Devonviolet
Herd Master
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2014
- Messages
- 3,402
- Reaction score
- 8,170
- Points
- 513
- Location
- East Texas - Near Sulphur Springs
We made an addition to our pack today . . . But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning, for those of you who don't know the beginning of our short story - up to this point.
We have been waiting three long years to move to Texas, from our condo in South Central Pennsylvania. We moved there, from Minnesota, to be close to our daughter, who lived 1/2 hour from us, and our DS who was stationed in Washington, DC, as a nurse, in the Neuro Unit, at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
After a while, DS moved his DW and two small children down to Sanford, NC, to be closer to DW's parents.
Then 3 years later, our DD moved to Dallas, TX with DH and sweet son, for DH's job. That left us in PA without any family.
We wanted to move closer to DD, but believe God's timing is perfect and didn't feel that the time was right to move. Fast forward 3 years (2014) and on Palm Sunday, we got the nudge to move. (God calling?) on Easter Sunday, we got a call, from a friend, whose sister was looking for a condo. He called us and ask if she could come look at our condo. Of course we said "Yes!" She and her husband bought our home - on the spot - And they PAID CASH. 6 weeks later we were on our way to TX - well, after a stop over in NC, to visit DS.
We rented a tiny 600 sq ft apartment, for 6 months, to give us time to find a piece of land with a house on it.
What a challenge!!! We started looking for land after getting settled in the apartment, and were very discouraged by how little our money would buy! We started looking for 20 acres, within 1–1/4 hours drive of DD's house in Dallas. But, gradually lowered our standards. It seemed that everything in our price range was either a rickety double wide or a dilapidated, 40-70 year old shack, that needed to be pushed over by a bulldozer, to start fresh. We couldn't afford (either time or money) to build a new house.
Long story short, we weren't finding any thing within close range of DD, so broadened our horizons. Eventually, we were looking 2 hours away.
One day DD found a listing for a 2 year old house on 5 acres - 1 acre cleared and 4 acres densely wooded. It is 1 hour, 40 minutes away. The price was right and we couldn't believe how well built, and cute the house was! It had only been on the market 10 days! We made an offer and it was accepted! The sellers turned out to be the nicest couple! They build the house themselves and build everything ABOVE code standards!
So, now we are waiting to close on the house this coming Thursday (12-11-2014).
Our plan has always been to have chickens, goats, 2 LGDs, as well as a big vegetable garden and a medicinal herb garden.
Knowing that our livestock needed guardians, we had been researching LGD breeds. Our area has a predator load of coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, copperhead and cottonmouth snakes, as well as crows, hawks and vultures, so we knew we needed dogs with good instincts. After much consideration we decided that Maremma's would work well for our needs. We also knew it would be best to start with puppies, and that we would have a lot of work training them. Our plan was to have two dogs, but to start with one and get another puppy, when the first was a bit more mature.
After a lot of searching, I found a breeder (within driving distance) who bred with dogs from good lineage. The sire was imported from Abruzzi, Italy, as a puppy. Both Sire and Dam have been tested for hip displagia and eye defects, and both passed.
This is Bartollo - he is the Sire
This is Gabby - She is the Dam.
I'm not sure why, but my preference was to have a female dog. Maybe the fact that all my other dogs have been females!
It turned out the available litter was 3 weeks old. It had 5 girls and 3 boys. When I contacted the breeder, they had one girl left, so we bought her.
This is the litter at 3 weeks. I'm not sure which one is her. But, aren't they adorable? I just want to cuddle them all!!!
This is two of the pups at almost 5 weeks.
DH and I have been reading some good books on raising and training LGDs. The original plan was to get one now and one from another of the breeder's females next Summer. I have seen pros and cons about putting litter mates together. Today, after a lot of discussion, and asking the breeder, we decided to see if she had any more of their males available. It turns out they had one left. So, we have paid our deposit, and when I pick up our little girl, in mid Feb. when she is 16 weeks old, I will pick up her brother as well.
I would love to breed our female, once she matures, but am not sure if we will actually do that. For sure we don't want any oops'! with her brother, so we will have him neutered at the appropriate age, and decide about breeding our female later.
I've requested more photos, so hopefully will have more soon.
We have been waiting three long years to move to Texas, from our condo in South Central Pennsylvania. We moved there, from Minnesota, to be close to our daughter, who lived 1/2 hour from us, and our DS who was stationed in Washington, DC, as a nurse, in the Neuro Unit, at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
After a while, DS moved his DW and two small children down to Sanford, NC, to be closer to DW's parents.
Then 3 years later, our DD moved to Dallas, TX with DH and sweet son, for DH's job. That left us in PA without any family. We wanted to move closer to DD, but believe God's timing is perfect and didn't feel that the time was right to move. Fast forward 3 years (2014) and on Palm Sunday, we got the nudge to move. (God calling?) on Easter Sunday, we got a call, from a friend, whose sister was looking for a condo. He called us and ask if she could come look at our condo. Of course we said "Yes!" She and her husband bought our home - on the spot - And they PAID CASH. 6 weeks later we were on our way to TX - well, after a stop over in NC, to visit DS.
We rented a tiny 600 sq ft apartment, for 6 months, to give us time to find a piece of land with a house on it.
What a challenge!!! We started looking for land after getting settled in the apartment, and were very discouraged by how little our money would buy! We started looking for 20 acres, within 1–1/4 hours drive of DD's house in Dallas. But, gradually lowered our standards. It seemed that everything in our price range was either a rickety double wide or a dilapidated, 40-70 year old shack, that needed to be pushed over by a bulldozer, to start fresh. We couldn't afford (either time or money) to build a new house.Long story short, we weren't finding any thing within close range of DD, so broadened our horizons. Eventually, we were looking 2 hours away.
One day DD found a listing for a 2 year old house on 5 acres - 1 acre cleared and 4 acres densely wooded. It is 1 hour, 40 minutes away. The price was right and we couldn't believe how well built, and cute the house was! It had only been on the market 10 days! We made an offer and it was accepted! The sellers turned out to be the nicest couple! They build the house themselves and build everything ABOVE code standards!So, now we are waiting to close on the house this coming Thursday (12-11-2014).
Our plan has always been to have chickens, goats, 2 LGDs, as well as a big vegetable garden and a medicinal herb garden.
Knowing that our livestock needed guardians, we had been researching LGD breeds. Our area has a predator load of coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, copperhead and cottonmouth snakes, as well as crows, hawks and vultures, so we knew we needed dogs with good instincts. After much consideration we decided that Maremma's would work well for our needs. We also knew it would be best to start with puppies, and that we would have a lot of work training them. Our plan was to have two dogs, but to start with one and get another puppy, when the first was a bit more mature.
After a lot of searching, I found a breeder (within driving distance) who bred with dogs from good lineage. The sire was imported from Abruzzi, Italy, as a puppy. Both Sire and Dam have been tested for hip displagia and eye defects, and both passed.
This is Bartollo - he is the Sire
This is Gabby - She is the Dam.
I'm not sure why, but my preference was to have a female dog. Maybe the fact that all my other dogs have been females!
It turned out the available litter was 3 weeks old. It had 5 girls and 3 boys. When I contacted the breeder, they had one girl left, so we bought her.This is the litter at 3 weeks. I'm not sure which one is her. But, aren't they adorable? I just want to cuddle them all!!!
This is two of the pups at almost 5 weeks.
DH and I have been reading some good books on raising and training LGDs. The original plan was to get one now and one from another of the breeder's females next Summer. I have seen pros and cons about putting litter mates together. Today, after a lot of discussion, and asking the breeder, we decided to see if she had any more of their males available. It turns out they had one left. So, we have paid our deposit, and when I pick up our little girl, in mid Feb. when she is 16 weeks old, I will pick up her brother as well.
I would love to breed our female, once she matures, but am not sure if we will actually do that. For sure we don't want any oops'! with her brother, so we will have him neutered at the appropriate age, and decide about breeding our female later.
I've requested more photos, so hopefully will have more soon.
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I can't wait to get together and compare notes! 
We will be so glad when this is all behind us, and we can get down to the business at hand . . . Raising animals! 
