Author Topic: Questions about LGD's  (Read 1627 times)

Offline MSF

  • Veteran Dog Chomper
  • **
  • Posts: 103
    • View Profile
Questions about LGD's
« on: October 05, 2006, 05:22:42 am »
I have a few questions about LGD's.

1) Is it true females make better guardians?

2) Do they work well on their own or better in pairs?

3) What breed of LGD do you have and whay have you chosen that breed?

4) Is it a bog problem introducing new livestock after the dog is an adult?

5) How are LGD's with poultry?

Offline tanimara

  • Big Paw Certified
  • **
  • Posts: 263
  • Tanimara's Spirit Warrior "Warrior"
    • View Profile
    • Tanimara Great Pyrenees
Re: Questions about LGD's
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2006, 07:15:09 am »
1) No both do great jobs.  They have a tendancy to be very individual in personality.  But that does not depend on male or female.  The main difference I've seen is in the males being better at teaching the pups.  That may just be a social thing within the breed.

2) Pairs are best - Keep in mind that if you are exposed to the most common predator, the coyote, you really need a pair.  Coyotes will split the pack into two, half the pack leading the guardians off on a chase while the other half goes in after the guardian leaves and attacks the seep/goats etc.  So with two, they will communicate with each other and one will go after the half that is running away and the other will stay and protect the sheep/goats etc. I've seen them do this.  A cougar got into the fenced pasture afte some sheep.  The two juveniles split off from the adults and herded the sheep into a corner while the adults went after the cougar.

3.  I raise Pyrs and use them as guardians.  I decided to go with the Pyr because they are the most human friendly of the group and I dont have to worry about someone wandering into the pasture and getting bitten.  Their unbelievable intelligence and personalities.  None of the guardian breeds are as trustworthy with humans as the Pyr.  Per USDA comparison study.

4.  No it is not a problem introducing new livestock.  Just remember, your LGD will interact with new stock well on it's own once it becomes mature.  But new stock may not be used to guardian dogs.  So just introuduce them under supervison either onlead or with a common fence line until the new stock figures out your guardian will do just that, guard and not injur.

5.  Speaking from my experience and that is with Pyrs.  They require some training and I can help you with that.  Like all dogs, chickens are a pray animal and all dogs, including guardians, are as individual with that as with all other aspects of thier lives.  There are some steps you can take to keep that from happening.

Any problems you will have will be from getting a guardian with no or little guarding instinct so they should be evaluated for guardian traits before getting one, by the breeder you are buying from.  Behavioral problems will be seen most during the juvenile phase, kinda like our kids...lol  If you have an experienced guardian, he/she will teach the younger ones how to guard.  The first guardian you get, you have to be the teacher.

Jackie Wood
Tanimara Great Pyrenees
Jackie Wood
Owner/Breeder Tanimara Great Pyrenees

"A people without a history is like wind on the buffalo grass"
Crazy Horse - Oglala Sioux

Offline BabsT

  • Paw-meister
  • **
  • Posts: 583
    • View Profile
Re: Questions about LGD's
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2006, 07:26:01 am »
I have a central Asian Ovcharka and caucasian ovcharka the CO is female and CAO is male.  As of now they are property guards but I will be adding a small amount of livestock in the near future.

I chose my breeds for their strong distrust of strangers...  If you are looking for flock guards you are should look more into Pyrs, anatolians not the ovcharkas
Zero 23mth  Central Asian Ovcharka
Anchara 16mth old Caucasian Ovcharka