# Anatolian Shepherd LGDs



## MellonFriend

Hey everyone, I am looking into Anatolian shepherds to guard my goats and property and I have heard that Great Pyrenees dogs tend to bark pretty much constantly. I'm hoping to get a guardian dog that will deal with coyotes, predators, and human intruders. I fear that if they bark pretty much constantly, I won't be able to tell if there is actually a problem. Will Anatolian shepherds be able to alert me to threats I need to deal with?


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## toth boer goats

All LGD's bark. They hear or see something they are right on it. They are just doing the jobs. I know it can be annoying. 
Ours hates anyone driving by if he doesn't recognized the vehicle or a bird in the field, or a person walking by or someone riding a bike. The list goes on and on. He is a really good worker, I love my Anatolian. 

If you are wanting to keep away coyotes. You will need more than 1 dog. Coyotes will occupy the one dog with part of the pack, while the others go get the goats or other animals. If you have 2 dogs, the other dog can watch the goats as the other wards off the other coyotes.


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## nancy d

Our mostly Anatolian does not bark constantly. If there is an actual threat we can tell by the pitch if it is a serious one. There have been a few times we've gone out with back up. Once it was human prowlers in the middle of the night.


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## MellonFriend

toth boer goats said:


> All LGD's bark. They hear or see something they are right on it. They are just doing the jobs. I know it can be annoying.
> Ours hates anyone driving by if he doesn't recognized the vehicle or a bird in the field, or a person walking by or someone riding a bike. The list goes on and on. He is a really good worker, I love my Anatolian.
> If you are wanting to keep away coyotes. You will need more than 1 dog. Coyotes will occupy the one dog with part of the pack, while the others go get the goats or other animals. If you have 2 dogs, the other dog can watch the goats as the other wards off the other coyotes.





nancy d said:


> Our mostly Anatolian does not bark constantly. If there is an actual threat we can tell by the pitch if it is a serious one. There have been a few times we've gone out with back up. Once it was human prowlers in the middle of the night.


I understand that the LGDs barking is just part of the job, and I wouldn't mind if they do. It's good to hear that you'll be able to tell if they are barking at something I need to know about. I am unsure as to whether we have lots of coyotes in the area. We saw one coyote run through part of our yard last fall and we will hear them howling at night.


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## IHEARTGOATS

I have 4 Great Pyrenees and they don't bark constantly.


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## Madgoat

I bred Kangals (smuggled out of Turkey during Desert Storm) and Anatolians. I found my females were the noisiest, but I believe that comes with their (female)"territorial" drive. These dogs are not "guard" dogs in the sense of a Rottie, or Shepherd. They prefer to drive off intruders, and typically stop when said intruder leaves. But in the event the tresspasser doesn't move on out well then, Katie bar the door! One dog is good, but if you've ever seen two or more work in tandem, it's chilling. Like watching a cross between a big cat and a wolf. 
They are extremely self sufficient, and you can't "train" them like other breeds. THEY decide what they will do and if they will do it. You have to be the alpha with this breed, but make no mistake, they will not tolerate abuse or extreme physical discipline. If you have a good bond, your voice/tone is enough to control them. They are diggers, they "sing", and love to roam. But you will never find a more loving, loyal, protective animal. 
You can find them in all colors, and hair length. Do your homework before buying one. I was referred by someone I trusted, to her friend to purchase a breeding bitch. I wasted almost $1000.00 and ended up giving her back. Anatolian's are NOT shy, they are reserved. Shyness is not only a fault, it's dangerous to for you and them. 
Good Luck!


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## MellonFriend

Madgoat said:


> I found my females were the noisiest, but I believe that comes with their (female)"territorial" drive. These dogs are not "guard" dogs in the sense of a Rottie, or Shepherd. They prefer to drive off intruders, and typically stop when said intruder leaves. But in the event the tresspasser doesn't move on out well then, Katie bar the door! One dog is good, but if you've ever seen two or more work in tandem, it's chilling. Like watching a cross between a big cat and a wolf.
> Good Luck!


That was exactly what I wanted to hear, I think they sound perfect for my needs. What a fantastic response. I am wondering what is you opinion on having a male vs. a female?


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## Madgoat

I had both, they were quite the team. As my "pack" grew there were some squabbles and in some cases blood was drawn, but it set the boundaries and the alpha position and then all was well. Now my males? Whew, that was not easy. I literally had hot wire everywhere. It was like releasing the lions out of their den at the zoo, every day. I had to keep them separated, so they couldn't "see" each other. One time I forgot to close a gate and the next thing I knew they were fighting through the fence. It wasn't a pretty sight and dang near gave me a heart attack!


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## MellonFriend

Madgoat said:


> I had both, they were quite the team. As my "pack" grew there were some squabbles and in some cases blood was drawn, but it set the boundaries and the alpha position and then all was well. Now my males? Whew, that was not easy. I literally had hot wire everywhere. It was like releasing the lions out of their den at the zoo, every day. I had to keep them separated, so they couldn't "see" each other. One time I forgot to close a gate and the next thing I knew they were fighting through the fence. It wasn't a pretty sight and dang near gave me a heart attack!


Wow, I've heard that having more than one male was tough, but I really meant if I am getting only one what difference in temperament between having a male or a female. Sorry for the poor wording on my part.


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## BorderKelpie

After the issues I had the spring with human intruders, we picked up a pair of Anatolian Shepherds. I had held off on getting LGDs in the past due to the barking and roaming issues I was warned about. I am so sorry I waited so long, these girls are priceless! Yes, they barked a good bit that first week, but now that they have sorted out what belongs and what doesn't, they are no where near as bad as I was afraid they would be. I plan on never being without an Anatolian ever again, lovely beasts, just worth their weight in gold.


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## MellonFriend

BorderKelpie said:


> After the issues I had the spring with human intruders, we picked up a pair of Anatolian Shepherds. I had held off on getting LGDs in the past due to the barking and roaming issues I was warned about. I am so sorry I waited so long, these girls are priceless! Yes, they barked a good bit that first week, but now that they have sorted out what belongs and what doesn't, they are no where near as bad as I was afraid they would be. I plan on never being without an Anatolian ever again, lovely beasts, just worth their weight in gold.


So what made you choose females instead of males? I heard there were some differences in temperament between male and females.


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## BorderKelpie

MellonFriend, honestly I would have preferred a male/female pair. I really don't like having two of the same gender - especially females as in the past, the fights between females are the most brutal, bloody messes.
But, when I started looking, I stumbled across an older gentleman needing to downsize a bit. I won the lottery as these girls had been running with a (13 year old) Gt Pyr and a flock of sheep. Other than the fact they had never been leash trained or anything, they have been working out beautifully for me.
What I had wanted to do was to get one older pup and train it, than add another older pup in a year of the opposite gender and let the first one train the second. These girls do work as a team already, so I am hoping they will continue to get along.


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## toth boer goats

Male/ female is a good combo.
If you do not want puppies though, the female, male or both will have to be fixed.

My akbash or even antatolian seem to have a different bark for something he thinks is a major threat.
It is really interesting, my goats signal off of certain barks, they will round up in a tight circle or run to the barn. The goats listen to the dog.


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## MellonFriend

So would I be better off not getting only one?


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## BorderKelpie

MellonFriend said:


> So would I be better off not getting only one?


What my FB LGD group advises is to get one, train it, and once it's working, get a puppy to raise with your original one. That, or get a mature already working pair. That second option was waaaay out of my budget, though. lol I got a pair of older pups that had been raised by a working Gt Pyr. With a little more fine tuning, I think they will be great dogs.


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## MellonFriend

BorderKelpie said:


> What my FB LGD group advises is to get one, train it, and once it's working, get a puppy to raise with your original one. That, or get a mature already working pair. That second option was waaaay out of my budget, though. lol I got a pair of older pups that had been raised by a working Gt Pyr. With a little more fine tuning, I think they will be great dogs.


Which gender would be better to start with? Is one gender easier to work with than the other. Also I'm just not sure if I need two, my property is only four and a half acres, I won't be having many goats, and I am concerned about the expense of owning two very large dogs.


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## toth boer goats

A male would be easiest, as you know, a female will eventually come into heat. You will have to watch her a lot and for other dogs who may try to get to her. Unless she is fixed.


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## MellonFriend

toth boer goats said:


> A male would be easiest, as you know, a female will eventually come into heat. You will have to watch her a lot and for other dogs who may try to get to her. Unless she is fixed.


What about a spayed female? We already have an unneutered male lab mix, and I am worried about fighting if I have two unneutered male dogs. Would a spayed female be easier then an unneutered male?


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## toth boer goats

I do not recommend having the LGD in with the mixed breed dog. The lab mix is not recommended for protecting livestock directly in the pen. It should be a pure LGD breed.


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## MellonFriend

toth boer goats said:


> I do not recommend having the LGD in with the mixed breed dog. The lab mix is not recommended for protecting livestock directly in the pen. It should be a pure LGD breed.


I didn't mean that the lab mix would be protecting the livestock. He's just a house dog. I just meant that the lab mix and the LGD will undoubtedly encounter each other and I am worried about fighting if I have two male dogs.


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## Suzanne_Tyler

If you get the LGD as a pup and introduce them right away, you should be good. Ok, provided that the lab mix doesn't mess with the goats


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## MellonFriend

Thanks for all the advice. Based on some other research I have been doing I think that I will go with a spayed female puppy. It just seems like the temperament of the females will better suit my needs.


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## Madgoat

I think you will be happy. Good luck and post pictures please!


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## MellonFriend

Madgoat said:


> I think you will be happy. Good luck and post pictures please!


I am so excited! We think we are going to wait until spring to get our goats and LGD because we would rather not have the cold to deal with and our fences will not be ready until like the end of October. So it will be a long, impatient fall and winter!


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## Madgoat

Well, if you want to hold off getting goats because of the cold, that's understandable, especially if you don't have a secure shelter and fence. But don't hold off getting the Anatolian because of it, they LOVE cold weather, they have 2 coats. One is wool like and the other is regular dog. The area they come from has extreme weather patterns.


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