Dear Editor,
We are ranchers in northern Maine
and have owned and bred livestock guardian dogs for many years. Our particular
breed is the Russian Ovcharka, but we also have a Great Pyranees, along with a
Border Collie, who is not a guardian dogs but is used to scout ahead on trails
to flush dangerous animals and round up or move livestock.
There are many things to consider
when purchasing a livestock guardian dog:
- What is their mission.
Our dogs
have a dual purpose. First, it is to patrol the inner farm perimeter and keep
out two- and four-legged predators, especially at night when we sleep. We have
fox, coyote, black bear, and a few wolves and even lynx around. Livestock
guardian dogs use their waste to mark the perimeter to let predators know they
are here; also they stay awake all night, and often bark to announce their
presence as protectors, especially the Ovcharkas. Barking is the way that they de-escalate
confrontation; most predators will hear the barking and go find easier
pickings. They will also chase off the eagles that try to steal our chickens or
baby sheep. This works well for us, but it might not work for you if you are a
light sleeper.
The second
mission our dogs have is to guard our people. We have an inner, fenced, farm
perimeter that surrounds our buildings, including barns and home. Two dogs are
used at night to patrol this yard, and at least one dog sleeps in each building
occupied by people. It might be mentioned that Ovcharkas can be trained not to
bark inside unless entry is attempted by an unauthorized person, or if a
certain danger bark is transmitted by our outside dogs. Ovcharkas are extremely
protective at night, or if the persons or animals they are protecting are lying
down. We have raised our dogs not to trust strangers, which increases our
security but also requires us to secure the dogs if we have guests. On the good
side, there have been many break-ins lately in our area by drug addicts, yet we
have never had to lock our doors; the whole town respects the presence of these
dogs. Also, our neighbors have had bears tear into their metal poultry sheds to
eat their poultry, but our dogs seem to keep them away.
Our dogs
consider themselves ‘off duty’ if we take them on a walk, so although they
would protect me if I were attacked, they do not bark and are not aggressive
toward strangers who approach me to speak to me on the street, unless the
person yells or acts aggressively.
If you are
just looking for a dog to warn you of danger, just about any dog will do,
including a small mutt, so you may not need a livestock guardian dog. On the
other hand, if you want security, I can tell you that even living remotely with
my husband on business travel I feel completely secure having these dogs
around, especially at night.
Different
livestock guardian dogs have different natures, although conditioning also
affects nature. For example, if a burglar experienced with dogs came on our
property with just our Pyranees out and acted properly, our Pyranees would
likely not bite him. That’s not so with our Ovcharkas; they are all business,
which is both an advantage and a danger. Our Ovcharkas are very loyal, and once
they bond to you there is no better personal protection dog. Study closely the
nature of each breed, browse the web to read about each breed, then select a
dog with the traits best suited to the purpose you have in mind for them.
- Your climate.
For us, we
needed dogs that can patrol our yard in 20 below zero, windy weather at night.
Many breeds can not handle this; even our Great Pyranees sometimes has to be
put inside if it gets below -20, but our Ovcharkas have never gotten cold, even
down to 40 below. On the other hand, Ovcharkas and even Great Pyranees would
suffer in a temperate climate like Georgia or Florida, so another breed would
have to be used in such a case.
- Time management.
Livestock
guardian dogs require lots of your time and training. You must have a strong
personality to be the dominant figure in their pack, and you must consistently
train them to behave the way you want them to behave, especially in the area of
socialization. These are not always good dogs for someone to own who is gone
all the time, especially when the dog is young.
- Breeders.
Even the
best dog can be ruined by a bad breeder. Get the outside scoop and references
for a breeder before you buy a dog from them.
We hope this helps you with your
selection process. – G.L.
o o o
HJL,
We have an Anatolian Shepherd that
we rescued from the pound. Although we have no livestock other than chickens,
with no training she is an excellent guard dog. These are very independent,
large dogs. She positions herself in our backyard, so that she can keep eyes on
both the gates. At times, she follows our chickens around the backyard, staying
about six feet behind them. It’s quite humorous to watch. – B.C.
o o o
Dear A.S.,
Having a Livestock Guardian Dog
(LGD) can be a rewarding experience, but if you’ve never owned one or don’t know
anyone who has one, they can be frightening. These dogs are “Dominant breed”
dogs or the “special forces” of domestic dogs and are not for a novice dog
owner. Similar breeds in this category would be Great Pyrenees, Anatolian
Shepherd, Kangal, Barzoi, Kuvatz, Marema, Tibetan Mastiff, and more. Even the
English Mastiff is a dominant breed dog. They cannot be trained with physical
correction, such as smacking or hitting, because they are bred to oppose
aggression and confrontation. They must be trained with non-confrontational
techniques, like an electronic collar. I’m sure there are age old techniques,
but I was unable to find those. It would benefit you greatly to find a breeder
in your state that also works their dogs with livestock. This way they can help
you through learning how to make this kind of dog part of your homestead. Buy
an appropriate-sized kennel, and an outdoor dog yard that has a canopy and dog
house.
My husband and I purchased an LGD
puppy in 2013; we thought we had read and prepared enough. We were in your
situation, not having someone we could get advice from. The folks we purchased
him from are two hours away. These dogs require structure and a daily routine,
but raising a dominant breed puppy is even more labor intensive. We have since
discovered that a “first-timer” would do better off to get a dog that is older
than two years of age and neutered or spayed. This eliminates going through the
potentially difficult “rebellion” period that occurs between 16-18 months of
age. Depending on the personality of the dog it can be mild disobedience to
scary aggression. If you do a web search for guardian breed rescues, you will
see hundreds. I believe this is because of that rebellion period that most of
them have before two years of age. Even those famous trainers, Millan and Katz,
talk about this period in young dogs.
We had a scary time during this
period, and we almost put our dog down until we found some helpful information
on the Internet and a capable trainer that knew how to handle “dominant dogs”.
The techniques are similar to training other strong-willed animals, such as
horses, llamas, camels, even elephants. Do your research! You will find a lot
of websites with very benign sounding advice on training a LGD puppy, but it is
more intensive than these people are saying. Their young lives must be
scheduled and regulated daily; nothing is free for them to choose. Just like
the animals mentioned above, the training is an investment of the first 3-4
years of daily training, structure, and review. Their time with livestock must
also be on the schedule and time learning to obey the dog’s people with leashed
walks, grooming, learning commands, et cetera. That’s why I am recommending an
older dog and not a puppy. I was blessed to speak with a man who raised English
Mastiffs, understood our troubles, and was very helpful. Find someone to guide
you.
Our two-year old male is settling
down now. We’ve had to regulate his life for the past six months. He’s now
beginning to understand his place in our world. He’s very smart and has learned
a long list of his commands within 2-3 repetitions. He’s fast and strong, but
it’s been ALOT of work. I’m not trying to discourage you but to inform you that
this kind of dog requires more of your input than your average Golden
Retriever. Good luck, – K.M. in Ohio
From the Survival Blog
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