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Expert
Posts: 1549
  
Location: Southwest Louisiana | Looking for a good LGD for goats and chickens. We're on 20 acres, half is fenced (with the horses on it). Other half will be fenced within the year. We've got 2 pygmy goats and quite a few chickens and ducks. They'll soon be living in a good size pen with the goats, probably about an acre. Bad thing is, that pen is in the back 10 acres, closer to the woods and coyotes. They've come all the way up to the house before, so I know they'll go near the barn where this pen is for chickens and goats.
I was thinking a Great Pyrenees at first. My parents used to have one and she was very sweet, but just a pet. She stayed inside the yard, never tried to escape, barked when anyone drove up and was huge. But I've read Anatolians are less likely to roam and more likely to stay on their property.
Any recommendations?
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 Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Idaho | I have an Anatolian. I love him! We have goats, a miniature horse, a dwarf dexter, and a few calves. I love this dog because he does not chase my horses or cats. He has a big bark and a huge presence when someone comes that he doesnt know. He comes with me when i ride and i have personally witnessed him kill a coyote. He does travel a lot. He usually stays with our animals but occationally he will travel several miles to the neighbors to watch their animals too. He is also great with our border collies. I read that they are very independent and mine is. He listens when he wants but usually stays out of trouble anyways. He is also very sensitive and his feels get hurt easily. He is super smart. Ive never had a pyranese but i would take another Anatolian in a heart beat. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
 
| I just got one that is half and half - he is 9 weeks old this week and SMART as a whip - he was using potty pads at 8 weeks! (I had to keep him in the house because it was zero degrees with a -20 wind chill when I got him). |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| LOVE LGD's or as we call 'em Big White Dogs (BWD's) ... My family has a couple hundred acres and have currently close to 250 ewes that lamb annually.
Over the years, we've had Pyrenees and Maremma's. Sorry no experience with the Anatolians. BUT, I can tell you that the Pyre/Maremma crosses were fabulous dogs as well as both breeds as individual purebreds. Currently we've got 4 Pyrenees and 1 Maremma.
The good - They will roam, but if you get them young and house them with the livestock you want them to protect, no problems and they will know home base. They are fiercely loyal to their "home" area including livestock, people, and barns. We've had no problems ever with them chasing my horses or eating animals that they shouldn't ... just keep a regular schedule with the dog food :) They will kill coyotes, neighborhood dogs that are not part of the home pack ( we have several border collies that they've never bothered), and other odd things like muskrats or possums.
The bad or good depending on how you look at it - They can be independent. They will keep odd schedules and bark at things in the night ( good yes, but annoying sometimes when trying to sleep). They will eventually drag something dead and nasty onto the front yard right as the Pastor is stepping out of his car (this has happened 3 times! lol)
We love 'em. Can't live without them. And take all their little quirks with them! Good luck and find a good breeder that has the pups born and living in a barn with livestock already. We have found they buddy up best with the stock when they haven't been overly humanized or played with as much.
ETA - I think you'll do fine with whatever breed you choose. The outcome of the these dogs is dependent upon their lineage and how you handle them more than their individual tendency to roam. They are super smart and will figure out what they need to protect real fast.
Edited by lindseylou2290 2014-03-19 9:24 AM
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | Anatolians tend to be stronger willed and need a bigger area. They are great at their job. Probably not for the first time LGD owner. I've got a Spanish Mastiff so far hes been great. I'll probably get a few more. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | equussynergy - 2014-03-19 9:27 AM Anatolians tend to be stronger willed and need a bigger area. They are great at their job. Probably not for the first time LGD owner. I've got a Spanish Mastiff so far hes been great. I'll probably get a few more.
That was our experience. Our Anatolian was in 2 fenced acres and it wasn't enough. We ended up with Hotwire top and bottom to keep her in because she was awesome at escaping and would roam for miles. We had to re-home her after she had started growling at our young son and then tried to kill my German shepherd she had grown up with. I didn't feel I could trust her. Her new family has 150 fenced acres with cattle and they love her dearly. |
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Member
Posts: 13
| Anatolian all the way. I have 2 currently just had to put one down last year due to his age but awesome dogs. They will kill anything that goes in the pasture with them, rabid coon year before last, cats, anything they think is not suppose to be out there. They will help my broodmares like their babies dry and then eat the placenta. Plus I think they are much prettier without all that hair. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
Location: GODS country | Anatolian....we have 1 and he is a gentle giant, easy to trainer and is the best watch dog! No more coyotes in the yard! |
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Better LGD - Great Pyrenees or Anatolian?