I am so sorry about Bruno. We had the same experience just before we got Rika. Our male Weimaraner had been fine with the sheep for several years. All of a sudden, we began getting more attacks on the sheep. Some were coyotes, but some were daylight attacks. We brought Rika home and had 2 more attacks. We tried to figure out how the predator was getting to the sheep with an Anatolian and 2 other large dogs. We never had any attacks by our own dogs before.
We were losing sheep to coyotes after the death of our last Pyr. We kept replacing the ewes. The ram was massive and hung out with the mule so he was apparently not at risk. (An interspecies romance - don't ask!) We had 2 Wemaraners, an older female and a young male. The male was a bench champion and co-owned. Neither of them had ever gone after the sheep. They did go after coyotes, but were house dogs. Although we locked them in the barn at night, sometimes they were out after dusk. We had lost 6 ewes and a lamb to coyotes - about $3000 in sheep and the ewes were right at term with twins when they died. We needed a livestock guardian immediately. We brought Rika home at 18 months of age from Erick Conard in Texas.. She was trained and capable of protecting the sheep. Everything went well for several months. We had 2 ewes left, one in the barn lambing, and the second with a lamb with a broken leg. Both of them were locked up. With our new guardian dog on watch we felt secure enough to buy another couple Dorset ewes (Dorsets were our breed at the time). Within a week of bringing them home. the best ewe lamb was killed in the gully. Rika was very upset and stayed by the carcass until we went down and retrieved it. The area where she was killed was brushy and somewhat easy access for a determined coyote because it was remote. It was a fluke we decided. A week later we lost another new ewe. This was a different situation, puzzling, and expensive.
This ewe had been locked in a small pen below the old milk shed. The pen was surrounded by our field where Rika was on guard. I found this ewe at the bottom of the pen with all 4 legs pulled through the chain link fence. Rika was next to her and very upset but not barking. I couldn't figure out how any predator could have gotten past her into the pen The ewe had been partially eaten. At the time we were keeping the Weimaraners crated during the night. In the morning the poop in the crates was a giveaway by the overwhelming odor of lamb. I still couldn't figure out how the dogs had gotten into the pen with the ewe to kill it or out of the pen afterwards. When I went to investigate the pen, I realized the dogs were in the habit of going through the old milk shed and out the windows which opened into a feeder. We used to keep hay in the milk shed and feed through the window. Since there was a gate at the bottom of the steps to the pen, the window was a short cut when coyotes were around.
My first instinct was to get the rifle and shoot them. Then I realized that I couldn't put the dog down myself since I was not on the papers as his owner. The dogs were kenneled and I called the co-owner who was also the breeder. She co-owned him with another person who wanted him in her name while she fulfilled the requirements for a judges' license. In addition, he was scheduled for stud service to another champion. I told her what had happened and that technically I could destroy him. She found another home for him in 3 days. I warned her that he could never be off leash around livestock. He was a sweet, beautiful dog but as a sheep killer he had a death sentence on him. Our youngest daughter had raised him and was devastated, but understood.
I could not understand why Rika had not attacked the dogs, particularly Ricky since he was obviously the ringleader. DiDi was a timid personality and had been beaten up multiple times by Rika already for such infractions as looking at Rika funny or cringing when Rika walked past. (Cringing is apparently a rude insult in Anatolian talk.) However, in dog psychology, Rika was the Alpha bitch. Rika had never attacked Ricky. Apparently, as the resident male he became the Alpha male and immune. This must be what happened with Bruno. He was already established as the Alpha male on the property when you brought Hera in. She acknowledged him as such. Leonidas also acknowledged him as Alpha since Leonidas is younger and has not reached the age of asserting dominance over other males.
I am so upset for you. Aside from the $$ loss of so many of your sheep and lambs, them being killed by your own dog hurts more. Our dogs are our friends and family and when one does something like this it is an absolute betrayal of loyalty, and we feel it more than if a strange dog or coyote had done the killing. The original dead lamb last year may have been the initial Bruno incident. It was probably an accident - that is how it often starts. We had a lamb get out on the drive while we were at church one Sunday and came home to find it dying from 4 punctures in neck and skull. Probably Ricky's fault and an accident since it was the first of the dog killings. They get better at killing and enjoy it more as time goes on. Ricky's kills were all 4 throat punctures like Dominic's wether. The first carcasses killed were coyote kills at night and completely eaten. Ricky did not eat the first carcasses he killed. After a while they like the taste and start to eat the carcasses. The killing is easy for your own dog since they can walk right up to the sheep quietly and seize them by the throat.
At least you know what the problem was and that it will stop. You have lost a lot. Time to heal.
She is 7/8th registered Katahdin and potentially upgradable to 100% after yearling hair coat inspection. Only thing is she has an extra nipple on one side. Katahdin standard is vague so I don't know if that is a big deal or not.
price stays good. I hopefully should clear the remaining $400 I need for the 2 registered ewes I have deposit on.
