bonbean01
Herd Master
Your German Shepherd dog is beautiful Southern! Had a large one on our farm growing up named Ace...beautiful breed!
"Minnie" blurb (Pup #3) PICS!!!
- Thread starter Southern by choice
- Start date
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- #52
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Thanks Bon! You should see her with the pups! It is too funny.
kinder
Loving the herd life
Oh I want to..Just as soon as I find my camera, figure out how to put the pics. up.Awww, glad you liked it! I love the German Shepherd Dog!
So now you have to show us yours!I LOVE LOVE LOVE GSd's!
Livestock lover
Loving the herd life
We have a German Shepherd and she is very lovable. 
Playing with a toy sword. Hehe
Playing with a toy sword. Hehe
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- #55
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Shocked the sword is intact! LOL
She looks like she is having fun!
She looks like she is having fun!
- Thread starter
- #56
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Well we are flooded here again... mud! mud! mud!
This week pups are 6 weeks. They are now in the chicken field with the little goats and the chickens. Only supervised though... too many escape places for little pups and don't want them on the hotwire just yet... too close to the road. Unsupervised they are in a long run area that lets them be right by all the action while gamehens and a few large roosters are in with them full time.
Momma is watchful and interferes if a goat gets too ornery with them yet will allow them to get a little "butt". They are learning submission while their curiosity allows then to explore and go everywhere. The geese hate them... not unusual.
6 week pics
This girl is showing patroller tendencies. She is also showing signs that she will be better as a second LGD. She does very well having another dog. She is playful, inquisitive, and very smart.
This girl so far is showing watcher tendencies. Highly alert at all times, picks the "prime" location to park herself and watch attentively. Very independent and confident very intelligent. She is more "grown up" than she should be at 6 weeks.
This girl... hard to describe. I love what I see in her. Independent, bold, determined. She is playful and does well with others but does not need others. She is interesting to watch when it comes to problem solving. Oddly she shows patroller and watcher tendencies. Not stronger in one area over the other.
Just one look and a step forward and she immediately stopped and laid down... learning submission.
Being cautious... Daddy in the hay feeder!
Gettin' "Learned" by Bo Peep... Momma came in right after this. No butt yet a little more than momma was going to allow.
So curious.... she wants to be the goats friend. LOL Bo Peep says... not sure about you.
Playing
This week pups are 6 weeks. They are now in the chicken field with the little goats and the chickens. Only supervised though... too many escape places for little pups and don't want them on the hotwire just yet... too close to the road. Unsupervised they are in a long run area that lets them be right by all the action while gamehens and a few large roosters are in with them full time.
Momma is watchful and interferes if a goat gets too ornery with them yet will allow them to get a little "butt". They are learning submission while their curiosity allows then to explore and go everywhere. The geese hate them... not unusual.
6 week pics
This girl is showing patroller tendencies. She is also showing signs that she will be better as a second LGD. She does very well having another dog. She is playful, inquisitive, and very smart.
This girl so far is showing watcher tendencies. Highly alert at all times, picks the "prime" location to park herself and watch attentively. Very independent and confident very intelligent. She is more "grown up" than she should be at 6 weeks.
This girl... hard to describe. I love what I see in her. Independent, bold, determined. She is playful and does well with others but does not need others. She is interesting to watch when it comes to problem solving. Oddly she shows patroller and watcher tendencies. Not stronger in one area over the other.
Just one look and a step forward and she immediately stopped and laid down... learning submission.
Being cautious... Daddy in the hay feeder!
Gettin' "Learned" by Bo Peep... Momma came in right after this. No butt yet a little more than momma was going to allow.
So curious.... she wants to be the goats friend. LOL Bo Peep says... not sure about you.
Playing
LoneOakGoats
Loving the herd life
Oh my gosh, the pictures just keep getting better and better! Love them all, but the little "watcher" is adorable.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
Would you elaborate a little on what the signs are that says a pup might be better as a second LGD?
Your pics and explanations are a better read than some of the books I have.
Your pics and explanations are a better read than some of the books I have.
- Thread starter
- #60
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Well, these are preliminary evaluations. Right now this girl is more playful, patrolling, easily amused, and for the most part “needs” to have another dog. There will be other criteria I look for and then will give a rating of environments most suitable.
The playful pup that has a great deal of curiosity sometimes can be mistaken for a “pet” home environment. Not true. Just as those that have stand-offish pups do not make the best guardians.
Dogs are pack animals… in general you should not have just one. I am a big fan of teams. Preferably male/ female. These are working dogs, not lounge around the house spoiled pets (although if you have seen all the pics you know ours are also lay on the couch big babies that are highly bonded to their people spoiled brats!) These dogs are working and are better in pairs. Much like no one would have a single goat or sheep… goats and sheep are herd/flock animals… dogs pack. Same principle applies.
Often the dogs that display her traits… playful, desiring attention, exploring make excellent guardians and will bond very closely with their livestock and yet the companionship of another dog allows them to excel at what they do. Brings their confidence up immensely. They tend to get depressed being alone.
My one big Male Pyr was just like this… he is an excellent guardian and also a big baby. As playful and sensitive as he is he also will not allow any stranger to befriend him. EVER. He is the most nurturing of all the LGD’s and gravitates to the babies. He did this by 4 ½ months.
At this point I will be watching for particular behaviors. Playful is fine as long as chasing does not ensue…. That is a problem and an undesirable trait. Aggression, dominance, pecking order, and degrees of those will be evaluated. I will be seeing how she plays… is it a dominance, control issue? Simply playful, badgering… what does she do when another plays with her… response etc. Her patrolling tendencies appear strong in her and she will be best paired with a watcher. Watchers tend to have a dominant personality. Again dominant does not mean aggressive. A positive dominant is a highly confident dog, generally laid back and easy going, often friendly with those that are “accepted”. Some dogs can have a highly confident personality and display traits yet they can be a negative or false confidence that can mean a highly stubborn, vying for alpha dog. As well as a chaser and biter… NONE of which would be good for an LGD.
The evaluation process will continue til 12 weeks. This allows for mom and dad to have influence over the pups as well as weed out undesirable behaviors. Out of the 3, I have one that at 3-4 weeks would growl fiercely if she was turned on her back or her neck was cuffed ( these are things I do as a gauge, it is gentle but regardless they can protest or accept). After working with her she now will lay in my lap on her back and fall asleep with her belly being rubbed. Food aggression is a big issue with this breed so working on that is important.
Hope that explains a bit!
The playful pup that has a great deal of curiosity sometimes can be mistaken for a “pet” home environment. Not true. Just as those that have stand-offish pups do not make the best guardians.
Dogs are pack animals… in general you should not have just one. I am a big fan of teams. Preferably male/ female. These are working dogs, not lounge around the house spoiled pets (although if you have seen all the pics you know ours are also lay on the couch big babies that are highly bonded to their people spoiled brats!) These dogs are working and are better in pairs. Much like no one would have a single goat or sheep… goats and sheep are herd/flock animals… dogs pack. Same principle applies.
Often the dogs that display her traits… playful, desiring attention, exploring make excellent guardians and will bond very closely with their livestock and yet the companionship of another dog allows them to excel at what they do. Brings their confidence up immensely. They tend to get depressed being alone.
My one big Male Pyr was just like this… he is an excellent guardian and also a big baby. As playful and sensitive as he is he also will not allow any stranger to befriend him. EVER. He is the most nurturing of all the LGD’s and gravitates to the babies. He did this by 4 ½ months.
At this point I will be watching for particular behaviors. Playful is fine as long as chasing does not ensue…. That is a problem and an undesirable trait. Aggression, dominance, pecking order, and degrees of those will be evaluated. I will be seeing how she plays… is it a dominance, control issue? Simply playful, badgering… what does she do when another plays with her… response etc. Her patrolling tendencies appear strong in her and she will be best paired with a watcher. Watchers tend to have a dominant personality. Again dominant does not mean aggressive. A positive dominant is a highly confident dog, generally laid back and easy going, often friendly with those that are “accepted”. Some dogs can have a highly confident personality and display traits yet they can be a negative or false confidence that can mean a highly stubborn, vying for alpha dog. As well as a chaser and biter… NONE of which would be good for an LGD.
The evaluation process will continue til 12 weeks. This allows for mom and dad to have influence over the pups as well as weed out undesirable behaviors. Out of the 3, I have one that at 3-4 weeks would growl fiercely if she was turned on her back or her neck was cuffed ( these are things I do as a gauge, it is gentle but regardless they can protest or accept). After working with her she now will lay in my lap on her back and fall asleep with her belly being rubbed. Food aggression is a big issue with this breed so working on that is important.
Hope that explains a bit!
