# getting an akbash



## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

I'm so excited! It took a massive amount of persuasion, but I finally convinced my lab lover husband that I need one to guard my goats, chickens, rabbits, and whatever else we add to the homestead. He was wanting to try to get a keeper puppy out of our beloved lab and train one of them but my birthday is coming up, so I get my Akbash pup in June!


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## aleefarms (Jul 23, 2014)

Congratulation! How old will the pup be when you get it? I hope it works out well for you. Make sure to socialize it with your labs even if they want be in the pasture. I have three Akbash and they are extremely dog aggressive. They kill dogs! I just love these dogs, they don't stray, have strong maternal instinct, they are very fast and powerful. You can pet them without fear of them wanting to follow you when you leave the herd. Keep us informed of how it progresses.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Those are beautiful pups. I love that breed as well and, should I ever get another LGD to go with my Karakachan, that is the one I will get. (I believe it would make a perfect help-mate for Valentina.) Do let us know how it goes with your new puppy "present"; and happy birthday.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

We only have 1/2 acre so she will be around our lab and Jack russells quite a bit while she's young. Her breeder has little dogs too so her mom, dad, and aunties will be teaching her about them too.

We were going to move to bigger acreage in Casper but my husband's former boss begged him back with a raise and insurance. We'll be looking for somewhere bigger around here but I figure that our current situation is ideal for a learning pup. 7 ft cedar fence so no coyotes to worry about. My goats aren't afraid of dogs, but won't take any crap from them either, and my lab and oldest jrt are chicken safe and keep my younger jrt and the neighbor dogs honest. I want to take advantage of all this before we move further from town where there are lots of coyotes.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Congrats!! I love this breed as well, would love to talk my hubby into letting me get one for my little goats, too! Hmmm, my Birthday is also coming up in June...:dance:


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Hmm, my Akbash are a little different from yours aleefarms, they are wanderers and they also like to follow me around. When I'm not around they are always with the sheep. They are a bit spoiled as I feed them myself - otherwise they will fight to the death (as mentioned in another thread)

They are extremely aggressive to coyotes but are friends with the neighbour dog - when they were puppies they used to run over and play with her, though. They still do on occasion.

Congrats, I like the look of them, I find them much more majestic than the Pyranees, which around here are most commonly seen laying in the grass like they were a shaggy dead thing.

My dogs would be going nuts in 1/2 acre fenced. They have no aversion to running (unlike said Pyranees) and are off at full gallop on the slightest hint of canine intrusion. They will literally run miles in pursuit.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Since your present acreage is so small, I would suggest you NOT get any LGD until you get a larger place. Most live stock guarding dog needs space away from humans to be happy. My Karakachan loves to RUN and can easily double her speed in a matter of seconds. This requires space!


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

We will be moving by September. If not to a new place the renters will be out of our old one. I was under the impression that small pups need protecting themselves until they are big enough to do their jobs, and require penning anyway. I committed to the pup before she was even born and before we knew we wouldn't be moving to Casper (we were supposed to move last weekend)

Also even though my current acreage is small, I plan to walk my goats up the road to the national forest daily in the summer to eat wild roses. I would feel a lot better about being that close to probably-drunk fishermen and probably watching us bears, coyotes, and maybe cougars and wolves with a dog bigger than my Jack Russell's and old fart little 50 lb lab. I have a pistol but an observant dog would be helpful, especially if she's visually intimidating.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Squeaky, then just put your new puppy on a leash and let it join you and your goats in their walk....perfect!


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Meet Saphira. She is 8.5 weeks old and has already gone out goat packing.
She likes to claim she is being skinned alive when you pick her up or try to walk her on a leash. Also when puppy-eating magpies land in her run and chase her off her meat bones. LOL


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Almond Joy the Mini Nubian wants to lick her and Saphira isn't too sure about that.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Cute, looks like the goats have accepted her as well.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

What an exciting time you are in for....enjoy and please do keep the pics coming.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Saphira was out there when Polly kidded. She did good!


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

The babies


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

These dogs grow fast! She's getting too heavy to pick up.

I conceded to my husband to having her sleep inside at night...Saphira has made it clear that she prefers to be out there. Thus another mind has been changed that outdoor only dogs can indeed be happy.

She does like to come inside for a bit in the evening to eat and rough house with my 1 year old jack russell, but then she's ready to head back outside to sleep with my buck and young pack goats. They all have their own dog houses but want to all smoosh into the same one. I guess I better build a shelter they all can fit in comfortably.

She spends the day with the does and babies. Though I'm fairly sure she would be okay sleeping with them, I don't really want her to think about rough housing with the babies when she wakes up. Polly also likes Saphira more than her own babies so I don't want one or both if them being accidentally ousted from their shed.

She has already made me proud. A hawk was circling the neighboring field and she looked to be asleep, but as soon as that hawk drifted over to my house, she pulled a big scary dog voice out of somewhere and kept jumping and barking until that hawk decided chickens and baby goats weren't such an easy meal.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

Oh...lol. I took her packing 2 weeks ago and she got tired and refused to move, so I slung her over one of the pack goats. She just went limp and laid on him. I wish I had my camera. LOL


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I&#8217;d love a picture of that!

I think you are wise to bring her in the house even for a short period of time, in case she ever _has_ to be inside with you. She may need to go to the vet&#8217;s and would really freak out being inside if it was totally foreign to her (by the way, as part of her socializing you should be bringing her to the vet, having her sit nicely next to you, then leaving before she gets upset. Use treats.)

Beautiful puppy. Glad it is all working out for you.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

I'll have to get a video of her one of these days. I swear she can talk!

It has been cool and rainy but today it's hot so I just invited her to come inside to cool off and play with the other dogs and the kids. She followed me as far as the back porch and then planted herself. 
I said, "Do you want to come in?" 

She laid down and howled,"Nooooo!" 

Me: Don't you want to play with Pearl? (Jack Russell)

Saphira: flopped and on her side and grumbled/whined what sounded like, "Ooooh. Not right now."

Me: Do you want to go find your goats?" 

She leaped to her feet, did a spin of joy, and took off for the goat pen tail wagging without waiting to see if I had anything else to say.

LOL

Last week she was laying in the middle of the hall waiting for food and my 7 year old stepped on her tail. She said loud and clear with a bark and a whine, "OUCH! You stepped on me!"

So much personality!


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

I just got a pair of Akbash puppies as well. I'm looking forward to watching them grow up.


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## Squeaky McMurdo (Apr 19, 2012)

I haven't updated in a while. Saphira is a big girl now and has proven herself against dogs and coyotes. And I ran into my neighbor at the post office right before Christmas. He told me that she warned him about some teenagers that had snuck into his garage from his back yard on Halloween night.

She could jump the cattle panel fence easily (which she did when a little cattle dog started killing chickens) but she is extremely bonded to my goats and they absolutely adore her. She has gone on goat packing trips and the goats stay very close to camp and to her and she stays close to them.

We got to test her loyalty and see a stand off between her and the migrant shepherds' dogs that I think are Akbash too. The shepherds drove a couple hundred sheep right through our hunting camp. Saphira stayed on one side of the trail with her goats and theirs stayed on the other and they all peed a border. No goats or sheep went into No Man's Land. The shepherds came back to our camp on horse back and in their truck several times and whistled to try to get her to go with them, but she just stared at them. They spoke only Spanish so I couldn't explain that she was my dog, not theirs but I think they got the point. Lol

She is now tattooed in addition to her microchip and tags so if the shepherds try to claim her, I can prove my ownership on the spot without a chip scanner.

I made her a fancy new collar yesterday out of a little girl's belt. A girl needs bling...even if she does smell like goats.

The studs weaken the rubber so if she gets hung up, it will break. It's 2.5" wide so I'm hoping the width and the studs will also protect her neck should something try to bite her and it would hopefully buy us time to get out there with a gun if that something is a cougar.


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## AngDeaver (May 22, 2016)

Adorable pictures. What a wonderful future birthday present.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

She has grown beautifully; and you have handled those situations admirably. Smart too about tatooing her!

I really enjoy her personality. Thanks for sharing those little stories...


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