# New LGD coming, questions



## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

*New LGD coming-UPDATE arrived!*

So after waiting for a rescue for several months (and passing up several puppies since I was waiting for one rescue in particular), I made arrangements to obtain a 6 month old LGD that is 3/4 GP and 1/4 Mare from another goat breeder. He is neutered, is rock solid with the goats, but he does like to explore outside his fences.

So I'm home pretty much most of the time and can work on the "hey I'm a young guy looking to explore the world" behavior. I also think maybe with him being the only LGD here he might bond a little more to my animals and stick around to protect them (or I hope).

So some questions:

1. Is there a good puppy non grain food out there (or has no corn) that is not an arm and leg to purchase? I think my little guys I'm paying like $60 a month for a 25lb bag.... I think 25 lbs will last the new guy a week!

2. I have poultry and he has never been around any before. I know the warning signs of a dog who wants some chicken nuggets! But should I chain him up and let chickens out or should I keep them in pen and let him go visit from outside the fence?

I'm sure I will have a ton more questions but that is all I can think of right now. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me as he has to learn there are LGD's next door as well working (thankfully female) and they actually watch my goats from their side of the fence (they have been my alert system since I got goats).

New guy is here. Tonight he is settled in a shelter for the night and tomorrow we will teach him the ropes and let him meet everyone. His name is Sam and he is actually 10 months old (don't know where I got 6).


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## BoerKikoLady (Nov 2, 2010)

First be very careful with food for LGD, all protein may not be the best answer, keep protein not as high as you would other breeds, I use around 22 -24% protein. Remember this dogs were breed and raised for stock and will also eat the stock food, rodents and ground hogs. 

GP are perimeter LGDs with range of 2 miles. Mine spent the first three weeks working out his territory. Drove me crazy. As the only LDG he needs to do perimeter AND close. To guard the stock, while he did his territory check mine would take the goats with him through the neighbors farms.... GP are as good at finding weakness in your fence as goats. With training mine has settle on close to stock day and perimeter at night when they are sleeping at the barn..
Dont chain up, let visit pen, chaining can create aggression. Yours is a puppy and could be playing and accidently kill poultry. Poultry is usually better with a more mature dog.


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## goldengirls (Oct 7, 2012)

Try these websites, they have information on LGD

http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/temperament.htm

http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/temperament_weisser.pdf


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## KarmakeeFarm (Jun 3, 2012)

If you have a TSC close to you (Tractor Supply Company) Their brand of food 4 Health is non grain and has been great for my Aussies-it does come in a low protein large breed formular and is lower cost (about 30 for a 35 lbs bag). My dogs need to eat a lot less of this brand than when I was feeding Taste of the Wild-with less gas!


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

mnblonde said:


> If you have a TSC close to you (Tractor Supply Company) Their brand of food 4 Health is non grain and has been great for my Aussies-it does come in a low protein large breed formular and is lower cost (about 30 for a 35 lbs bag). My dogs need to eat a lot less of this brand than when I was feeding Taste of the Wild-with less gas!


I wish we had a TSC. My close one is 2.5 hours down into California, which would be OK every once in awhile but during the winter pretty much no guarantee on the summit into Oregon being very good for traveling on.

So I did some snooping at Costco, looking at their non grain food. Ingredient list seems pretty good, price is good at $31.99 for 35lbs, but they have been recalled several times. So I looked and seems that most companies have been recalled lately. Bout the only ones I didn't see a recall for is Purina and what I'm currently feeding called Evo. Which kinda scares me all around when it comes to dog food.

Anyways I'm going to post the pictures of the back label for the costco food.

I'm getting excited about him coming, I know I have some work cut out for me but that is fine. We are going to do daily rounds around his property and let him know what is his and what isn't his (I have about 10 acres with half of it not in use but it's where the predators will come from as there is nothing behind me for a good distance).

And I figure if any chickens can train a dog my crazy hens are the ones to do it. They are scared of nothing and will attack anything!

My only concern is the first night it looks like I will need to put him in a large shed for the night. I will be coming in late, it's going to be dark, and more then likely raining which is not a good time to make a meet and great on the goats. The next day will start introducing him and seeing how he reacts to my goats (he does know half of them).


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## KarmakeeFarm (Jun 3, 2012)

Do you have a Dells? They are owned by TSC-They might be able to get it-I know there are a lot of Dells out your way!
KarmaKee farm La Manchas
MN


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

mnblonde said:


> Do you have a Dells? They are owned by TSC-They might be able to get it-I know there are a lot of Dells out your way!
> KarmaKee farm La Manchas
> MN


No Dell's.

We have two big feed stores, Big R and then The Grange co-op (who is also the local feed mill). Then there are a few smaller places that are limited on what they carry.

But I will look and see where the close Dell's is as now you have me intrigued!


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

I wouldnt let chickens free range until you work with him on being around chickens. Chickens are too tempting to chase. And some LGD's will chase chickens no matter what and others don't. I would let him smell them through a cage to begin with...let him know they are YOUR chickens. Then if you have a tame chicken let him smell the chicken without a cage. If he starts to chase say NO. Work daily with him and hopefully he will learn that they are YOURS and he can't chase them. 

They definitely take lots of time to train, but are well worth it in the end  Good luck!


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

shelley, look at labels at Big R, if I remember they have some decent brands and prices. I use to be in central OR and worked at one there briefly. What about coastal? do you have one down there, we just got ours in up here.


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

clearwtrbeach said:


> shelley, look at labels at Big R, if I remember they have some decent brands and prices. I use to be in central OR and worked at one there briefly. What about coastal? do you have one down there, we just got ours in up here.


Yeah Big R is not too bad but not much different then PetSmart-or the soon to be new Petco that is going in.

I stopped at a Coastal a few months back, when I was returning from Salem. Large store! I don't know if we will ever get one here as Grange has the area covered and Big R puts out some good sales.


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## Brooks-of-Judah (Oct 1, 2012)

My Akbash pup seemed okay around the chickens to start with, but then one day he killed one of my young pullets (the prettiest one, of course!). I corrected him sternly. After that, I started taking the goats and dog out of the goat pen for about an hour each day, and into the fresh browse. I would just sit on the hill with them, and keep a sharp eye on the dog. The chickens free-range, so they were drifting in and out of the pup's vicinity. If he so much as looked at them cross-eyed, I would yell at him, NO! I KEEL you!! Anyway, he got the idea. After a couple of weeks of this routine, he quit even glancing up when a chicken passed by.


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

Brooks-of-Judah said:


> My Akbash pup seemed okay around the chickens to start with, but then one day he killed one of my young pullets (the prettiest one, of course!). I corrected him sternly. After that, I started taking the goats and dog out of the goat pen for about an hour each day, and into the fresh browse. I would just sit on the hill with them, and keep a sharp eye on the dog. The chickens free-range, so they were drifting in and out of the pup's vicinity. If he so much as looked at them cross-eyed, I would yell at him, NO! I KEEL you!! Anyway, he got the idea. After a couple of weeks of this routine, he quit even glancing up when a chicken passed by.


I love the "NO! I KEEL You!" ....Sam might listen to that..

He is actually doing great as far as the poultry, he basically looks at them crossed eyed as they walk right over him but no attempt to attack.

He has found every old bone on the property and brought them back (oh boy), and I think he found the wethers testicles in the pasture as one day he was chewing on something small and leathery.

Now he was rock solid on the goats, but my crazy alpha made such a big deal about him being outside the pasture or inside when I would let him in to supervise the first few days that half my does are scared to death of him and will run. He thinks it's a game and I've had to correct him a lot. Right now I've got him penned down in the hay barn where the does have to pass him to get to the hay feeder so they stop worrying about him. And they stop running like fools when they see him.

All in all he is doing good for a very young dog who has moved to a new home. He has the basics down, he knows to alert me if one of the goats is out, he cries like crazy if he can't see them and I can tell when something is out there as his bark is different and the neighbor LGD's confirm it.


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