Livestock Guardian Dogs 101
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.พ. 2021
- Dogs play a crucial role on many small farms and ranches, from herding flocks to protecting livestock. In this video, we visit Green Star Farm, an 85-acre pasture-based livestock farm in Sonoma County, California where Sarah Silva collaborates with her many canine partners to look after chickens, pigs, sheep and goats. Learn the ins and outs of working with livestock guardian dogs and help determine what’s right for your farming operation.
This video debuted at the 2021 California Small Farm Conference, a production of Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). Learn more at www.caff.org
Filmed by Kelsey Murphey
Produced by Evan Wiig
Edited by Anne Hamersky
Thank you to our Sponsors:
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Center for Land-Based Learning
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I love the tough American Farmer. The backbone of our country.
And they're being let down and abandoned by our government
I really love your input on chickens. So many livestock guardian dog breeders get annoyed when I ask how their dogs are with poultry. They get frustrated as if I'm asking for some sort of guarantee, no, I am looking for lines that are better with poultry because it simply makes my job easier to train my dog with poultry and I also love that you are wise enough to recognize that slower fatter or more fearless type birds are easier to train on. So many people just want to throw their dogs in with flighty birds and wonder why they kill birds. Flighty stock are not a good combination with younger pups. It is amazing to me that so many people don't have that kind of common sense.
This woman is brilliant. I'm not a farmer, just a dog lover and this is beautiful stuff.
Farmers are smart because they have to be.
A herding dog broke an Australian record at auction the other week. From memory he sold for $35 thousand. A good working dog is worth it’s weight in gold.
I’m not sure what the difference would be between LGD and purebred bulldogs but I know someone who bred bulldogs and was offered 40,000$ for a puppy due to it having 2 different coloured eyes & She turned down the offer, crazy how much people will spend for a slight difference.
@@Gigachadly not 100% sure, but there is cosmetics (eye's, fur colour, etc) then there is blood line, training and so many other factors. cosmetics sell for a lot, but blood line is so much more important. I don't spend cheap, even on my cats
what? 35,000 for a dog,?
My LGDs are priceless. I couldn't possibly put a price on them. They will be on my farm until they die, I don't care what anyone might offer me for them. And my herding dog is employee of the month, every month. Like an extension of my own body. We are never apart, even when not working. It's almost like telepathy between us. Working dogs are invaluable, but dogs that help with livestock on a farm are really a special breed.
This is the link for the Australian dog.
Very wise woman. Listen to her. I am a big proponent of pairing up dogs. Like she says, they are pack animals, and the benefits you gain from multiple dogs are enormous even beyond their psychological health. They simply work better in teams. I'm also a fan of using older dogs to help train younger dogs. They are social creatures and they do a better job correcting each other than we can ever be. She is absolutely right about how to introduce old and new dogs. Always set your working dogs up for success.
Common sense
I admire this lady. Her hens are really free range !. Total freedom.
I lost 8 Goats in 2 months. Then everything seemed fine for 6 months before the missing goats began again. One early morning the goats were spooked and woke me up. I hustled to the field and barely squinted the figures of two cougars heading into the treeline. I have a dog now.
I have two Pyrenees. They guard poultry and free range domestic rabbits. They keep roosters from fighting. No training was required 👍
I was searching for white guard dogs and ended up here. Although I need the opposite of what Sarah talked about I couldn't stop watching the video because it's so enjoyable! And the chickens talking over her is endearing.
The white ones are long haired, my white anatolian is a master at shedding and collecting burrs, he is actually green right now. My other anatolian is kangal, shorter hair, low maintenance
My daughter has beautiful puppies from her Kuvasz working dog on her farm and can't sell them as a first time breeder. Great blood line too.
Check out the Maremmano.
I have a pyr ..absolutely wonderful dog..chickens steal food out of her dish..doesnt mind..mini horses walk and graze all around her..she doesnt even open an eye..absolutely loves the grand kids..
I have two Maremma protecting my sheeps. Bears and wolfs around. No problems. Love them.
What country? I just got my first Maremma in Norway, he is amazing ❤
As a vet I want to point out that you can check out hip- and elbow dysplasia by specialized x-rays, but tendinitis and arthrosis are inflammatory diseases that might come from over working (tendinitis) or normal aging (arthrosis)….so you take care of your dog and there is less risk of that…of course there are always specific breeds that tend to have certain genetic predisposisions
I have watch many LGD videos and this is hands down the best!!
My poultry dog was a Siberia husky, golden retriever, chow.
Awesome dog. He would pick up each chicke, takes to the coop put them in an go get another that are still out an about instead of going home. He was good at it.
I love dogs. Now I have a CAS mix. This dog is more challenging. I have no chickens anymore.
I have noticed that if an animal is in the house my CAS thinks it belongs there and won't hurt it.
When I got her at 4yrs old she had shock collar burns. One side of her face..same side as the burns...the lips area is saggy and continues down her neck. I had a lot of work to do on her. I've had her for 3 years now and she's in a good place now!
We have a Great Pyrenees x Anatolian and she has the best coat! Also great with chickens and other livestock.
I have used a long line for young dogs. I also added the bell of shame. A goat bell clipped to a collar alerts me to chasing and makes it difficult for the dog to sneak up on anything. Also- don’t give up if there are problems. No dog is perfect. Two of my dogs killed a ewe. I couldn’t afford new dogs so I restarted training and everything worked out. Good video. Covered critical issues.
I am so glad I stumbled upon this video.
I have four dogs, blue heeled female, male and female border collie, and a Pyrenees/Maremma mix pup… and 10 acres and I thought it be great to start with chickens and work my way up … luckily I can already tell how eager to chase chickens my border collies and blue heeled are so I’m gonna be very careful in getting them acclimated to each other.
Oh my gosh, you said something so wonderful to my heart, protecting harvest from predators! I am 62, semi retired and live on a little over 3 acres. For years I have wanted to grow cut flowers, and lots of them, veggies and fruit too. I live in Maine so I have the usual predators, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, deer and cats. I never thought to get a LGD! I am so excited! I will do research and my husband and I will find what the best fencing is. Thank you so much for this video. Wishing you a safe and blessed day. Mary from Maine.
Have you thought about doing agility work with your dog? It gives them a purpose so they feel like they're working. There are a lot of Facebook groups for agility work. Maybe there's one in your area.
Great Pyrenees are the best! We have 2 and they keep our 48 acres clear of everything!?
If you want a dog that will stay home, the Maremma is a "close dog".
@@debbieday6885Why would you suggest agility for someone who needs a guarding dog. That work is their natural work and is very mentaly demanding. They wont have energy for extra activities, enough rest is very important. If u have a bc for example and dont let it work then agility is great.
Did you find a good dog? My daughter has beautiful puppies from her Kuvasz working dog and can't sell them as a first time breeder. Great blood line too.
Sarah you bring incredible knowledge.
The complexities of guarding livestock is vast and you explain everything so well.
Thank you for sharing your expertise, your passion for this subject is obvious.
This has got to be the most straightforward and informative video I have ever watched about livestock dogs.
Have had cattle dogs and they are the best. Not a dog for first time dog owners. Each time one die, they took a piece of my heart. We always started herding on ducks. Thanks for your video. We’ve have Border Collies and you nailed it. You can always depend on a cattle dog, I swear they can read your mind.
I have chickens, and I'm adopting a foster puppy that 6 weeks old. I want to make sure the puppy is going to be chicken friendly. I live in a neighborhood, so predators aren't really a problem. Thank you for the really good advice. ❤️
It will depend on the breed and what animals they were bred to guard.
@@cj3720I was coming to say the same thing. Folks can't get just any dog and expect working dog results. Some dogs aren't bred for that type of job.
That depends on the dog breed. This video is about herd guarding dogs and herding dogs.
Sitting here enjoying the video with my 4 month old Red Heeler. We live in an apartment now, and I do my best to keep him active and thinking. He's by far the smartest dog I've ever had. I want to begin homesteading on some land this winter/spring. This video is so helpful!
Good Luck on your homesteading. I hope you'll find a good productive property. Your dog will love you for it.
Amazing and very informative video! I have 3 Pyrenees , a senior male (10-12), an adult male (8) and a young female (13 months). We have goats, chickens, Guinea fowl and ducks. Wonderful dogs but still working with the young female and she shows improvement daily. Than you for this wonderful and well put together video. J.D.; Southwest Louisiana.
This is one of the best videos I've seen for small farms because it was all information. Most other channels have about 85% random rambling that is off topic. Add chapters to this and it would be even better. I learned so much!
I was reading the "about" section of this CAFFflix channel that said "...promotes social justice". What is the "social justice" aspect of family farms?
It's amazing how strong the instinct is in most Great Pyrs. It actually doesn't matter if their parents guarded a farm or a house or whatever. They are always guarding.
*kuvasz
True. I fosters a half Pyrenees and it had to go out and patrol my backyard every night after dark.
Well I’ve seen some that are usless so yes it makes a difference if you have a large pasture and hundreds of goats and sheep
@@makoado6010 Can recommend the breed as well. People tend to mainly know the Great Pyrenees or Maremmas. My daughter has beautiful puppies from her Kuvasz working dog on her farm and can't sell them as a first time breeder. Great blood line too. Very sad, such a good and beautiful dog it is.
Absolutely fascinating and MAN I LOVE DOGS! Be still my heart!! ❤️🔥
I've learned some good info to help us take care of our two rescue Great Pyrenees. Lovely dogs. Huge!
One of the best videos I've seen on farm dogs. She is very knowledgeable
After sitting behind a desk for 20 years, videos like this make wonder, is it too late? Could I support myself and my family doing this? Would they be as happy with this kind of life as I think I would be?
In searching for a suitable LGD for our tiny hobby farm, I spoke to farmers all over my state breeding Akbash, GP, Kangal, Anatolian, Spanish Mastiff, and at least a couple others. I learned about the breeds, but more than one breeder told me that, within the livestock guardian breeds, the individual personality is more important than which breed the dog is. I hope that's true. They also suggested getting an 8-10 week old pup and teaching boundaries immediately would be preferable to getting an experienced adult in my case because we have under an acre, so we're concerned about a dog that's used to 10 acres roaming the neighborhood. We've known about raccoons, coyotes, stray cats and dogs, big cats, for years, and there was even a bear once nearby. I insisted we needed a dog for months and we finally agreed on putting down a deposit on an Anatolian pup from a working farm. She gets here in 22 days. There was a coyote in the yard 4 days ago.
You seem like u have a plan and my experience with dogs is with "Border collies"And German Shepherds,
.But I firmly believe 2 is better than one in most situations..But when we're looking at "Livestock guardians",then it has to be two for practical reasons (or if only to keep each other company!)
I will say that the LGD breeds have their breed characteristics, but within those breeds, individual dogs may have their individual personalities. I know for sure that my Kuvazoks are different in their behaviour from Great Pyrenees, Kangals, etc. However, it is possible that an individual Kuvasz may have the same personality as my neighbours Asian Shepherd.
This is simply not true. We live in a very remote area with larger more aggressive predation where some breeds such as Pyrs are just too soft for the larger predators. Pyr’s are great alarmist who patrol the property boundaries barking incessantly to ward of potential predators, while the Komondorok stay in the herd or flock waiting to attack the more aggressive predators such as wolves, mountain lions, or bear. Kuvasz are the assassins with full on aggression towards any predator. Maremmas stay close to the herd or flock as well but do bark quite a bit in the herd. Anatolians are for much larger areas because they love to cover a lot of space patrolling as well. Spanish Mastiffs stay close to herd or flocks as well and are a force to reckon with when needed. We use different breed teams because they all have different breed characteristics that we utilize for specific guardian jobs and they all have a symbiotic relationship within the working dog packs or teams. Our dogs are not ready to be a team and trusted because of their “play” drive until they are at least two years old. Also an individual personality is strongly based on genetic breed disposition. In other words their personality is highly influenced by the type of breed they are. The individual personality of a Pyr is going to be softer or more gentler than a Kuvasz. I don’t care what personality two Pyrenees dogs have they are still not going to have the ability to keep the more aggressive predators away that we have here then two Kuvaszok dogs. What’s more important is the type of predation you have in your area, not the personality of a dog. It also depends on how much land is being guarded.
You have had your dog long enough now.... how is the dog doing? We just got our puppy 4 days ago. I have always had dogs for pets. It's really hard (it's killing me) to listen to him cry because he is lonely. We have 5 acres for sheep and cows. May need another dog. Hopefully it will get easier.
I've worked with a few dozen species for years, I've heard a lot and worked with various working animals and some of their training, but this has by far been the most informative, concise video on LGDs I could've possibly come across. Thank you!
I’m glad you said it’s not impossible to introduce older LGD’s to livestock. We are getting a pup next month from a working blood line, but we don’t have any animals yet so I was a little anxious.
Just rescued a GP and trying to learn...Nooice! 😎 STOC
En av de bästa informationer som jag har set. topp 10
This was AWESOME. You answered so many questions I've had the past few months.
Great content! Nice shots and and fine sound.
Good and informative presentation, thank you. That Heeler certainly know how to chew stuff...
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you! Just got my first lgd 2 days ago and want to do best by him. Thank you for this helpful video!
We adopted a dog about 10 yrs ago at a Oxford MI rescue shelter who I guess had only been there 18 hrs or so after her trip up from central OH. We went there looking for a small 15 - 25 lb dog but wound up bringing home a big black and white (I'm guessing English Shepherd ) that now weighs about 85 -90 lbs. The sweetest most gentle dog we've ever had and we're in our 70s. She has never jumped up on people, never been aggressive towards people or other dogs, doesn't get the typical wet dog smell if wet but God help any other kind of animal that wanders into our yard esp at night. The only prob we've ever had is if we don't go out and get her at night if she starts barking, is the complaints from the neighbors. I wish I knew some way to find out what she is breed wise with certainty.
The world would not be the same place without our friends and helpers, our dogs.
Very, very informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Our 8 pound teacup Aussie loved herding the chickens and ducks, and was fully capable of keeping the rabbit population under control. Herding dogs don’t need to be huge to get the job done.
excellent vid thank you
Hey everyone with retospect my son has brought a 16 week old pup thank you for your kindness we cab do better xo
So glad I found your channel. I am just getting set up for my mini farm and will be needing some livestock guard dogs. I probably know the least about these animals. Although I do have some K-9 experience, I can see I will be starting all over with this kind of dog training. I can't wait to watch more of your videos. Thank you, Eric
That was fantastic!
Great content!
Very helful. Thank you.
Great video. She knows so much. She is amazing 👍
Excellent video. I learned a lot!
Great video. Learned a lot. I'm researching for a LDG for my farm in Thailand. The climate there is hot and humid and most of these breeds have thick coats...
I love this. My wife and I want to retire to Thailand. I’m you are living the dream sir!
Really great video, thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! Very informative, and lots of good information. I feel
Like you have covered everything! We are a small farm in Saskatchewan canada , and we just bought a kangal/ sarplaninac. We have poultry and have lost way to many in the last couple years to predators. We already have a 10 year old black lab/ ackbash which has done a phenomenal job, but you stating that more dogs is better, explains a ton on why we’ve had issues with her not being able to do her job. Thank you so much!!
Hello, I'm glad you bought a true livestock guardian to protect your poultry. IMO you have had issues with your Lab mix because it is a Lab mix. True LGD breeds have particular skills and abilities that dogs outside their group do not have. Labs are great dogs, but they are not bred to care about your animals. What's more, they were bred to hunt ducks. I hope you find success with your Kangal/Sarp. That is an excellent hybrid combo for LGD.
@@zacharylesley1107 thanx for the vote of confidence, I’m glad we have made the right choice! Thank you also for replying to my comment!
Really interesting, thanks for the video.
We have Our first dog and an Aussie and it’s so good to understand her behavior from watching these videos
Awesome video!!
The yoke: prayer answered! I have 3 digger/jumpers. I figured out what to do at the top of the gate, but this just saved me time having to lay hardware cloth on the ground!
Thank you,the future Will be Great, dogs used as our forfathers intended them to be❤Ofcourse they will always be our best friend 😄
Awesome information
Thanks for the info
This is an absolutely excellent video
I have LGD for my sheep and learned some good information after watching this video
Love this educational documentary video and farming!
Thank you
Thannks for video. She is smart and she has super beautiful heart
Ayup. Pet vs working lines makes a huge difference. I've been around dozens of Rottweilers but my cousins working line pups in Hungary aee a different sort. They have a job to do and they're serious guard dogs. Same with the show line Kuvasz we see in North America vs the ones in Europe.
Wow this is very good video. I never even thought of some of these.
Oh man what a Beautiful Akbash. I want one. I am about to retire. I want one to keep me in shape. I live in Boise but go the Mountains often, so it would get plenty of exercise. I'm from Vallejo but been in Idaho for 36 years. Them chicken's are a bit annoying LOL
Try hungarian MUDI. Same size as Collies but used herding half wild livestocks as well as sheeps. They are brave, smart, quick, can decide on their own if needed.
love work in farm
awesome. a true professional
This was super helpful. I'm strongly considering getting a black mouth cur.
I got my LGD Bernese Mountain Dog from a sheep rancher and trained him as my medical alert service dog. He is without a doubt the BEST dog I could have ever hoped for!! His ability to learn new commands quickly is astounding! I'm so happy I didn't get him from your average breeder and got a true working dog with a healthy and long lived bloodline. IMO, he's the BEST BERNER in the Western hemisphere
So many great idea wow
I have nothing to do with farm but this video is so much fun and very educational.
Good Advice...
Awesome.
OMG the chicken by the microphone - i can't stop laughing
My Great Pry disapproves of this video. She says all dogs should be given an expense couch, a T.V. and people to brush and give belly rubs!
I like to see you petting your LGDs. From what everyone kept saying that was a big No. it made me think I was supposed to be hands off with mine. I get him in a week.
I just got my guard dog 3 days ago. My neighbor has one that is amazing. He said you don't treat them like a house dog but he does pet him, I can pet him but it's a good idea not to let too many people around him and make sure you keep your house dogs out of the area the hearding dog uses. A good dog will kill or try to kill any animal that he perceives as a threat, basically all animals are a threar. I have 2 house dogs so I'm kind of worried about that.
@@leannmeddings4068 Since this was 7 months ago now I can tell you our pup is doing well and is almost all trained now. We do give petting but not playing which he hates but he will get over it. He watches everything well. He has taken down a hawk, catches birds as they fly over, almost took out a swooping eagle going for a chicken. Not sure legality of if he dies but I haven't seen it back. No predators have been back. And he only ate 2 himself in the beginning oops....🙄😬
livestock guardian dogs are very cuddling too
Great dogs
I love this video ❤
Very informative and very entertaining very informative and very entertaining.
The 2 I have are rescue dogs, so I have no idea of their genealogy. But I love them anyway.
Very interesting..Does that triangle around the dogs neck bother the dog?
Pretty cool.
Cas. Central Asian shepherd. Love them as well.
Love my Maremmas. THe sheeps are safe and the wolfs stay away. The wolfs in Sweden are bigger than the italian wolfs, so my male is 140 pounds and 32 inches at the sholders.The female Octavia is only 100 pounds and very cuddly.
I got my catahoula border collie mix from a sheep farm, she was great for taking care of what I needed her to. chickens etc. you never know she died of cancer around 8. you cant breed for that. I've known someone with a heeler I find catahoulas just as tough against rougher animals although i've never owned pigs etc.
We just got our pyrenees mix from a working farm. We've been introducing him to our chickens slowly. My question is more of where should we have him sleep? Right now, he's in our garage because he's only 10 weeks old. But we have a 3 horse stall barn as an option, a dog run with shelter, or our garage with a dog door. Our chickens are free range so they are not in an enclosure except for coop at night. Any recommendations or experience would be greatly appreciated!!
I just adopted a Pyrenees and Korean junior mix from the pound. He's a yr old, how do I train him to guard my mini pigs, chickens, cows?
I am going to need both herding and guardian dogs next year. I have been concerned that there may be conflict and have questions as I get started. Are you available for consult?
What an awesome video. Thank you from England.
@24:45 "It's called fashion, Sarah."
What is the name of the FB group? I am not seeing that exact name other than a group with just 24 members.
Great information, just found your channel. WOULD BE GREAT FOR THOSE HINTING DOGS, & LEARNING TO TRAIN THEM . RACHEL FROM HIDEN HEIGHTS FARM WOULD TO SEE YOUR CHANNEL. SH’S LEARNING TO TRAIN HER NEW LIVE STOCK GURIDAN PUPPY .💜💚💜
Your heelers are thirty pounds? All the heelers I’ve seen looked more like 50-70. Didn’t know they came in toy sizes as well.
Second issue with Phyrs. I had one who came from the pound and fell solidly into pet category. Never met a dog who loved hugs like she did.
Hello! How many acres is your chicken farm? Do you mix the chickens with the pigs? I am intending to raise range chickens and hogs with LGDs to my 15 acre land. Thank you.
Hi. We have a 18 month old Akbash/Maremma that we were training to guard our livestock. But due to an unseen circumstance we haven't been able to live at home for the past 9 months. During the first few months we left the dog at home along with our cats. But slowly she got bored and started losing her nerves, so she started going to the neighbors a couple 100 meters away. So we took her to a brother in law, where she's been in a fenced yard, without other animals. We think once she gets home, she'll quickly jump into the routine of running to the neighbors again. Do you think the GPS fence would be a good idea to prevent that? And what brand should we get?
them look so cute. well they have a diffent type in 'em ... they do not have any fear for what ever