Pete's Page

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Pete's Livestock Guardian Dog Page

Brought to you by Pete, the Best Three-Legged Dog In The World
(known on alt.tasteless as Pete the Tasteless Dog O' Stench)

Pete is a great mixed breed dog, about 13 years old, who came to live with us some 4 years ago. Pete had shown up at my grandparents' farm a good 10 years ago, and sort of adopted them. He was the self-appointed guardian of the farm until 5 years ago, when he tangled with something that tangled him back, and he lost his left hind foot up to an inch or so below the hock.

Pete hasn't let this slow him down much, though. We brought him home with us because he was just too big and strong for my grandfather to handle anymore (even with only 3 feet!), and he has lived here quite happily as the Biggest House Dog In Georgia. We used to let him out unsupervised to tend to his personal business and oversee the neighborhood, but had to stop that about a year ago. Pete's libido wrote a check his poor old body just couldn't cash, and we had to stretcher him back to the house after he got stove up under a pine tree in the middle of a thunderstorm one night. Since then he has only gone out on a leash or tied to his overhead run out back. He doesn't seem to miss his steppin' out days, having discovered the joys of sleeping in the house, getting table scraps, and looking soulful so people will share their food. Dogs like to sleep with the pack, anyway...

WHAT THE HECK IS A LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOG??

A Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) is a dog used specifically to protect livestock from predators. Though not a specific breed, they tend to generally resemble each other: large (80-120 lbs), fawn or white, and dark muzzled. Some of the more common breeds are Great Pyrenees, Komondor, Akbash dog and Anatolian Shepherd, and Maremma.

Unlike herding dogs, guardian dogs operate independently of humans, staying with their charges almost all the time. The key to a good LGD seems to be raising a pup from 8 weeks of age singly with the animal to be guarded, and minimize human contact. In other words, the LGD must become socialized to the animal it will protect, not so much to humans. This way the LGD will view the flock as the pack, and aggressively repel predators.

The USDA has published a Livestock Guard Dog Fact Sheet which has a lot of good information on LGD's. There are also various other sites on the web which deal with this interesting alternative means of providing protection for livestock.

Here are some pictures of some of the more popular LGD breeds. Please remember, if you are contemplating getting one of these animals, that they are big dogs, are exuberant as puppies and adolescents, and the long haired ones shed. Do the dog a favor, and really think long and hard about it before you take it into your home (of course, this applies to all animals!):


Great Pyrenees	Komondor	Akbash	Anatolian Shepherd	Maremma

LINKS

And some links Pete feels you might like to visit to learn more about LGD and dogs in general:

The Livestock Guardian Dog Association
The story of Briar, a Kuvasz LGD and her introduction to her new home and life
Flock&Family Guardian Network
The Dog Infomat

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