Are Outdoor Dogs Now Extinct???

I hear ya, old days long gone when outdoor farm dogs were plentiful, here's pics of mine.

www.angelfire.com/blues/mrssmurf0/domestics.html

Hi chickenman, those are beautiful dogs, how much do they weigh?
It sure looks like polar bear genes in there somewhere. Are they as mean as they look?
Are they hard to control with voice commands?
Can they be trained to whistle commands like aussies?
If you could only have one, would you choose a female or a male? and why?
Did you get those three different colors of pups from that solid white pair?
Are those puppies all from the same litter?
Why are your dogs guarding white barrels? LOL - really, what are they for?
Can you tell I've never had a Pyr?
Thank You for sharing the pictures.
Liz

A friend of mine was in England visiting her daughter this past Christmas and found it was illegal to leave your dog outside overnight there! I can't imagine that was throughout the country, perhaps it was just the city ordinance...

Have you considered a hot wire? You don't even have to go underground with it. I've got my sheep inside one, and the dogs won't go near it. If I ran a line around the yard, I wouldn't even have to turn it on, lol! Perhaps you could try that with your current dog.

Shelters and such generally do go a bit overboard when it comes to screening for potential homes. Yes, you'd think they were placing children. I love my dogs, but good grief! I've got two shelter dogs right now, both stay outdoors during the day (summer) but come in at night because they're on the small side. I just feel more comfortable with them inside, because Rufus thinks he's an Old English Sheepdog/Bull Mastiff cross....when in reality he's an Eskimo/shih tsu mix...a bit of a size difference, but he doesn't seem to know it and will tear out after anything he thinks might be threatening his flock, lol!

If you do decide to buy a dog somewhere, I've seen a guy online who's doing a lot of transporting of animals cross country right now, sheep, goats, puppies, you name it. I can post a link if you think you might go that route.

****

I agree..dont' get rid of your dog..train her. Train her to stay in the yard..train her to have 100% recall..this does take time but it's so well worth it. The underground fence is your best bet and then couple that with some training.

I agree about shelters having very strict and inflexible rules. I didn't know that when I first when to get a dog, and got turned down when I said that I planned for the dog to spend a lot of time outdoors and that I would feed it some table scraps as well as dog food. They told me to go home and learn more about keeping dogs. I went home and read more about shelters, then went back about two days later (the puppy I wanted was still there) and told a different interviewer that the dog would basically be a house dog and would only be fed Iams dog food. They gave me the pup. Now she's about fifteen years old and does spend most of her time indoors, but as a young thing she wanted to be out and about, not in the house.
A few years later when I went back to the shelter for my second dog, I was a bit more truthful. When the interviewer asked me how much time the dog would spend outdoors, I told her that I leave my dogs out as long as that's where they want to be. In the winter, they don't mind the snow and dig themselves little snow beds in a shady spot and take naps, but that in the heat of summer they want to be inside the house where it's cooler. The interviewer, who was training a new employee, turned to the trainee and said, now that's just about a perfect owner. They gave me the dog.
Who knows what will happen when I'm ready for my next dog? I think it depends on who's doing the interview.

I"ve learned to never ever mention feeding a raw diet to a shelter..they dont' get it..they'd rather the dog eat crap like Iams and Ol Roy before eating raw. We dont do 100% raw..we feed Diamond lamb and rice.

Sometimes you just have to tell them what they want to hear..sad but true.

Well, I'm one of those awful people who treats her 4 dogs like spoiled children.

I would never leave my dogs outside if I were not here to keep an eye on things. Don't get me wrong, all of them are trustworthy around the other critters. They have never gone after a chicken or the sheep or goats, ever. It's PEOPLE that I don't trust. My dogs aren't anything special to anybody but me. Nevertheless, there are people who drive around looking for dogs to steal to sell to laboratories. I've followed posts on this board when someone's dog takes off, and the owners spend frantic weeks trying to find them. My sister's neighbor recently stole her dog (he was going to sell it in another city), but there was a witness, so they got the dog back and the man was charged with stealing it. Happy ending every once in a while, but not often.

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I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.

Had a very wierd experience with a shelter, finally decided that I would have needed to lie to them to get a dog, and I don't want to do that.

SO!! We just got back from northeast Texas with two of the coolest puppies I have been around in a long long time! They are Great Pyr/Shepherd crosses, and not only are they pretty things, they have a great personality, very calm, very friendly, very curious and smart. So they will be gradually trained to be our buddies/outside guardians. So far we are just cuddling, although I took them out with me several times yesterday to see how they acted around chickens. Acted just fine, not TOO interested, lol, not hyper, just very matter of fact.

Maybe you can find someone with puppies of a mix that you feel would work for you? I drove 400 miles to get mine, but it was well worth it, I think.

hollym

It's not the dog that has a problem with being outside, it's those stupid people.

We wanted to get a goat from a rescue agency. The woman wanted to know what we watned it for, so my husband told her milk. She went through the roof. If it wasn't going to be for a pet, they wouldn't let us adopt it. She also said that they make you sign a contract that they can come over unannouced and investigate the living conditions. If they thought the goat was not being treated properly, they would take it back.

It makes me really wonder how animals survived all these thousands of years without intervention from these nuts.

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WENDY

Ever wonder why your pits don't smell until your near someone cute?

My dogs want to be wherever I am unless there is something going on outside & that's where I want them to be.I think that the days of even farm dogs being allowed to roam wherever they please are just about gone. Dogs have to be Trained to do what you want them to do, & there is no such thing as Any breed that will automatically protect your farm animals & your property without quite a lot of training.My dogs are trained to obey my commands & that includes NOT attacking an animal or person if I command them not to. There is no such thing as a bad dog IMO...just owners that don't train them properly.If you want a dog to perform a specific task, you have to be willing to spend the time & effort to acomplish that goal. Certainly, some dogs are more suited for certain jobs by breeding,temperament, & individual intelligence,but I think that just about any dog can be trained to obey basic commands with love & patience & positive reinforcement.As far as shelters & rescue groups being picky about who they will release their dogs to... well,they don't want to have to rescue or shelter them again.Dogs are Man's best friend because they give love,affection,& loyalty without reservation, & all they expect in return is the same things & the guidance that they crave.They very seldom get what they deserve.

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Freedom isn't Free

I have two ridgeback / basenji crosses that work fine in just the same situation.




They were from the humane society without any trouble - round here the shelters are killing 300 a month, and the society seemed pretty well balanced as to what they were looking for in an owner. Actually, they didn't seem strict at all to me being from England (land of the no dogs outside rule - which I've never heard - must be a local law) I'm used to getting a home inspection before an adopted animal is released, and home follow-up checks !

Anyway, ridgeback crosses are happy friendly, keep fairly close to the house, don't particularly like being inside, and they're the world's best at keeping ground hogs out of the garden. Plus, with the basenji half, you also get yodeling. Can't beat that !

Kate

Yodeling? Is that like howeling? My dogs do that sometimes.

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Freedom isn't Free

I live in a very rural area, surrounded by farms and subsequently many acres of farmland. I own a german shepherd. She is never, never allowed out by herself. If we are in the house, she is in the house. If she needs to go out-side to answer mother nature's call, we go with her. When we are outside she has been trained to stay in the yard. Not an easy task considering the way she once liked to try to chase horses and we are surrounded by Amish and their buggies. When dogs are left to entertain themselves, unfenced and untied they find wonderful ways to spend their time, like chasing cars, chasing
other people's livestock, chasing people and bicycles on the road, crapping in
other people's yards, trying to breed with your pure bred animal. They also run the risk of being hit by a car on the road, being shot, being picked up by the dog warden (check your laws, it might not be legal in your area to let a dog run loose), catching a terrible illness from another dog or a wild animal, being stolen by someone or maybe just being taken home with someone else because they thought the dog was homeless.

Someone mentioned that dogs shouldn't be pandered to because they are descended from wolves. A very correct observation, however if you want to use that argument you also have to recognize the fact that wolves are also pack animals. They do not live a solitary existence. Your dog wants to belong to a pack. If it is not other dogs, then they adopt your family. To make it live outside alone is cruel.

I love my dog, and I keep her safe. A chained-up forgotten dog is a disgrace.
A dog that is allowed to run loose is a nuisance. You can't possibly know where they are 24/7. Most likely they'll be next door or down the road like my neighbor's dogs are. (And some of those dogs are Amish dogs!)

What exactly would be a "more appropriate" home for your current dog, a family that doesn't wear shoes, and keeps the dog in a kennel 24/7?

Sounds like you want an off the shelf, instant solution. I wish it worked that way as well, but I've learned that the owner must put in hours of training if you want a dog to "behave" a certain way.

Had a basenji mix once. They can be a handful. Very inquisitive dogs. Very smart. Lot's and lot's of personality. They don't have a proper bark. Here's a link to some yodels.

Yodels

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I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence - Doug McLeod

I would not have a dog that could not spend part of the time out side. Last dogs I had lived with me in ohio I feel if they are going to spend time outside I will to, If its to cold they come in to hot they come in I just don't let them in 24/7 or on a tie out I prefer a large Fenced yard for the pups to play.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query. I agree with most of you. I have a fairly extensive background in animal training and agree that training is an important part of the equasion. I also strongly agree that better fencing would help, but am focusing on fencing the meat animals in first. Fence for the dog would be a luxury at this point.

My main frustration is in trying to find a breed that has more "homebody" tendencies that would make my task of training it to stay home a little easier. We are outside much of the day and we homeschool, so we spend a lot of time here at home. However, the current dog will wait until we are bent down weeding the garden and then it's over the fence (she has amazing climbing abilities!). Regarding placing her in a more appropriate home, I would love to find the one where no one wore shoes! But realistically, I would probably be more likely to find someone with a higher fence around their yard who did not do barn chores and leave fragrant boots on their mud porch. Actually, one of my widowed aunts just lost her old lab mix and is very interested in adopting ours (she does wear shoes and is aware of the dangers!).

Thanks especially to those of you who suggested I forego the rescue route. I do need to seek someone trying to place a working dog rather than a pet. My reason for checking into the rescues was two-fold. I wanted to use a dog that was needing a home, and I also need to contain costs. If I am going to spend upwards of a couple hundred dollars, then that money needs to be going toward breeding stock that will be producing income or food for my family.

Thanks again.

Doesn't this strike you as being a tad absurd? Dogs are first and foremost animals who, until mankind began housing them (probably less than 1,000 years ago, except for royalty - perhaps). LIVED OUTSIDE and never once set foot indoors (other than caves and such). Sure, there are dogs who have been bred as companion animals and aren't as hardy as say - work dogs or huntin' dogs for living out in the elements. But for the most part, unless you're looking at little fou-fou dogs, they'll live out side just fine and love every minute of it.

That having been said. It is your responsibility to make certain they are safe outdoors. That means NOT leaving your premises to go to the neighbors house (to steal shoes or anything else) and not being able to get into traffic or chase geese or other livestock.

You have to make certain that your animal is CONTAINED or tied up or otherwise not going to get off your property. Where I live in Missouri a person can shoot an unrestrained dog if they are dangerous or destroying livestock or other private property, and plenty of them get shot for simply being where they don't belong. Please be a responsible pet owner.

Donsgal

Med to small aized dogs are being frequently being meals for the local coyote and coyote dog mixes around here in Austin....so it's not safe for them to roam outside. I had a friend in Hutto that hadn't fenced her yard and chained her dogs outside during their potty break..only took five minutes...then one of her dogs ended up being killed and eaten..her hubby only found the head! The other dog was freaked out and hasn't exactly recovered since.

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Ted H

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
-Davy Crockett

Hi Liz, since Chickenman didn't answer, I'll fill you in a bit. LGDs like Pyrs and Anatolians are bred to think and work independently. They do NOT excel in obedience, as a general rule. If you tell them to do something, they will consider your request, and if it seems like a good idea, they will do it. They also will not wait for you to tell them to attack something that is threatening their charges, although Pyrs, as another general rule, are less likely to attack a human than are the other LGD breeds. You really should research what you're getting into if you hope to work well with one of these giants.

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