I have 10 sheep/goats on a 3ish acre field. We also have children, poultry, pet dogs, and cats. We have 20 total acres, and in the summer, we rotate the goats outside of the pasture in the woods. I bought a GP/Anatolian shepherd mix off Craigslist when she was about 6 mo old (she was a chicken killer - but not anymore!) She has turned into a GEM of a dog with training in the year we've had her. I have been wondering if I should get a LGD partner for her.
Reasons to get another: 1) When I separate the sheep and goats, one of the groups won't have a guard. They're in electric netting, but we have coyotes, bobcats, neighbor/stray dogs, etc. 2) Coyotes can be so crafty. I'd hate for 1 dog to get overwhelmed. 3) If one dog is out of commission for whatever reason (spay surgery recovery, injury, etc), I'd have a back up. All those things aside, I still hesitate bc I know how much work/expense it is to train up a dog.
I'm considering 3 routes:
1) No additional dog. Do you have just 1 dog and similar farm specs? Did you find added benefit with 2?
2) Puppy. I'd love to give my kids that puppy experience, (plus I love puppies!) It's nice to know the full history/training/trauma of a dog and be able to avoid aggression and poor habits with proper training. But that's ~2 years of heavy training by me. I'm able and willing, but also well aware of the commitment and not exactly *thrilled* by the thought.
3) Another Craigslist dog. I know it's risky. That said, every animal except dumped cats and a few chickens on our farm came from CL. On CL, there's one 11 month old intact female in my area that's catching my eye in particular, but there are several "teen" dogs I'd consider if that one didn't work out. The one I'm looking at is a caucasian shepherd german shepherd mix. Both of my pet dogs are german shepherd mixes, so I'm familiar with that in general, but I'm not sure about that type of dog for LGD purposes. Anyone have a GS mix guarding their herd? I read on one site that they're more herders than guards, but I read somewhere else the opposite. What about a caucasian shepherd? She looks like a GS with a silky, heavier coat. She's large but not huge. The ad says she's around all the livestock and isn't aggressive. I'm not picking up any red flags from the ad. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Reasons to get another: 1) When I separate the sheep and goats, one of the groups won't have a guard. They're in electric netting, but we have coyotes, bobcats, neighbor/stray dogs, etc. 2) Coyotes can be so crafty. I'd hate for 1 dog to get overwhelmed. 3) If one dog is out of commission for whatever reason (spay surgery recovery, injury, etc), I'd have a back up. All those things aside, I still hesitate bc I know how much work/expense it is to train up a dog.
I'm considering 3 routes:
1) No additional dog. Do you have just 1 dog and similar farm specs? Did you find added benefit with 2?
2) Puppy. I'd love to give my kids that puppy experience, (plus I love puppies!) It's nice to know the full history/training/trauma of a dog and be able to avoid aggression and poor habits with proper training. But that's ~2 years of heavy training by me. I'm able and willing, but also well aware of the commitment and not exactly *thrilled* by the thought.
3) Another Craigslist dog. I know it's risky. That said, every animal except dumped cats and a few chickens on our farm came from CL. On CL, there's one 11 month old intact female in my area that's catching my eye in particular, but there are several "teen" dogs I'd consider if that one didn't work out. The one I'm looking at is a caucasian shepherd german shepherd mix. Both of my pet dogs are german shepherd mixes, so I'm familiar with that in general, but I'm not sure about that type of dog for LGD purposes. Anyone have a GS mix guarding their herd? I read on one site that they're more herders than guards, but I read somewhere else the opposite. What about a caucasian shepherd? She looks like a GS with a silky, heavier coat. She's large but not huge. The ad says she's around all the livestock and isn't aggressive. I'm not picking up any red flags from the ad. Any thoughts? Thanks!
And 1 Great Dane/Labrador mix that does what the other dogs do, so has made a good dog. He doesn't mess with poultry but can have a "want to chase that little lamb" reaction, so doesn't run with the sheep. The flock that is in the biggest part of the barn at night is guarded by the "yard" dogs.
