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[LittleHomestead]

Oh my bad. I replied to the wrong person

I've thought of an LGD, but have yet to take the leap. I've trained dogs for obedience, herding and detection -- I'm good at it - but I don't know if I've got an LGD mindset. For any work (herding, detection, and guardian) the dog needs training - I consider the training the handle on the tool. Without that one could have a loose canon. We've got great folks here with LGDs who do amazing work I'm sure they can also guide you in the right direction.

 

[LittleHomestead]

Do you have a breed recommendation? Sheep would only be on like 1/4-1/2 acre.

Go to the livestock guardian forum and start reading. I started with Great Pyrenees, then Anatolians. Maremma are also good and aren’t supposed to roam like the Great Pyrenees do.

Yeah, if you hear coyotes, it’s just a matter of time before they strike. LGDs work by barking a warning, so expect barking at night. Snuggle down in the covers and sleep soundly because you know your sheep are safe.

It works like this; predators come looking for a meal. Dogs bark a warning, predators know there will be a fight. If a predator is injured, they can’t hunt, they don’t eat, they may possibly die if injuries are severe enough. So they go looking for an easier meal.

Once there was a cougar in the neighborhood, it killed a goat herd 3 miles from me. It circled my farm several nights, screaming. Dogs were going nuts, barking. Cougar didn’t cross the fence.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, here's the thing -- those LGDs bark a warning but really mean business. So if a predator does stupidly enter anyway, there is a serious fight. Most often the invader dies. But that's not true if the LGD is a puppy.

Read the posts. It will guide you in your decision. It's a partnership for farmer & these amazing dogs!

 

[SageHill]

I could easily be wrong - but 1/4 - 1/2 acre is probably too small for an LGD.

 

[Mini Horses]

Could well be the case. Is this the total acreage available or just what you're considering to use?

If all available, definitely enclose in barn at night.

 

[Baymule]

I could easily be wrong - but 1/4 - 1/2 acre is probably too small for an LGD.

That is correct.

If your available land is that small, then skip the LGD. You can’t contain a dog that has been bred for thousands of years, that roamed with the shepherd and flocks, in a 1/2 acre.

Build a strong fence, hot wire it top, middle and bottom. Close up sheep at night in a barn or shed. Keep in mind that coyotes and bobcats can easily jump a gate to get in the barn, so build it so you can close doors.

A farm dog would probably be fine for your farm. That’s an outside dog big enough to be threatening and bark, and happy to be outside and play. You will have to train it to be safe with the sheep, but for the most part, a farm dog doesn’t stay with the sheep, just in the yard next to the sheep.