I'm not buying the whole dogs starving to death story. Had 32 sheep killed by a lab from the city. A border collie and a aussie did a pretty good number another time. Pair of skinny britanny spaniels were trying their darndest one night but they were behind the learning curve. They might starve over time in a wilderness area for not being able to compete with coyotes, but generally, they will display no fear of man and will seek out habitation and thereby food sources that they are adapted for. What looks like "the woods" to some people is actually somebody's yard. Never forget that dogs first and foremost are predators and if they are not bloodthirsty killers it is simply because they haven't had the right trigger.
Made my choice...A Bulgarian Karakachan
I drove over today and picked up a brindle-colored puppy with perfect pedigrees...shown below.
On the way home she was calm (about a 90 min drive) whle stretching out on my old housecoat in my lap.
When we got home Cujo (our lab) showed her how to drink water, though that was the only nice thing he had to do as he took an immediate dislike to her getting HIS attention! Cujo is very obedient so this did not turn into anything I could not deal with.
She started exploring about 1,000 square feet of the territory...not much but quite a bit for an 8 week old. She was quite brave even to the extent of "jumping" off a 2 ft retainer wall..not once (when she landed on her head) but twice (when she landed on her chest). The third time she walked around it (about 6 ft.)
She started to "puppy play" with a rooster when David clapped his hands together to distract her. She looked at David, looked back at the rooster and then left the rooster to continue her exploration.
We took her into the little pen I had created just for her...also seen below...and shut the door. She did not like it and let us know she didn't. After about 3 minutes we opened the door and showed her how to come out. She came out, turned around and went right back in. Laid down and went to sleep. I took her picture and left the door open.
Later (about an hour) I went to check on her and she was missing. I stepped into the barn and called her. The sound of my voice brought her to me with tail wagging. She followed me out of the barn and started looking for ways to play. She looked at the guineas (about 3 ft from her making a lot of noise). She looked at that rooster that had initially caught her eye. She looked at Cujo. Then she decided to lay down on the grass and play with that. I flipped her onto her back and started rolling her from side to side. She was playful. I stopped. She laid down on her side and rolled by herself over and over. ROFL
Now it is getting dark. She has not been with the goats as they have been keeping their distance from this new comer, being intimidated (not by her behavior) by her very presence. So I put her back into the little pen and closed the door. She started pulling a temper tantrum I've not seen for years, howling L O N G howls and getting angry that could not get out. She found a corner where a hole was and got her nose in it. I put a large rock there. She found the rock and started growling ferociously (as much as a puppy can) at that rock because it would not move. I began to wonder oh dear, maybe I've made a mistake putting a Karakachan in a little pen! I watched this fiasco for over half an hour knowing I could NOT let her win and thinking I've really blown it now! Then I decided she needed company; so I locked the goats up in that barn so they all had to cope together! This pup continued to howl and get angry! I went in and got that old housecoat she had slept on during transport & put it into her little pen. She made a few turns, then laid down and went to sleep. That was over an hour ago and all is still calm in the barn! (Wishing I had a picture of her sleeping in that little pen on my housecoat...)
This is my first experience with an LGD and so far; so good! [Oh, this little pen is the beginnings of a shelf (about 2-1/2 x 4 ft) about 2 ft off ground and without any wire around the bottom of it, which I'm creating just for "Valentina".]
On the way home she was calm (about a 90 min drive) whle stretching out on my old housecoat in my lap.
When we got home Cujo (our lab) showed her how to drink water, though that was the only nice thing he had to do as he took an immediate dislike to her getting HIS attention! Cujo is very obedient so this did not turn into anything I could not deal with.
She started exploring about 1,000 square feet of the territory...not much but quite a bit for an 8 week old. She was quite brave even to the extent of "jumping" off a 2 ft retainer wall..not once (when she landed on her head) but twice (when she landed on her chest). The third time she walked around it (about 6 ft.)
She started to "puppy play" with a rooster when David clapped his hands together to distract her. She looked at David, looked back at the rooster and then left the rooster to continue her exploration.
We took her into the little pen I had created just for her...also seen below...and shut the door. She did not like it and let us know she didn't. After about 3 minutes we opened the door and showed her how to come out. She came out, turned around and went right back in. Laid down and went to sleep. I took her picture and left the door open.
Later (about an hour) I went to check on her and she was missing. I stepped into the barn and called her. The sound of my voice brought her to me with tail wagging. She followed me out of the barn and started looking for ways to play. She looked at the guineas (about 3 ft from her making a lot of noise). She looked at that rooster that had initially caught her eye. She looked at Cujo. Then she decided to lay down on the grass and play with that. I flipped her onto her back and started rolling her from side to side. She was playful. I stopped. She laid down on her side and rolled by herself over and over. ROFL
Now it is getting dark. She has not been with the goats as they have been keeping their distance from this new comer, being intimidated (not by her behavior) by her very presence. So I put her back into the little pen and closed the door. She started pulling a temper tantrum I've not seen for years, howling L O N G howls and getting angry that could not get out. She found a corner where a hole was and got her nose in it. I put a large rock there. She found the rock and started growling ferociously (as much as a puppy can) at that rock because it would not move. I began to wonder oh dear, maybe I've made a mistake putting a Karakachan in a little pen! I watched this fiasco for over half an hour knowing I could NOT let her win and thinking I've really blown it now! Then I decided she needed company; so I locked the goats up in that barn so they all had to cope together! This pup continued to howl and get angry! I went in and got that old housecoat she had slept on during transport & put it into her little pen. She made a few turns, then laid down and went to sleep. That was over an hour ago and all is still calm in the barn! (Wishing I had a picture of her sleeping in that little pen on my housecoat...)
This is my first experience with an LGD and so far; so good! [Oh, this little pen is the beginnings of a shelf (about 2-1/2 x 4 ft) about 2 ft off ground and without any wire around the bottom of it, which I'm creating just for "Valentina".]
1 - 2 of 738 Posts
If a lab is bred right, it should be able to handle a shotgun unfazed. Any lab that offers to be gun shy should have never been bred to, at the very least. People responsible for making the lab would probably have a little more hardcore view of that particular dog, and possibly everything it was closely related to, in terms of what steps they would have gone to to ensure that it was never bred.LOL well they came back, that's good. I've seen a few have a really hard time with it. I saw a chocolate lab puppy handle it completely unfazed, that was impressive.
1 - 2 of 738 Posts
Homesteading Forum
A forum community dedicated to living sustainably and self sufficiently. Come join the discussion about livestock, farming, gardening, DIY projects, hobbies, recipes, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Top Contributors this Month
View All
GTX63
496 Replies
Danaus29
385 Replies
Alice In TX/MO
330 Replies
Recommended Communities
