Spanish mastiff's for guardian dogs

babsbag

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I found some Maremma/Border Collie puppy's for sale. I was going to ask my dad about reserving a puppy for when we get up there but then I got to thinking about the cross and said no way.

That was a good choice on your part. When I hear about mixes like that I think about the song lyrics...should I stay or should I go...either way there will be trouble. :lol: There are some successful LGD mixes like that but they are rare.
 

Baymule

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I just read back through this thread.....and I had a thought....I know, dangerous, right? :lol: If there aren't many Great Pyrenees where you are going, why not get a couple of pups to be a future breeding pair and take them with you? Surely there must be other homesteaders in AK that would jump at the chance to buy a pup from you.
 

TAH

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I just read back through this thread.....and I had a thought....I know, dangerous, right? :lol: If there aren't many Great Pyrenees where you are going, why not get a couple of pups to be a future breeding pair and take them with you? Surely there must be other homesteaders in AK that would jump at the chance to buy a pup from you.
I have thought abouts this but I am not sure what dad thinks? I will have to ask :). I really like the SMs and would like to go with them but I could go with a GP as well. I don't that the bond between us would be better if it was the breed I wanted to go with?
 

dejavoodoo114

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Can you clarify? You said you wanted the husky for extra protection, wouldn't a few Spanish mastiffs do as well? I'm not knocking huskys. My sister had one and she is cute, needy, smart, independent and stubborn. Lol absolutely adorable. When she came to visit my farm she immediately went after my goats and chickens. Wesson kept her from doing so and watched her carefully the rest of the time she was here but he did protect our stock. Hopefully you Spanish mastiff won't be too friendly with the husky and will curb any such behavior and help teach. On that note, letting the LGD become an LGD before a husky comes into the picture could help a lot as well. Just a thought and good luck!
 

TAH

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The SM is going to be in the pasture and the husky out roming around wit our pit mix. The pasture is going to be our Lgds pasture so if he doesn't want the husky to go in then I will respect that. But I am not sure how much is to much to let the dog decide on? The husky is going to be the family guard the SM for the animals. We will most likely get the husky before the SM, but do you think it would be okay to raise them somewhat together?
 

Latestarter

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There is a wealth of info regarding LGDs here on the boards. If you want the LGD to protect the animals, then it needs to do so from ALL potential predators, including your husky. Husky's have a very high prey drive, are very high energy, and tend to try to be dominant.

The pasture is going to be our Lgds pasture so if he doesn't want the husky to go in then I will respect that.

Don't "respect that" Enforce THAT! If you allow other dogs to be around your livestock, what happens when a stray comes around?

IMHO, If you raise them together, you are asking for problems as they will become a pack and your LGD may become confused what to do when the husky decides to "play" with your animals. The same goes for your pit mix. The field and area where your livestock is should be the sole domain of the LGD. NO other dogs should be allowed in those areas. The home area should be the "common ground" where all the dogs can be together and play etc. Don't confuse your animals about their jobs/responsibilities.
 

dejavoodoo114

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Don't "respect that" Enforce THAT! If you allow other dogs to be around your livestock, what happens when a stray comes around?

IMHO, If you raise them together, you are asking for problems as they will become a pack and your LGD may become confused what to do when the husky decides to "play" with your animals. The same goes for your pit mix. The field and area where your livestock is should be the sole domain of the LGD. NO other dogs should be allowed in those areas. The home area should be the "common ground" where all the dogs can be together and play etc. Don't confuse your animals about their jobs/responsibilities.

I agree completely! We had our pet dog, half Dalmatian half cattle dog, with our Pyr pups when they were being raised. They would not stop her from killing the chickens and one, Wesson, even followed suit. She was easy, because of her willingness and extreme intelligence to train NOT to kill chickens. Wesson was harder once he had started. Seeing each other through the fence should let them each know who belongs where and will allow your SM to properly protect his herd.

As far as how much to let your LGD decide, well, that comes with time. Teach them proper manners and expose them to circumstances you don't want them to react too, watch to be sure they understand their job then one day you will wake up and realize (hopefully) that you trust/respect them absolutely. The hard part is losing such a dependable and reliable partner when that time comes.

Again regarding timing for the pups, the husky would be very likely to teach the LGD bad behaviors. If the LGD comes first and is good at his job he can help teach the husky manners if you want them to be able to cross the fence line. The important thing is to figure out what you want in the end, then make decisions/purchases accordingly.
 

TAH

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@TAH didn't you post that you all were buying an acre?

There i not enough space to do all that you want on that acre.
Yes we only got a acre. Since the grass is covered in snow half the year our animals are going to be under cover most of the time with access outside. We can still have goats, sheep, chickens and ducks and maybe a horse.
 
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