Going price for a LGD?

Common Tator · #1 11/05/08, 01:04 AM

We are looking at getting a Great Pyrenees to guard our goats. There is one here in California that is papered, and comes from a farm where mom and dad guard livestock. They are asking $750.00. Is that high?

HappyFarmer · #2 11/05/08, 04:48 AM

Check you local paper for the going rates of other dogs.

750 is about the average price for ANY dog in our area. Many are higher at 800 - 900, even for mixed "papered" breeds. In our area we tend to run much higher on everything, your area may be the same.

I've seen lgd's posted around the country for much less, 100-200 or so, so I'm thinking your answers will be varied based on location. Here though, you can expect to pay a minimum of 500 for a decent dog, usually the last one to go.

HF

Spinner · #3 11/05/08, 05:02 AM

I wish you were close to me. I'd give you one. Mine have been raised with goats and are good guardians. I have one left over and it's getting so danged expensive to feed him that I'd give him away to save on the feed bill.

whinnyninny · #4 11/05/08, 05:31 AM

In my area I don't think I've ever seen one higher than $200.

Kshobbit · #5 11/05/08, 06:26 AM

Wow, they are giving them away around Kansas. I paid $75 for one of the best LGD's I have had for awhile. My previous great LGD was free!
I neuter and or spade my LGD's so papers don't mean much to me.

2Sticks · #6 11/05/08, 07:05 AM

They run about $75. to $150. in our area. I really need to get a LGD. Just keep putting it off.

Tamera

Otter · #7 11/05/08, 07:31 AM

I see you're in Southern Ca. For a LOT less then 750 you can drive towards Texas and get one for 200 down to free. $550 still pays for a lot of gas and a lot of time (time; it takes xx hours to drive and how many hours to earn?)

Good luck finding a good dog!

Cheryl aka JM · #8 11/05/08, 08:05 AM

I'm in Alabama now~
I paid $50 for my unpapered Great Pyr pup
I paid $400 for my papered Anatolian pup

I used to live in Southern California (Corona)~ my friend worked for animal control~ I got a mongrel pup from her for free (would have cost me something cheap if I'd gotten her from animal control but my friend brought her to me before she was put into the system).

My free mongrel dog is 2 1/2 years old~ never saw a chicken or a goat until she was 1 1/2 years old. Has never killed a chicken or goat.

My $50 Great Pyr is great with the goats~ has killed several baby ducks and a guinea (still a pup at 8 months old~ still working with him)

My $400 Anatolian pup chases goats and has killed several chickens (bought her as raised with goats and poultry~ she is 5 months old~ working with her).

Try the pound~
You might find yourself a fine LGD Mongrel!

whinnyninny · #9 11/05/08, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheryl aka JM

Try the pound~
You might find yourself a fine LGD Mongrel!

I saw a free Pyr on Craigslist several weeks ago, the person was giving it away because it was chasing/killing their chickens and chasing the goats. Just because it's a LGD breed doesn't mean it's going to be good around livestock. I thought they had to be raised with livestock. (You'd have to ask yourself too, *why* is it at the pound? Stray, or an animal that someone has surrendered because of problems it had around livestock?)

Cheryl aka JM · #10 11/05/08, 08:29 AM

Your right~ I should have mentioned I got my mongrel dog as a PUPPY. There are lots of puppies at the pound. An older dog you don't know why they got rid of it. A puppy~ it's at the pound because whoever accidently bred the mongrel wasn't interested in finding it a home. My mongrel dog was picked up in East LA as a pup. Apparently the pups were being given away at a grocery store~ a young boy took one home and his mother would not let him keep it. So the pound was called out to pick up the pup~ she was not even old enough to be weaned yet. My friend had no foster families left and if she put the pup into the system she was going to be destroyed~ so I wound up with her. Best dog I've ever owned.
Going price for a LGD? - Goats

I do beleive I can turn the pups I bought into good dogs~
But my free dog is the best dog I've ever had......and she was free!

Loda Farm · #11 11/05/08, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whinnyninny

I saw a free Pyr on Craigslist several weeks ago, the person was giving it away because it was chasing/killing their chickens and chasing the goats. Just because it's a LGD breed doesn't mean it's going to be good around livestock. I thought they had to be raised with livestock. (You'd have to ask yourself too, *why* is it at the pound? Stray, or an animal that someone has surrendered because of problems it had around livestock?)

Yes, but you could end up with outstanding LGD's from the pound too. Both my male and female pyr's were pound dogs. Our family is a foster home for a dog rescue, and when I found myself needing an LGD due to losing goats to coyote's I wanted to try rescue first. I have not lost one animal to a predetor, and that includes, ducks, chickens, turkey's geese, and goats, all in with my pyr's. I have actually trained pound pyr's as LGD's for other adopters. Out of the 6 Pyr's I have gotten from pounds only 2 did not do work out as LGD's. One was a completely under socialized dog who while did well with livestock, a human could not get near without getting bit. so after trying for 6 months to socialize her and 3 bites to me we had to put her down. The second was a 4 year old with hip issues. She was adopted out to an inside home, where 2 months later she attacked and killed a coyote who was attacking their neighbors JRT dog.

So while not every pound pyr will make a a good LGD, I really think that you have as good a chance on finding one from a breeder or pound, as there are LGD's from working farms that fail miserably as Livestock dogs.

Laura

wooly1s · #12 11/05/08, 09:17 AM

That is an expensive risk given the puppy is not trained...Is the dog "guaranteed"?
All of the PYRS we have has have come through rescue organizations, usually free to us, though our most recent we donated $200 towards the veterinary expenses as she had recently been spayed, etc...
We have only had one dog that was unsuitable (killed chickens), but he seemed to be a cross.
Personally, I think paying that much for a dog encourages puppy mills. The cost of raising a litter of - say 5 - puppies to weaning is not $3750. If the cost were for a six month old LGD who had been through "basic training" then perhaps...
I would encourage you to check the pounds as well, perhaps foster a few dogs (always supervised with your livestock of course) - one might surprise you.
I placed an ad in our local paper as well as on Craigslist advertising our home for a homeless Great Pyrenees...our Pyr found us...
Wish you the best!

Common Tator · #13 11/05/08, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinner

I wish you were close to me. I'd give you one. Mine have been raised with goats and are good guardians. I have one left over and it's getting so danged expensive to feed him that I'd give him away to save on the feed bill.

Spinner, please check your PM's.