# Guard dog for my dogs?



## Threeinhub (Dec 27, 2012)

Hope this isn't a totally bizarre question...

We recently purchases an old farm house and are just getting started, hopefully next summer we can start by getting chickens.

We have 4 dogs, all are med-small mutts. Our property is surrounded on 3 sides by several thousand acres of state land and a healthy coyote/blk bear population. There are also very loose leash laws and people walk with off leash dogs in many of the recreational areas nearby where we also enjoy hiking with our dogs (on leash).

What breed/mix (if any) would be a possibility for adding to our crew to provide them protection should we encounter an off leash aggressive dog or coyote/bear that wanders onto our land, and also will work to guard chickens? Wishful thinking?

Our home owners insurance restricts pits, GSDs, dobermans, huskies, rotties.


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## lexa (Mar 30, 2012)

I think that the best thing you could do to protect your dogs is to contain them be it by the property fence or fenced in dog yard where they go if they need to be outside when you can not supervise them. Also making sure that you can call your dogs to you and they would come in any situation would protect them. 
Four dogs is already a pack and while they probably would not stand a chance with predators, their number might protect them from larger dogs. If the "aggressor" is alone he/she would be less likely to attack a pack, even of small dogs. On other hand if you get a large dog to your pack, your pack itself might become a danger to others (especially if they can get to public land themselves). Again your small guys might not be able to do a lot of damage to a large dog but if they have a large dog in their midst the pack mentality will motivate the big dog to attack. 
If you get an LGD (pyr, anatolian, ext. it would need to bond to ether your dogs or your chickens. If it is bonded to your dogs it would not be much protection to your chickens. if it is bonded to your chickens it might not tolerate your dogs that well and not be much of a protection.


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## Nicholie Olie (Dec 16, 2012)

Getting a LGD to protect your chickens will ultimately protect your whole house from predators, including your dogs and your family. The best thing to do is get a proper fence. And depending on the amount of land you have, an LGD may not be suitable.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Threeinhub said:


> Our home owners insurance restricts pits, GSDs, dobermans, huskies, rotties.


Those are good breeds to start with.


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## notbutanapron (Jun 30, 2011)

Home owners insurance restricts dog breeds on your land? That has to suck.

I had my husband build a steel cage for the dogs. It's HUGE, but I have "huge" dogs. A kelpie and a boxer - but I want a great dane so 'huge'...anyway.... it works really well. Or did until the storm hit and my boxer got so scared he ripped a hole in the fence. 

Anyway. He's supposed to be a guard dog but he's pretty terrible at not being scared of things. He hid from the fox that was getting my chickens. Terrible dog. Thus the cage. Made one for the chickens too.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Any LGD will love and guard your own dogs. My LGDs have always thought the little chihuahua rats were their personal property. And LGDs are very tolerant and kind to other animals on the property. They make wonderful guardians for dogs, people, livestock, etc.


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## greatwhiteape (Dec 3, 2012)

I always have a pair of pitbulls. The worst thing that my dogs ever get into here in New Jersey is a coyote, but they maintain a steady diet or groundhogs, Canada geese, and the occasional garbage or garden raiding raccoon or possum. 

I have seen them straight tear other dogs to pieces. If a dog ever wanders on to the pasture they either chase him far enough off to be satisfied or they just rip him up. I have never seen them get into a yote, but have heard it and seen the aftermath. 

I don't have wolves, cougars, or bears here but I couldn't imagine better dogs to have where I am at. Well, there are some rolly polly bears north of me, but I don't think that they could bother leaving the subdivisions long enough to eat cattle LOL.


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