# barking LGD pup



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Hey!

We have a 6 month old Pyr/Anatolian/Komondor cross. He's lovely, he loves the goats and sheep, the goats and sheep love him, he barks at night noises, he's great.

Except he barks when he sees me. Not a nasty, mean bark, but a yippy, whiny, "come over here to me, Human," bark.

He has never been in the house, he has never been encouraged to do anything other than let us handle him, we don't play with him... But he likes me and wants me to hang out with him.

Heck, I dunno. Maybe he thinks I'm part of the herd and should be on THEIR side of the fence.

ANYway, is this normal behavior? Is there anything I can do other than ride it out?

TIA!


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

GPs are barkers. That might be part of the issue.


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## Marleydexlola (May 24, 2012)

Not really, eventually he will realize your supposed to be on that side of the fence and its no big deal. Puppy behavior really...
I would t scold him for any barkin behavior tho... That's what they're supposed to do


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I am pleased when he barks at coyotes and such, and his bark has a definite difference when he's alerting us to something amiss - like the buck somehow getting past the fence and walking toward the veg garden. 

It's been a few months, though, so I guess I was hoping he'd mature a bit sooner. Also, I feared I'd done something wrong, maybe been too friendly or something. He's a lovely dog, his dad is a gem, and I want him to be the best guardian he can be.


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Him just wuves you! He'll out grow the barking at you.


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

Dogs bark, some more than others, if you need one that dont bark, Dingo. This however is not a bark it is a yip, I had 1 that was nails on the chalkboard shrill.
If you want to work on it you can do something, go out and stand by the fence, HARDEST PART DONT SPEAK! _(you may want to wear ears plugs to help prolong the exercise)_ When he yips turn your back on him and just stand there, tall determined Alpha, look off into the distance. 
1 of 2 things will happen, it will get on your nerves enough, that you want to tell him shut up, bite your lip and stride away from the fence without a word. 
Or they may quiet down and watch you, then you just look at them and tell them good _(or whatever word you use for acceptable behavior).
_May take a few times, mine did, but they will learn.
What not to do is use a constant stream of verbiage of any type. Just use body posture and positioning, running off at the mouth to get them to do what I want, *Wait aint that what I'm trying to fix, get them not to do?*:cowboy:
Good luck, he is doing the job in the field and at 6 months is still a baby!


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

He's a puppy and a dog, not a wolf, so of course it's normal.
Why don't you go out there and play with him? I'm sure he's bored and could use the exercise and mental stimulation. We all know that bored people and animals end up destructive!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

secuono said:


> He's a puppy and a dog, not a wolf, so of course it's normal.
> Why don't you go out there and play with him? I'm sure he's bored and could use the exercise and mental stimulation. We all know that bored people and animals end up destructive!


Everything I have read and heard about LGDs is to NOT play with them. The goats and sheep are his pack, not me.

Really, he is not bored. He has the goats and sheep, and the free range of 15 acres. Plenty to keep him busy. He just sees Food Giver and starts in. 

Now that I've read the responses here, I realize that he's just young. He'll get over it. 

I like the idea of standing and ignoring him, but doubt I have ear plugs sufficiently sturdy to block that shrill puppy whine. LOL!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Whatever you decide to do make sure it is not...not...any type of interaction with the dog while it is barking!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

motdaugrnds said:


> Whatever you decide to do make sure it is not...not...any type of interaction with the dog while it is barking!


And of course, that is the time I most want to interact with him, as in "BE QUIET! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRAZIER!!!"

This morning was pretty cool. He was yipping (oy! he thinks he's a maltese or something?) and I tried hard to ignore him. I prayed all the way back to the house with that noise hammering into my brain...

When I came out a few minutes later, he was quietly lying with the bucks in their pen. I prayed that he'd stay quiet long enough for me to let them downhill with the does, and he was. Whew! Opened their gate, he started bouncing around and jumping on me, but he was quiet. 

(Yes, I corrected the jumping behavior. He also seems to think he is a terrier.)


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Rock said:


> Dogs bark, some more than others, if you need one that dont bark, Dingo.


There is that one black and white breed with the curly tail that yodels too..... basenje? The things never bark, but they do make a yodelling howl noise. Really cool.


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Pony said:


> Everything I have read and heard about LGDs is to NOT play with them. The goats and sheep are his pack, not me.


A lot of what is written in this country about raising and keeping LGD is malarkey! The guarding ability is built in if you have gotten one from working parents. There have even been people that get adult LGD that haven't been on a farm since they were little pups that took to guarding the animals like they had done it their entire lives. 


My girl is only half GP. Not sure what the other half is so I was just hoping for a good farm dog. Pretty early on she insisted on being with the goats and would find a way to get in with them. She is inside during the day. At night, she can come into the utility room through the dog door. Where is she at night? Out in the pasture. 

What I'm trying to say is you won't ruin your pup by playing with him.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I do not play with my LGD! I will offer her a toy to play with instead! The only reason I do not play with Valentina is because she will eventually get quite large and I am not as agile as I use to be. I do not want her jumping/playing around me as she could easily knock me over.

I also have learned that, if I don't play with her, she will find other things to play with. Being such a great LGD, she will not "chase" any fowl or goats. Her way of playing with the goats/chickens is to bounce toward them then "invite" them to chase her, which they don't; and when they don't, she gives up and looks for something else to play with. ROFL She does, however, chase my labradore, Cujo. She and Cujo just recently started playing like this together.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

She is bonded to the livestock and lives with them. You won't ruin her by ineracting with her or playing with her. Big dogs won't jump on you or bump into you if you train them not to. Go to him and have him sit. When he does, toss a treat so he can catch it from the sit. If this isn't doable, just hand a little treat to him, repeat "sit", repeat treat. You can get him to sit longer and longer. Good dog. Rub your hands over him to check for fleas, ticks, and boo boos. If he will fetch (many dogs don't) you can teach him fetch and play with him using that game. I'm sure you can figure out a game to play. Even running through obedience could be fun for him, simply because it is an activity with you.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

JonSnow learned to "sit" this past week. Took me only a few minutes to teach him. Either I'm a fantastic trainer (not!) or he's ready to learn and really smart (the more likely reason).

The goats will follow him uphill, but not downhill. He's not jumping as much, but I attribute that to the fact that he has the most remarkably long legs. 

I really like this pup.


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