# New Pig LGD, Anatolian cross



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Well, I read some of the other threads and figured I might as well post some pics. to!! I have never had a LGD. Always had dogs and some were for hunting, some just family dogs. Some would chase the cows away and some just ran an hid, but seems we have always had a dog of some sort around. I been collecting up pigs for a breeding program and visiting over on the pig forum and it seems there are several people who had LGD's for their pig herds, so I figured I would give it a shot. I found the dog we got not to far away and at a reasonable price of less than $100.00 so we went and got one. The mother was there and she was a full blood Anatolian. The father was not however, he was 1/2 Anatolian, 1/4 Pyranese and 1/4 highland something ?(can't remember exactly). I guess he got fond of visiting the neighboring dogs once they moved him from a back pasture (200 acres) with the goats to a front pasture (200 acres) and they had to make different arrangements for him. 
This dog was about 14 weeks when we got her and these pictures are shortly after. I made a point to introduce her to the pigs as soon as possible, but she spent the first few days (until I got the pen ready) in the front yard with our Golden Retriever. The first night in the pig pen, well, it did not go well. The next morning she was at the yard fence wanting in with our Golden. Took a day or two but finally figured she was getting out through the holes in the cattle panels. They certainly looked to small for her to fit through, but I seen her do it and she did fit, just barely. I wound up putting a hot wire on the inside of the pen and after about 2 times of hitting it, she decided she would just stay in with the pig.
She spent the first few days having nothing to do with the pig, not so much afraid, as just wanted nothing to do with it. Now I will explain a bit about the pig. He is going to be one of my breeding boars and he is about 4 months old in the pictures. He is a registered Large Black, which are known to be very docile pigs. I figured this was the perfect time to get a LGD as they are similar size and neither would be able to hurt each other. As you can see in the pictures in about a weeks time they became friends, now they eat together and play together and I think I have even herd the pig Bark a time or two?? 
Since these pictures were taken I have introduced another GOS gilt to the pen and this caused no great concern to any of them. The hardest part of having a LGD was convincing my wife she was not a pet. The kids both wanted to play with her also, but I explained we wanted her to bond with the pigs not people and thus far they have left her alone, so that part of the training went pretty well. Now if I can only train them to do dishes and cook a bit more??? Anyway, back to the story!!
Eventually she will be expected to guard about 15 pigs all together in about 15 to 20 acres of woods and pastures. Not sure, but may consider one more in the future, once she is trained up well, as I understand they do better in pairs. However, that will not be for a few years, when I am certain she knows her job.
My pigs will be separated into two groups, I am considering putting some type of bridges over the fences in places, so she can go back and forth between herds?? Not sure how that will work out, but we will see when we get there. 
Anyway, here are some pictures and I only hope I am able to train her to be a good LGD as some of the things I have read about them have been pretty encouraging.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

By the Way, Thanks to PricklyThistle and her post and pictures. I was not sure about how much Anatolian my dog really had, as genetics are not always so strait forward when it comes the crosses. Now I am pretty convinced mine has a lot as you can see from the next picture, she has the same head shape and build as Prickly's

Oh and I almost forgot, before someone ask, No I am not feeding the dog pig food, they are both eating dog food, for now anyway!


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

She looks great - for that acreage and that type of terrain I would go back and get a sibling from the litter- she needs backup....


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I wouldn&#8217;t worry about the kids getting to know the dog. After all, you don&#8217;t want the dog guarding the pigs from the kids. You will also need to do some basic obedience in line with her work and the fact you may have to take her to a vet at some time. Get her used to riding in the car/truck. Teach her sit, come, and stay. Teach her not to jump on your kids.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

They are making wonderful friends. Smart move! 

I would go along with others and suggest you go ahead and get another from that same litter....that is a price worth the investment. Also, socializing her with your kids is a must should something happen they need to tend the pigs; and giving her some basic training will come in handy when she needs a vet...even in trimming her nails. 

Just goes to show, a "mix" CAN make a great LGD!


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

The man had two females and the runt male. I probably should have gotten 2 and actually did think about it. Having not had a LGD before I was just a bit hesitant, as I did not want to feed another dog just to lay around and be a pet, so I did not. I am sure if this one works out and seems to actually serve a purpose I will get a 2nd. I would probably buy a full Anatolian so I would have a breeding pair, if I do. 
Do not get me wrong she will be socialized with the kids and have some basic training as suggested, my priority will be that she actually stays with the herd. The mother she came from stayed with a goat herd, if the goat herd was at their house the dog was, when the goat herd went out into the woods, the dog went. If they stayed gone, the dog stayed gone. This is my expectations of this dog.
I know I did not mention this, but she will not be my first line of defense. I have mules. We are in the process of fencing the new property now and basically will have a double perimeter fence. The pigs will be in interior pens/pastures and my mules will be in the exterior pastures. As a general rule mules dislike most small animals. I have 2 john mules who will do their very best to kill any small animal that comes in their pasture, if they can catch it. This includes pigs and dogs, so I am fairly certain few animals will make it to the inside pens, but it is possible I guess. I wanted the dog, hoping she would hang around during farrowing time to guard against any small animals which may make it to the inside pens. We have a family dog which we have had well over 12 years, she has learned to stay out of the mules pasture, even after all of that time my mules will not tolerate her, unless I am out with them. My donkey is the only one of my equine who will tolerate the pigs, he does not like them, but tolerates them, to a point!!
Thanks for everyone's input and advice.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A little terrier will be able to dash around your mules and never suffer a kick. Ask me how I know. I think having the guard dog(s) is a good idea.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

What a wonderful idea, i.e. creating two (2) "parameter fencing"! I've considered setting out rugosa roses and tri-color lespedeza shrubs along the paremeter of mine, which would neccessitate a 2nd parameter just to keep the goats from eating them before they had a chance to grow. But even with only 6 acres, that would be quite a chore! 

Are your donkeys those miniature type that actually guard other stock?


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Maura,
I can imagine how you know. I used to have a molly mule that hated dogs as much as any I have ever had, she would stalk them in the pasture and position herself, so she was between them and the gate. She almost got our dog a few times, that is why she will not go in the mule pasture now unless one of us is with her. 
No mine are not miniature donkeys. The one I have now is just shy of 15 HH. He was an inch shy of making mammoth size, so we got him at a cheaper price. He was my daughters first saddle donkey when she was 5. The man we bought him from raises mammoths, my wife had a jenny that was 16HH also that we got from him. 
Many people make the mistake of getting miniatures as guard animals and every year many of them are mauled and killed by dogs. Please if anyone is considering a donkey as a protection animal get a standard or mammoth size not a miniature. keep in mind though a donkey will take up with other species if they are the only donkey. If you have 2 donkeys usually they will bond with each other and pay no attention to your stock.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

We had large miniatures. I didn&#8217;t get them as guard animals, but they didn&#8217;t know that and I was real pleased with their commitment to their job. We had two who acted as guardians of the flock. Got them at 4 months and 7 months so they bonded with the sheep. You can&#8217;t just toss a donkey or mule into the flock and expect them to be happy.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Maura,
Since it is my thread I guess I can hi-jack it with a few short mule stories. 
BTW, We started letting the dog and her 2 pig friends out to the little pasture several times a week. So far so good, the kids let them out and leave and she stays with her pig friends, seemingly content so far, with no desire to try and escape to come visit the house.

Now for my 2 short stories of mules and livestock.
I had a friend who logged with a mule locally. He was logging a farm and usually at night he would either tie the mule or construct a small wire fence on the property depending on the duration of the job. On this particular farm the farmer insisted he put the mule in his corral where he was keeping a group of 300 to 500lb feeder steers waiting to go to the sale barn. After much arguing he finally gave in, put the mule in the corral and left for the day. He arrived the next morning to find his mule, still in the pen, with 12 dead feeder steers, the mule had killed them all. The farmer was upset, but did not try to make him pay for them, as he had insisted he put the mule in the corral with them.
The next mule was a molly mule who a couple had raised from a colt. She ran with the cattle, but they had problems with her taking the calf's from the mothers when they were born. She would take them as her own and protect them, but she had no milk, so they would have to take them back and separate the cow/calf pairs until they were older. One day the lady was home by herself while her husband was at work and she seen the mule with a calf. She waited until the mule had bedded the calf in a thicket and left the area, although she new better, she went out by herself to sneak into the field and get the calf. The calf started bawling when she picked it up and the mule came to it's rescue. The lady placed the calf back on the ground once she seen how aggressive the mule was becoming, afraid she might accidentally hurt the calf. The mule bit and stomped the lady until the calf left, then the mule went off with the calf. The lady was able to crawl out of the field with serious injuries and call for help, she spent many weeks in the hospital with serious broken bones and injuries.
The point to the stories above is not that mules are bad, it is that mules are not donkeys. They do not behave the same, they do not have the same temperament, and they certainly have more athletic ability. As far as temperament a donkey is the closest thing in the equine world there is to a dog, very affectionate and crave attention for the most part. Mules can be very useful animals, but they should never be treated the same as a donkey, these are two separate animals, even though they share a common parent. I will admit there are exceptions to the above behaviors, but very few.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

"Sure, I will play with the little dog, just leave it with me, NO PROBLEM!!!"


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

A problem I&#8217;ve had with getting information on training my donkeys to drive was that the info is all about horses and mules. I clicker trained them with a cross under bridle (no bit) and they did fine. They are very smart though, and like a border collie, you can&#8217;t teach them what you sort of want then refine it. You have to train them for exactly what you want.


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## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

It takes a very patient person to train a donkey. I am not that person, but I know that and I do not attempt to train them. Bill Garrett out in Stillwater Oklahoma keeps a full time trainer and does nothing but Mammoth Donkeys, all the donkeys we have had have come from him. He has a website, I believe Garrett Jackstock, but you can Google it. I have broken and trained many mules, I simply do not attempt to train donkeys, it really takes a special kind of person for that. I tried once and just had to walk away, before I did something I would regret. Funny enough though, we had a standard jenny that my kids got riding real good before we sold her!! I really do believe though, that most donkeys respond much better to women and children than they do men, they are kinda sensitive that way.

I just wanted to add if you have not already found her, check out meridith Hodges and the LuckyThreeRanch, she does nothing but donkeys and has lots of books and dvd's out. there is another lady who has a real good Donkey specific DVD out, but I can not think of her name right now. Also if you have not, check out Western Mule magazine and Mules and More magazine, they often have Donkey info in there. Steve Edwards I think also offers some Donkey specific info. Hope that helps, but you may already know about these.


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## PricklyThistle (Feb 6, 2014)

Nice looking pup  I'm a "he" by the way, haha. No trouble, though. It's not like I announced my gender anywhere.

Sad to say, my own new pup grabbed a goat kid by the leg in an attempt to play last night and injured him. That's my own fault, I'm new to lgd's too. My only other working dog experience is with herding dogs and my BC has never and would never grab stock like that. Lesson learned, she will be closely supervised with the babies from now on and penned when she can't be while she gets past her playful puppy stage.


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