Training NEW LGD question

[crazyland]

Tethering is temporary. The goats do not bother him.
I have shepherds and do not want them to teach him any of their behaviors. I actually use my oldest gsd to herd the goats back towards their pasture when I let them loose.
Playtime is different from work.

 

[watchdogps]

Tethering is temporary. The goats do not bother him.
I have shepherds and do not want them to teach him any of their behaviors. I actually use my oldest gsd to herd the goats back towards their pasture when I let them loose.
Playtime is different from work.

I figured you had it right, I was just putting the warning out for anyone who had the wrong idea. I have had people come to me basically bragging that their rams were beating the crap out of the puppy. I have also had people turn 4 mos old pups over to me for attacking stock and they tell me their breeder told them to put the pups in with their meanest goats.

I prefer a pen inside the stock area to a tether though.

 

[lgdnevada]

Oh whew, thanks crazyland for clarifying.
Yes watchdogps I too have heard horror stories of what some people do for 'training' their LGD. I about go ballistic.

 

[watchdogps]

BTW, lgdNevada- LOVE your mastines! They are on my list of "maybe someday" I knew a lovely one a friend of a friend had imported from Spain.

 

[crazyland]

Sorry, I have that tendency to not always be clear.

 

[lgdnevada]

BTW, lgdNevada- LOVE your mastines! They are on my list of "maybe someday" I knew a lovely one a friend of a friend had imported from Spain.

Thank you, I'm enjoying the heck out of them!

 

[Bedste]

I know that the older ones train the younger ones, but how do you train your LGDs to begin with....??

Not training -- correction. When it comes to LGDs, all the software is pre-installed; you just have to monitor the system and do a little debugging from time to time.

The dog will almost certainly do stupid things until it's at least 18mos old. The first summer, it'll be increasingly disconcerting for the dog to romp around with the goats like a moron because the dog will just keep getting bigger and bigger, and more and more able to do damage, and you'll worry. When Fall rolls around and the temperature starts dropping, the dog will be huge and wild as a buck because, to a big furry LGD, cold weather = GAME ON IT'S PLAYTIME WOOHOO LETS DO THIS! You'll have considered selling the dog, neutering/spaying, tying it out, putting it in a pen, etc., and you'll basically want to pull your hair out by Spring. When it starts to heat up again, your young dog will undergo a seemingly miraculous change from 'worst LGD ever' to 'best LGD ever' and you'll think you've got it all whooped -- but you still have a young dog and another cold season coming. When the dog's 2nd Fall rolls around, you'll wonder why your dog's being a turkey again all of a sudden.. Fear not, it's just because it's finally cool enough to be an idiot again and the dog's not quite a 2yo yet..

By the 2nd Spring, the dog will be pretty mature.. That 2nd Summer will more or less see the dog become 'best LGD ever' and pretty much stay that way just because, at 2, these giant breed dogs are sorta middle aged and have little time or energy for youthful foolishness.. And as crazy as it sounds, you'll kinda start to miss the days when they were super active and playful all the time, and that's when the thoughts about how short their lives usually are - around 8 years is pretty good - will start to creep into your mind and cause you to wonder what in the world you're ever going to do when they go.

And that's life with an LGD, in a nutshell.

I had the pleasure to have this life with an LGD, a Kuvacz. At the time, I had no idea what this big ball of white fluff was all about. My Better Half did because he had one before. I got to meet Marque in his senior years and he passed at 11. My full experience was with Ice. You described my experience with this incredible animal to a tee. He passed 16 years ago and I still miss him. He taught me so much and made me truly feel safe that I will always be eternally grateful.

I am so encouraged by BOTH of these posts..... Thank you.... My Slovensky Cuvac is 10 months old. google it and you will see a small version of a Great Pyranese... he is wonderful and accidently does a lot of damage because he is so so playful and rambuntious. My one and only goat is afraid of him..... and I can not leave them both loose ever. But now I have hope....