I've lived/worked/hunted/recreated around almost all the N American venomous snakes. I'll take rattlesnakes any day over Copperheads and Water Moccasins. A majority of rattlesnakes will do their level best to get out of your way and give ample warning before a strike. There are exceptions...
IMO, this is what LGDs do. Be careful though, the courts don't always recognize this. See:
http://www.postindependent.com/news/20679881-113/mountain-bike-dog-attack-case-ends-with-1
Dogs doing their jobs vs ignorant and/or arrogant recreationists.
You all may hate me for a non PC answer but, frankly I would prefer to teach the dogs Avoidance training. The fastest and best way to accomplish this is with...GASP.....a shock collar. It takes only a few seconds of discomfort for a lifetime of protection against snakes. Done correctly, it takes...
Sooo, question.
Is the dog in these photos a CO????
http://www.boredpanda.com/animal-children-photography-elena-shumilova/
It's an impressive dog whatever breed it is.
Thor lives for the snow! In spring you can find him perched atop the last remaining snow piles surveying his domain :)
I also don't allow the dogs on any of the furniture, not a good habit to get started. Besides, when inside he's perfectly happy lying on the cool floor.
AH, yes, I remember the pic of your CO on the sofa. The other pics are great also. Stunning male :) Puppy pic is too cute!
I previously posted pics of Thor here:
http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/lgd-colors.28117/#post-356004...
When you have time, please post pics of your CO, would love to see! I think they're impressive dogs.
Got my Tornjak from a good friend in Denmark. Some of her Tornjaks are in Sweden also.
I usually use soaked grains once weekly and utilize a 7 grain mix that includes barley. That's about the sum of grain they get in their diets tho.
I have a Tornjak and a Bernese. The Tornjak is 4 now and has never been sick or even off, to my knowledge.....extremely healthy and durable...
I feed very similar to your routine. I don't utilize organ meats as heavily, roughly once every 2 weeks or so. I feed fruits but, don't mix them in with meals or veggies as fruits and veggies are digested at differing rates and I feel mixing them can set up for digestive problems. I utilize...
Good question.............I dunno. No one around here has a bicycle so consequently, about all's Thor seen is moving bicycles. I'll have to try and find someone that has a bicycle and try it out. But, then that brings the question to mind, if it's the motion of the bicycle setting him off, why...
That's an outstanding video, packed with good factual advise. IMO it should be mandatory viewing for anyone with a hiking permit on public lands in the Intermountain West where open range herds are common. Unfortunately, the agencies controlling much of the land in the west do NOT post...
How do your LGDs respond to bicycles? I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I suspect it has to do with the size, motion and speed of bicycles. Thor doesn't like them. If he's in the truck with me and one goes by he growls and gets all agitated. He doesn't even react to much anything else...
The level of bonding in the LGDs is the key to training. I find little need for formal training "lessons", my Tornjak strives to do almost anything I ask of him because of the type bonding displayed in the pics. You can see and feel it. Love it.
I never have a camera around when stunts like that happen. Even w/o pics tho I'd have believed the story. The dogs are amazingly agile! I had Thor leap a 6 foot wall to be beside me and he did it whisper quiet...so much so it startled me. One minute I was looking across a field with binocs and...
HEY! You east coast guys are stealing our snow! WAH! We're normally hip deep in it by now. What little we got a couple weeks ago has now melted and gone.....MUD...ugh! I'm having to run the dogs to the high elevations to get their snow fix. It was 66 here today, unheard of! Sure is nice but, the...
As far as Tornjaks go, Thor is White and Sable, an acceptable color. I've seen white and Black, White and Brown/Fawn, Tri-color all three......all acceptable by the breed standard. White with mottling of various color is pretty common for Tornjak.