Anatolian Pyrenees

[Ridgetop]

Shock collars are not effective in the long run. The dog will recognize when he has the collar on and that he only has to obey when the collar is on. The not listening thing is a typical LGD thing. These are not obedience dogs and their natural genetic tendency is to think for themselves. If the dog sees something that it identifies as a threat it will ignore all commands to come, sit, stay, etc. by the owner in its attempt to dispose of the threat.

Instead put him on a long lead and take him in with poultry. Walk him around and when he tries to chase pull him back and scold him. Do you have a mean rooster or goose that will go after him? Take him in with poultry and let that rooster or goose go at him. Make sure he doesn't get injured. Using the animals he is guarding to train him not to chase or play with them is called "self- punishment" and works much better than a shock collar. Not all LGDs are good with poultry. Most take a lot of training to guard poultry.

Instead of throwing a rock at him, get a soda can, fill it with small stones so it rattles, then put tape over the hole. Try shaking that to get his attention. You can also toss it near him but not at him.

 

[Weldman]

Shock collars are not effective in the long run. The dog will recognize when he has the collar on and that he only has to obey when the collar is on. The not listening thing is a typical LGD thing. These are not obedience dogs and their natural genetic tendency is to think for themselves. If the dog sees something that it identifies as a threat it will ignore all commands to come, sit, stay, etc. by the owner in its attempt to dispose of the threat.

Instead put him on a long lead and take him in with poultry. Walk him around and when he tries to chase pull him back and scold him. Do you have a mean rooster or goose that will go after him? Take him in with poultry and let that rooster or goose go at him. Make sure he doesn't get injured. Using the animals he is guarding to train him not to chase or play with them is called "self- punishment" and works much better than a shock collar. Not all LGDs are good with poultry. Most take a lot of training to guard poultry.

Instead of throwing a rock at him, get a soda can, fill it with small stones so it rattles, then put tape over the hole. Try shaking that to get his attention. You can also toss it near him but not at him.

It's not the birds he is after, it's where they were at he is after whatever is on the ground along with their droppings. I do walk him in with the birds in the coop and a time or two escaped before I put a bigger door up and ran to me in the coop ignoring the birds.
Just get back from walks and we have to go back through where the birds hang out. He doesn't go after geese or anything so that won't work and geese won't attack either unless directly provoked.

 

[Mini Horses]

Is there the chance of an odor from a predator there? Something that may be visiting at night? Maybe a small animal looking for food? It is cold & wild ones hungry.

Find the reason he's fixed on that area. It may be a threat he perceived or detects. Go to him, praise, look around for him and you. See if he'll go with you then.

 

[Baymule]

Like @Ridgetop says, trust in your LGD.

He might be “working” and you just don’t realize it.

I have never used a shock collar in the 15 years I’ve had LGDs. There have been times I’ve been tempted and I’m sure it would feel darn good to press that button.LOL There is no substitute for putting the time into training. Over and over and over and just when you think your head is going to explode, do it over and over and over again. Then one day, something clicks and you’ll swear somebody stole your dog and left this perfectly behaved, trained dog in his place.

 

[SageHill]

What everyone said above.
I’ve never had an LGD - so I come at this from another angle.
Throw chains, shaker cans, shaker bottles are all good tools to break his attention so you can get a word in. Think of his thought process as a line and the chain/can/bottle as a temporary scissors to cut his attention and give him a chance to actually hear you (you’re just background noise otherwise in that instance). A long line could work also, those that comes with the inherent tangle issues. If you use the can/bottle/chain rattle it once try your command, doesn’t work rattle loudly try your command, that doesn’t work throw at his feet and try your command. Rule of threes here.
Shock collars have a time and place and once using one you need to wean off of it. Long process- inherent risk having to wear a collar that can get caught on things. Brand name for the ones that work is Dogtra. Other issues with them is the need to recharge the collar and also the controller. In using these timing is critical and you better be darn sure that when you buzz you aren’t inadvertently correcting a behavior that you want.

 

[Baymule]

In using these timing is critical and you better be darn sure that when you buzz you aren’t inadvertently correcting a behavior that you want.

THIS!

Because LGDs think and act differently than other dog breeds that we have had all our lives, sometimes we really miss reading their actions or to us, their inactions.

Pooch is not interested in the chickens. He’s not eating their feed or gobbling up poop. He’s fixated on something you can’t see or smell. Maybe instead of trying to call him away, talk encouragingly to him, to see what he does. I tell mine, SHOW ME or WHAT IS IT? You may still not understand what is so enticing to him, but to him, it sounds like it doesn’t “belong”. It may only be a mouse, it could be a raccoon scent, or anything. Sometimes in our well intentioned obedience training, we miss the subtle signs that our dog is doing what we ultimately want them to do.

 

[Weldman]

Is there the chance of an odor from a predator there? Something that may be visiting at night? Maybe a small animal looking for food? It is cold & wild ones hungry.

Find the reason he's fixed on that area. It may be a threat he perceived or detects. Go to him, praise, look around for him and you. See if he'll go with you then.

I have game cameras up and I intentionally put one on Pooch to see what he is doing at night and it can see where he stops at. So I know it isn't any predator. Only thing that goes there is rabbits and he doesn't chase or have any interests in them when out on walks. I've seen him actually eat the birds food and schit.
So don't need shock collar that's perfect, I don't like spending money. Great ideas on how to break his attention, leashes don't work well here with this terrain and vegetation, snag every damn sage brush around here. Just trying to get extension cords or hoses pulled around is PITA, hate for him to take off running and snag one snapping his neck.

He wears a collar here since it's by ordinance if seen running around or if he decides to run off when older and caught or seen by anyone his identification and number to contact is on it. I got cheap ones that I'm sure if I tugged enough would snap off.

 

[SageHill]

I have game cameras up and I intentionally put one on Pooch to see what he is doing at night and it can see where he stops at. So I know it isn't any predator. Only thing that goes there is rabbits and he doesn't chase or have any interests in them when out on walks. I've seen him actually eat the birds food and schit.
So don't need shock collar that's perfect, I don't like spending money. Great ideas on how to break his attention, leashes don't work well here with this terrain and vegetation, snag every damn sage brush around here. Just trying to get extension cords or hoses pulled around is PITA, hate for him to take off running and snag one snapping his neck.

He wears a collar here since it's by ordinance if seen running around or if he decides to run off when older and caught or seen by anyone his identification and number to contact is on it. I got cheap ones that I'm sure if I tugged enough would snap off.

Excellent!
I slept on this and realized I didn’t put in the most important element of all (maybe someone has and I haven’t seen it yet). That is …. He is still a puppy. Baby puppy (vs a year old or two year old).
He’s investigating things, learning things and he has some learning to do on his own as he is the only LGD.
Any correction made now is at least 10 times stronger than one made at an older age and will last a lifetime.
.
My dogs are herders - and a far different type of herder than say a border collie. So I need to be careful in what I do and how I handle different situations.
.
Don’t be in a hurry, even at the moment something like that happens. @Baymule gave the example she goes and asks the dog what’s up, show me. Going up
to Pooch (still love that name) ruffling the fur on his shoulders and saying come on let’s get going or something is the best easiest (takes longer) solution at this stage.
Over the years I’ve learned (and get constant reminders) fast is slow and slow is fast. Instant fixes take longer in the end.
Now is the time to build a foundation that will last forever.

 

[Weldman]

Trying to find him a female partner, but that is as I was trying to find him, almost impossible. Everyone thinks they got a gold mine wanting to charge $300 plus for a LGD, then factor in a 200 mile drive one way to get to them, and add in must be exposed to poultry and the list thins down quick.

 

[Ridgetop]

Pooch is not interested in the chickens. He’s not eating their feed or gobbling up poop. He’s fixated on something you can’t see or smell. Maybe instead of trying to call him away, talk encouragingly to him, to see what he does. I tell mine, SHOW ME or WHAT IS IT? You may still not understand what is so enticing to him, but to him, it sounds like it doesn’t “belong”. It may only be a mouse, it could be a raccoon scent, or anything. Sometimes in our well intentioned obedience training, we miss the subtle signs that our dog is doing what we ultimately want them to do.

Don’t be in a hurry, even at the moment something like that happens. @Baymule gave the example she goes and asks the dog what’s up, show me. Going up
to Pooch (still love that name) ruffling the fur on his shoulders and saying come on let’s get going or something is the best easiest (takes longer) solution at this stage.
Over the years I’ve learned (and get constant reminders) fast is slow and slow is fast. Instant fixes take longer in the end.

Both these posters have incredible LGD and stock dog knowledge so suggestions are gold!

Trying to find him a female partner, but that is as I was trying to find him, almost impossible. Everyone thinks they got a gold mine wanting to charge $300 plus for a LGD, then factor in a 200 mile drive one way to get to them, and add in must be exposed to poultry and the list thins down quick.

Don't get another puppy until Pooch is trained. He will help train her, but two pups to start off with will not be easy to train together. In fact, if he has a partner the two of them could ignore you and run off to have fun together instead of bonding to you.

$300 for a good Anatolian, with good conformation (if their structure is bad they will not be able to work well or long) health guarantee and working parents, would be a steal. I pay a lot more than that for mine and they are worth every penny in the prevention of lost livestock. Before getting my first LGDs 35 years ago we lost over $5,000 in killed stock, 5 years of a breeding program, and hours of sleep. When our last Great Pyr died, we decided to try doing without a GP because they roam. By the time I replaced her with our first Anatolian, I lost $12,000 in sheep. Nothing like seeing dead sheep in the morning to make you realize the value of a well-trained LGD. We have a high predator load although we live inside the Los Angeles city limits.

When I say "good Anatolian" I mean from a reputable breeder that sticks with you and helps you with training problems, tests the pups on poultry and livestock, and keeps the pups until they are 12 weeks old which is the optimal time to remove them from their mom. (The mom is teaching them while they are with her.)

In addition, the cost of raising a litter of 6-10 large breed puppies is huge. The bitch has to be fed twice a day on high protein food to nourish her unborn pups. She is usually working up to the date she gives birth. The puppies when starting on solid food have to be fed at least 3 times a day with good high protein food 3 times a day so they grow strong and healthy with solid bones. If the breeder raises them right with good food and vaccinations, they will have over $300 in each pup by 12 weeks. (I don't raise and sell LGD puppies but have raised hunting dogs in the past and know how a bitch and litter eat. Even doing the vaccinations themselves the breeder will have to pay for each shot and worming. Not cheap.)

Use the techniques ABaymule and @sage Hill have suggested. It will help, and Pooch will understand that you are encouraging him to be alert and distinguish scents.