Show Sebright
True BYH Addict
Y’all think a poodle can be trained as a livestock dog? They are very smart. I want a assiedoodle or a poodle when I grow up
we got out border collie ‘basically trained for herding’….she is 2 years old and she has not one singe herding instinct. She is terrified of her shadow and sheep mystify and terrify her simultaneously. (Never listen to a cowboy bragging on his dog!). What she IS….is the most incredibly obedient fastest command learning dog I have every known! She has learned all the commands for herding in just a few months. Command, “lie down” and she will drop like an incredibly alert stone even if she is in the middle of her ‘personal business’. She is so eager to please. But she also seeks approval from the sheep…she wants to join the flock. She is the most useless and expensive piece of equipment on the farm. BUT…I see hope in the future! The newest craze for sheep herding dogs in this part of the woods is a Border Collie / Golden Retriever….Golden Border Collie or Border Retriever….the debate has not been settled. They have thee stamens, the intelligence, the grace and boldness necessary and they are willing to curl up in the corner at night after working all day…the energy that seems endless in the daytime abates. That….and their not just a fuzzy ball of needy.We're planning on getting an Anatolian pretty soon. I can't imagine an Aussie being a good guard dog due to their herding instinct. Our Aussie is still a pup but well started on herding. A few weeks ago she spent several minutes nipping and barking at a dead deer to make it get up and move.
Having said that OFA has a Border Collie mix (I think) that he's happy with.
This is something we have been researching for over a year. Anatolian seems to be the best option for us but you can find Pyr pure bred dogs plentiful and cheap…I’m not going cheap this time…I do NOT need another pet dog!Another vote for Anatolians! My one remaining Pyr jumps any fence and is a problem child. My 2 Anatolians are devoted to their flock. Moving to a smaller place on a highway, going to have to build Fort Knox to keep the Pyr from becoming a white furry pancake on the road.
Find a reputable breeder. I bought a beautiful male puppy, half Anatolian, 1/4 Pyrenees, 1/4 Akbash. Brilliant smart, awesome dog. At 9 months old, he was limping. A vet exam revealed hip dysplasia, the vet called him a train wreck. We elected for surgery, femoral head ostectomy. It was a heart breaking experience. Today, you'd never know it. he recovered, runs, plays and is a exceptional guard dog. But for the money spent, I could have had a registered dog from the best breeder. Lesson learned. There are good dogs out there from people who have a farm and a few good dogs. But there are also people out there with a few dogs that should never be bred.This is something we have been researching for over a year. Anatolian seems to be the best option for us but you can find Pyr pure bred dogs plentiful and cheap…I’m not going cheap this time…I do NOT need another pet dog!
we keep a pure bred flock and a meat hybrid flock so we are considering two dogs. The rams have demonstrated they can care for their own interests. They set a mountain lion on his heels when he had the bad sense to wander into their pen. They are polled and they love their loving head scratches like big teddy bears but if you don’t belong in their pen…..Woe! Are you!