Oh C'mon!! All that great story and no good pics of the pup?!?!?!
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".]
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Cool, she's gorgeous! Hard to take pics of black dog faces unless the sun is shining on them.
Keep her safe from mishap!
Keep her safe from mishap!
As my daughter used to wail when we went to the pet store when she was little:
"I wanna pet something!!"
"I wanna pet something!!"
Calm Alpha Owner=Calm Dog=Calm Goats...well maybe something like that.
Enjoying your journey vicariously.
Enjoying your journey vicariously.
I would say, yes! I would continue this every time you feed anything until you know that you can always and at any time take food away without reaction until she's full grown and even then still do it once in awhile. I would think that controlling the dogs food is the number one way to assert and maintain alpha status, which makes all other training easier in the long run. Control their feed and use treats only for direct training.......Now, should I continue this each and every time I give a raw bone to Valentina? .....
But then I've only had 3 pretty easy dogs (only one slightly challenged me) all acquired at over 6 months old, but control of food, theirs and mine, absolutely and consistently seemed to make a big difference. I've seen other folks let their dogs run over their alpha status by mishandling the food issues and those dogs are out of control and no one's really happy in those packs.
I'd maybe wait and see how she does with the heat, just making sure she has a cool place to dig a hole in the dirt.
Maybe you've clipped a dog before but, get her hair clean before you clip or you'll dull your brand new blades pretty quick. I learned this the hard way, now I bathe then let dry a bit and keep them inside/clean before clipping. She might be hard to clip with that thick coat.
I'm sure other LGD owners will have much better and more thorough advice.
Maybe you've clipped a dog before but, get her hair clean before you clip or you'll dull your brand new blades pretty quick. I learned this the hard way, now I bathe then let dry a bit and keep them inside/clean before clipping. She might be hard to clip with that thick coat.
I'm sure other LGD owners will have much better and more thorough advice.
Good idea to get her used to the clippers even if you don't actually cut her hair yet.
You could put a really long comb on them and actually touch her with them when you get to that point of desensitizing. Good Luck, I know you'll have fun!
You could put a really long comb on them and actually touch her with them when you get to that point of desensitizing. Good Luck, I know you'll have fun!
I used food (just a tiny dried meat treat) and happy voice (trainer called it dog party) at first, then backed off on the treats and they learned to love the dog party. YMMV. Part of training to voice (good voice, bad voice). Worked good, tone of voice means everything no matter what the words are, but good to consistently use certain words too.
motdaugrnds....love that you're keeping up with this journal, I find it fascinating...and am living vicariously as I probably won't ever have another pup to train :(
motdaugrnds....love that you're keeping up with this journal, I find it fascinating...and am living vicariously as I probably won't ever have another pup to train :(
Someone else started a new thread about the article.....you can see it here.I do not know how to start a new thread.
But I wanted to let you know Mother Earth New(MEN) is looking for stories on
Guard Animals.
I do not have these animals, thought you would have some really good ones.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...tm_term=SLCS eNews&utm_campaign=02.12.14 SLCS
I'm so sorry you're having troubles.....wishing you the best of strength and resources to conquer it quickly.
Welcome Back Motdaugrnds, hope things continue to get better for you.
Neutering Cujo seems like a viable alternative.
Neutering Cujo seems like a viable alternative.
I've read about the diamond shape....or rather triangle with the point on the bottom......for deterring goats from a chicken coop. Never seen anyone try it tho.
I'd make something up to mimic it and test the theory. Maybe a piece of plywood with the diamond shape cut into it, starting small so you can enlarge it and put it somewhere both the dog and goats can go, see if the goats can get thru. I love experiments like this.
I'd make something up to mimic it and test the theory. Maybe a piece of plywood with the diamond shape cut into it, starting small so you can enlarge it and put it somewhere both the dog and goats can go, see if the goats can get thru. I love experiments like this.
You are such a great story teller...and that is a great story.
Have you tested whether the goats can get thru there?
I would think obedience training both on and off the farm would be good.
If it's done off farm it shouldn't be an issue....she needs to be socialized to people, but not if they're coming across the fence/perimeter boundary at her home place.If you want her to guard from strange dogs and people, I would be kind of nervous that going to a class would desensitize her. Maybe private sessions with just her and your other dog?
Probably better to take each dog individually to class, you'll all get more out of it, then work them together at home.
You must have missed post #364 ;-) which states that they are working on restoring the pics................I just went through the entire thread and couldn't see any of the pics you had posted ! Did they delete them on purpose or what ? , fordy
Fordy...You grind them raw, or cooked, in a regular old blender??.............I've never given any of my dogs either chicken bones or pig bones . Pig bones can shatter into small pieces with very sharp pointed ends and chicken bones could easily become lodged in a dogs digestive tract or their esophagus ! I know people feed their dogs these items but they are , potentially , deadly . For chicken bones I just put them in a blender and and made mush out of them and added to dogs food . To each his own . , fordy
That story reminds me of my Maggie a GSD mix who loved to eat carrion out in the woods. She would sssslooowwly slink into the yard with her mouth full, her head down and eyes up on me...walk up and drop a bone or whatever at my feet. It was hilarious, the reluctant 'gift' giver.
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