What kind of dog do you have for Livestock

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tifflunn

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Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada
What kind of dog do you use to guard your livestock and why? Some people use certain dogs because they are better with the preditors in there area- could you tell me a bit about them and how they get along with your livestock and would you recommend them. do they stick around or does there need to be a fence completly around the parimeter?

Thanks for the input.

Tiffany
 
Well we don't have bear and stuff BUT we have coyote, fishercats and stuff like that.

I have 2 dominant lab females who don't let any fourlegged thing come in without making a big stink!!!! Yes, even the skunks get chased out! One of my labs get skunked on a regular basis!
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My girls do a great job!!
 
We have an austrailian Shepherd, and he loves his horses. Mind you, he certainly isn't one of the "new miniature Aussies". He is about 24 inches tall at the withers, and weighs better than 90 pounds...quite a mutant for an Aussie!
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He runs the paddock parimeter all day, and even prevents the horses from sticking their heads through the fence, most of the time. Unfortunately he failed quite miserably with my yearling colt, from the looks of his shredded mane.
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I find them a quiet breed; when Kodi barks...you KNOW something is wrong. He has more than once woken me in the dead of night, for me to find cast horses, or loose horses wandering the isles. His favorite job is mid-wife-uncle. He gets more excited about a new arrival than I do, I swear!
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She is not a livestock guard dog, but my collie puppy, Kelsey, is very good with the minis and the goats.

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We have a great pyrennes, he basically just watches the horses but doesn't let anything come in the pasture, well the back pasture as the donkeys are in the front pasture and they don't like him
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shortymisty- I like that you rely on Donkey power too!
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Jill- Are you bothered by predators in your area?

Wow never heard of a fishercat- learn something new every day.
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I never thought of austrailian Shepherd, or lab as guard dogs- do they stay in the farm area?

Thank You for the replies

Tiffany

Anyone else please feel free- and are the dogs fixed?

Tiffany
 
I have a Pyrenees also. He is wonderful with the horses....ESPECIALLY the foals! They can go up to him, grab his ears, hair, face, whatever, and tug on him and he could care less...he thinks it's great fun apparently! They all seem to enjoy a good game of "tag" too
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Charlie did wander a lot, so we fenced in our whole property with horse fence...so of course he stays in now. He does also bark a lot...especially when the coyotes are close (which is frequently). We love Charlie to death...he's an awesome dog!!! We had gotten him because or lab/rott Shelby is getting older...and we wanted her to have an opportunity to "train" him. I think she enjoys letting him worry about everything all night now
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Here is a picture of Charlie with one of our 2005 colts. I had them out in the yard and just happened to get this picture:

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Tracy
 
Thanks Runamuk for the fisher cat link!

Fisher cats are VERY mean, they are known for killing cats.

They have a haunting scream.

I have seen a coyote in my yard in the brood daylight and fisher cats at night.

My friends neighbour let their dachshund out to pee and they heard and noise and he was gone, in a second! They thing it was a fisher cat or some type of bird that took him because he just vanished, no fight nothing!

So sad!
 
tifflunn said:
Jill- Are you bothered by predators in your area? 

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According to the VA State Sex Offenders Registry, yes, but not the kind that bother livestock. It's unbelievable. I live in a pretty rural area yet looking at the registry a few years ago, we are practically surrounded by perverts.
 
Jill said:
tifflunn said:
Jill- Are you bothered by predators in your area? 

467042[/snapback]

According to the VA State Sex Offenders Registry, yes, but not the kind that bother livestock. It's unbelievable. I live in a pretty rural area yet looking at the registry a few years ago, we are practically surrounded by perverts.

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Thanks runamuk!!! Wow and here I thought I knew alot about wildlife and had never heard or seen a Fishercat...or at least that i know of. I'll bet my sister and her family know of them as they are all from Maine and Vermont.

tiff--well you know what kind of dog I have, plus a Boxer. I'm finding out that my Lakota is very good with my horses and livestock. (Still at the playful age with the chickens tho, but we're improving daily. She just likes to play chase with them and then be chased....and then tear thru the yard like a little banshee.
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I see her when she goes out, guarding and keeping an eye out for me at her young age, and scoping the perimeter of our property. No one can come into our property nor my house, unless I tell her "It's OK"...then she settles down.
 
I never thought of austrailian Shepherd, or lab as guard dogs- do they stay in the farm area?
I can't speak for the labs, but my Aussie wouldn't dream of leaving the yard/pasture areas. Heck, he migh miss a movement of one of his babies!
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He is so funny; upon arrival home, from a show or clinic, I have to actually restrain Kodi from jumping into the trailer until the doors are all the way opened. He hops right in and I am SURE he counts his horses to be sure they all made it home. Then he proceeds to lick their faces and tell them how much they were missed.

He also keeps an eye on the goats, and has raised several litters of kittens.
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The only thing he doesn't tolerate, is birds, I would love to have a few free-ranging banties...but I KNOW he would chase them.

I know he would take on anything to protect his horses...me...not so sure if he'd help me out or not.
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Actually, to be fair, if I "SSSssss" to him, and point, he will go after anything.
 
We have a Great Pyrenees. "Bear" is our first one, and our first "outside dog", so it is taking some getting used to.

On the "down side", I guess I found it hard to deal with the typical "puppy behavior" that goes on when you are not there at their side constantly, like you are with your house pets. He dug, and chewed, and dragged things out. I would get after him, but he still enjoyed doing it. It is just harder to teach them right from wrong when you are not with them all the time. But, I guess maybe that is not breed related, but more puppy related. Also, now that he has discovered his voice, he has been barking a lot at night.

On the plus side, he is great with kids, LOVES the horses, loves people, and seems to stick around quite well. He spends most time in the yard and pastures, but he may wander off at night, but I have never actually seen him do so. I have seen him go down the driveway onto the road, and as soon as I see him I call him back and he comes running, so that is good that he listens well that way. I also think they are a very pretty breed.

I also think they are a stubborn, or strong willed dog...easy to disobey you if they think what they are doing is more important.

I was SERIOUSLY second-guessing myself a lot after we got Bear, but after awhile, he has gotten better about the chewing and digging, and afterall, he did already prove himself to us the night he went after the bear in our yard. Since he was only 8 months of age, I was even more impressed, so I guess he's here to stay.
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Mona- It does sound like Bear is off to being worth his weight in gold
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Sue. C- Thanks never considered an Aussie.

Sterling_ I don't think many humans or animals will cross her path much longer!

Flying G- Thanks You- yours and Monas info on the pyr- were basically what I read it is nice to hear that they live up to there names
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Any one have an Anatolin Shepard(sp)or a Mammera(sp) they could tell me about?
 

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