# Looking for an LGD pup



## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

We are located in North West New jersey. We have Nigerian dwarf goats. I am willing to drive 2 hours for the right pup or two. i found a pair of AS at a local shelter that are 12 weeks old but they want an adoption fee of $500 EACH for them. i dont want to spend that kind of money, I would rather save money for veterenary care etc. 
THanks folks!


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## Barn Yarns (Oct 7, 2012)

$500? each???? WOW! are all their dogs that much? if they arent, id barter with them. good luck!


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

They say it is to "cover their expences",. i would expect being rescues, they should be more interested in finding them the appropriate home? But I guess not.


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

By AS do you mean Australian Shepard? If so, I thought those were herding dogs, not LGD. Just askin'.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

Anatolian shepherd. Sorry


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

Sorry, but in my neck of the woods $500 is cheap for an Anatolian Shepard ( of course, from a shelter, there's no guarantee that there isn't a 'hidden' cross) ....... They tend to run $1500-$2500 (with a no breeding contract) where I live ( within 2+ hrs ) ................. That would be why I don't have one, I refuse to spend $$ fer 'papers' and 'certs' ..........


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## Looking4ewes (Apr 30, 2006)

Although $500 seems like a lot for a pup from a rescue, it is not outside of the realm of the price which a breeder would charge. My concern with the rescue pups, is that they are not being raised in the proper environment for a LGD. I would look for a pup or a young dog that is out of working parents and that has been raised with goats from the onset. 

How much were you hoping to spend?


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I would do some research online to make sure the specif breed of LGD is what would work best for your farm then google that breeds association or registry, they should have a member's roster that you can get a hold of breeders your willing to travel too.
That way you can also find out what kind of homes they come from, working farms, etc.


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

My point was not necessarily that $500 was not reasonable for a home grown, pure bred, working LGD pup. My point is that these pups are god knows what from god knows where, and they are gonna have a hard time placing dogs that big around here, with an adoption fee of $500. If it were a reasonable adoption fee, I would give these lil guys a chance to prove themselves here. I could always rehome them, if they were not suitable for LGD, but not gonna give that shot, at $500/each. 
I would expect to pay big money for pedigrees and cerfs, but that is not what I am looking for. I know I have seen working LGD's in my area raised with livestock, for around $200, just cant find it right now, and thought maybe coming on here would help broden my search. I am not specific to any particular breed. i would judge each pup based on his or her merits, experiences, parents. Thanks


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## Barn Yarns (Oct 7, 2012)

i still think its out of line. i think that the rescue thinks that they know what they got... meaning... if someone will buy one from a breeder at $1200 someone will gladly pay $500. the most ive paid for a rescue was a BC was $300 and he was in a foster home. its a small rescue and all their dogs are fostered. I was willing to pay that as he had been a trial dog so i could use him for moving my sheep. 

for $100 more, i can get my hands on guarenteed lgd's.... with about a 4 hour drive. 

if this rescue is offering other dogs at less prices, then there is a problem. if they are only 12 weeks old, they havent even gone thru $200 worth of food. =(


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

chma4 said:


> My point was not necessarily that $500 was not reasonable for a home grown, pure bred, working LGD pup. My point is that these pups are god knows what from god knows where, and they are gonna have a hard time placing dogs that big around here, with an adoption fee of $500. If it were a reasonable adoption fee, I would give these lil guys a chance to prove themselves here. I could always rehome them, if they were not suitable for LGD, but not gonna give that shot, at $500/each.
> I would expect to pay big money for pedigrees and certs, but that is not what I am looking for. I know I have seen working LGD's in my area raised with livestock, for around $200, just cant find it right now, and thought maybe coming on here would help broden my search. I am not specific to any particular breed. i would judge each pup based on his or her merits, experiences, parents. Thanks


What I shoulda said is papers and certs ( and championships etc) mean less than zero to me........... Workin' ability, 'soundness' are what I'm lookin' for............ Buying a pup from workin' parents is MUCH more important........ Not an 'ironclad' guarantee, but certainly much more likely.............


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

Well my thought right off, if your only willing to drive 2 hrs., what they will be guarding must be worth 2 hrs wages. I certainly would not buy a pig in the poke at $500. each to guard something that is only worth 2 hours. 
A realistic cost if they spayed/neutered the pups is about $150. each and that is what I would offer. Most times the vets either work totally free donating their time or at greatly reduced rates. No office overhead, no home visit by the vet _(they are gonna be at the shelter anyway)_ couple slides that are reusable, for fecal tests, check for worm, $4.--5 or 7 way vaccine shot, $3 Bordetella, $5. Rabies maybe little worm med _(I did 7 dogs and 6 pups yesterday in 15 minutes)_ I buy all that stuff in flats except the Rabies, and I use the Better 7 way combo shots, they are still just over $5 per shot _(You cant do Rabies in PA unless your a vet, but they have clinics where it is $5 -$10 every spring and summer)_


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

They are not neutered. I sincerely do not beleive their expensese are $500. 
Also, Two hours each way is not a short drive, and it's not quite an even comparison, as you would suggest. It was giving people a reasonable radius around my place that i would like to find a pup. I would hate to travel 4 hours out and 4 hours back to find out I was misled and not wind up getting a pup. Life is not a math equation, at least not to me it isn't. But, thanks for the info.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

The perfect dog is going to show up before you know it. Just keep an eye open & get the word out to folks you know with livestock & I bet you have a couple perfect for your farm before you can hardly blink. Best of luck. I would not pay $500.00 for a shelter dog either.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well, I wish you luck!

I spent some time a few months ago looking for an Anatolian Shephard and the cheapest I found was $750 plus shipping. (My computer lost its hard drive and there went all my files; so I have to do all that research over again just to find the ones I did find. One I know as out in California, another in Florida, another mid-usa somewhere and another about a 3-hr drive from me. Just have to locate them again.)

Since you're wanting a dog specifically for protecting your goats, you may need to spend quite a bit to get one that would do the job.


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

chma4 said:


> They are not neutered. I sincerely do not beleive their expensese are $500.
> Also, Two hours each way is not a short drive, and it's not quite an even comparison, as you would suggest. It was giving people a reasonable radius around my place that i would like to find a pup. I would hate to travel 4 hours out and 4 hours back to find out I was misled and not wind up getting a pup. Life is not a math equation, at least not to me it isn't. But, thanks for the info.


 I understand not wanting to expend more time on a maybe. I will say this from costly experience, EVERY PUP IS A MAYBE, I have had dogs from the best lines in the world turn out to be flops, (*more money than I care to admit* and a years time down the drain)
I think the value of the stock has to come into play, you understandably want to protect them, preferably without moving them into the spare room:gaptooth: 
Good luck


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## CageFreeFamily (Jul 19, 2012)

While I would pay $500 for a pup from a working line, who is being raised in pasture, I would not drop that much on a shelter dog. 
I had to drive 10 hours round trip for one of my Ana/Pyr crosses, and the other came from 14 hours away. Both cost less than $300, but with the travel expenses figured in, the cost is about right.

There are a lot of good breeders out there that are in your price range who breed to keep their own pack in good condition, not to make a buck. I would wait for the right dog, and be sure that you are paying for working dog genes.

Better to pay a little more and get a good dog than to drop a grand on two who may not be what you think they are. 

No puppy is for certain, but any breeder worth their salt, who is running their dogs as working dogs, should know the working value of their puppies before they place them.


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## jjstephens (Mar 8, 2013)

Last fall I got two Anatolian/GP older pups to guard my flock of chickens. They're now almost 1 yr old. They were trained to guard goats and sheep and were doing a great job at that before I got them. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to train them, they continue to kill or maim my birds. I've concluded they are just not suited to be chicken dogs. I've come to the sad conclusion that I need to find a new home for them guarding larger stock. I know I'm a little farther away than you indicated you wanted to travel but you're welcome to take a peek at the local Craigslist ad I posted yesterday.

https://post.craigslist.org/manage/3668035752/3usqt


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## chma4 (Feb 27, 2005)

Thanks jjstephens. That would be an 8 hour one way drive and I have chickens too. .


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