Deborah Niemann 8:18 I’m really excited to have you here. Many livestock producers have learned the value of adding livestock guardian dogs to their farms. They, you know, they help us out with different projects and stuff. Oh, that’s one of the difficult things. This one also had a tin roof so it doubled as a shelter, a great option if you’re limited on space. The information on this website can also be found in a brochure called “Livestock Guardian Dogs: Protecting Sheep from predators”, United States Department of Agriculture, bulletin number 588. And so then it just creates this… Basically the dog thinks it’s a fun thing. Bill Costanzo 21:04 I have a maremma (Italian livestock guard dog) that won't stay on my property. Posts about Livestock Guardian Dogs written by Hoof and Fang Spanish Mastiffs. We leash train all of our dogs; we also tether train our dogs, so that if they encounter a snare at some point, because I never know… We work with cooperating producers, and on our ranches, we don’t tend to snare, oh, for predators unless we remove the dogs from the area. So can you talk a little bit about, like, the importance of socialization with a livestock guardian dog? You really don’t. Yeah, so that’s actually something that we’re studying in our research project that we have going on currently. This feeding station has been a lifesaver for us. I have with me Bill Costanzo, a livestock guardian dog research specialist from Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in San Angelo, and we are going to be talking about how you can keep your goats safe using a livestock guardian dog. But yeah, they can check out those three things. Security, (that is his name by the way, it started as a joke and stuck) is a fence climber, so there has been no containing him. Bishop Pine, Bishop Pine, Obispo Pine, Santa Cruz Pine, Dwarf Marine Pine, Pricklecone Pine Pinus muricata, austrian pine, european black pine pinus nigra northern europe and Texas Palmetto, Rio Grande Palmetto, Mexican Palmeto Sabal mexicana No, we just, I just generally do it around the neck. And you really have to go with just the things that they actually need to have to get by on. At home, some have sturdy guard dogs posted at their gates, but playful breeds also act as protectors for children. Dogs. Press alt + / to open this menu. Okay? Those type of things are going to be pecking order situations. Yes. And is that how you keep the sheep or goats from eating the dog food? And we don’t do anything special with our puppies. They’ll find the pill and spit it back out. We’ve had Middy , our first livestock guardian dog, for about a month now. Since we often feed whole carcasses and cuts of meat, we needed a place that was big enough for the dogs to spread out and eat comfortably. The spiked collar or also sometimes known as the wolf collar, is usually a 2-inch-thick leather or metal collar with spikes protruding outwards. I am so disgusted by the number of posts/ads I see from people selling LGD that are mixed with Pit Bull, Rottweiller, Australian Shepherd, etc. And that’s actually a mistake I made with my very own first livestock guardian dog. You know, I even get down to like some dogs like specific breeds of sheep, for instance. That’s awesome! We have depended on Livestock Guardian Dogs to protect our goats since 1993. Both dogs went on to be tremendous livestock guardians at their new farms. 11.18.2020 by thriftyhomesteader // 4 Comments. And so, if you have to make changes with your dog—I mean, whatever it is, whether it’s introducing new stock, or moving them to a new location, or a new type of feeder or feeding station—you really have to take some time with them and introduce those things slowly so that they understand that, hey, you know, my feed went from being in a bowl, to now it’s in this big metal box that’s a self-feeder. Deborah Niemann 28:56 To be a REAL trustworthy LGD they must be from a Livestock Guardian Dog Breed. Bill Costanzo 24:02 And it was a huge shock to me to discover that having a livestock guardian dog just did not work the same way at all. Okay. So, things like a dangle stick or a drag work really well. So if you have wool sheep, then try to get your dog from somebody that, you know, raises wool sheep with their dogs, or, you know, hair sheep, or poultry, or, you know, even cattle. Livestock Guardian Dogs Livestock guardian dog breeds were developed through selective breeding in Europe and Asia to protect livestock from bears and wolves (Andelt 2004). And so, over time, humans have increased some of those traits and decreased other ones. The single tended to stay with stock more; the pair tended to go off and deal with threats more, and then go back to the livestock. A guardian dog for your livestock should prefer to be with the flock rather than in the home with people. A Livestock Guardian Dog, or LGD, is a type of dog that has been bred over several centuries to have certain instincts. I didn’t get him used to traveling in a vehicle at all, or in a trailer, and the first time I had to take him in because he had gotten really sick, yeah. And I did actually, I admit, I did actually come up with a couple of these questions from watching some of your videos. So you’re on Facebook? Oh, that, and I get that question actually a lot, too. It’s not a guarantee. The primary reason some livestock guardian dogs have these spiked collars is to protect the dog’s throat in a physical altercation with predators. We just want the "best of the best" for our breeding program, to help ensure our puppies are as healthy as possible. And, you know, five, and then ten minutes, until it gets to be up to a couple hours. It also needed to be close by for ease of access but in an area where they aren’t going to have interference from their invisible fence. But, my house dog has a doggie door. And it really does help, you know, the producer out, not have to keep an eye on the pup as much if you’ve got an older dog. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Now we feed twice a day and that’s a whole lot more trips out there than we used to make. Because obviously, the birds are going to fly pretty easily when they get scared. And there’s a number of reasons for that. And so the sooner that you can purchase them and get them with livestock, the better. And I was in a Yahoo group back then where it was not unusual to see people say, “What dosage of sedative do I need to put in my dog’s food to knock it out so I can take it to the vet?” Which, that horrified me, that anybody would have, like, a 120-pound dog that they could not just walk up to, put a leash on, and, you know, walk to their car. Because at some point, you know, your dog is going to get injured, and probably have some sort of an infection, you’re gonna have to give them antibiotics. And we definitely don’t do anything like that. Establish-ing an acceptable routine for a growing pup will help to set the pattern of adult behavior. Training the dog to go through the hole. They are in it together, start to finish. It also tripled as a really cute baby containment system, with leaks. In 2011, I wrote an article for the Small Farms Quarterly about “Livestock Guardian Dogs.” In the past nine years I gained many additional insights and had new experiences, which I want to … Usually, by about 18 months of age, most of those things have subsided, they’re, you know, large enough to be on their own, you know, covering quite a bit of territory at that point. Can you explain a little bit more about what is involved in tether training? At this age, your dog will be comfortable going through jump gates, which is an excellent option for feeding away from stock. Deborah Niemann 22:37 Please try again. Deborah Niemann 35:14 . But it really works well later on. And again, make sure you have a swivel at each end. Bill Costanzo 27:07 So, starting about eight or nine months of age, until they’re about 18 months of age, different things will will pop up over that time period. I know that by now you have seen the many pictures I have posted of our wonderful Livestock Guardian dog, a beautiful Great Pyrenees named Esme.She has been a great addition to our family, and by now, at more than eighteen months of age, she has developed into a fantastic guardian dog for our goats and chickens. The 2x4s are to sturdy up the hole we cut and provide structure for the opening. People think that you’ve got to spend, you know, tons of time with your dogs be able to catch them later on in life. And our dogs know their names. I do a monthly blog. And then, what’s the difference between just a normal pecking order between the dogs and actual aggression? Sections of this page. 3199. A guardian dog for your livestock should prefer to be with the flock rather than in the home with people. I spend an average of about five minutes, three times a week, with our puppies. Anatolians are a livestock guardian breed. So thank you very much for being with us today. Deborah Niemann 0:00 My 110-pound Great Pyrenees fit through a the 10-inch hole, although I did go back later and enlarge the hole to 11 inches to make it a little easier for her. $34,500. They are very independent, they are very intelligent, but they don’t like change. My weekly newsletter includes recipes and articles on homesteading, raising livestock, health, and gardening. I looked back to see those two sweet little angels ravenously devouring a whole chicken we’d fed the dogs, bones crunching in their mouths as they contentedly snorted and chewed. The north side along the road was fenced off this fall, with a gate … The easiest way is either through Facebook Messenger or email, because I’m kind of in and out of the office a lot. And so, you know, other than the tethering, when it gets to be quite long, you know, I’m usually with each pup for 15 to 20 minutes, on average, three times a week. They are great for protecting a large variety of livestock. Subscribe now for instant access to my step-by-step guide on how we've eliminated conventional dewormers. So, I hope that kind of answers your question about the puppies; it got a little long winded there. The poor dog was just a mess by the time I got him to the to the vet, so. I have been thinking of getting a livestock guardian dog, I wonder if some of you with experience could help me with some questions about the breed. Mature livestock guardian dog Generally speaking, a two-year old dog is a mature and fully functioning member of the pack. You know, some of the first things even that you look in for, like, a pet dog, is you want to make sure the puppy’s healthy first. Deborah Niemann 30:10 That was something we learned the hard way. Jun 19, 2015 - jump gate measurements - so the dogs can go between pastures. Those are definitely issues on the poultry side. And then, oh, I slowly increase the time each week by a couple minutes. So, before we go much farther, I think we should also mention that we’re talking specifically about livestock guardian breeds, not just the—like, you can’t just go get any dog and stick them out in the pasture and expect them to be a livestock guardian. Deborah Niemann 11:14 No, not in my experience. And that does happen. We usually have a team of 5-6 permanent dogs at any given time, spread among our various goat and poultry pens. I hope people will sign up and visit all your social media and follow you, because you’ve got a lot of great information. And so they can’t be out there every few minutes. The national breed rescue group was just asked to place three dogs under a year old - WHO HAVE HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHICKENS AND GOATS. Still not so sure about her as protector of our goat herd. I have read through various livestock guard dog publications and found a PVC triangle to 'fence' train dogs, so I've made my own using a harness and a PVC triangle. And they’ll just go hungry until you, you know, take that time to train them a little bit. So, you know, 25 to 30% of them don’t work out at all. Richell Wood Free Standing Pet Gate Metal & Wood Adjustable $40 (ROUND ROCK) ... 10x24 Horse Barn-Animal Shelter-Livestock Shelter $0 pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. The puppies you see in the photo are still small enough to fit through the cattle panel, but would have needed separate accommodations for a few months until they get big enough to jump through. Yeah, the other thing that I do, as far as in our training, besides the other things I already mentioned, is once a week—oh, and again, this doesn’t take very long—all of our dogs go on a truck ride. Bill Costanzo 25:26 But if they’re basically the same age, the same sex, then those are going to be more aggression issues than pecking order issues coming up. an untrained dog will be able to move one ewe out of a flock, on cue? I don’t know that I would recommend that one. Correct that behavior immediately. If you do see those traits showing up, then you need to find a different livestock guardian dog, because that dog, at some point, you know, may have had a different breed mixed into it. But, I discovered when I brought her home, she really wasn’t too keen on being left out in the field with the goats. Jun 19, 2015 - jump gate measurements - so the dogs can go between pastures. Obviously, I cannot vouch for these specific animals, but it may be a great match for someone here. Facebook. You know, we had some just pretty severe weather here in the last few days, down in the low 30s. 0. When getting your Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD), please make sure you purchase from a reliable working farm/ranch. These are especially useful if you need a place to put a self feeder for dog food. Jump to. And then when you get them home, oh, it’s important that, you know… I know everybody is always concerned about, you know, the age of the puppies, and the puppies being left outside, and that type of thing. And so those are all things, when you see those type of things, you need to correct them immediately and continually until it stops. But yeah, the the puppy that just runs up to you is probably going to be more of a, you know, just a pet, because they’re looking for that human interaction on a regular basis. And so we’re tracking those dogs over time. This show was awesome. At this age, your dog will be comfortable going through jump gates, which is an excellent option for feeding away from stock. Welcome to the show, Bill. And so they may show some of those traits as they’re a puppy. Yeah, if anybody’s looking for that feeding station, you know, they can check out our Facebook page at the AgriLife Center of San Angelo, and there’s pictures of the feeding station that we use on there. We do name all of our dogs, which is something a lot of people don’t do that have large places. And, again, just socialize them well. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Deborah Niemann 31:21 And then, we’re also on Instagram. Guardian donkeys may seem like simply pasturing equines along with the livestock; however, donkeys differ from horses in several ways. “Horses use their herd as protection,” Dohner said. And so it’s important that they form that bond with livestock at a very early age. List of dog breeds that can be trained to guard live stock with links going to information and pictures about the dogs. And she was terrified. And so, really about the only thing you can do is just completely separate them if it becomes that much of an issue. Never reward your dog, you know, for something that you don’t want to be encouraged. And so we get them at eight weeks of age. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Awesome. And that’s one thing that’s really difficult for people a lot of times, is following up on correcting that behavior. Livestock guardian dogs have been bred for thousands of years to do the job that they do. Are Anatolians so driven to … They are also a great benefit because they stay with your livestock 24 … And they have—those dogs have a place. We have the K-9 units that modern police operations train for tracking and protection. I’m glad you found it helpful! Deborah Niemann 35:53 Bill Costanzo 20:03 Okay. So there’s definitely going to be a pecking order, especially if you have multiple dogs. Or if the, you know, the puppy starts to chase or go after a ram or a billy, you know, they’re not going to put up with that kind of behavior from the dog. We never teach the dogs to jump and will always open a gate to allow a dog in or out of the pasture. Saved from scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net. Now that we’re feeding homemade dog food it gets eaten quickly enough to not be an issue, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re building your own. Join Facebook to connect with Katherine Walker and others you may know. The dogs now have a place to eat, away from the goats. And, you know, just like I was mentioning earlier, where they’re, they’ll chew on tails, or chase lambs or kids or something, they’re going to do the same thing with with poultry. If you are ready to move forward with your decision to purchase a livestock guardian dog, then I recommend placing a deposit of $200 and taking some time to fill out my questionnaire. Don't let your dogs go hungry. Because our dogs are guardians first and breeders second, as a general rule, our bitches have only 1 litter per year. And so you have to be willing to put in that time and, you know, do that corrective behavior immediately to try to eliminate that possibility of when the dog gets to be 18 months or two years of age, then having to replace it and find a new one. Please see the attached pictures. Your email address will not be published. But, you know, if you saw a puppy, and they’re claiming that it’s a livestock guardian dog, and it has spots, for instance, all over it, or some type of coloring that you’ve never seen before, and there happens to be, you know, a hunting dog of some sort roaming around, or, you know, some sort of a herding dog, like a border collie or something, you should be suspicious that, you know, you’re not purchasing a pure livestock guardian dog. ... dog $5 $5 (haskell) pic hide this posting restore … Out of about 30 adult Nigerians that have passed by these gates, 2 figured out how to get through to eat dog food. Be ready: this dog will find a way to escape. You know, there’s a lot of cattlemen that are even starting to get into having livestock guardian dogs. Our herd has never been healthier! I mean, I know, you know, I have a former student that runs about 2,000 or 3,000 free range hens. Bringing a New Kid Home: What to Expect the First Few Days, 10 Steps to Livestock Guardian Dog Wildfire Preparedness, 9 Reasons to Have a Website for Your Goat Business. They’re, like you said, they’re not like your normal pet. Snag the recipe and dosage instructions on the 3 essential oils we use instead. But until they’re fully mature, you really don’t know if you’re going to continue to see those things pop up or not. And again, on the poultry side, you just really have to take time with the dogs, and introduce them slowly to the birds, and make sure, you know, that the dog is always supervised during that kind of bonding period with poultry. The spikes will give the dog an advantage in a fight, helping to protect the neck region from being bitten and shaken. We’d feed about once a week for the two adult dogs. Donkeys and llamas, however, bond to each other more than the livestock they are there to protect. And so each time that they’re going to do the training with the older dogs—or with the younger pups, I should say—they need to bring that older dog in for a few minutes so that the older dog starts to learn, you know, who the younger dog is, and vice versa. Now, they do have shelters that they can go into with the livestock, and they have feeding stations, and all that kind of thing. Bill Costanzo 6:00 They don’t get all panicked. So, what should you do if your dog is chasing your goats? And they go into a one-acre pen that’s on the outside of that. I don’t do it around the legs or any other portion of the body. And so, like I said, those things happen, and yeah, it saved several dogs that have gone through our program that we’ve sent out to cooperating producers, by doing that tethered training. Okay? So, you know, what I try to tell producers to do is, you know, when they go out to check their livestock, take a can of wet food, or some Pupperoni treats, or hot dogs, or whatever it is that your dog likes, and when you see them, then reward them when they’re in the pasture that they’re supposed to be in with livestock. Bill Costanzo 31:47 The feeder in this station is a 25-pound Little Giant galvanized feeder, one I highly recommend if you’re feeding kibble. I don’t know why you would want to do that. And, you know, I get stories from producers all the time that one of their guardian dogs got in a fight and killed their other livestock guardian dog. And those producers were very happy, you know, that their dog just laid down and waited for them to show up, so that they didn’t have to replace the dog. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Bill Costanzo 26:39 They are also not "guard" dogs … For a total cost of under $50, it is well worth the peace of mind! Jan Dohner presented “Livestock Guardian Animals: Llamas, Donkeys and Dogs” as a webinar hosted by Food Animal Concerns Trust. We brought home one dog when she was eight weeks old. So the first thing I think we should talk about is how exactly do you choose a good livestock guardian dog? I am so disgusted by the number of posts/ads I see from people selling LGD that are mixed with Pit Bull, Rottweiller, Australian Shepherd, etc. Part of this comes from genetics and instinct, and the rest comes from being raised from a puppy to live outside with the livestock. Golan is a fair watch dog. Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) breeds have been used for centuries to protect livestock from predators in Europe and Asia. I am leaning toward the Anatolian. And, you know, the slobbering and hyperventilating and all that kind of thing. In fact, dogs often work well in pairs. Deborah Niemann 26:23 And as the dog runs, it hits them right about in the middle of the legs, and so it hurts them, and so it slows them down and it lets the animals have a chance to get away from them. Training a guarding dog uses techniques that are much different from those used in training a dog for obedience, hunting, or herding. That’s one of the big things, is we try to encourage producers to make sure that you buy a livestock guardian dog from somebody that, you know, that’s what they do, is they breed livestock guardian dogs. What they would want to do is they need to introduce that puppy under supervision to their older livestock guardian dog. I appreciate the time. Part of this comes from genetics and instinct, and the rest comes from being raised from a puppy to live outside with the livestock. Socialization is critical with these dogs. Deborah Niemann 25:14 Once they know how, they jump easily and unhesitatingly through. But although they will pay from $10,000 to $30,000 – and more – for a good registered female alpaca, they haven’t realized that there are few bargains in dogs. And I suggested to him, you know, that he gets some livestock guardian dogs. Animals. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The tale of a livestock guardian dog and a cat. So at what point would I have known that the dog was not gonna work out? A jump gate is a good means to allow your dog access to places that you may not want your stock (sheep or goats or otherwise) to go. Yeah, so, um, oh, at one of our research ranches we have a very large hog population. And there’s a metal gate on the front of it. Sheep will eat dog feed and then your dog goes hungry. There’s a variety of information, updates on our puppy bonding project, I focus on a breed each month, do a producer profile, all kinds of different things on the blog. Sorry about that. So if you’re looking for a guardian dog, and you, you know, it’s just to try to increase your chance of success. Bill Costanzo 11:07 For example, a pup that never learns to jump a fence may never become a fence-jumper as an adult. We’re tracking single dogs bonded versus pairs of dogs bonded together with livestock, and then also hotwire in the bonding pens versus no hotwire. Um, no. Deborah Niemann 16:27 You know, it’s kind of difficult, because you have to stay there all the time. Enter the feeding station. When you visit a Runnings store, you’re shopping an extensive selection of over 100,000 products, all built to last, and at a good value. Whoa. Deborah Niemann 0:26 And it really isn’t. Herding Dogs Hunting Dogs Guard / Watch Dogs Other Dogs Cats Honey Bees / Cutting Bees Fish Other Livestock Hay / Straw / Feed / Seed Horse / Stock Trailers Other Trailers Western Horse Tack / Accessories English Horse Tack / Accessories Livestock Equipment Livestock Fencing / Pens / Corrals / Gates etc Livestock Shelters / Shops / Buildings By about 16 weeks of age, that bond between the puppy and whatever species of livestock that you want them to guard is pretty much formed. Deborah Niemann 23:55 "Watch" and "guard" dogs are two different things. And then, I think our farm vet gave her her first shots. This is going to be a great show today. You know, a lot of producers have GPS tracking collars on their dogs, so that they can find them and they help them find livestock. So, you know, other than putting, you know, a lot of bedding down in their shelter, those puppies stay with the livestock at all times. Katherine Walker is on Facebook. But the average producer, yes, you know, your dog should be well-socialized. Deborah Niemann 17:59 Bill Costanzo 22:46 Now, that’s only a few dogs, we have many years to, you know, continue this research project. And so, you know, you should make sure that both parents are there on the property, you know, that the dogs or the puppies are in contact with livestock from the very beginning. And usually what ends up happening, and not always, but if you have a good older dog, the puppy will kind of follow that dog’s lead. So, you know, if you go to pick up a puppy, and, you know, I mean, some of the dogs have different color markings.