We are preparing to bring our fourth Livestock guardian dog (LGD)to our dairy. We have been on the puppy list of a local ranch who has had two previous litters of pups and just had another litter. This new puppy will be a mixed breed. While many of you will think this is a good idea, some will not be as happy about this decision. As we prepare to bring a new dog to live with on our farm, we realize that a dog is a predator, and bringing one here to protect goats, calves, geese, and chickens requires great consideration. A mistake here can be unbelievably costly to the heart, as well as the pocket-book.

Our first LGD was Hank. He came to us from a local pound. He was meant to be a house dog. We had no idea what breed he was, but there were a lot of breeds in this dog’s pedigree. We also had no idea what an LGD was or even that there was such a thing. Hank was pre-internet and we had limited access to a libraries or book stores here. He was a loyal companion to my family and was content to be a house pet, until he was six months old. Suddenly at that point, he had no interest in the inside dog routine. He wanted to be outside 24-7. I resisted this at first, but I need to have happy animals and I could see he was not happy being forced into the house with us, so I relented and let him stay outside. When we were outside, he was by our side every minute. He was a loyal companion and I thought nothing more of it. When the boys played, on or off the ranch, he was by their side. A loyal companion I thought.

About the same time that Hank moved outside, all the plants in our yard began to grow. We had lived here for years and nothing ever seemed to grow any bigger, and things we planted never survived. Also, at the same time, the number of animals lost to predators decreased.

It seems so obvious as I write this, but it took the better part of a year to figure out what was happening. Hank was not just a loyal companion but a protector of what he loved (his family and his livestock) and what was his (the ranch) and nothing that didn't belong here was allowed to tread on what was his. He knew the boundaries of his ranch and never left (except twice to go to the school and the neighbor’s house for a visit). He wasn't taught this, it was his instinct, it was just what he did.

It wasnt until he was 8 years old that I realized he would not live forever and I needed to figure out what I would do in his absence. I had come to rely heavily on him for the safety of all things farm. I began the research of trying to find a way to bring another animal to walk in these paw prints. This is when I discovered all the amazing dog breeds that are bred specifically to protect livestock. My research ultimately brought me to the anatolian shepherd. These massive dogs are highly intelligent, tend to bark a little less than some of the other breeds, and have a shorter coat that is easier for us to manage with all the burrs on this farm. Once we decided on the breed, we needed to decide on a breeder. We chose to go with a purebred dog because the inherited traits and the breeding seemed less likely to leave us with a problem dog. Though we certainly understood there was no guaratee of success, we were just trying to give ourselves what we thought was the greatest potential for success. We never trained Hank to do what he did…. he trained us. But a mix breed dog seemed like a larger gamble for us.

This entire process took over a year before I found a breeder that I thought would help me get a pup with a high probability of success. During this time period, Hank suffered a dramatic decline in health. He was showing a great deal of arthritis in his hips and having reduced mobility. This didn't stop him from doing his job, but it was obviously becoming difficult. I decided at that point that it was not fair to him to bring a puppy here for him to teach. He needed to live out his life happy and comfortable. This would mean we would be starting over from scratch, without Hank’s guidance, but Hank was my first concern. Over the next year, Hank began to spend more and more time in the house. He needed to be driven in the truck to go out in the field, and eventually, he also lost interest in that, Through the winter and spring he preferred to just be a house dog. Finally, one June night, he passed away in his sleep. Honestly, my heart still breaks when I think about it. He was an amazing dog and my love for him runs deep in my bones.

It would be another year before the breeder I had chosen would have a litter of puppies. This left me about two years without livestock dog sincs Hank didn't really work his last year. Once the pups arrived, we had to wait to see if there would be a puppy with a personality suitable to meet my needs. I had requested a breeding quality female. Ultimately, I brought home the most perfect and wonderful not breeding quality male. We named him Rooster and he was perfect. There was lots of training that had to happen. They don't just come out ready to work. And anatolians are a unique breed who are highly intelligent and independent, They truly need to be handled different than your average house pet. It was clear that Rooster thought he was smarter than me much of the time. And, perhaps he was. But we needed to develop a relationship of partnering and respect. I needed him to guard goats and birds, and guarding birds is not a task suitable to all guardian dogs. He did well with his training and was working well with the herd and flock until he turned 2. Then we began to see some bad behaviors that needed additional work and with that, all things were well again.

Then…..

The fire.

Our shop and garage exploded, and I do mean exploded. It was actually a gas tank on a vehicle that exploded, but it was loud and violent, and a giant fireball erupted from it. This was followed by many more explotions as other vehicle gas tanks exploded and a number of camping propane tanks exploded, and then there were the bullets. It was pure chaos! The shop was very close to our house and the fire was intensely hot. We immediately set about trying to stop the fire from spreading to our home. We were consumed with fighting the fire and then answering investigator questions for nearly three hours. Once they were finished, I could finally deal with the animals and take notice of their status. It was then I discovered Rooster had torn apart a fence and had disappeared. There was blood and hair left where he had escaped, so I knew he was hurt, but I had no idea how bad. I began searching for him and worked at it for hours, into the dark of the night.

The whole community worked to help me find this dog. We posted signs, we posted on social media, friends told friends, and other friends went driving around to find him. There was no sign of him for 8 days. Finally, on day eight, the neighbor found him sitting in their pasture, howling, about a mile from home. We were thrilled and rushed over to get him. He was as happy and relieved to see us as we we're too see him. He was injured, but not badly, and we brought him home and placed him in a secure pen where he rested. Much worse than his physical injuries, was his mental trauma, and we would spend a great deal of time and effort bringing him back to a strong, confident protector. To help with his recovery, we brought him a happy, inquisitive and confident anatolian pup from the same breeders. It was exactly what he needed. And exactly what the dairy needed. These dogs work better in pairs and while she gave Rooster back his confidence and joy, we were left to train another dog in the ways of livestock guardian protecting because Rooster had lost his edge. But working together, in the end, we would have two loyal. hard working guardians.

At last, everything was falling into place. Rooster was back in with his herd and flock and Scout was spending supervised time with the herd without any problem.

Then tragedy struck again…

Near his fifth birthday, Rooster came up lame. After some misdiagnoses (this was no one's fault and the reason for this trouble could be a blog post of its own), we discovered that he had a very large osteosarcoma on his back leg. We made the heart wrenching decision to euthanize him immediately. Like with Hank, losing him was devastating.

Initially following the passing of Rooster, Scout showed immediate growth and matured into a well functioning guardian. However, she is a highly energetic dog and she needs her time for play. She had been chosen for Rooster for her high energy because that was what he needed. But now, without a playmate, her humans are not able to give her the level of play she craves, and she has begun to seek play time with geese and goats, and that simply is not acceptable. To help her, we have decided that this is the time to introduce another puppy. It will provide Scout with appropriate play time and help her deal with her energy level and, with guidance, allow her to return to her herd with calm and acceptable behavior. She is well bonded to the geese and goats, but she just needs an appropriate outlet for her strong desire for playtime.

Once again, we are faced with starting from scratch to train another livestock dog. But with good effort, we will have two high functioning livestock guardian dogs.

Scout and Rooster’s breeders have moved across the country from us. Through them, I have found other breeders about six hours from us that breed beautiful and good working anatolians. But what I care about most, is a working puppy that meets my needs. While I love the idea of preserving a breed, and breeders working to produce high quality, healthy, working anatolians with strong inherited instincts, what I need more than anything is a dog that will do what I need it to do. Genetics alone does not guarantee you a successful dog. I have followed a local family through two litters of puppies. I have watched how they raise them and how the puppies perform as they grow. I have admired these puppies and their mother dog, and how well they all do. The family works with the puppies on manners and commands and the puppies are exposed to a great many livestock during their early life before they move to their forever homes. They have all moved on to very successful placements. The family now has another, and possibly their last, litter of puppies. I had reached out to them shortly after Rooster passed expressing interest if they should have another litter. As though greater forces are at play, they have a puppy, when I need a puppy.

The mother is pyrenees and anatolian cross. She is beautiful, calm, and is a fierce protector of what is her’s. She reminds me very much of Hank and I love her. The father is anatolian, caucasian and kangal cross. I have not met him, but I have been impressed with these puppies from the first litter and I am beyond excited to be offered one of their puppies.

My financial situation has changed dramatically in the past two months, and though cost is not the highest priority when considering a puppy, it certainly plays in to the decision of picking the right one. These puppies are local and priced right, and it seems God has laid this in my lap, as though this was his plan all along.

The puppies are only a few days old. We will watch them grow and look for the puppy that demonstrates the traits we are looking for that will best compliment Scout. So at the time I am writing this, I don't know which puppy will be coming home, but we have chosen the name Atticus, as he will help guide my free spirited Scout into a productive, happy, and meaningful life.

Our Livestock Guardians