thrilled with him already. I'm so glad I got him. He is really settling in well. He is no longer barking at everything, and only barking at what he should bark at.
He informed me of an escaped goat already. He's suspicious of anyone that approaches the fence, but not aggressive. He allows me to handle the goats, but you can tell it makes him anxious. Its so cute. I'm able to stand at the fence and he stays out with his goats and just does his job, he doesn't come to the fence or try to get out, follow me or get my attention. He keeps good watch of the chickens too.
He's an awesome dog already at only 5 months!
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats087.jpg
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats094.jpg
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats090.jpg
Welcome oldbarncat! I do feel more secure with him around already. I new that the silence last night (no barking) meant that all is well!
big brown horse
Overrun with beasties
OH, how cute is he?
Your place looks awesome by the way!!
Your place looks awesome by the way!!
Roll farms
Spot Master
Congrats, he is GORGEOUS!
- Thread starter
- #40
dianneS
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 974
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 176
Well, I forgot to close the chicken house door last night. I totally freaked when I saw loose chickens first thing this morning. This hen house has been broken into more than once by very determined predators with the door CLOSED!
I went out for a head count, called everyone to me with some scratch, all accounted for! Not one missing. Not my chicks or my broody on the nest. Everyone is alive and well. I have to give credit to the dog! 
I'm sure without him, we'd have had a massacre last night.
What a good pup!
I went out for a head count, called everyone to me with some scratch, all accounted for!
Not one missing. Not my chicks or my broody on the nest. Everyone is alive and well. I have to give credit to the dog! I'm sure without him, we'd have had a massacre last night.What a good pup!
