# Question for a couple years in the future



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

We've been thinking that when two of our three dogs die, we might consider a LGD.

So that's at least a couple years from now.

In Hawaii, I've not found anyone that raises LGD's as a specific thing.

I think the youngest dog you can import into Hawaii is 9 months. There is this whole, 2 rabies vaccines, titer tests, etc that you have to deal with.

Does anyone know of someone that raises LGD's, trains, etc and then ships them off as adults?

What about getting mutts at the humane society as puppies and raising them as LGD's? Most of the mutts here are pitt mixes.

I have a rottweiler mix that I adopted as an adult dog, he's "adopted" our three cats as his pack and attacked a feral cat today that was attacking MY cats. So I can see it's possible for adults to learn protection. We also have chickens and wild game fowl that we want to protect as well.

Our biggest predators here are feral dogs. Meth addicts I guess would also qualify as a danger. We also have wild pigs. LARGE wild pigs. They can be very dangerous. So far we've not seen any on our property here, but our property in Volcano Hawaii is all rooted up from them.

Anyway, any advice would be fabulous.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You would really want an LGD breed. The problem with mixes is that their natural instint may kick in when those goats are running. Nothing is going to protect against the wild hogs. Especially just one dog. I would probably want at least 2 LGD's in your situation.

I would think a good breeder would have no problem shipping a dog to you. It would be at your cost so it would just be them having to put them on a plane.


----------



## SCRMG (Oct 24, 2012)

The thing about a LGD breed is that they have a highly independent with a very low prey drive. They make horrible obedience dogs, because they tend to make their own calls on what they should do. Yes, they may KNOW your telling them to sit, but they'll decide if that's really necessary. They are alert to threats. Most breeds of dogs have a trigger in their mind that tells them if something is running, it should be chased down. The guardian breeds are not typically that way (low prey drive).

There are people that successfully run non guardian breeds with livestock. With that being said, I firmly believe that practice is a ticking timebomb. I have heard horror stories of dogs run like this that one day just decide to go after the livestock. I really recommend going with a breed that has been bred for generations for the job. Think about it, Michael Phelps is an athlete, but he probably wouldn't cut it as a running back on the football field.

Wild boers will be a problem for any dog. There are some breeds that have been tested against them, but most of these breeds tend to be more aggressive, and I would not recommend them for a first time LGD owner. A good LGD is unlike any dog most people have ever owned. If you have a hog problem, you may want to consider mire than one LGD (I would recommend about 3).

I didn't realize Hawaii was so rigid on bringing dogs over. Their rules are more stringent than importing a foreign dog to the US mainland! I would recommend trying to contact breeders well in advance, and see if they would be willing to raise, and start a pup to the nine month. Most breeders sale the puppies young, but if you make prior arrangements you will probably find a breeder who will work with you.

Given your climate, I would be looking for a short haired LGD breed. I don't have any experience with them, but an Anatolian Shepherd comes to mind. This breed can be a bit of a challenge, but I believe a little less so than some of the other short coated Turkush LGDs.

Good luck with the search. I attached a picture of one of my LGDs. This is what I personally look for in a Guardian. She's a dog who will protect her charges, descrimiates between threat and non threat, and acts as a shepherd when I'm not around.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Thanks for the replies! We def won't go with an unknown mixed breed then. I like the look of the anatolian shepherds. They are a very handsome breed.

Yeah, it was harder to get my dog to Hawaii than my parrots. Your dog has to have had 2 documented in blue ink rabies certs, then after that's done you have to have a titer test done and then you have to wait a minimum of 120 days from the date the results are in from the titer test (or the date the lab gets the test I can't remember). So 120 days is 4 months right there. The rabies vaccines have to be so many days apart so I think it's about 9 months is the youngest pup you can get if you do the rabies vaccines safely.


----------

