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What Name?
Posts: 1994
   
| So. Temporarily my puppy,Zephira, has to stay inside until I've gotten at least two rounds of her shots. Simply because I'm super paranoid about her getting parvo. I have chickens, and she was raised with chickens/ducks/sheep/goats before I got her. She is soooo playful, and I expect that for a puppy. But I'm just looking for tips to help train her. I will not tolerate her running my chickens, even as a puppy. What discipline methods do you use for your work dogs?
Also, I plan on getting a recently weaned set of lambs. I'm planning on bonding her to them by putting them in a"pen" together as much as possible and letting her sleep with them out in the field once I know she's big enough not to get eaten herself. If she bonds to them, will she still accept additional animals into the "pack" without issue?
Sorry lots of questions. First work dog. Any advice is great and appreciated!! | |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| americanpride08 - 2015-05-21 9:17 AM So. Temporarily my puppy,Zephira, has to stay inside until I've gotten at least two rounds of her shots. Simply because I'm super paranoid about her getting parvo. I have chickens, and she was raised with chickens/ducks/sheep/goats before I got her. She is soooo playful, and I expect that for a puppy. But I'm just looking for tips to help train her. I will not tolerate her running my chickens, even as a puppy. What discipline methods do you use for your work dogs? Also, I plan on getting a recently weaned set of lambs. I'm planning on bonding her to them by putting them in a"pen" together as much as possible and letting her sleep with them out in the field once I know she's big enough not to get eaten herself. If she bonds to them, will she still accept additional animals into the "pack" without issue? Sorry lots of questions. First work dog. Any advice is great and appreciated!! We have had LGD's for years and years that protect our sheep.
Do NOT put them in the same pen to start. Pen them next to eachother. (You have young lambs and a young dog here) Then eventually when the lambs are close to 50-60 lbs, then put them together. I say this because you won't have momma ewes there to discipline the dog if it gets too rough, so, keep them next to eachother.
Also, keep that dog in a pen in the barn. If you bring it in the house now, you're asking it to bond with you and the house - thus making it much harder to get it bond to whatever livestock you want it to protect.
Good Luck
ETA - new animals will be accepted. If she's worth her dog food, she'll accept whatever you bring in the barn.
Edited by lindseylou2290 2015-05-21 9:25 AM
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Posts: 1898
| We have two. We got them both from an old Basque man. He raises all his pups with stock from day one, BUT the stock also have mothers.
We let ours sleep in the house until they were about three months old then they stay outside. They will chase at first, the man we bought them from was pretty clear about needing to use stern discipline. He basically said, if you let them have an inch they will take a mile. Once the boundaries are drawn you should have no problem with them.
I am not sure if you are planning on using your's as true predator control or not. If you are, and your pup has good working breeding, you should not have to do any training to teach them to keep predators away. My older dog will literally go hunt coyotes down if they get to close to the property. The other is still a pup and I don't let her travel with the older one yet however she is already starting to bark and put her hackles up when she hears the coyotes. | |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| cyount2009 - 2015-05-21 10:43 AM
We have two. We got them both from an old Basque man. He raises all his pups with stock from day one, BUT the stock also have mothers.
We let ours sleep in the house until they were about three months old then they stay outside. They will chase at first, the man we bought them from was pretty clear about needing to use stern discipline. He basically said, if you let them have an inch they will take a mile. Once the boundaries are drawn you should have no problem with them.
I am not sure if you are planning on using your's as true predator control or not. If you are, and your pup has good working breeding, you should not have to do any training to teach them to keep predators away. My older dog will literally go hunt coyotes down if they get to close to the property. The other is still a pup and I don't let her travel with the older one yet however she is already starting to bark and put her hackles up when she hears the coyotes.
This - I did NO training on my year-old Pryrenees and he is hell-bent keeping coyotes off our land - really cool as I can finally keep barn cats and chickens alive!  | |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Do yall have any trouble getting them to respect a fence line? If so, how did you train them to stay in it?
What sort of discipline methods do you use. My pup things I'm playing, even when I give her a good quick wap. I'm thinking of getting a already bottle and if course, small physical reprimand-ments. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1898
| Fence lines mean nothing to mine. They wander especially if they get on a coyote. I can however call my older dog back when she gets on the hunt but the younger one still does not have a good "come here". She is about to get a 100 foot twine so I can get close enough to get a hold of her.
Some of the neighbor's Pyrenees have been caught up to 10 miles from home, thirsty and bloody from running down and terminating a coyote. No joke, these dogs are for real.
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Dogs get shot out here, too much livestock nearby. And hunters, plus just mean ppl. Do you think an invisible fence/collar set would even effect a dog of a pyres size? | |
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 How freakish is that?
Posts: 3927
Location: Oregon | You need a real fence if you want to keep them in. I had an Anatolian/Akbash but same idea. When she was a baby I put her in a fenced enclosure with hot wire around the top. She never did go over a fence but she would go under one. | |
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Posts: 1994
| Well I dont get a say in fencing unfortunately. Parents property, dad and I are getting cattle, putting my horse with them, maybe a few ewes ( or they'll be separated more than likely )
It's about 50 acers we're fencing in. hmm. theres a man down the road who has goats. His two pyres keep them in a 'fence' and never leave that ive ever seen. theres no fencing. just posts marking the 'area' the dogs wont let the goats roam past it. Ive always wondered how he trained them that way.
eta: I do plan on getting another pyre in time. because i've heard they work better as a team. I'm just trying to figure out how the BEST way to train her is.
Also. The barn is not up yet. As it will be something we work on after the fence is. Will putting a temporary pen up in the field the ewes/lambs/livestock will be in work the same way as far as training??
Edited by americanpride08 2015-05-21 2:02 PM
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | We treat ours like employees from day 1. They are not pets, they do not live at the house, they live with the sheep. We started ours with some yearling ewes that we had and kept her PLENTY away from the house - so that coming down to socialize with our collies wasn't even a temptation.
I don't know how having one on such a small acreage would work out. 50 acres is plenty small enough for them to become "people dogs". They are so expensive to feed (like an elephant) that if I only had 50 acres to manage, I would just do it myself - or use a different LGA like a llama or a donkey or something.
We run about 600 ewes on about 3800 acres that is a 60/40 mix of timber and pasture. We are the only ranch on the ridge and so predator control is our problem and ours alone. We took four cougars off the place last year in about a six month period, and I we take coyotes off weekly. The predators aren't bad within close-ish range to the house/barns/shops; out in the back pastures though, it is an absolute buffet at night if we don't have an LGA in with them. | |
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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | Fence lines! HAHAHAHAH....our neighbor has SEVERAL livestock dogs. We had two of his that he had imported attach them selves to my horses. Well, come to find out I am a predator! It was a little heated and hairy between me and the dogs owners. Finally after I read up on the dogs and realized that is just their nature to protect I decided to move my horses until lambing season was over. I moved them roughly 13 miles away, over the river to another one of our fields across town. Three days after the horses were there the dogs showed. Ummmmmm....so I called the owner he came and picked them up. Two days later they showed up again, dragging some huge car parts that they were tethered off too. He finally had to trade the breeder for two new dogs. | |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| cowgirl_3207 - 2015-05-21 6:48 PM
Fence lines! HAHAHAHAH....our neighbor has SEVERAL livestock dogs. We had two of his that he had imported attach them selves to my horses. Well, come to find out I am a predator! It was a little heated and hairy between me and the dogs owners. Finally after I read up on the dogs and realized that is just their nature to protect I decided to move my horses until lambing season was over. I moved them roughly 13 miles away, over the river to another one of our fields across town. Three days after the horses were there the dogs showed. Ummmmmm....so I called the owner he came and picked them up. Two days later they showed up again, dragging some huge car parts that they were tethered off too. He finally had to trade the breeder for two new dogs.
LOL omgosh... well.. at least your horses were safe. Even from you =P agreement between two species to get them out of working?? LOL | |
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She's a Tough One
Posts: 3199
| Pyranees don't know fence lines. Akbash and anatolians usually better about this for whatever reason and crosses are great as wellLol usually pups aren't to become pets per say and only to be with whatever they are to protect. I'd talk to all your neighbors letting them know you got one and to not panic. They are roamers its their job. They are worth their weight and gold. | |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| svincent - 2015-05-21 6:07 PM
We treat ours like employees from day 1. They are not pets, they do not live at the house, they live with the sheep. We started ours with some yearling ewes that we had and kept her PLENTY away from the house - so that coming down to socialize with our collies wasn't even a temptation.
I don't know how having one on such a small acreage would work out. 50 acres is plenty small enough for them to become "people dogs". They are so expensive to feed (like an elephant) that if I only had 50 acres to manage, I would just do it myself - or use a different LGA like a llama or a donkey or something.
We run about 600 ewes on about 3800 acres that is a 60/40 mix of timber and pasture. We are the only ranch on the ridge and so predator control is our problem and ours alone. We took four cougars off the place last year in about a six month period, and I we take coyotes off weekly. The predators aren't bad within close-ish range to the house/barns/shops; out in the back pastures though, it is an absolute buffet at night if we don't have an LGA in with them.
Wow - mine doesn't eat much - in fact, it shocks me how little he does eat - a lot less than my heeler, but he does catch rabbits and is our "garbage disposal" he will even eat saurkraut!
We are only on 5 acres but surrounded by nothing but fields. We don't keep ours fenced in except 1 day a week when the trash truck comes because he will chase the truck. We had ours neutered at 6 months and he is VERY good about staying close to the house - usually in the barn or on the front porch of the house. | |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| My puppy is only 6 weeks old, and my older dog had parvo about 7 years ago. So until I know she's had two vaccs I'm not letting her outside unsupervised. But before I got her, she was already in with working parents and livestock in about a2acer pen. Mostly chickens. Right now I'm letting her go with me everywhere on a leash. She stays outside on a pen when I'm not here. But dad and I almost have the fence fixed. Think I'll set up two large temp pens side by side and put some lambs in one and her in the other. I'll let her go in when I feed them ect. I do that with the chickens.
I tell you one thing. She loves to hop. She hops everywhere. She's had some serious personality, very intelligent though.i have her house trained already. She's also picked up what no means pretty fast. But then, as cute as she is,I don't tolerate a lot of cute antics. I've trained enough dogs that's pretty universal. | |
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Expert
Posts: 2457
| You have some really good advice on here.
They will roam and they will attach themselves to everything in their "domain".
Ours have attached themselves to the neighbors' kids, ALL the animals on the property, and if you get more than one they will work in teams. For example, we currently have 4 - the old dog takes the day shift while the younger dogs will pick a spot (usually the hay barn) and sleep. About chore time, they switch off.
Sometimes they will attach themselves to people, but they tend to choose those who are vulnerable - ex, our neighbors kids are escorted daily to the bus stop. Mind you they live 3/4 mile down the road. And, whichever dog is up while my Dad (74 and he doesn't move like he used to) is putzing around, well, it will escort him EVERYWHERE.
They EAT, and EAT, and EAT - they will scavenge and EAT some more. Ours routinely are catching rabbits and other rodents.
Like others have said, if she came from working parents - chances are that you won't have to actually "train" them like you would a house dog/pet. You can install manners to keep them down, or off, and sometimes to come but often they won't be super friendly. | |
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Posts: 1994
| lindseylou2290 - 2015-05-22 8:24 AM You have some really good advice on here.
They will roam and they will attach themselves to everything in their "domain".
Ours have attached themselves to the neighbors' kids, ALL the animals on the property, and if you get more than one they will work in teams. For example, we currently have 4 - the old dog takes the day shift while the younger dogs will pick a spot (usually the hay barn) and sleep. About chore time, they switch off.
Sometimes they will attach themselves to people, but they tend to choose those who are vulnerable - ex, our neighbors kids are escorted daily to the bus stop. Mind you they live 3/4 mile down the road. And, whichever dog is up while my Dad (74 and he doesn't move like he used to) is putzing around, well, it will escort him EVERYWHERE.
They EAT, and EAT, and EAT - they will scavenge and EAT some more. Ours routinely are catching rabbits and other rodents.
Like others have said, if she came from working parents - chances are that you won't have to actually "train" them like you would a house dog/pet. You can install manners to keep them down, or off, and sometimes to come but often they won't be super friendly.
Does this apply to puppies? Or is it something the social ones will just grow out of?
LOL cause my girl is pretty social. Really likes to sleep between my feet when I'm sitting down. But like I said. She'll be going outside in about 2-3 more weeks permanently.
I have definitely learned a lot between doing a LOT of reading and research before buying her, asking on here and FB about peoples personal experiences. I'm sure some of it is going to be touch and go based off her personality. But I even train my mutts to be well mannered. I just wanted to see if there were any good tips for making her a great dog. We have coyotes bad out where I live.. been seeing them in our back yard lately, we're surrounded by huge farms, crop lots and cattle farms. They are really bad about catch calves around here.
I will definitely go around and let my neighbors know about her when I 'turn her out' to watch the fields. I dont want her getting hit or shot. The good news is, there wont be any livestock besides our in the vicinity where she will come in contact with them. Hopefully, that will limit any roaming. | |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Mine is a PEST, he is so friendly but I think if somebody threatened ME, it would not be a pretty site as he seems to be my "guardian" also.
The barn cat lies on top of him, it's the cutest thing - almost like she is thanking him for keeping the coyotes away.
He DOES bark almost all night long but he isn't just barking to be barking, it's ALWAYS at something - coyotes, deer, skunks, etc. His barking doesn't bother me because I know he is doing his job. He sleeps a lot during the day I think because he is up most of the night chasing critters away. | |
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What Name?
Posts: 1994
| Griz - 2015-05-22 11:20 AM
Mine is a PEST, he is so friendly but I think if somebody threatened ME, it would not be a pretty site as he seems to be my "guardian" also.
The barn cat lies on top of him, it's the cutest thing - almost like she is thanking him for keeping the coyotes away.
He DOES bark almost all night long but he isn't just barking to be barking, it's ALWAYS at something - coyotes, deer, skunks, etc. His barking doesn't bother me because I know he is doing his job. He sleeps a lot during the day I think because he is up most of the night chasing critters away.
Yea, so far I've heard they bark a lot. Bond specifically. Sleep a lot during the day. Not overly friendly. And roam. LOL
Mine seems to be a curious little bug. She loves my chickens. But I really have to stay on her not to romp around after them. So when we go into the pen I tie her leash to my belt loop and reprimand her when she goes after them. | |
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How freakish is that?
Posts: 3927
Location: Oregon | Well my advice is to be prepared to have a dog training/owning experience like none you've ever had. You don't train your dog, your dog trains you. They are both the best and worst dog you will ever have, at the same time. Stay strong, good luck. I'd be very concerned about no fences. And never trust the recall, it will only be there if your dog wants it to be.  | |
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How freakish is that?
Posts: 3927
Location: Oregon | Well my advice is to be prepared to have a dog training/owning experience like none you've ever had. You don't train your dog, your dog trains you. They are both the best and worst dog you will ever have, at the same time. Stay strong, good luck. I'd be very concerned about no fences. And never trust the recall, it will only be there if your dog wants it to be.
Edited by crapshooter 2015-05-24 10:10 AM
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Pryrenees work dogs-- how did you train yours