# 2 female LGD pups too much?



## eljen (Jun 16, 2011)

I am new to LGDs but we have a bad predation problem. I did a lot of research and I have ended up with 2 female litter mates, 12 weeks old and they are a anatolian/pyr mix. I knew when I got them that having 2 puppies would be a challenge and that same sex teams would not be ideal. I had posted on a different forum an issue I had been having and just about everyone on that site said there was no way I could keep both pups, that it would never work and they would eventually kill each other or the goats. I was just wondering if everyone feels this way in the LGD community.


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

Forums crack me up......
"NO WAY"????? Tell that to mine....
I have three - not one - sets of siblings, both sexes, and they work fine.
What forum were you on (sounds like a couple I used to be on and got sick of....fast!)
There are many self-appointed experts out there on some other LGD based forums....
they are hyper critical....fast to knock you down and try to lord it over you.....don't let them discourage you. You are in a non-flaming/attacking spot here, grin....
We may have our differences but we all try to get along well here and no one claims to be the End All of Knowledge or Expert..... 
I learn something every day here....and I've raised and ran dogs over 30 years. I try to keep open mind and be willing to learn. Some other forums out there are full of 'experts' trying to push their agendas and woe to them that disagree. 

I think you'll be fine....yes siblings can fight, but all LGD's fight now and then. Don't give up so fast....lots here who have the same as you. Kill each other, my grits....again, I have three sets of siblings...no one has killed a goat..let alone each other! 
Welcome to Homesteading by the way.....great place to hang out. Not just in the Guard Animals either, lots of great resources here and friendly 'real' people!!!!


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I have 2 sibling boys...most they do is play.


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## eljen (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks for the support, I am looking forward to exploring all of homesteading. That other forum had me terrified that I had doomed myself to fail miserably. For anyone who has two pups, is it important to separate the pups from each other and, if so, for how long? My concern at this point is that they will be too bonded to each other and not to the goats. So far, we have gone back and forth about separating them.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

It's a bad idea to raise littermates as housepets... but for working dogs, you want them to work as a team, so separating them would be counterproductive unless one of them is egging on the other in a game of Chase the Stock.

Intact bitches of similar age tend to be the most quarrelsome, so I'd get them spayed as soon as possible. Just watch them carefully as they mature. If they begin to fight and the fights aren't settled quickly, you will need to separate them, as bitches will kill each other! Hopefully once the heirarchy is in order, it will remain stable. It helps if one ***** is particularly submissive in nature, and the other is a confident alpha. Confident alphas tend not to fight unless pushed. Insecure wannabe alphas are the worst, they tend to pick fights with the smallest excuse.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

eljen I am new to raising LGD's and my boys are 6 months old.
This forum is not very long and I too have asked many questions.
I suggest reading this forum.
There are many links here provided to help you. And many most helpful people willing to help you. My boys now guard my sheep by themselves. It was a lot of hard work for me. My garden got in late and many things got put to the side. My boys will not be fully mature till their at least 18 months to 2 years. However their presence in the paddock at night, helps me sleep at night...with one ear open...in case they need help.
They are very protective of their sheep and they love us.
I have a big male and a runt. They get along fine as Wolf Flower stated the big male is dominant. So the runt knows just how far could be too far when playing.

I created a huge pen next to my sheep...so they could be with them during the day...but not hurt them. Then when I put the sheep up for the night in thier stalls I had another pen for the boys to go into, to sleep with the sheep. They NEVER had free range with my sheep until I was there to correct their behavior for chasing or wanting to chew on ears. I now trust them completly at 6 months. Now they only get a little excited when I open the sheep stalls to let them out because they are excited to see some of them. My sheep have learned to stand still let them say hello and then they herd them out of the stalls.


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

eljen said:


> Thanks for the support, I am looking forward to exploring all of homesteading. That other forum had me terrified that I had doomed myself to fail miserably.


eijen: Out of curiosity was it the Edgefield Sheep forum, run by a guy who raises sheep back East? Probably ranks up there as the most difficult forum to just exist on. I was attacked no matter what I said....apologies were ignored, I finally took the gloves off and let them have it; I was booted off shortly thereafter. Piece of work....sheesh! This forum is so much better!


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

eljen
Goatress is running some of the hardest LGDs in existence. Kangals are a hard wolf killing style of LGD (as opposed to a trash talking fight as a last resort style). only a few other rustic hard breeds exist. i would put a bit more weight to her advice than a lot of other people.


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm no expert, no siree....just old cowgirl, have cowboyed in really big, desolate country and run dogs and raised them 35 years.... I know everyone's experiences are different. And frame of references. What I intensely disliked about that other forum was their haughty attitudes and condescending demeanors. I do run some 'different' kinds of dogs for sure. But also the traditional ones. I love them all...!!!! Anyhow, as the young folk say: "this place rocks!"


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

eljen said:


> no way I could keep both pups, that it would never work and they would eventually kill each other or the goats. I was just wondering if everyone feels this way in the LGD community.


I raised three female GP littermates, and then a male a bit younger. They were all within one year of age difference, and all brought here as puppies. Nobody died, and no animals that live here were killed. 

Basically if an animal lives on your property, it is protected. But if a strange animal tress passes, it doesn't go well for it whether it is wild or simply a stray one.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

I raise Anatolians and have never had problems with keeping siblings. They have disagreements but they are settled quickly. You'll be fine with your females. They will be an awesome addition to your place and having two is great. They work great in teams.


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## Faithful (Jul 15, 2011)

I agree with hiddensprings I also raise Anatolians and not had a problem.
good luck.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I have an anatolian/pyr mix that I bought off these boards this spring. She is much more attentive and "forceful" than the pyrs. I actually bring her into the house at nights because I'm afraid she might hurt a human if they would tresspass. They are a harder dog than the pyrs. GP will kill or chase off strange animals, but like humans. The anatolians just seem more protective and have a higher work drive. They are a harder dog, or at least she is.


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## eljen (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks for the support! It's been a few months now and everything seems to be going well. The girls are 6 months old. I have only seen one minor disagreement and that was while they were "playing" with a tiny baby bunny  I took care of that quickly and I haven't seen issues since then. They are very people friendly and they seem to be attaching nicely to the goats. We did have a problem with them escaping the goat pasture and turning up at the house, I think maybe I had been over handling them, but we have put PVC pipe triangles around their necks and they haven't escaped since then. Now when I come to the pasture they are happy to see me, get a pat on the head and then they go off to lay down or check in on the goats. I couldn't be happier with that progress.

I think the lesson I have learned is - be patient and trust yourself!


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