Live Stock Guardian Story

For all of you that own Pyrs or other livestock guardian dogs (LGDs). You may appreicate this story.

I have an email list for people that use Pyrs as guardians.  To help educate them on what to expect, what not to expect and what to do about it etc.

A friend on the list has been in close contact with me on a pup she bought from a BYB.  No genetic testing of the parents etc.  Horrid conditions.

Well Waco is his name and Waco has grown into a good livestock guardian.  Yesterday Sherry contacted me off list to tell me that Waco was missing and had been missing since the night before.  She was worried sick and asked my opinion on what to do etc.  The story she told me indicated that he was most likely laying somewhere hurt.  Dry lot for the goats had a big trampled area in it like there had been a fight.  Her grown female and 3 pups about 3 mo old were all looking into the woods/swampy area behind their property and looked "so sad".  I told her to get some help and wade through the mess just in case he was down and hurt.  Well this is the story I got from her late yesterday evening.  I am fowarding it to you so that it may be a help in understanding your dogs temperament. (Just to explain, Sherry is an x-vet-tech).

Waco is found, not in good shape but hes home. We found him about 4pm this afternoon in our swamp. We liked to never have gotten him out of there. Had to use neighbors tractor to get him. I had to stich his face up, he was dehydrated, and as far as I can tell nothing broken. But he fought something really big, looks like claw marks ripped his face open in four deep places. He has about thirty stiches along his rib cage, he was so lucky as they are not as deep were vital oragans would have been. If it had been any further back it would have gutted him. Sorry it took so long to reply but I stiched him up, we will try and load him tomorrow to go have xrays to make sure nothing really is broken. I called the vet,
he told me to bring him in around noon for the xrays, that I could stich as good as he could. A vet tech that lives down this way brought me fluids for him, and helped for an hour or so. The main thing now is infection, as I dont know how long he laid in the nasty swamp yuck. The other dogs are on the porch refusing to leave the house, now I have more problems. But hes restings now, and I will leave him alone for awhile, he looks so beaten. Goats are locked in the barn, until we figure out what got ahold of him or have dogs that will leave the porch.  Jackie:)) Will call ya after vet visit. Thanks so much for the prayers, we needed them. Sherry

This is a shot of Waco taken the day before the incident.