# Need any and all info on LGD...



## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

After this weekend, which resulted in my ram getting injured and the loss of my son's market lamb..I am looking at getting a LGD..I do not want a llama or donkey..

Some questions..

-I see my sheep and animals everyday..Ive heard some stories about some "nasty" great pyr's..I want something that is docile with people and "easy to handle"..

-I use my bc's on my sheep..any experiences on transitioning my BC and the evetual LGD to each other and what each one's function is?

-Best breed? Anatolian, pyr,ect?

-Potentially, could I get a "younger" dog and have a friend's older dog "train" it and then bring it home?

-Anything else I need to know?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

After my coyote incident, I now locked them down at night.
I bought 2 maremma's at 6 weeks old and spent a ton of time with them and the sheep.
They are now 8 months and can look big and sound tuff but are still too young to take on a pack. They are with my ewes and guard them very nicely. But I still only sleep with one ear open. 

Now my rams are in a prison camp...LOL due too my LGD's are not old enough to be seperated. I placed cattle panels in front of their loafing shed. 5 ft tall 16 ft long. Then I placed another set on top of that, making it 10ft tall. I encorperated a door with a latch. I keep a light out their with water and food. In the morning I let them out into the paddock, which is enclosed with 5ft cattle panel with a barb wire top and that did not keep the coy dog out. But I sleep slightly better know they are in a mini sheep prison camp...LMAO!!!


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

strange thing is Fowler, I didnt hear a THING that night.

my one dog was barking at something EARLY in the morning..I couldnt see anything..figured it was the skunk that loves to harrass her..told her to be quiet and went back to bed..

Do you let your dogs in the house during the day? or so they spend all their time with the sheep?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

spinandslide said:


> strange thing is Fowler, I didnt hear a THING that night.
> 
> my one dog was barking at something EARLY in the morning..I couldnt see anything..figured it was the skunk that loves to harrass her..told her to be quiet and went back to bed..
> 
> Do you let your dogs in the house during the day? or so they spend all their time with the sheep?



Spin, the coyotes will hit early in the morning just before dawn. Next time, go out and check. I have been hearing coyotes for 6 months behind my house and I trusted my fences. They waited and were patient till the exact right moment. My SIL heard them and went out to the porch. He didnt notice the sheep were crammed into a corner, and that a coyote got the smallest ram and was tearing him a part in the shadows of the light. Remember sheep dont make noise, they wont yell like goats.

My LGD's live breath and eat with the sheep. The LGD's belong to them not me. I just give them food and train them to be with the sheep. I also give them love and pettin. But I dont play with them (no matter how cute they are) Ziggy wants to be a pet, but Boomer assures him that he is not. They stay awake all night and patrol the paddock fence lines. And they sleep all day under the fans with the sheep. They let the sheep sleep with them, walk on them head but them, they sheep are not nervious with them at all. As a matter of fact, the ewes will lay with them and let the boys run and play and never flinch and eye, however if I go out there and wanna look at one of the ewes, you would have thought I was the devil....LMAO!!!


My 2 LGD's gets lots of loving from me, but you will find they only want a good rubbin and told how good they are then off they go. They dont require or want attention like a pet.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

OK..
Friend of mine has a REALLY good LGD..she lets him in the house during the day..with our heat..and then he goes out at night with the sheep..she said its not "normal"..but he was trained before she got him and she thinks he likes coming inside..it hasnt caused him to do any less of a job protecting the flock...

So, is it better to get a pup and train it? or get a dog that is trained and older?


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Personally for me? Pups. They grow up with your flock. It killed me to leave them out there as pups but it's paying off now. I built a small pen in the sheeps stall to place them in at night. So they slept with the sheep. Then I let them into the paddock during the day into another pen with shade, water and food. The sheep would be curious and go up to them and check them out. Then they started sleeping next to their pen. And everyday when I got home from work I would spend hrs out in the paddock. Letting my puppies have time with the sheep without a fence. Then I could tell them what was appropriate and what was not. Did this for months. Then I started letting them out after work and walking away. Staying close enough to hear if there was a problem. And there was. Ziggy wanted to chase when he was excited. I broke him of that. Finally at 6 month I now let them out with the sheep to spend every minute with them. It took work in the begining but I know that I can trust them now. And they are 8 months now.

Other's may feel like either is good. I preferred a puppy and the work to make sure I wasnt making a mistake with one that may or may not work out. But that's just me.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Try a search on the sheep board for LGD experiences as well as here.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

I got all of mine as pups and they stayed with my goats 24/7. They are OK around other people, just "stand-of-ish". Once they know someone, they will walk up for a pat on the head if we go into the pasture but that's about it. They prefer their goats to people. 
Not sure why you'd want an LGD in the house. I know it is really hot during the day BUT that doesn't stop predators, i.e.a pack of domestic dogs, from attacking. My big male will find a cool place in the bottom or under a tree but he is outside all of the time. 
You do have to mentor young pups so they learn what they are not allowed to do. For me the hardest was breaking them to poultry. But now that they know there job, I haven't lost any chickens in a long, long time. 
My Anatolian male would cut my Border Collie off if he thought she was bothering his goats. I ended up rehoming the BOrder Collie.....Goat's don't need to be herded. Just shake a feed bucket and they will follow you for miles. :>)


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

Also get 2 LGD's. It will give them back-up in case their in trouble.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

hiddensprings said:


> I got all of mine as pups and they stayed with my goats 24/7. They are OK around other people, just "stand-of-ish". Once they know someone, they will walk up for a pat on the head if we go into the pasture but that's about it. They prefer their goats to people.
> Not sure why you'd want an LGD in the house. I know it is really hot during the day BUT that doesn't stop predators, i.e.a pack of domestic dogs, from attacking. My big male will find a cool place in the bottom or under a tree but he is outside all of the time.
> You do have to mentor young pups so they learn what they are not allowed to do. For me the hardest was breaking them to poultry. But now that they know there job, I haven't lost any chickens in a long, long time.
> My Anatolian male would cut my Border Collie off if he thought she was bothering his goats. I ended up rehoming the BOrder Collie.....Goat's don't need to be herded. Just shake a feed bucket and they will follow you for miles. :>)


She does it for the heat I beleive..

Mentoring..could an older LGD do this? like send a pup to live with a seasoned LGD and then bring him home after afew weeks?

my sheep will follow a feed bucket..most times..but I do like working my BC's on them..so I imagine the LGD would have to get tied up while I do that?


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

A young dog will not be a reliable and safe LGD by only spending a few weeks being mentored by an older dog.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I hate to tell you spin, but the older LGD is not it's mother. It's possible that the older LGD could care less that there is a pup there. You will have to put in the work. It took me months to trust them. And my work is still not done. They are only 8 months old. They will still need my help until they are mature and still even then. Right now they dont chase sheep and they patrol all night. Mine do not bark all night only if something is out there. But they are still puppies dont let their size fool you.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I found this video, these dogs look like GP's but they act exactly like my maremma's. They allow the sheep to do what they want. I really need to get on the ball with some video taping of my own...LOL


[youtube]10TMYclgurg[/youtube]


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

[youtube]uIvVJuzW36g[/youtube]


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

spinandslide said:


> After this weekend, which resulted in my ram getting injured and the loss of my son's market lamb..I am looking at getting a LGD..I do not want a llama or donkey..
> 
> Some questions..
> 
> ...


Yes...you need to slow down. You need to ask yourself a lot of questions first before you even think about buying anything. 

There is no instant fix with LGD's. They are a lot of work. AND responsibility. This is not like going to WalMart and picking something off the shelf!

Please ask yourself these questions (and more):



> http://www.livestockguardiandogs.com/are-you-ready-for-an-lgd-f4.html


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