The Education of Ben

[Latestarter]

Hmmm I believe @samssimonsays had her Rumley was 1/2 SB, or some portion, maybe a compilation of 3 breeds but I remember SB and Pyr, and she said he had virtually no LG instincts at all... I'd be better off letting her respond... I remember as a kid a farmer neighbor down the road had and bred SBs... They were just farm dogs as the only livestock she had were shetland ponies... She was an AG farmer vice livestock. The biggest thing I remember about her SBs was that they were HUGE lumbering, drool flinging/wiping/lathering/dripping, hair shedding (to stick in all that drool) machines... I'm pretty sure my experiences with them is what turned me off to dog breeds and specific dogs that drool. They would shake their heads and you'd think it was raining... spit flying in every direction!

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...that's one gross feature of that breed, even more so than the Newfies, who also have those large, saggy flues.

I was just reading on one instagram account of a place in Belgium where this lady has the SBs just as general farm dogs, but they seem very nurturing to the small livestock, staying with them when they are sick, etc. Both SBs and Newfies are known for that babysitting characteristic and are supposedly very courageous about defending their charges, so was just wondering if anyone used them with sheep and such on a regular basis.

Did searches but can't find anything of that nature out there, just people telling other people not to try it, which is kind of weird....why not try it? Where would the harm lie in trying these breeds? The worst that could happen is you wind up with a nice farm/family dog and not a LGD dog per se, but it's weird that people are so dead set against anyone even thinking about trying them.

 

[Beekissed]

On a side note, our coyote pack was singing in the field next to us last night....very pretty sound. Jake started to howl along with, while Ben started to bark at first but switched to a bark/howl combo. They all sang together for a brief moment and then both parties went silent at the same time, then silence for the rest of the night.

I thought that was the neatest little moment in time, with all canines singing together a song that has likely been sung since the beginning of time.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Truthfully, unless one is already experienced at training these dogs, really know dogs, and are fine with having a pet/farm dog, I would advise against it too.

Many are looking for "something different" or "something with color" and don't want a "common" LGD. If they "don't work out" many of these dogs end up being shot, chained, kenneled, dropped at a pound, or listed on Craigs list.

In your case, I think you would be fine. You are raising farm dogs- not LGD's.
And you are willing to work with dogs and have some experience.
I see many say "its fine if they can't be a LGD, they can live in the house" but when reality hits, they don't want a 150lb fluffball that drools and barks in the house.

 

[NH homesteader]

Pretty much what I was going to say! So I'll just say x2!

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, I have no interest in getting a SB at all, but my son got one recently and that got me to thinking about the breed and what it's actually good for. Not much, as it currently stands, other than a family dog. I like to puzzle out why certain dog breeds lost their original purpose and how easy or difficult it would be to return that breed to a more useful application.

Just pondering!

 

[samssimonsays]

Rumely was a very good dog. Most of his litter mates have turned out to be amazing farm/livestock dogs. He was a slow learner but a gentle soul. He had some lgd traits coming through but it took a lot longer than normal. His daughter is half collie so even less pyr and she has soooo many lgd traits in her and has been a natural. She is still a pet only but we don't have to be concerned about her with the goats when they are out or she comes in with me. Rum had a ton of Bernard traits vs the pyr but my oh my he had the pyr hearing lol. We loved him and we could trust him with the goats and baby bunnies but he had blips of "what was he thinking" in there too which he really wasn't thinking. Usually, he'd start his zoomies and just bull doze anything and anyone in his way as he wasn't paying attention. I've gotten it. Let sitters got it. Goats got it. But he'd never intentionally hurt a fly until his daughter and our other dog (puppies mom) were involved and if anything went after them hed turn into cujo. He was able to be called off the couple times he did it but a dog rolled his daughter while playing and she ran yelping and he chased the other down. He was also very protective of our goats and us. He was still a pup and was really starting to mature but we never planned for him to be an lgd. Just a pet with the option of property protection. He slobbered if he drank and that was about it. There is a strain of Bernards that has a more dry mouth but I can't remember what it was.... A friend's aunt raised them but they smelled bad so there was a compromise with having the dry mouthed dogs. I'd get another in a heart beat like rumely but not in the intention as an lgd unless it showed it had strong traits. Bernards are very loving and good farm dogs but very slow to pick up on things it seemed with our boy. A newfoundland /pyr mix we know was very similar to rumely as well.... Maybe it's just the crosses lol.

 

[Beekissed]

It snowed last night and the dogs have been in seventh heaven, playing and running in that piddly bit of snow. It's the first real snow we've had this winter, so they've been deprived. Even the cats were chasing one another and playing in the snow.

Got a pic of the dogs this morning as they waited for their food while I was taking snow pics. This is something I started years ago for Jake, who tends to choke on his food due to eating so fast. I had read that, if you made them wait for a bit before eating, that it would slow them down a bit...and it worked, so I just kept doing it. When little Ben came along he just mimicked what Jake did at feeding time and soon surpassed Jake in his speed in lying down and ability to hold the stance for long moments.

It turned out to be a really nice thing to not be crowded by overeager dogs when I'm dishing out the food and putting it down, so I've continued the practice. I vary the wait times so they don't anticipate my release...sometimes I don't even require they lie down, sometimes I leave them lying there while I perform little chores nearby, but usually it's just a matter of less than a minute they have to wait.

I never have to give a command for them to do this and never did....I just waited until they laid down before putting the food down and stood between them and the food until they had waited a bit in that lie down position. That transitioned to them lying down as soon as the pans hit the ground~of their own volition~ and staying there until I said "okay"...after that was reached, I no longer had to stand between them and the food. Now it's just part of their world and Ben learned it from Jake, so didn't have to be taught this at all by me.

 

[Kusanar]

It snowed last night and the dogs have been in seventh heaven, playing and running in that piddly bit of snow. It's the first real snow we've had this winter, so they've been deprived. Even the cats were chasing one another and playing in the snow.

Got a pic of the dogs this morning as they waited for their food while I was taking snow pics. This is something I started years ago for Jake, who tends to choke on his food due to eating so fast. I had read that, if you made them wait for a bit before eating, that it would slow them down a bit...and it worked, so I just kept doing it. When little Ben came along he just mimicked what Jake did at feeding time and soon surpassed Jake in his speed in lying down and ability to hold the stance for long moments.

It turned out to be a really nice thing to not be crowded by overeager dogs when I'm dishing out the food and putting it down, so I've continued the practice. I vary the wait times so they don't anticipate my release...sometimes I don't even require they lie down, sometimes I leave them lying there while I perform little chores nearby, but usually it's just a matter of less than a minute they have to wait.

I never have to give a command for them to do this and never did....I just waited until they laid down before putting the food down and stood between them and the food until they had waited a bit in that lie down position. That transitioned to them lying down as soon as the pans hit the ground~of their own volition~ and staying there until I said "okay"...after that was reached, I no longer had to stand between them and the food. Now it's just part of their world and Ben learned it from Jake, so didn't have to be taught this at all by me.

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Ben is certainly making sure that food doesn't run away though!

 

[Beekissed]

Yes! Jake is WAY worse than Ben about that, though. I try to time the release when they are both looking at me and not the food. A person is supposed to wait until they are lying in a more relaxed position and no longer even looking in the food's direction, but with these two I'd be waiting all day to get there.