Livestock Guardian Dog Series - "The Barking"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 พ.ย. 2016
- "The barking" that livestock guardian dogs do is one of the most effective ways to protecting the flock. In this video we talk about some of the different types of barking and what they mean. Thanks for watching!
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Appreciate you folks taking the time to make these videos to share your experience with livestock guardian dogs. People have kept Great Pyranees dogs successfully as pets in city and small town settings for more than a hundred years. The key is (like with all dogs, really) to provide them with leadership, and firm guidance when necessary. Pyrs are very sweet and affectionate dogs, but they are also independent and a bit stubborn by nature. Like all the LGDs they must be strong willed dogs to do their job. This means that anyone owning them, especially if as a house pet, must also be a strong willed person, and more stubborn than their dog. :) Their 'job' then becomes protecting the home and family. In a town or suburban setting, it is generally best if they are kept inside at night, and that they get LOTS of exercize every day. A walk around the block is great for the mind (following or at your side) and for the relationship, but will NOT be enough excercize for these dogs.In our experience, Pyrs (and the other LGD breeds maybe even more) tend to run off if not fenced securely. Many won't leave their flocks, but we have had the sheep from a farm down the road come visiting, following their Pyr guardian dog. That is one of the reasons we prefer crosses with other LGD breeds like Maremma, Akbash, Anatolian, etc.LGDs challenge their owners frequently to see it the owner is still the leader today. This seems to be even more true of the more alpha type dogs (male and female), especially if they came from homes where people overdid the affection, and did not give the dogs boundaries, rules, and leadership. So many people have good intentions, and we all love to 'love on' our dogs, but many people don't realize when their actions are telling the dog that it is the leader. Then those same people get upset when their dogs don't listen to them, or 'correct' a family member by nipping, etc.Every dog is an individual, but people with smaller properties, or who want a Pyr as a pet, or who don't have a lot of experience giving strong leadership to a dog - these folks are usually better off NOT choosing the pup that runs out to them first. Or 2nd. These are usually the alpha and the beta (or the 'enforcer') type pups in the litter. Instead, look for the calmer pup that watches and joins in, but is not hyper, and not lethargic either (a lethargic pup that lays around either just woke up and will get in gear in a moment OR if not, something is wrong, and it probably sick). You don't want a shy pup, but the calmer one that watches and 'thinks' before joining in, or meeting someone new, etc.We prefer our pups to go to working homes, instead of being housepets. They can still be wonderful family companions around the farm, but they are happiest outdoors doing their job protecting the livestock and the property, as well as the family.
Well said and your experience is shining through in your comments! My first pair of maremma's were full time work dogs with my large flock of Kiko goats. When they grew old and died I got a new maremma who is like you said " a pet and farm working" dog. This go around I did want to have Bella be a companion but have just a few goats and chickens for her to "protect' and she shifts to the house cats at night and bad weather/ indoor days! You folks are a blessing to LGD's and I know your days are wonderful with your dogs.
My great pyr barks at intruders, barks because there are no intruders, barks because of noise, barks because of no noise, barks at the rain, barks at the snow, barks at the sun, barks at the moon, barks because she is barking, barks because she is not barking, barks to say good morning, barks to say goodnight, barks because she forgot to bark.......... I love her. She barks at that too.
Pretty much! The great protectors!
Yes, my Pyrenees mix barks. He barks a lot! He barks at everything that creeps, crawls,moves, or is only considering doing one of those. The last person who came into the yard thinking it was a bluff got paws on the chest and big head barking at the mans face.
Hahhah
Bet as I am writing this comment hes barking hahhah
Exactly what Jefferdaughter said. I have a former foster -- now a "foster failure" -- who is a Pyr / Maremma / Shepherd cross. She was over-spoiled but simultaneously ignored (chained out in the yard, but then over indulged when inside) by her family of origin, and she is a very dominant girl. She is sweet and loving, but she Does Her Job. I had to learn to remind her of that every.single.day. It helped that she wanted desperately to stay with me (hence the foster failure) because mine was the first place where she had found rules and structure, and I am one of those folks that once I commit to a dog, I won't give up until I have exhausted every effort, and yes, I can out-stubborn even a Great Pyrenees. :) Luckily, she's a couch potato, so a solid walk and sniff around suits her. Her favorite weather is when I can have the back door open, so she can come in and out as she pleases,a nd sit ont he back deck, sniffing the air watching for predators. At night, she waits until the other two dogs, the cat, and I are all snuggled into bed, and then sits carefully in the hallway outside the door. Nothing will get past HER to reach us!
Love the bloopers. And I love learning more about my Great Pyrenees. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Love those dogs and your videos about them!!
Great! They operate on such a different plane than a normal dog. I noticed something yesterday that I may try and shoot a video on about them that might be a clue into how they tick. Stay tuned!
Great information. I’ve owned 14 dogs from Irish wolfhounds to chihuahuas. I began to decipher different tone of voice in their barks. Hunting dog behaviors from lapdog behaviors. The bloopers at the end were cute and funny
Great video appreciate y’all raising awareness of the Great Pyrenees breed we love so much. #LSG #LivestockGuardianDog
I love how kitty was passing through like, oh look, it's the food lady. I like her. hahaha
Food lady is right! Every animal around here knows her as such. Thanks!
Thank you for the content yall provide!
At about 14:16 the dog laying behind you becomes more alert and precedes to investigate, then dog in front of you follows! This is an amazing example of how these critters work.
yep, they feed off each other and they always watching! It's pretty amazing! thanks for watching
thanks for the info... and your cat is beautiful.
Thank you for watching!! Really appreciate it
Thank u for ure knowledge and being honest those are great dogs
Thank you!
Can't help but notice the very colorful and lovely red and blue nails.
I think our daughter got to pick the colors. ;-)
just found your channel and subscribed, we have a Great Pyrenees, love the breed and agree on the 3 types of barking, ours is in reverse though, he is generally up all night "on the clock" and sleeps most of the day, but still will bark during the day, look forward to watching the rest of your videos
Ours does plenty of barking during the day but not at near the volume it is at night. Thanks!!!
Good explanation.
Great video! I just put a deposit on two 1 week female pups. I am going to watch all your LGD videos.
That is awesome!
Thanks!
Super cool girl, the human, also
Great Video. Our girl is just one year and her barking has gotten more intense lately so I am trying to learn more. Nani is a Colorado Mountain Dog. Great Pyre and Anatolian. Right now we live close to town on 9 acres. She is doing a great job so far and haven't lost a chicken in 10 months to the local fox.
Christina Picker that's awesome! We are always amazed at the great work they do. Thanks for sharing!
I have two Great Pyranese that O raised from 7 weeks and we live in the city. They do bark a lot but when they are inside they hardly ever bark that are quiet unless someone come to the door. When they go patrol the back yard they bark but when they come inside they are quiet: They are good family dogs and can live in an apartment or the house but it is critical that you walk your dog outside for at least 30 minute to an hour EVERY DAY, twice a day if possible. If you live in a hot climate please walk your Great Pyranese early in the morning while it is cool or in the evenings when it’s cool, they do not tolerate hot weather at all. My two Great Pyranese live inside and love it but I walk my dogs every day for at least 30 minutes a day and if my schedule permits I walk them in the evenings when I get off work.
Sounds like you are doing an awesome job! You are right… no matter situation they make great family dogs! God bless
Love the stripe down your tortious shell cats face....lol.
Fiona is an awesome farm cat!
Thanks, very informative! Subbed.
rico77yt thank you! Welcome aboard
Thank you so much for this video. I was considering a bark collar, now I'm really glad I didn't buy one. It would have made her confused and maybe more aggressive. Again thank you oh so much. It made me more understanding and now I won't scold her so much.
Glad it was helpful!
🙋🏽♀️ This is Sabrina from Texas! I ❤️my Great Pyrenees, Sir Ghost 👻💙🐶😍
Hi Sabrina & Sir Ghost! Thanks for watching!
By far the smartest wisest most intuitive dog I have ever owned, so long as you put down a solid foundation as puppies so they know what you want from them if they are going to be in a more urban setting it can work but it takes a lot more from you to train them and excersise them and deffinately keep them indoors at night. You don't ever want to punish or correct them for doing their job but you do have to set boundaries and rules and they must listen to you always, if they are barking and you tell them to stop they can learn to stop the issue is if you have to leave home and they can't come with you. They can be too much dog for some people they are very very strong willed, you cannot dominate them you have to work with them but they will still respect you as a leader if you raise them right as puppies. They can be socialised but you have to start as young as possible. My girl was older when I got her so I did have some issues there but others I know have them as family dogs to protect the home and children but they take them out on walks around town where they are perfectly behaved. It is really a matter of knowing what you are getting into being prepared and putting down solid training as puppies. They are a very adaptable breed.
Totally agree with everything you mentioned. Thank you for your comments!
Great job. Thank you! :)
Thank you!
Mine is a trained service dog, but i do see some of the traits you are talking about.
We have two great perinese mix rescues, the bark every evening, we live in the city, and I have to run them every evening, we have a nice big fenced in yard! They have gotten loose, and they just patrol there walk route so I can find them pretty fast
They are wonderful! Thanks for stopping by!
Good info and thanks for the breeds characteristics. Some people get the wrong dog for what they need. Thanks and take care
Thanks Rusty! Hey I saw your video with the bouncing ball... You building up your resume for Disney or Pixar?
Just trying something different. But getting back to business as usual this weekend . Thanks and take care
Your animals love you!
We are so thankful and appreciative to all our animals for what they contribute. They all play a valuable roll. Thanks!
Better friend than any human
+Wooly Highlander true that!
Fantastic Video! We are about to get a couple Py Dogs. TY
Have fun! They are awesome!!!
We have 23 acres and Neighbors close to us cause our property goes back from our house and we're getting a Great Pyrenees puppy soon 😂😊Thank you so much for the video
That is awesome! You will be so happy you did! Thanks for watching
thank you
You are welcome!
Thank you! We have a 5-month-old puppy, do you have any tips on training them what to NOT bark at? Also tips on how to not jump on the little kids? He also seems bored. Our goats are also in their own pasture as well as the chickens and I think he is lonely while we are inside. Maybe you have videos and I just haven't found them yet! I just stumbled on your channel :) I have lots of watching to do, looks like some great videos!
Don't allow your puppy to jump up on you is my only suggestion... puppies will be puppies... that stage will pass. We let ours bark at whatever they want... unless it is guests we have on the property. Hope that helps! thanks for watching
I like the videos. I am a dog lover and had a herding breed for years in the country but not on a farm for any appreciable time.
I especially appreciate your explanation of the different types of barking (i.e cover barking ) and the explanation as to why the dog may use different sounds to make it appear as if there is more than one dog. If this is true not only does this say that this behavior exists but within the context you describe also implies that the dog uses what might be called higher functioning areas of the brain involved in forethought (likely the prefrontal cortex) as the ability to employ"deception" would likely require such.
They are excellent problem solvers! So yes, maybe they are using a bit of deception but most likely they are trying to disrupt what the coyotes are trying to do... which is still pretty smart. I guess the are trying to "jam" their talking/communications. Thanks for watching!
I have three great pyrenees and fore puppies. They run free and are great protectors. They have 84000 acres of open range to run. They keep the wild animals away. Everyone in the area love my dogs and they are grateful that my dogs are out doing their job.
Wow that is a lot of land! I don’t doubt for a minute they could do it. They are excellent at what they do.
Wow! Enjoyed the info. I have maremma's and goats.
Thank you! Since we don't have experience with maremma's... does it match up with that breed too?
@@ChickaWoofRanch Wow! Thanks for responding! I greatly appreciate your love of farm life as I do. Maremma sheepdogs are the fore-runner of the great Pyrenees. Very similar temperament. Had a brother and sister that looked over 60 Kiko goats over several acres, fenced in but lots of coyotes to ward off. They even midwifed the baby goat births without being trained how, they just knew! Saved a few runts the goat moms rejected too! Lived in barn all 4 seasons in New England.Both died at 10 years old. Now I have a female maremma that is more for me as a pet but looks after a few goats and chickens as well to keep her "working"! Best wishes on all your farming adventures!
Thank you! We love their working spirit and need to protect! Thanks for watching and commenting.
hey guy's/gal's. it's hard to imagine that it's been a year, and a few months since i found you.. i got kim when she was 3 months to the day.. i've got to say that of all the junk out there your vids were the best, and i thank you for them.. ive been able to keep up with what she should be doing naturally. heat, wondering, and most recently now the barking.. yep, she's coming into it.. i for a while was wondering if life happened, and you stopped making vids., and then the cow thing which was to bad, but good at the same time, because it let me know you people were still around.. at any rate i know eventually you'll stop, and i just wanted to say thank you, because i truly would have been lost with this particular breed.. i hope this finds you well, and the currant madness sweeping the country hasn't found you.. good thoughts from maine, and again thank you -- madd
Thanks so much! We are doing great and enjoying what God has blessed us with. We're hoping to make a video this weekend about what we have been up to around the homestead. Glad your pup didn't disappoint with "the barking". Ha!
See ya soon and God bless!
I love my pyrs I have 4 . 3 males, and one female. my oldest is 7 years. they are great they protect my chickens , my small dogs , cats and my two horses. they also pull carts team/singel. my two oldest. my oldest male is also a sevice / therapy dog
Jean Moyer they are so awesome that's why we are so excited to share of their work ethic and personality. Thanks for watching
Thanks for the videos and the little series you put together! As a newbie to the whole LGD thing I love that you take the time to put these videos together! I noticed that your LGD's don't bother the cat behind you or the ducks...We have had our LGD (Anatolian/Great Pyrenees) for just a year and he terrorizes the cats, has never killed one but he will roll them over and pin them down. When we are out doing chores we can correct him but we aren't always there. He is good with the chickens...to a point...until he gets bored, then he chases them into a corner. We can't trust him anywhere near the guineas. Do you have any book recommendations on training? When he is good, he is great! I really enjoy him! We have started training him to pull a sled loaded with firewood and he handles that really well! (It also seems to help him calm down and be a little more relaxed..at least for about 10 minutes after we take his harness off! ;) ) Any recommendations would be great! (we have 10 acres, horses, chickens, cats and guineas.) Thank you again!
First question is how old is he? neutered? And by the sounds of it he's an only dog. Soooo, having a buddy to do the job would help, but it sounds like it would have to be an older "model" student for a buddy. Anyway, the first year can be tough with training. The best thing that cat could do would be to scratch your dogs nose up to teach him a lesson. That's all that it took for Cherokee to get the idea that cats are not play toys. With all three dogs we had chicken incidences. The worst was when we caught Patou literally ripping and eating the chicken. (disclaimer Patou was somewhere between 6 and 9 mo. and the chicken was a dumb teenager being transitioned to the larger coup, it was dumb, confused, easy pray). Luckily we caught him in the act. And I mean it was on! I layed into him big time. Literally layed him out on his back, pinned him down and yelled and yelled at him. This went on for some time.We made it perfectly clear that he was in deep dodoo! This may seem cruel to some, but his job is to protect them, not eat them, or he's gone. Guess what, never happened again. I let Cheyenne have it too, because we were sure it was a tag team situation. Again no trouble since then! Cherokee never killed a chicken, but we caught him carrying it in his mouth like a football running with it. That was a funny sight, but again it was the same treatment. He was over a year old when that happened. He was nearly a year old when we got him. It sounds like your dog needs to know that you're the alpha and this is your stuff!! So I think you're being "too nice" about the reprimanding and are gonna have to get tough. If the chickens and or birds are too much for him carry a bb gun with you and pelt his butt. We didn't have to do that, but if you've got a bad habit started you've got to get it stopped now or he'll be thinning your flock for you. We haven't come across any books, sorry. We have had a few large breed dogs before the lgds and just knew that manners in general for big dogs are important. They're usually big babies, but need a strong leader to teach them right from wrong so that it's only their size that's intimidating and not their behavior.
Hi Wendy, we haven’t heard any update on your LGD’s recently. Hoping they’re healthy and doing a great job for y’all. 🙂
Hey Jerry! This is Troy... I think I can cover this one... The dogs are doing great! The "puppies" are almost 3 now and have settled into their roles as protectors and guardians very well. Cherokee (our older) LGD is slowing down. He is still very active in guarding but he does not get around the property the way he used to. He mostly leaves that job to the "puppies" to investigate any strange sounds. We still have not lost any animal to a predator in 5+ years (and that was a hawk attack). Thanks for checking in!
Thanks for the response Troy! My brother has two young GPs and I have just fallen in love with the breed. Keep those great videos coming, y’all are missed!
Awesome. Great to see so many videos as we learn about LGDs. Our 3 month old Pyr pup mostly barks in the morning. She and the ducks know when feeding time is. Or she's barking at them to stop quacking so much? :)
Have your dogs encountered coyotes directly? I'm seeing gruesome evidence of coyote hunts, large deer bones picked cleaned in the field, piles of fur. Wondering how to train her for such predators in case they get through the main fence.
Our older dog Cherokee has had a few run ins with coyotes. He came home a few weeks ago with what appeared to be a bite mark on his snout. He is fine but we are not totally sure it was a coyote or we would have reported it thru a video, could have been a raccoon, skunk or possum. Typically the coyotes (usually around 25-35 lbs) want noting to do with a 110 lb dog so they run off. You will not need to teach your dog what to do... they know. It's so awesome! It's like having the secret service watch over your property... nothing gets through. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for all that information.We are in Italy and have a streetdog like this. We feed it, take care of it and thinking about taking it in. First we nead to collect all the information that we can get about this dogs, your video helped a lot,
Wicki Taurus so glad it helped! Be sure to ask any questions you might have.
Thank you for that offer. I might have some questions. Just to let you know the sitiuation.At the moment we are just offering food and water for the stray LGD who comes with a female, cute, "whatsoever" dog that is very shy.
We treatet them against fleas, worms and ticks the Maremanno feels very comforteble and even comes into our house by now, acceptet by our two dogs in an eyblink. The little female stray is still shy seems to know nothing, even a towel makes her go away but it gets better every day and after 6 weeks she trust us as much that she comes up the stairs to the house and loves to get feed out of my hand.
Please cross your fingers.
Good luck!!!
Thank you!
Enjoying your videos :) You mentioned that you would not want a purebred Akbash. Why is that? Thank you and continued success!
It's not that we don't want a purebred akbash... it is more that we enjoy the benefits of mixed breeds (lgd breeds of course).
Sleep all day & bark all night !!
+Dan O'Neill pretty much!
The BEST dogs ever.. read in the smithsonian many years ago > A sheep rancher said in the year before he lost 160 sheep , this year after getting the dogs ( close in breed ) they lost 6 sheep when they took the dog to the VET ! Good Boy !!
+Dan O'Neill they are truly amazing! Hardest working members of the homestead... by far!
On the barking - we have slightly different names for the different barks: 'Territorial' barking - lets predators know that this is their territory and they are guarding it. Our dogs don't howl when the wild canines do (in our area they are too large to be pure coyote...) but if the howling is at a distance, this is the bark they do. If the howling is closer, the go into the 'alert' bark.'Alert' barking - barking to let us know that someone has arrived at the gate or is along the property edge. They also give this bark when they are trying to bring our attention to something going on with the animals, like two rams fighting, etc. 'Warning' barks sound even more serious - if someone they don't know tries to enter our property without one of us there, OR when a predator is close to the property line. Most pure Pyrs in the USA don't seem to be as protective against human intruders, which is one reason we went with crossbreds.When they do what we call 'Serious' barking, there is no doubt they mean BUSINESS. This only happens on the very rare occasion that a stray dog or predator enters the pasture with the livestock.Our dogs don' t do what we call the 'head rattle' bark. This is when the bark sounds like they are doing it just to 'hear their heads rattle'. Often dogs use this type of bark when they have been left outside but think they should be inside with the humans. Obviously that is not an option for a working LGD. Most of the time, dogs seem to bark like this - by far the most annoying type of bark, to me anyway - when they think they are the pack leader or believe they rank higher in the pack than the humans, and are demanding that the humans not leave them outside, or go away from them. Among canines, the leader can come and go with no fuss from the rest of the pack - but the other pack members cannot just take off without following the leader.Dogs that are bored, don't get enough exercise, or are nervous or insecure will also tend to bark more, and bark in a more annoying way.LGD are literally lifesavers for livestock and for the farmers and ranchers who employ these wonderful dogs. LGDs also save the lives of countless predators that would otherwise be tempted to kill livestock instead of their natural prey, which would force livestock owners to reduce the predator populations.Thanks again for your videos that help people to understand what to expect and to figure out whether a LGD is right for them.
Jefferdaughter wow! thanks for your input. It's great to hear from someone else to hear their experiences and knowledge. We've got a lot more videos coming be sure to tune in again and let us know what you think.
Chick-a-Woof, (fun name, by the way!) - Looking forward to viewing more of your great videos. Though we have a good bit of experience with a wide range of dog breeds over many years, we know we will never know everything, and we always learn something from your videos.
Our dogs are apparently watching your channel, too. Since I posted the comment on barking, our newest LGD (half Pyr, 1/4 Maremma, 1/4 Akbash) howled at one of the local 'coyote' packs! :)
I put the word 'coyote' in single quotes, because the so-called coyotes in our area weigh as much as 70lbs or more. Their appearance, behavior, and size is not at all like a coyote. One wildlife biologist in the neighboring state, admitted that wolf DNA had been detected in the wild canines in the area, maybe 50-60 miles from our place - but the official position is that they are coyotes.
Our dogs also have foxes, bobcats, several species of the weasel family, a few other smaller predators that will take chickens, plus black bears to deal with. Lynx come by occasionally. Mountain lions have been sighted within a few miles of our place by knowledgeable people, although they are also absent from the area 'officially'.
Sadly some people who have moved into the area from cities and suburbs acclimate the bears to humans and also 'train' the bears to associate humans with food, either accidentally by leaving garbage out or having bird feeders easily accessible to bears near homes - or intentionally by putting food our on their decks or porches, or even throwing food out to them. Sigh.
Let's just say that we are glad to have our LGDs around for the safety of our family, not just the livestock! We don't want to have these predators hunted or killed unecessarily, but we don't want to have our livestock taken by them, either. LGDs have allowed us to 'live and let live'! But so few people understand working dogs, or LGDs, and your videos are helping to fill that gap. We will be referring others to view them. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the kind words! That really does encourage us to get the word out about how incredibly hard workers they are! Funny you mention "live and let live", because about the time we got our first LGD I also bought a rifle to take care of the coyotes. Although it was a smart purchase, I have not shot a coyote yet (in 5 years). By the way... if you have '70 lb' coyotes... you have a much bigger problem than we have. Yikes! That is not normal. Thanks again!!
So true. I rarely hear my dogs I'm going to tear your head off bark (I say bark, snarl growl lol) it is scary when they mean business. And it is very agressive in your face! Scared the poo out of me the first time I heard it lol. Someone jumped over my privacy fence into my porch and she was actually inside with me. She went ballistic until she heard them take off. It is totally different from their hey.. something's up bark :)
Your dogs are beautiful and look so happy! I have been offered a G.W.P. mix puppy.I have about a month to decide.I actually live(unfortunately)in the city on about an acre.I do have 5 hens! I'm home most of the time,but I have close neighbors so I guess with the breeds natural tendency to barking would have to be in the house with me.I eventually want to move to the country and have more animals.I'm going to sub so I can learn more about this amazing breed.I worked for vets around the country,but this is one breed I don't have a lot of experience with.I do want a protective dog,but one that's good around my 5yr old granddaughter.
Christie Betts what is the puppy mixed with? One of our dogs is a mix and has worked out wonderfully. If you have a terrier mix you may get unpredictable results. It's all about the prey drive. Our dogs are absolutely awesome around kids.
Chick-a-Woof Ranch Father is supposed to be Golden retriever.I have an older longhaired dachshund,and when I got the chickens I joked with my son that I was going to make Sammy a guardian dog!My son said"You might not what a hunting breed!"Obviously I'm being silly,but I have trained this little dog not to harm the chickens.The other day,the German Shepherd across the street started barking,my dachshund ran in front of the chickens and acted defensive.I'm like,"Whoa little buddy,appreciate the effort,but you're a little small!"
Thank you. This week my family is moving to the country.Only on 5 acres. We already have a few chickens, small breed older dogs, cats a bunny and will be getting 2 baby goats soon. And 3 children. So we are looking into LGDs. We have found Great.P/ Anatolian shepherd mix puppies. Our whole property is not all fenced Yet. But of course there is a good sized fenced yard. So I'm wondering if that will be enough for maybe their first year of life until we get to fence off the rest of our property. Or wait and find puppies after it's done. The area has things like Bob cats, Fox and Panthers
Congrats for moving out to the country! I would say a fenced backyard is ok for now but they will outgrow that quickly and will probably begin escaping at about 1 year old then they will most likely want to guard more than the backyard at about 2 years old (give or take). My advise is to fence your property as quick as you can. Also, the anatolian mix can be more aggressive to strangers so if you are going to have lots of visitors over or if you have small children... they can be a little more unpredictable. Hope that helps! They are wonderful dogs and you will never have to worry about your children or your livestock when they are mature and happy. Thanks for watching!!!
Chick-a-Woof Ranch Thank you.. I do have Children. Ages 11,10 and 5. But they have all been raised with animals their whole lives and definitely know to respect the animal and their space. We were a foster family for many years to a local rescue I worked with that was a great learning experience for my kids even as babies, most of those dogs had zero trust in humans by the time they got here 😔 But completely different when they leave for their forever home. Plus I was an Animal Control officer for a while. So I do trust my kids around any breed.. not saying I trust all dogs.. You know what I mean. LoL They never rush dogs at the park, if they want to pet a dog they ask, they neel down a few feet in front. It scares me when I see kids rushing dogs and that dog gets that scared freeze look..and the parents say nothing. Then people freak when kids loose faces 🙊 But Thank You for your imput, it's what I was thinking about the fence situation. We do have a pond back there, do you think they will be swimming in it?😂
Our LGDs are not big "swimmers" but they are for sure "waders". We do not have a pond but we do have a creek and all I've seen them do is get in to cool their feet/belly. That's awesome that you have lots of dog rehab experience. These dogs are so gentle and loyal it will amaze you. Their work ethic is the most surprising... they will do whatever it takes to keep your property free of any threatening presence. What kinds of dogs did you rehab?
Chick-a-Woof Ranch It was mostly small breed
We only have one Great Pyrenees, I wonder if this makes a difference to barking? She is out all day alone with our chickens and we don’t hear her bark unless someone walks past our rural road, or if someone drives in. She barks for a reason not just to get attention. We have huge fields around our home and get fox, coyotes , geese , deer and moose walk through from time to time. We haven’t lost a chicken do to predators and I give our girl a lot of credit for a job well done. At night when she comes inside she is more apt to bark if our small inside dog starts barking. She does patrol the inside of our house and has a routine she does. We knew Pyrenees bark when we were researching Guardian dogs, so we know she will and should bark. We don’t find it annoying as it is a deep bark and not a high pitch bark that gets on your nerves. I also recommend researching the breeder you buy from as much as the breed you pick.
Our female barks less than our males do but she is the one that is the most aggressive in "eliminating" threats. Also, they rarely bark at the same time unless the coyotes are howling/barking. You have good point about the deep bark... it's not near as irritating as a little dog bark. Finding the right breeder is very important... the main reason we picked the one we did is because had been around a puppy from a different litter and the dog was everything we were looking for. Thanks so much commenting!
I've had three LGD and LGD mix dogs and all of them have been very quiet dogs after a little training. The latest one didn't need much training on that aspect at all due to being raised along with a VERY quiet farm dog, so he just took his cue on barking from that dog. I LOVE having the LGD breed without the excessive noise. Most people will tell you that you cannot train them to bark only when necessary, but I've found that's simply not true. They understand and are quick to take verbal correction on what I consider excess/nonsense barking...that repetitive, what you call "proactive" barking that really serves no true purpose.
Mountain Woman we are not saying barking is bad. We are saying that barking is how they work and we let them decide how much and when to bark. They are very smart and are super serious about their job and we are not going to dictate how they work. We would prefer a little "proactive" barking over a dead dairy goat.
Mine seem to do their jobs well without excessive barking, guarding both sheep and poultry. I don't see anything wrong in giving them some guidance on what is acceptable when it comes to barking. There are certain barks that I allow, certain ones that I do not, but none are allowed to go on for a long period of time. Once the predator knows they are there, they have told the predator that they know HE is there, there's really not much more to talk about. The predator will either go away or it will continue to advance and then be killed. Barking does not keep your livestock alive, the dog's presence and abilities will do that. If all it took was barking we could put a few chihuahuas out there and get the job done.
Seems as we have a difference in management styles. Tell you what... I will let you know if we ever have another death on the property due to any kind of predator. Then we can compare notes.
Chick-a-Woof Ranch BAZINGA😂
Mountain Woman - Thank you! I wish my neighbor would listen to you. His Guardian dogs are driving me insane. I live on a neighboring farm, have no dogs or livestock of my own, just here initially for the peace and quiet of the country-ish town. It was like that for four years, until the neighbor moved in and started his business and farm there, and got the dogs.
They bark day and night, more at night, but plenty during the day, if there is a lot of work going on the farm. He refuses to do anything. I will have to move, even though it will cause me a financial hardship. He ruined my whole year here. I love animals, but I know his dogs are trainable to bark less.
Hi there!
My mother recently started a hobby farm - we’ve been kinda learning as we go, but it’s been fun so far; she has some chickens and ducks and a couple of goats. We had some trouble with coyotes though; (they got a chicken and a duck and one of our cats) so we made sure to build the fence ASAP and we also just a couple days ago picked up a Pyreneese/Meremma mix puppy; a little guy who can protect all the little animals when they’re not in the barn. I was just wondering if you have any tips for training? The idea was to just acclimate her to all the animals and let her instincts take over - (it’s really just during the day she needs to watch them because they’re in the barn at night) but if you have any other tips or resources for training I would love to know!
Thank you!
Lizz
You are on the right track. Spend lots of time with your puppy and correct him if he gets aggressive or even tries to "play" with the animals he will be protecting one day. If you can put hot wire on top of the fence you have around the animals... that might hold off the coyotes while you are training up your puppy. It may take up to two years before your pup is 100% but you will not regret it. Unfortunately, it is a long process with no short cuts but your pup will naturally protect your animals in time. They are awesome at what they do! God Bless
@@ChickaWoofRanch Thanks so much! :)
You forgot the echo location bark. Lol. Nice video.
yep, I wonder sometimes if they are attempting an echo bark. Good call! Thanks for watching!!!
I responded to your barking episode a couple of days ago. The neighbor is getting a bit annoyed with her barking. She is not out a lot. She. Is a couch potato and is content in the house, but she does bark. Alot in the
We may be adopting a Pyrenees mixed with lab soon!
Awesome!
We really want a LGD but one of my concerns is the barking (since we have close neighbors).
The Grass-fed Homestead have you floated the idea by them yet? I can come up with a list of positives and negatives if you want? Might make a good video too
On our 10 acres we have sheep, goats and horses. Our Plott Hound will actively pursue and bark for up to 30 miles so we did a surround pig fence and she’s mostly in. But we need a big dog for guard during the cold (30-105 mph wind down to -10F deg.). Coyotes in the hundreds and occasional mountain lions and occasional black bear.. Suggestion?
With that predator load you'll need a couple large LGDs and with those temps... make sure you get your future lgds in your area so they will be accumulated to your weather. You'll be fine with just about any successful lgd line in your area. Do your homework and look around and be very selective. Remember, they are a huge time investment that pays off HUGE in the long run knowing your livestock is safe 24/7. Good luck!
Chick-a-Woof Ranch >Thanks! I’ve had a few recommendations of bullmastiff or Irish wolfhound. Barking is no problem, it’s about 1/2 mile to our nearest neighbor and his cattle are guarded by unfenced and uncontrolled (uncontrollable?) viscous three med-org dogs that pursue us into the street to the point that my wife won’t walk that direction with me. ...But...I need to buy his alfalfa as it is very high quality at a good price andantes they’re really nice folks so we just let slide. Some locals use Russian Wolfhound for hunting bear and protecting flocks. They are. Intense but remain close by and are very attached to their flock...but at $2000 ea. I wonder if it’s worth it. We almost lost a horse to a mountain lion last year and coyotes have been very bold this year running ring at us and forcing us to carry firearms. So with a new very expensive goat breeding program we may be pushed into it. I would prefer shelter dogs as we have always supported them and our current one woke me and lead me out of our last home as it was going up in flames.
We totally lucked out with our rescue LGD but it was luck. Do not rely on luck or what others may say a breed is without proof. If you need some serious protectors (and it sounds like you do) I would do some research on what breed fits your situation and then start looking into breeders. We bought a book a few years ago that describes most of the LGD breeds and is reliable information. The book is "Livestock guardians using dogs donkeys and llamas to protect your herd" by Janet Vorwald Dohner. Hope that helps!
Is it possible to keep multiple Male Mastiff type breeds together? Like Cane Corso, Great Pyrenees, Spanish Mastiff, etc.
Don't see why not. Slow introductions or being raised together would be very important. With that said... we do not have any experience with Cane Corso or spanish mastiff. We are not breed experts by any means. Hope that helps!
Miss,do you have any information on prevention and cures for heart worm in live stock guardian dogs?Thank you in advance for any info you may provide ,it is greatly appricated.
We are required to give Cherokee heartworm medication because he is a part-time therapy dog. We do not give our other LGDs the medication. We have done a little research on the alternative methods but we believe our dogs have a very low risk of getting them. Hope that helps! Great question.
I notice they look slightly different is 1 a mix and the other a pure ?
They are brother & sister GP & Akbash mix. They’ve grown a lot since this video was made! Thanks for watching!
Is gsd a good livestock guardian??
We have a five month old female. She was giving to us by our son who bought her but couldn't care for her in an apartment. We considered giving her away but my wife has fallen in love with her, our issue is we live in the city on a 1/4 acre maybe, she barks constantly ! And runs from one side of the yard to the other. She's quiet in the house most times but parks at cars and people outside, I was considering putting a muzzle on her until I watched your video. Her bark at five months old is deep and frightening and she's unbelievably big ! So she frightens most people. My question is, in order for us to keep her, should we try walking her more or something of that sort ? She never barks when outside the fence around children or people, unless it's me and I get to close to my wife lol, but she only barks in the yard. Should we let her out more often ? Thank you for your help.
Ours do the same thing... but we have 10 acres and no close neighbors. Our dogs hate the UPS and FeDex man, mostly because they drop off stuff outside the property and leave. They feel like they have done their job by running off the threat. On the other hand they love the trash and propane man because they come on to the property and are nice to them. They even get treats sometimes from the trashman. My point is... I don't think you can stop the barking... it's who they are and what they do. They are working dogs that know their job is to protect the property. If you work with her alot by bringing people on to the property and showing her that people are nice... she may chill a little, but will take time. Hope that helps!
What is your fence like?
We're just now building our homestead. Only livestock we have right now are two rescue kitties. Did you have any trouble socializing your LGDs to your cats? - Donna
No problems with the cats. Most of them were already here and as we bring on new ones we do "proper" introductions. They will be good buddies in no time. Thanks for the question!
I am very interested in your "introduction' process for cats..I live on a small 6 acre farm. I have about 60 fixed and vaccinated barn cats that I have
rescued over the years. I currently have no dogs or livestock. I occasionally lose a cat
to coyotes out in my pasture area. Would this breed of dog protect my cats and not harm
them if socialized as a puppy to the cats? I doubt if my cats would want physical contact so is observing them walking around and just hanging out on the property enough for the dog to accept them as part of the property and not to be attacked?
They are perfect city dogs
These LGDs are common here in Central Texas. I'm raising a small herd of goats hopefully to a large herd one day on 27 acres.
I have a Boxer but she wants to chase & play. How long before LGDs pups develop into true LGDs?
I plan to get a couple.
I think the majority of lgd owners would agree that around 2 years old they have all the skills and confidence to guard a herd 24/7. They can begin guarding and protecting as soon as 1 year. Hope that helps!
Thanks
😍😍
Where do you get those kind of dogs
There is a facebook group that helps with that: facebook.com/groups/LGDLocator/
farm collie might be quieter for some people but they will guard.
A collie was breed to be a herding dog. To expect it to do anything other than herding goes against it's instincts. We wanted to make this video to point out that LGDs bark... it's what they do and it's one of the ways they guard. We are just attempting to identify some of the types of barks and what to expect when you get an LGD. A Collie might be able to guard but I would not agree that a Collie "will guard" and when you have thousands of dollars in livestock on the line... "might" is not something I would rely on.
Chick-a-Woof Ranch you are apparently not familiar with farm collies, no offense. I am not speaking of Border collie or rough collies. Farm collies are different. They were bred to herd and do farmwork and also guard the homestead long before LGDs came to America. That was all I meant. Great video by the way, I am loving this series.
Romanian shepherd they are balanced and loved children
We have 3 guardian dogs with a combined weight of 400 lbs. I’m thinking they could handle whatever nature could throw at them. Thanks for watching
If you know anyone interested, I have 3 male Great Pyrenees mix LGD pups that just turned 9 weeks. I can be reached via PM. Love your videos.
And when you do start feeding them once a day what’s the best time ?
We have not got me to feeding once a day. So I wouldn’t feel comfortable advising. Sorry
At what age do you start feeding them once a day ?
Not sure I can comment on feeding once per day because we are feeding twice per day. Sorry
I don’t do Facebook do you have a website???
No website. Sorry.
Curious why you would not want a purebred Akbash?
We really like the temperament of the Great pyrenees but wanted something a little more aggressive towards predators but not to aggressive. We've heard the Akbash can be a little more possessive and "serious". We like the playful and friendly kind that can still get the job done.
Why did you not want a purebred Akbash? Thanks
Well, first off we had Cherokee who is half Great Pyr and Great Pyrenees was the first LGD breed we looked into. Wendy was actually helping a friend pick up a butcher pig and met the farms LGD's. They were a breeding pair. One was Great Pyr and the other was Akbash. Wendy really liked the dogs, good temperaments and good workers. We researched the Akbash and it actually didn't sound like something we wanted in a LGD for our farm. But mixes can really be the best of both worlds. So a couple of years later a neighbor of ours ended up with one of that pairs offspring. That sealed the deal. We already liked our first Pyr mix and then meeting this breeding pair plus a 6 month old pup years later. It really was more about the product. Just like any breed they have their positives and negatives, but when you get to meet the parents and know what you're getting. That's worth a lot. Thanks for asking.
Lots of LGD's for 10 acres with goats. Do you have neighbors?
We are raising one dog (Patu) for a friend of ours who is between farms and our senior dog will need replacement eventually... thus three dogs. Our closet neighbor is 250 yards and they probably don't hear most of the barking because we have very strong winds here 6 months a year.
Uhm, you had a cute presentation, Wendy. But the great Py DOES also ward bears and big cats. It is THE top ranch dog. But nice presentation
You are correct... They can scare them off. We worry about a single Great Pyrenees "taking on" the bigger predators because they are not as aggressive as something like the Anatolian & Kangals. Now, if you lucky enough to have a couple Pyrenees... they could handle most anything. Thank you!
We have a Akbash, she barks when someone comes up the drive , a neighbors dog ,coyote,deers skunks and so on comes in our yard . We have a petsafe underground fence5 acres. She stays inside at night . She has woke us up two time when you could hear the coyotes are talking to each other.She is very sweet and protective of my family . She is a very friendly dog to other people and dogs as long as we are with her.We also have two cats.
They are wonderful protectors! We love them!
Hi. I am about to get my firts pué to guard my goats. Which gender os best? Male le female? Thanks!!!
We’ve not raised enough lgds to say which is better. My personal preference would be male. What kind of property and animals will he or she be guarding?
Juan Manuel Rocha Kinkin ok good. what kind of predators do you have?
The property is fenced with concrete block and the predators that could have been skunks, hawks, vultures and human thieves. Since we fenced the property we have not had any problem or loss, but before when it only had mesh and poles that supported it, we had problems with dogs that killed the chickens.
I think you would be fine with either male or female. One thing to keep in mind... males are typically bigger than females. Advantage is they have more power and bigger bark. Disadvantage is they eat more. I guess it comes down to preference. Hope that helps!
Chick-a-Woof Ranch you have been very helpful and we are very grateful to you in Las Golondrinas Margaritas Camalu.
Just one detail, I forget to mention that we have three German Shepherds, one male and two female and four small, that is, a male Jack Rousell Terrier, a female Parson Russell Terrier, a Pug dog and a castrated Chihuahua.
Once again many thanks and we are at your service!
facebook.com/granjacamalu/?ref=bookmarks
I don't know about the city dog vs country dog . our experience with
pry mixed dogs has been good so far. here in a city.
we had to say goodbye to maygan
this fall ,bone cancer .
she barked , but not bad .
anyone who knew dogs
understood her bark wasn't threatening .she was always more interested in saying hi than anything else .
our second we adopted to keep maygan company .elsa , well she's way different. I put it down to different socialization before we got her . I know the farm she came from and we adopted her from a family who shouldn't have gotten
a working dog .
but regardless we and my neighbors live with elsa's preaching as she tries to convert the world to her way of thinking .
I think a big difference is I work from home so being here the majority of the time helps to keep the barking to a minimum.
so our city experience has been fine other than the heartbreak of cancer which I don't know if it's
got anything to do with it.
Thank you commenting and sharing your experience on this wonderful, hard working breed. We are constantly amazed by their gentleness and bravery. Truly amazing.
Same. I would probably say they wouldn't be best for apartment living but I live in the city and my Pyrenees does just fine. They best fulfill their purpose in the country though if we're talking strictly what they were bred for. They really are the best dogs ever!!
why do they grab the sheeps hind leg and try to drag them, my neighbors dog does this.
The scents are coming in on windy days, that's why they are barking more. Lgd's have a great nose, only they are too easily distracted for nosework. Find the kid, find the kid, find the kid, oops, find the hot dog, find the hot dog.
We live in Kansas and it's always windy here... mostly. I would agree they are very good with their nose but even better with their ears.
@@ChickaWoofRanch HaHaHa I believe you, but my maremma has selective hearing. She hears me better if there's some ham involved.
I live in Apple Valley CA and I'm about to get a dog of this particular breed I'm only in one acre is that to small for this type of dog ?
+Jissett Quintero it is on the small side but you should be fine. Your dog will want to protect more than 1 acre so be prepared for that.
I have had them in the city also , they do well inside when it's hot so the barking is not so bad . They like it outside . I cut there hair about 5 times a year to med length to help keep them clean & cool . Their are OK inside , give them walks . You will LOVE THEM !!! Mutts or pure .... Grt. Pyrenees . Some say they are not smart , NOT ! My last male I could only use 1 trick on him , 1 time , after that , I needed a new trick to catch him when they are out running ( he was not done with is WALK ) .
+Dan O'Neill they are very smart and very hard working. They are such hard workers... if you tell them to quit doing their job... they will tell you NO! Thanks for watching and sharing
I wanted to add 1 of 1,000 reasons I like Grt Pyr , I live in an area that has ticks & I have found it easy to see them in the white hair & pink skin . Flea's the same , RE: flea's one way to kill flea's is a sheet pan of water with a drop of soap in it , hang a light over it . This is not kid proof , be careful setting this up . Fleas want heat & light so this should be set up over night , all lights out . Some say they put this in front of a low TV over night . If you think you MIGHT have fleas in your home or ?? This is a good test to see if any show up . This may not get all of them , but if you have lots this will cut their numbers till you win the battle .......... the war goes on !!
+Dan O'Neill they do show up nicely against the contrasting colors. It's getting through all that hair is the problem
9:32 pyr paw
Always with the pawing... always.
I'm looking into heaven one more introducing a puppy to chase and Maya. I have Chase fix i is. I'm hoping when he's growing up they can get a loan what do you think. ?
It's so funny because I had a Great Pyrenees and she never barked once in her life
Even when we had her in the city she would herd us but she would always roam around and come back
+Jay Avera well then you probably got the rarest GP of all times. Our GP puppies (18 months) are not barking much at all unless they see or hear something. The older GP barks most of the night. Thanks for commenting! Good to hear the experiences of others.
Perhaps I will keep my pups in the barn at night until they are ready to patrol.
Why does wato have red eyes? infection maybe?
His skin is pink around his eyes unlike his sister Cheyenne, hers are black. No infection just pink skin. That trait must come the Akbash genetics because we have never seen that in a Great Pyrenees. Good question
Thankyou for the reply, love the videos. I feel better now about Watoo.
This video was about these type of dogs bark alot. But they did not bark once in this 15 minute video.
True! They don’t bark much during the day because they mostly use their eyes for protection. When it’s nighttime… game on.
My late Rosie saved us from a home an armed home invader. She was never 'trained' to do that and she knew exactly how to deal with him she confronted him at the door while I grabbed a weapon and she knew he had a weapon and she tried to take the screen security door down on top of him it broke off the hinges, he ran away and we called the police but she was well and truly ready to take that man down with no hestitation and goodness knows what would have happened that night if she hadn't been here. Im on 2 acres and she drove our neighbours nuts but after that incident they came to better appreciate her because she drove off a would be burglar who targeted the neighbours aswell. She killed foxes she was great with cats and all the animals. I am going to be getting another one.
They are wonderful! We’ve never had any human problems but I’m sure they would know what to do as well. Thank you for the encouragement! God bless
The dog behind is wearing an electrical zapp collar ? 0.39
Good question. That collar is for our underground parameter fence. Not a bark collar!
ok thanks , i live in france and these zapp collars are sold in gun shops here ( not nice ) .... In the past the family had one Maremma he barked and barked ! drove nearly everyone crazy
agreed. they are "not nice" especially for this breed. I think they have a place but only as a temporary solution. Thanks again!
great Pyrenees bark as they dissuade intruders and predators from approaching in city it can be annoying as they see mailmen and relatives as intruders
Our LGDs love the trash man. On the other hand… they don’t like the fedex man so much.
Let them bark.
Yep. That’s how they protect. It lets the would be predators know not to come here. The predators are free to respect the warning or suffer the consequences. Thanks!
Yes! I never tell my dog to shut up.
It's not fair on them to have them in the city
I would be ok having them in the city as long as they have a "job" they can do... EVERYDAY. They are working dogs and going for a walk and hanging out in a small back yard is not what they were meant to do.
Auckbosh. I think they can be aggressive
Ours have not been aggressive. At least not towards people (excluding the fedex man).
Hi my Channel vidéo akbash from belgium
Contrary to popular beliefs dogs don’t bark at the moon
I think ours bark more when there is no moonlight. Since they can't see as well... might as well bark... just to be sure. Thanks!
Only werewolfs....
LGD dogs are NOT for the city, not even the suburb!... Getting them as pets is cruel and NOT respecting those beautiful, majestic working breeds...
In Europe, mostly France, Belgium and Switzerland, more and more of these beautiful dogs are abandoned because, again, they are NOT pets!... I have acquaintances that take them on, rehabilitate them and place them in the right environment which is FAR AWAY from cities and they are getting fed up with people getting those breeds, mostly the Great Pyrenees because they look like big "teddy bears", ruining them, abandoning them because they are a "nuisance" for the neighbours and seeing them put them to sleep because they attacked… These people are totally against "training" those dogs like your regular dog because it makes them more "dangerous"... These dogs were specifically created not to trust strangers and by forcing them to be "friendly" is at a big risk of them becoming conflicted with their profound nature and bite!... You NEVER trust those dogs with people that are not part of their direct family circle!...
They are WORKING dogs… In small backyards, apartments even houses they go insane!...
They have no territory percey… The whole entire neighborhood becomes their territory with all the risks that it implies which is why it is recommended never to walk them in the same area so they won't consider it as their territory…
They were created to be untrustworthy of strangers so anybody that is not in their close family circle is at risk to be attacked if they feel like a member of their family is are threatened… This includes your neighbours, the mailman, the delivery man, friends and acquaintances...
This being said, YOU chose the right breed because you have room and they have a job… With you, they do what they were bred for, guard and protect...
You speak good sense. Much better suited breeds for confined city living other than LGD's.
So, you don't have any neighbors near you, or you only have neighbors who also, like you, have Guardian dogs? I'm curious if you have neighbors and if they 'mind' or not, that your dogs destroy their peaceful enjoyment of their home. Also, curious what state and county you live in. I live in a rural, or semi-rural town, with farms all around, but very close to city limits as well. Even here, just outside the city limits, we have a noise ordinance that prohibits excessive barking, and people will be cited and fined, an Animal Control officer will visit the property and issue warnings, etc. It seems to me that you people who keep Guardian dogs anywhere that neighbors can hear and have their peace and quiet totally ruined, to the point that on nice, warm Spring, Summer, and Fall evenings they can't even enjoy their home - even in the Winter, with all windows closed! - they have to hear your dogs. Nothin' neighborly about that at all.
You are exactly the type of person that I moved away from in the city. You have no clue what a livestock guardian does and the security it brings to all our livestock and children. We live way outside any city limits and out here where there are real predators. Out here... country folk appreciate a hard working dog to take of them. Why did you watch this video? Never mind I don’t care.
@@ChickaWoofRanch Don't even respond to that idiot.
@@sicboy83 I'm not kidding... that's why we moved away from the city... sheesh!
wolves kills great pyrenees dog, romanian shepherd the best guard sheep over great pyrenees dog and maremma shepherd ,country Romania no 1 from Europa wolves, bear.
If we had wolves, bear and cougars we would probably go with a bigger more aggressive breed but our biggest threat here are the coyotes... and lots of them.