Having to get 3rd LGD for my puny 5 acres!

[Ridgetop]

2 more would be great, but twice as much work to train, and I want to make sure we do it right. Making mistakes with Anatolians is not a good thing since they are so smart and dominant. Bubba is only 2 so he will play with puppy. Rika was 4 when we brought Bubba home and she played with him before and after chores (when sheep went out during the day she was on the job but as soon as they were locked up at evening, the two of them raced around and she taught him to fight, etc. I will have to add the 4th dog gradually, making sure my older dogs will accept them. Anatolians are rather an odd breed. Our Pyrs accepted every dog we had, but while the Anatolians are ok with tiny dogs, they won't tolerate larger ones unless brought on as puppies (up to 6 months). Even then, some just don't get along with each other when they are adult. Our property is hard to fence into smaller fields because it is so steep, so I can't really separate the dogs into different pasture.

I went back and checked birthdates, Rika turned 6 on May 22, and Bubba turned 2 March 12. By the time the new puppy is 3, Rika will be 9, and Bubba 5. Rika will be ready for an easier life and the other 2 will be 5 and 3, just the ages to bring in number 4. Another bitch as long as Bubba is around, since adult male Anatolians never get along. We would love to get a trained herding dog, but are worried that the Anatolians would just kill it.

Going to email breeder now to find out about litter.

 

[Ridgetop]

Over a month since I updated on this thread. Finally got hold of breeder, her phone was on blink for a couple of weeks. Pups are due end of July. She will hold them in with livestock for 16 weeks for me to be able to pick them up. This will give them a good start. On the other hand this means we are driving to Virginia from California with our 5th wheel in November. Not so sure about this time frame. Tornado and storm season in the plains and Texas? When is it?

We could fly out and bring the puppy back on a plane but, we prefer to pick up our LGDs and drive home with them since this gives us a chance to bond with them. They are out of their element, confused, and we can talk to them as we drive along so they get used to our voices and smell. We take empty gallon jugs to fill with water from the home place too so they have familiar tasting and smelling water on the way home. It is a much slower, easier transfer for them. But the weather . . . ?

Anyway, I have decided to ask the breeder to identify a bitch for us that is herd motivated rather than all around property protection LGD. Our original bitch is completely herd protective. Our male, good ol' Bubba, protects, but is more property, house. family, general protective. Still a great LGD but with our coyote problems, I want another herd focused LGD to give Rika assistance.

Sooooo, just as we thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . Oops! Too much Shark Week!

I was starting to think that we didn't need to add the third Anatolian LGD. So far to drive to pick her up. Have to train all over again. An unsprayed bitch and unneutered male on the sale premises I hve to restring my other kennel panels, and set them up for when she comes in season. I will kennel Bubba since if I kennel her I will lose 2 LGDs for duration as he moons around her kennel, lovesick. By kenneling the bitch, Rika will not let another dog onto the property to breed the young one, and I will check daily and kennel the puppy in another kennel far from Bubba for the danger week. I love my dog kennels. Anyway, I have made my plans in advance, but as the danger to the sheep seems to recede, I get lazy and whiny about going "to all that trouble, expense, work, etc. for another dog that I don't really need". No, get thee behind me temptation ! I do need the third dog. Rika is getting on and Bubba is not devoted to the flock.

We have been locking the sheep up in their fold at night near the house so easy to protect. No more losses, dogs able to get more rest, but lots of coyote activity. Lots of singing, howling, etc., as they talk back and forth at night. Saw several during the day checking on location of dogs on property. Then for the past 2 weeks dead silence. This is not normal and could mean several things. They have moved on (wishful thinking), they have made alliances and are planning a fully armed night time attack (wait, that is DH's video game), a larger predator like a cougar is in neighborhood (possible since resident male died in creek fire, but late in season for a cougar to wander in), ?????

So, the dead silence at night makes me nervous. Rika is again refusing to leave the gully for her dinner. This always means there is some danger she is worried about. Bubba will eventually show up to eat, then return to duty, but Rika will not leave her post. DH has to carry Rika's dinner out to the field and stand there while she eats. This takes a while because she takes a few bites, then runs out along the ridge for a quick recce, then comes back, takes a few bites, repeat, repeat.

The ewes are all marked and bred , I sold 3 Dorsets last week, making room for possible ewe lambs to be born and kept. Things seem ok, except for that cursed silence at night. I am changing the crayon on the buck again for the last time just to see if anyone remarks now, otherwise I expect lambs from October through November. I will have to plan my trip to pick up the puppy around the lambing dates which may put me on the road over Thanksgiving again. My children and grandchildren will not be happy.

 

[BrendaMNgri]

Deep breath.
Don't stress over the silence. The coyotes have probably moved on or down the road for a spell.
When they go quiet here, nothing ever happens, it becomes quiet when they quit singing and yipping.
If they are around you are going to hear them.

When are you going to neuter Bubba?

For all the glam-posts I see (not inferring only here, but all over social media) about the joys of breeding LGDs, what
most don't talk about is what @Ridgetop has boldly said: when you have bitches in heat, your male does not work.
He tries to break in to where ever your female is cloistered. ASK ME how I know this - - would you like to see the
three (!3!) BILLS for $250+ double paned storm window replacements on my ranch buildings? Huh? Well? Do ya? Wuzzamatter.
Scared? Yes, I have Pala the Impaler, who went through three double paned glass windows. Yes, I have Bobo the Moth Man, a huge
Pyrenean Mastiff male able to scale a 6ft "no climb" (ha yah right) fence in search of love. Etc. Etc.
People don't get it. If you are going to run intact LGDs together when someone comes in heat, the game changes.
Immediately. Kiss your guardian dogs goodbye, say hello to Stud Muffins, Superfly, and Don Juan.

I have three (3) females cycling right now. The only saving grace has been our 104 degree heat. My males are all too wiped
out from the heat and high humidity - something we never have at 4500 ft in N. Nevada - to do much fighting or fussing
over the girls, as is the usual. Some fence climbing, but no broken windows this round.

Glad you are getting dog #3. Virginia - been there for work once. In summer. It was hot and humid, yuck, but I was so entranced with
seeing the monuments, Washington DC etc. I remember only the good parts. Green, so green! HAVE FUN.

 

[Ridgetop]

Forget to put these pix up! This planter is the one we had to excavate and pull all the ferns out of to re do water lines after tree fell on house and broke them. After finishing the water lines, DH and DS filled it with nice new planter mix but it is too hot to plant till winter. After filling it and settling it with water, certain LGDs realized it was like a comfort bed for them. Rika fits nicely, but even 7' is not enough for Bubba! Luckily, DS got these pix since when questioned both dogs took the 5th and when confronted with the evidence pointed the paw as each other! Since they lack opposable thumbs we can even make them shovel the dirt back in!

Interior dimensions are 12" deep by 18" wide x 7' long!
Rika enjoying escape from 110 degree heat

Bubba barely fits - can't stretch out!

 

[Ridgetop]

Thanks, BrendaMNgri, I always planned to neuter Bubba, but I have a purchase contract which requires me to wait till he is 2 so I can OFA certified. If his certs come back poor, I will neuter him this winter (less flies). If they come back good, I need to find out if and when my breeder wants to collect him or if he no longer wants to collect him (if he has another out of a 2nd breeding). This was the only male pup out of the 3 pups that survived when the emergency vet on call refused to do a C-section. 11 dead pups still inside until his regular vet came back into town on the Monday and rushed the bitch into surgery. Luckily the bitch and 3 pups survived. This was a long awaited breeding of selected dogs so I think he may have repeated the breeding. If so, maybe he will not want to collect. Once Bubba is collected, he is off to surgery. Snip, snip!

As to the new puppy, I told the breeder I would like to spay her at 2 or so, although if I can get Bubba done it will not be as imperative to have her fixed. Again, breeder's purchase contract requires me to wait to 2 years and OFA first. However, the breeder did say that if there were several good females in the litter, spaying her would be OK. Hoping for lots of beautiful girls in that litter!

Puppies are fun, funny, adorable, expensive, labor intensive, and I worry about finding good, working, homes for them. Qualifying owners is a pain, and I don't have the luxury of keeping many more than 3 adult dogs here, per land parcel, until I can place the dogs. The expense of feeding them is not a problem, it is the license laws here. Another point in favor of neutering the dogs is that it will save us $600 per year in licensing fees. It costs $300 per unneutered dog extra (show dogs). If we wanted to breed we would have to get a $1500 temporary breeding license! This was designed to get people to fix their dogs. However, while it has scared a lot of the mills out that were breeding in garages, people that don't fix their dogs, just abandon them when they are picked up by the shelter and get another. Responsible dog owners pay the price as usual. Sigh . . . .

Had my fill of intact dogs, showing, and breeding over the years. Praying for an all female litter!

 

[Baymule]

November should be ok for traveling through Texas. Hurricane season is going right now, should be all gone by November. Not to mention that the Gulf of Mexico is far, far away. Tornadoes are a spring time thing. Makes me all tingly all over, what a way to welcome spring! Whallop the crap out of everybody with a tornado!

Have a good trip and stop somewhere for some turkey and dressing. What is more important? Keeping your kids/grandkids happy or going to get YOUR NEW PUPPY?

 

[Latestarter]

Having driven cross country many times, and since you'll be using the southern route, November/December is by far the best time (normally) not too hot, and winter doesn't normally get serious till Jan/Feb time frame. Love the pics of dogs in the planter! Too bad you couldn't plant them and grow more that way. My boy loves his trenches... He's quite the excavator.

 

[Mini Horses]

VA is traditionally quite nice weather wise in November. Visit Williamsburg, home of one of the first Thanksgivings.
Of course that is coastal and may not be as far as you plan but, hey, after 3000 miles, what's a few more?

 

[Ridgetop]

November should be ok for traveling through Texas. Hurricane season is going right now, should be all gone by November. Not to mention that the Gulf of Mexico is far, far away. Tornadoes are a spring time thing. Makes me all tingly all over, what a way to welcome spring! Whallop the crap out of everybody with a tornado!

Have a good trip and stop somewhere for some turkey and dressing. What is more important? Keeping your kids/grandkids happy or going to get YOUR NEW PUPPY?

Thanks, Baymule, you have a way of keeping things in perspective for me!

Thanks, Latestarter and Mini Horses, you have relieved my mind about traveling during those months. It is not the driving back there so much as the thought of being caught in the trailer during a tornado! I never did care for the Wizard of Oz stories.

 

[mystang89]

That's one heck of a drive but it's those drives that my wife and I love best. Throw the children in the car and we all go for a road trip, getting to see all new sights and such. Good luck with your pup and the drive!