What kind of Guardian does your herd have?

[elevan]

Most labs, think chickens are dinner. Or that has been out experience.

Yep, my labs see birds of any kind and think -

Maybe a mix would work but it really would depend on the individual animal.

 

[carolinagirl]

One thing that lead me to the LGD breeds to begin with was their love for children. Oh sure, lots of dogs love kids, but the LGDs have no prey drive and are almost maternal acting with children. I originally chose an Anatolian because I wanted a farm guardian that I could trust with my grandchild. I wanted something large, powerful, with a deep bark, long life, healthy, low maintenance coat and unique in appearance and the Anatolian fit that bill perfectly.

 

[ksj0225]

I love it when company comes over to see the mini-farm and Bonnie (Great Pyrenees) "herds" my 4.5 year old little girl away from the strangers.

She wants my daughter to be between her and the "perceived danger" at all times.

We went out late one night and my daughter got scared by the night time noises, I told her to stick with me or Bonnie and she would be fine.

 

[dianneS]

3/4 Karakachan 1/4 Great Pyr. Just one dog at this time, but I had a dream last night that I got a second dog!

He does such a great job too.

 

[carolinagirl]

3/4 Karakachan 1/4 Great Pyr. Just one dog at this time, but I had a dream last night that I got a second dog!

He does such a great job too.

I'd sure love to see pics of your dog. Got any??

 

[MonsterMalak]

CarolinaGirl,

You touched on a subject that I feel is an underutilized breed for family dogs. LGD's with their maternal bonding, low prey drive, attentive and patient personalities make WONDERFUL family pets. To me, these are all great qualities.

People that know nothing of LGD's are impressed with my Boz that will follow me all day in town off a leash. Never leaves my side, unless to go get or give a kiss from a child.

Great dogs. I feel many are scared of all the info on the net with warnings of stubborn, strong willed, hard to train, dominate, etc,etc,,,,, Of which I do not find true. Just great dogs!

This is our 9 month old Boz pup. 32.5", 120#. Solid love and defense.

 

[carolinagirl]

CarolinaGirl,

You touched on a subject that I feel is an underutilized breed for family dogs. LGD's with their maternal bonding, low prey drive, attentive and patient personalities make WONDERFUL family pets. To me, these are all great qualities.

People that know nothing of LGD's are impressed with my Boz that will follow me all day in town off a leash. Never leaves my side, unless to go get or give a kiss from a child.

Great dogs. I feel many are scared of all the info on the net with warnings of stubborn, strong willed, hard to train, dominate, etc,etc,,,,, Of which I do not find true. Just great dogs!

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x477/Monster_Malak/AMonster.jpg

This is our 9 month old Boz pup. 32.5", 120#. Solid love and defense.

that is one BIG puppy!

I think any dog is what you make of it. If you toss him out in the pasture to be strictly a LGD, don't be surprised when he acts stubborn, dominate and hard to train. He is only bonded to the animals. These dogs are very well smart enough and capability enough to love and guard his human family as well. It takes more work and more socialization, but it can be done. In my search for the perfect puppy, I have met countless people that keep Anatolians with their flocks most of the time, but also rotate them out for some human bonding time. These dogs get to go to shows, camping trips, parks, etc. They get to spend time in the house being adored house pets. And then they go back to spend time with the flocks, allowing the next dog to get some human bonding time. It works beautifully for these people! This puppy will spend time with us, as a house dog when we are in the house and outside when we are out He will get plenty of time with the sheep and chickens. As he gets older and more reliable with the stock, he will spend increasingly more time with them, but still have the chance to spend time with us. Hopefully I can locate a great female Anatolian early next year and start the process with her too. Then the two of them can work as a team, but also each get family time.

 

[Beekissed]

Most labs, think chickens are dinner. Or that has been our experience.

The only dogs I've owned and actually kept are lab or lab mix and my experience has been vastly different. I trusted my labs implicitly with my birds, rabbits and sheep. They are loving and affectionate to humans and animals alike and seem to have a guardian-like attitude to what it mine.

If I could have gotten a pic of my younger lab mix lying in the yard, 20 meaty chicks nested against his sides and one being thoroughly licked between his paws....you could have seen how much love they have to give and how much they love to receive.

Same dog mourned for days when the sheep were relocated and carried a piece of wool from place to place, slept with it and wouldn't let the chickens get near it. He really missed his nightly game of tag with the woolly girls.

 

[M.R. Lops]

We have a Great Pyrenees that stays with our goats and horses. We originally got him to keep wild animals away from the chickens though. He's a great dog, but also one of the laziest dogs I've ever seen. He hates the heat and always finds a cool spot where he stays all day long.

 

[carolinagirl]

We have a Great Pyrenees that stays with our goats and horses. We originally got him to keep wild animals away from the chickens though. He's a great dog, but also one of the laziest dogs I've ever seen. He hates the heat and always finds a cool spot where he stays all day long.

The coat (or lack of a heavy coat) is another thing that drew me to an Anatolian. There are a lot of Pyr breeders around here but it's been really hard to locate a decent Anatolian.