Tatli, Anatolian Shepherd

[Baymule]

Buford wanted the middle field this morning. It stormed last night, I slept like a rock. I felt bad about Tatli this morning, wondering if she was scared. As soon as she heard my voice she started howling.
I sat on a low stool so I’d be at her level. A happy muddy wet puppy climbed all over me, so excited! I even had mud on my back. She finally calmed down and I fed her kibble with chicken skin and broth. Tatli was hungry! She ate, played with me, ate, played with me.

I let the ewes out on the field and took Tatli walking. I didn’t let her get close, we skirted their outer “comfort” zone. If they walked, we stood still. They are wary of her, so no bounding up to the sheep to scare the bejeebers out of them. We kept our distance, circled around them and after awhile the sheep were more ok with her being there.

We could get a little closer.

What’s that stuff they’re eating?

It’s really not that good, they should try some chicken skins!

Dinner the wether was brave enough to slowly graze up close to the Wiggly Monster.

Tatli discovered Crawdad shells. Plenty of crawdad mounds and there is always crawdad shells. She plopped down to eat one.

She crunched the claws and ate them.

 

[Baymule]

Tatli was tired.

She found another grass clump to attack.

Meanwhile across the driveway, in the middle field, Buford was on watch. He positions himself between both flocks of sheep so he can watch them all. Plus watching Tatli from long distance is good enough for him. Hard to see, but Carson is in the driveway, keeping Buford company and watching me so I don’t get too far away from him.

I walked a tired Tatli back to the night pen to put her up in her pen. She found the mostly burned stump and gnawed on it.

Now it’s lunch for me and a nap for Tatli.

Tatli wants so badly to be friends with the sheep. But she scares them. They will run to get away, she will run to make friends, bad scenario. By walking her near the sheep, but respecting their flight zone, they are calm and will eventually figure out Tatli won’t hurt them.

I have to be gone all day tomorrow. Tatli will get a deer leg bone to gnaw on. We will resume lessons on Wednesday afternoon.
Stay tuned for more of Tatli!

 

[fuzzi]

I was hoping for more pictures and progress notes on Tatli, woo!

 

[Ridgetop]

Tatli wants so badly to be friends with the sheep. But she scares them. They will run to get away, she will run to make friends, bad scenario. By walking her near the sheep, but respecting their flight zone, they are calm and will eventually figure out Tatli won’t hurt them.

Great work Bay! Knowing ehat yo are doing with a new puppy is the first step in raising an excellent livestock guardian. Bay knows her stuff.

Bay is doing the right thing with the puppy on lead to learn that she needs to walk quietly around her BFFs. Eventually you will see Tatli circle around the flock at a distance on her own. LGDs never run at sheep unless there is a predator in the flock. If you watch your own dogs you will see that LGDs walk slowly up to the flock and among them. The sheep know them and are not disturbed. A running LGD means danger.

This is where many people make the mistake of turning the LGD puppy in loose with the sheep immediately. They think the puppy will automatically know the right behavior "because it is an LGD". Instead the puppy runs happily toward her new BFFs. The sheep run away from this stranger. The puppy vainly tries to catch up and "sheep chasing" is identified by the clueless/new LGD owner. If not stopped or prevented it becomes a habit and the puppy decides it is fun to chase sheep. The ruin and waste of many a good LGD puppy by inexperienced owners who don't learn how to train LGDs. Prevention of bad habits in early puppyhood dog training is better than retraining later.

Great job Bay! Another excellent LGD in the making. Yay Tatli!