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03/06/12, 11:10 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Redding California
Posts: 1,967
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LGD doing his job... saved doeling
A year ago my friends would tell me I needed an LGD... my response was always: "I don't want to have to feed him... I don't want to clean up after him... I don't want to add that cost to my farm... I only have 4 acres and a fence will do as much as he would..." I had lots of what I thought 'logical' excuses.
Well, yesterday morning I went out to the barn to check on my doe (day 159)6:30 am, & I saw my LGD sitting behind her and did not come up to say hi. I went into the pen quickly to see a head stuck out of my doe. I thought it was dead at first... It was dry and did not look good, then I saw it "attempting" to gasp for air... Rosie jumped up and walked away so I could only grab the head and after a slight 'tug of war', out came a big doeling. As I am trying to stimulate it to breathe the dog "shadow" comes over and starts cleaning her. He is only coming up on 10 months old and I was quite impressed with how gentle he was! I had called for my kids to bring the kidding equipment but before they could bring it, a normal positioned buckling popped out (had been stressed) and Shadow did his job and was cleaning him up as well! Rosie has always had twins so I thought we were done, but Shadow stayed right next to her, so I sent the babies up to the house to watch. Sure enough, Rosie did a little grunt and out flies a perfect breech doeling...! After she was born, Shadow took interest in the baby and just 'checked-in' on Rosie every so often.
When I first got to Rosie, the baby's head was "licked dry" ... I know that dog was licking her and I feel that is why she is alive! I had gotten home from Washington at 4:30 am so it could've been 'stuck' for up to 2 hours.
Well every hesitation I have ever had about having an LGD is now gone. I am sure I will still gripe about his large "puppy piles", but what he has done and will do is very worth it!
The brown one is the "train stopping" doeling, the buckling is all legs and the breech is that little thing in the back.
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03/06/12, 11:16 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: True Northern California
Posts: 13,298
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Good dog- good goat mom too. Congrats on the happy ending.
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03/06/12, 11:23 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Washington
Posts: 2,822
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What type of LGD? I swear, our LGD's (farm collies) save our flock and herd every night. They're up, patrolling and/or barking at all hours keeping predators at bay, but they're NOT the type that would perform that function though! Pyr?
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03/06/12, 11:40 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Redding California
Posts: 1,967
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Komondor... He is up patrolling when he needs to be... I feel pretty secure knowing he is out there... His bark definitely gets attention! lol I thought that most LGDs would clean up babies and stuff... ?????
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03/06/12, 11:43 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 4,752
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wow, what a great job, and such cute little new ones!
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03/07/12, 12:40 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Washington
Posts: 2,822
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mpete
I thought that most LGDs would clean up babies and stuff... ?????
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LGD's, in my opinion, mean different things and take on different forms, though for the most part on this board, I think people typically refer to Pyrs, Anatolians, the traditional.
On our farm, our farm collies are our LGD's and they have the job of not only protecting our two goat paddocks, but also of guarding our poultry and rabbitry from drop-ins such as raccoons, opossums, & vermin as well. Combined with our fencing (knock on wood), we've had no incidents in well over a year ...but we're in an area where pressure is high, so our dogs are on duty quite a bit! They work as a team, and they make their presence known mainly with their bark and alertness. Our old girl (rough collie - looks just like Lassie) has killed raccoons half her size with a shake and a growl - job done! She's old now, but she still chooses to lay (and pee) right in the middle of coyote freeway (the fenceline between our property and our neighbors), just to make a point. Our English collie is our "mover and shaker". Part border collie, he has speed and courage, and with an assist from his older sis, he has the bark and the back up he needs to rally against whatever is lurking in the forest just outside our fence-line. He is also MY first defense against a human stranger cuz he just doesn't trust anyone unless i say okay.
Neither of our dogs however, would be so intimate with our goats at birth that they would assist as yours has done. Our dogs have proven to be effective for our setup, but this would be completely beyond their nature. I would never disclude our breed from the label - LGD, and they work very well for us, but I believe the instinct your dog exhibited is why so many goat owners prefer the traditional type of LGD's - Komondor among them. YOu definetely have a dog to be proud of!
Last edited by LFRJ; 03/07/12 at 12:56 AM.
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03/07/12, 04:52 AM
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An Ozark Engineer
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Powhatan, AR
Posts: 9,412
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GOOD JOB, puppy! Beautiful babies!
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03/07/12, 05:21 AM
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Katie
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Twining, Mi.
Posts: 19,930
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Great job Shadow! So glad there was a happy ending to the story & your babies are beautiful!
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03/07/12, 07:37 AM
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Hate Oz. Took the shoes.
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SE Kansas
Posts: 2,080
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Wow. Amazing puppy! Beautiful goat babies, too.
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03/07/12, 08:21 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 200
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Beautiful kids and birthing story. Congratulations!
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03/07/12, 09:19 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3,224
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Right now my goats all come into very secure stalls in the barn at night. And someone is home all day with them. But I have considered a LGD, maybe one day. The only problem I have with the idea... I know a good LGD wants to be with his flock, wants to be outdoors in all the weather to be with that flock. I just have always had indoor dogs. if my five dogs are indoors cuddled up on the couch on a cold winter night and the LGD is in the barn with my goats, I would feel bad. Then again, my two barn cats stay in the barn all winter. They love the barn and have no desire to come into the house with my indoor/outdoor cats ever. So maybe....
Anyway, I think you have an exceptional dog. You should be very proud of him!
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03/07/12, 09:23 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Kansas
Posts: 6,143
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Glad you had him there! Beautiful babies!
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03/07/12, 09:55 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,377
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Mpete that is so great! They know what they were created to do but it's still so amazing.
One of our dogs is fierce but equally gentle with does in labor & newborns.
Youre right, that kid might not have made it with out Shadow there.
Now lets see that hero!
__________________
Bob and Nancy Dickey
Laughing Stock Boer Goats
"Seriously Great Bloodlines"
and the meat goes on....
Near Seattle
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03/07/12, 10:35 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Redding California
Posts: 1,967
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I will try to get a picture of him today... I am just so amazed at how so many different personality of dogs come down to being "the best" ....  I have seen some really **mean** dogs be so gentle... I think that all the centuries of working dogs has brought us to our wonderful guardians we have today... no matter what breed, if it works for you... **Ya gotta love 'em!**
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03/07/12, 12:40 PM
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: outside of Huntsville, Alabama
Posts: 908
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Good boy Shadow!
We were given a 5yr old spayed female Great Pyrenees named Luna a month or so ago, and I just love her to death. She's everything I hoped for in the puppy we bought as purebred GP 18 months ago, but turned out to be mixed. And not a good LGD. When one of the kids rolled under the stall door and was laying in the barn aisle, Luna laid beside it and kept it warm until I could get there to put it back with its dam. She loves the kids, licks them and never takes her eyes off of them when they are out.
-Sonja
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Wingnut Farms
Nubian Dairy Goats
New Market, Alabama
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, RandomGal. 
