First pup, and the first time LGD owner

A three-month-old pup, hanging out with some mature rams.

First pup, and the first time LGD owner

Written for The Shepherd's Magazine

© 2019 Louise Liebenberg

For folks who have had livestock guardian dogs (LGD) for many years, the succession of dogs mostly goes flawlessly, a pup is either acquired or bred. They are then raised on the ranch, among the sheep (that know LGD) and with other LGD to support and nurture the pup as it matures. However, if someone is starting with their first pup and do not have livestock used to having LGD around, no other adult mentor dogs around and an owner who is new to the whole LGD scene, then the prospect of raising a pup becomes rather daunting. In this article I will highlight a few things to make the transition into the wonderful world of livestock guardian dogs a little easier.

The very best option for the first time LGD owner is too try and acquire a mature, good working dog. It makes the process for the “newbie” owner so much easier, and that dog can in the future be a great mentor to any future new pups. Finding a reliable and good adult can be a challenge, as most ranchers who have good dogs, rarely part with them. Watch for a flock dispersal sale, or someone retiring from the sheep industry as they might just have a suitable adult available. Beware the Craigslist dogs, or the pets gone wrong adverts. If finding an adult is not an option, then it is a matter of biting the bullet and starting off with a pup or sub adult. I would highly recommend you researching as much as you can before getting the pup, so you are aware of what lies ahead.

I do not want to go into detail about puppy selection, so I will assume the pup acquired is from sound working stock, healthy and has, at minimum been raised with livestock.

Allowing a pup the time to live with, interact and bond with the sheep is the best start you can give to the pup.

The first phase is to work on the bonding process, too many people suggest that a pup cannot be raised in with livestock, or should be kenneled or penned adjacent to the stock for the first 2 years. I strongly disagree with this sentiment, the place the pup needs to be is in with the livestock from the first day. This stage is very important for the pup to learn that, being with the livestock is the best place to be, the pup will learn to “read” the sheep, will come to regard the sheep as a being part of his world and will learn that sheep need to be respected. You can absolutely build a space that is only accessible for the pup within the area of the livestock, a safe place for pup to sleep, eat or withdraw to.  This can be an area that is surrounded by cattle panels that the pup can crawl under to allow it free access to the livestock or its safe place and will keep the sheep out.
When introducing the pup, the easiest is to have a smaller, well contained yard, pasture or paddock, where you can place a few older, kinder sheep to help transition the pup from the breeder to your place. Too large an area can be overwhelming for the pup, and you want the pup to be near the livestock. You do not want the pup to hide in some distant corner and avoid the sheep. For a pup around 8 weeks old, I like the area to be a large pen or small paddock.

Another issue that often arises when starting out with LGD is that the livestock have never had a dog live among them. The reactions of the livestock can range from fearful, constant running away (which can incite the young dog to “chase” as it wants to sniff and meet these animals) to very aggressive behaviour (goats can be particularly mean with butting pups). Space, time and a safe zone are important factors with wary livestock.  If you are concerned about the livestock being too wild, or aggressive to the pup, consider buying 2 or 3 culls from the breeder. These sheep will be used to LGD and will behave appropriately towards the young dog. These old ewes will help settle the new livestock and make the transition for the pup a lot easier. You want to allow the pup to interact with the sheep as much as possible for the first few weeks, you can go and visit, play with, pet and handle the pup, but just do it in this area with the livestock. The pup needs to have a positive experience with the sheep to encourage the bonding and learning process. This phase ranges in age from about 8 weeks to 12-14 weeks, for some pups a bit longer for other a bit shorter.

Phase 2, this is the phase I call the exploratory stage, starts by either adding more sheep into the pen or by making the area the pup and sheep live in a bit larger. This is necessary to avoid the pup become bored and to mentally stimulate it. If you can keep the mind learning with new experiences, then the pup does not have time to “be bored”. When, this stage starts, depends very much on the character of the pup, a pup that likes to explore may need the challenge of more space sooner than another pup with a shyer nature. On larger operations the pup will start heading out and following the bigger dogs out with the sheep when they are ready. It is not so much a step by step process but rather a fluid development. Allow the pup to spend more time out on pasture with the sheep. Ensure the pup is safe from predators. It is important to watch the pup interact with the sheep without too much interference on your part. I find leashed visits, too much interference and too little time for interactions. The pup really needs as much time with the livestock as possible without being micromanaged all the time. I hear so often that people take their pup to “visit” with the livestock, I think this creates unnecessary excitement and does little to teach the pup about sheep behaviour.  In this exploratory or expansion phase, it is good to introduce other livestock species to the pup. Ours get to hang out with cattle and horses, while still contained in a relatively small area. In our Canadian winters, when the livestock are in winter corrals or feeding pastures, this is a great opportunity for young pups to learn about all the animals, while close at hand to be supervised. The cold winter really does encourage snuggling with the warm woollies.  We will introduce the pup to our other herding dogs, and if we have more than one pup, this is the stage I would separate them so that they can develop and grow more independently from one another.

This 5-month-old is relaxed and happy to hang around with the ewes, this is exactly the type of behaviour you want to see.

The good things to watch for in this stage is following the stock out to graze, calmness, a submissive type of walking, respectful behaviour towards the stock, soft eyes when looking at the stock. The pup may need a reprimand or correction if he wants to chase or play. A well-timed bucket to his butt, or clod of dirt (snowball, for us) certainly helps to snap them out of that naughty mindset.  At around 4 to 5 months, a pup can get naughty (chasing, nipping), the best thing for the bored pup is more work. Change things up, send them out with the main flock, place with a new group of animals such as rams. Just because a pup may be in a naughty stage, it does not mean they need to be entirely separated from the stock, try to place the pup with livestock that will be less inclined to run and play. If a pup is being naughty, you may want to remove it from fragile animals such as newborns, or weak animals, but you do want to try and keep the pup with older and bigger livestock, such as cattle, or bucks.  Do supervise more, and correct unwanted behaviour in a firm and very consistent manner. Correct for play chasing, cornering of the stock, nipping, wool pulling, tail chasing, ear chewing, rough and rude behaviour, barging through the stock etc. A verbal correction should stop the behaviour, if not, then escalate your approach to bad behaviour. I will run towards a pup, yell at it, chase it off, maybe toss out a few cuss words. Whatever you do, it needs to make an impression on the pup that he certainly knows, without a doubt, that you are very unhappy with that behaviour. If the pup is very hard and persistent, then this pup may have to be supervised more closely, perhaps back into the small pasture at night or contained within a kennel or zip line in the pasture. Some dogs do require separation from the flock if there is a potential of them harming the animals. Separation or segregation prevents bad behaviour escalating, and allows you time to work on the issues, bear in mind, that the separation alone does not ‘fix” problems. Many pups are good, and with a few small corrections along the way, continue and mature without ever needing separation or containment.

When a pup is around 4 to 5 months old, we like to switch things around, introducing to other livestock, a larger pasture and more work all helps to keep the mind of the pup learning.

From this point on usually around 5-6 months, you can expect the pup to start reacting more to threats, barking at things, maybe more patrolling. He may not be old enough to fight off predators, but he will start reacting more. Some will follow the livestock out to graze but then head home partway through the day. An immature dog feels less confident out in the pastures alone with the stock or where the predator pressure is high.  A single young dog knows that he is vulnerable, so they need time to mature and be comfortable alone in the back forty with the sheep. If possible take the young dog back to the flock, or send it back so that it does learn to stay out with the sheep.

The first LGD may be lonelier and seek out human and other canine companionship, which is understandable. However, be consequent with him staying with the stock, and spend time with the young dog in the pasture. Check the sheep, feed, do chores and be with the pup, observe how the pup interacts. If your young dog has progressed well, and you are happy with where he is in his development, then it could be time to consider another one. I certainly feel that all LGD need canine partners to help with the guardian duties.

The shepherd is the glue.

 

LGD working together provides companionship for the dogs as well as back up and safety.

The Shepherd is the Glue.

© Louise Liebenberg 2018

Written for The Shepherds Magazine

Traditional livestock guardian dogs (LGD) have been used to guard small hoofed stock in Europe and Asia, their role was to accompany the shepherd and his flocks, into the mountains or steppes to graze, with the primary job being keeping the flocks safe from marauding predators.  These were un-fenced communal grazing areas, often marginal land they were only suitable for grazing. Fencing is generally not used in these areas, to contain grazing livestock, the shepherd controlled where and what was grazed. The fencing consisted mostly of a night corral during the summer grazing period.  If the sheep were not grazing, they were either back in the village for the winter either in a barn or, contained in a yard of sorts. In areas where crops were grown, the livestock was often shepherded and grazed on winter pastures or stubble. In the Netherlands, the traditional shepherding way, was a village shepherd would walk past all the small farms in the morning, each farmer would open the gate and let their handful of sheep out, all the sheep from the various farmers would go as one flock with the shepherd to the heather areas, dykes or stubble to graze. In the evening, as the shepherd walked down the road, each owner’s sheep would turn off into their own yard for the night. The land grazed, was communal land.  This system is still practiced in Europe, particularly in the more rural regions, were shepherding or tending is the how sheep are managed while grazing.

The LGD, sheep and shepherd are a unit, working together. The shepherd watches over the dogs and their interactions with the livestock and will be quick to chastise a young dog who is too rambunctious. The dogs live within the villages, the kids play with the pups, and the dogs provide protection for the home and village. A few older dogs may be laying around, but the younger ones will often be tethered to ensure they do not get into mischief. Though the dogs may never go into a home, they are close at hand, at the barn, in the courtyard, tethered to a shelter, laying at the entrance to the yard, or lazing under a tree close to the flock and the shepherd. Tethering is a very common occurrence in many of these traditional shepherding systems. Of course, during the grazing times the dogs are free to travel with the sheep, but often, back at the camp or village the young dogs are tethered. As the sheep are often locked into a barn, the need for protection is diminished.

In North America, the range flocks are still tended in this manner, with shepherds living with the stock during the summer months and the flocks often returning to the homestead following the grazing months. The LGD travel with the herds, keeps the flocks safe and are the alarm system for the shepherds.

Traditional shepherding has been replaced by fenced in pasture systems. With this change the role and work required of LGD changed.

When, the manner of raising sheep changed from a shepherded system to a more stationary grazing system, fencing was integral to this change. The fence allowed the sheep to be left unattended, while the owner could do other work. Fencing allowed for sheep to graze any time day or night, provided a barrier against theft and depredation, reduction in wages of a shepherd and provided a clearly marked boundary (ownership or right to use solely).

When the sheep are housed in a barn, the dogs are often tethered. The shepherds still interact, touch and pet their dogs. The dogs do not live in isolation and are handled. This shepherd pets his dog in Macedonia.

It is also with this change in management system that they way LGD were used, changed. Prior to fencing, it was the shepherd that was the glue of the whole operation between sheep and dogs. The shepherd was tasked with training the young dog, to ensure he would become a good dog. It was the shepherd who reprimand the naughty pup, or tethered the unruly dog, tossed a clod of dirt at a dog misbehaving or swiped at the dog with his shepherds’ staff if the dog did not heed his warning. The shepherd had eyes on the dog pretty much all day and at night they were often chained within the sheepfold, with the older, reliable dogs free. The dogs were handled as pups, played with by kids, many got taught to walk on a rope lead, they would get the odd ear rub or attention while out in the fields. There is a direct relationship between the shepherd and their dogs.

When sheep became fenced in, the LGD were now required to live alone with the sheep within a fenced area. The contact between the sheep keeper and the dog become minimized. The idea of minimal contact was encouraged in order to ensure that dogs would stay with the sheep and not leave to go and find companionship. Thirty or forty years ago there was generally only one dog in the flock per pasture. The prevailing thought was; as it is a working dog, to not “spoil” the dog by handing it. Handling it would mean the dog would become soft and not want to work anymore.  As dogs are social creatures, they would often want to leave their job with the sheep in search of companionship and attention.  To discourage this, the owners were advised to not touch or pet the dogs, to basically keep them shy of humans so that they would remain with the sheep and not come looking for attention.

 This was generally called “bonding” the dog to the sheep, and this bonding did not include humans.
With shepherds this bonding to the sheep was more natural and less forced. The interactions between the dogs and the sheep occurred more fluidly, the dogs and sheep lived in proximity with each other and under the guidance of the herder. Pups were raised in and around the sheep, the barn or yard was close to the shepherd’s hut or the within the village. The pups did not need forced bonding or isolation to learn to “stay with the sheep”.

This difference in approach is the key to many issues we see today. Many owners complain about roaming dogs, dogs that are not trustworthy with stock, a lack of maturity in their dogs, roughhousing, excessive barking, fearful dogs and ones that cannot be trusted with family members or other pets.

When people come looking for advice to many of these issues, the solution is most often supervision. Supervision means watching, observing, guiding and directing. To supervise, you need eyes on the dog. In some cases, it can mean spying, or watching with a remote camera, or pretending to do chores while keeping an eye out on the pup.  It may mean camping out in the field with a good book observing the dog’s behaviour. In some situations, it is the livestock that are your “eyes” in the field as they will often indicate if the LGD is not behaving appropriately.

When, I suggest supervise the dog more, I will often get the reply “well, I have a job, or cannot watch the dog 24/7”,  all this is true, but depending on the what the dog is doing he may not need 24/7 supervision, the time you are out doing chores can often be enough to suggest the pup change his behaviour. If the problems are bigger, then there is nothing wrong to tether the dog when you cannot watch him. Sometimes a colt needs to be tied to the “thinking tree”, and sometimes a young dog needs a time-out to think about his life choices.  Tethering is often regarded as an animal welfare issue, and in some areas tethering is illegal. Tethering is as much a training tool as it is a form of confinement.

When the sheep are not been grazed, the LGD are often tethered or housed near the sheep, this is a shepherd’s dog in Macedonia.

Providing the dog with companionship with other LGD, and human interaction, helps a young dog feel more secure and comfortable in its roll. Being relegated to the live a life alone in the back forty, is certainly a precursor for trouble in the form of excessive barking, roaming, playing with the stock and other unwanted behaviors.

Every day this shepherd in Portugal heads out with his mixed herd of sheep, goats and some cattle, the dogs accompany him, if they get rowdy he tells them to quit what they are doing, he guides and works with these dogs.

So, with this change in livestock management and the way we use LGD, will require us to adapt in the way we work with these dogs. It may be against what has been advocated over the years, and perhaps we need to integrate more of the old ways into the new way of keeping sheep. Despite sheep being out in pastures and not requiring daily shepherding, we may have to consider a more “shepherded” approach when we deal with the LGD.

Good advice

Written for The Shepherds Magazine

©Louise Liebenberg Nov 2018

Within the livestock guardian dog (LGD) community, I am seeing a lot of advice regarding the raising of LGD pups that I feel is erroneous and counteractive. It undermines the very fundament of raising livestock guardians. The advice being propagated is that puppies should be raised adjacent too or kenneled within the livestock pasture for at least 2 years before they are remotely reliable with livestock. That the young LGD cannot be left alone with the livestock, unless supervised and or contained.

 It is something I simply cannot wrap my head around. In fact, it makes my toes curl and I am growing more and more frustrated when I see this advice being handed out as though it is the gold standard of raising livestock guardian dogs, when in fact it is the exactly the opposite. We are inhibiting the learning and bonding process for the young LGD pup.  We all know that if we want to learn a second language the easiest time to learn is when we are a child. It is much harder to learn a new language when we are older.  We want our LGDs to learn the language of sheep, we want our dogs to understand sheep behaviour, and to understand their body language and mannerisms. The easiest and best time to learn this is when a pup is young and open to learning, ideally between the ages of 7 and 16 weeks, and often, extending far beyond 16 weeks of age. Learning about livestock at this age is the foundation from which the pup can grow and learn from. Of course, it is possible to learn when older and some dogs do, but why miss this opportunity and squander this time until a dog is two years old? Surely successful raising means; maximizing on the ability for a pup to learn, for the livestock to interact and integrate the new guardian into the flock at a time when it is most natural for the pup? Bonding is not a magical event, it is a long, slow process where the dog and the sheep learn about each other, this process involves the pup and livestock living together. Bonds with the livestock are not formed when the pup is kenneled, or only allowed to interact on a leash, or supervised perimeter walks.

12-week-old pup completely relaxed and casual with the sheep. She knows no better than sheep belong in her world

Somehow, this idea has formed that raising LGD from puppies with livestock is not possible, without keeping them segregated, kenneled or leash walked until at least 2 years old, that they cannot be reliable with livestock until this magic age or even alone with the animals unless under constant supervision. Perhaps, because this advise has become so mainstream, is why many people are having issues such as roaming, excessive excitement, chasing and unreliability with their dogs. Just maybe, this advise is contributing to the problems rather than helping to solve them? 

Raising pups with livestock from a young age makes the whole process of bonding to sheep more natural. The pups learn many valuable lessons at this age.

Here are some statements that I read on many LGD groups and forums, and each time I wonder why this advise is being handed out and propagated? I question whether the people who are saying this, are livestock keepers who truly know the importance of having LGD protecting their flocks or if it just some hobbyists parroting information without are fully understanding the implications of what they are saying?

1. The idea that “no LGD should be left alone with livestock until it is at least two years old”.

2. That the pups should be raised in a kennel adjacent to or kenneled within the livestock pasture.

3. The implication that no LGD can be reliable before the age of 2 years old.

4. That the pup needs equal family time and livestock time, to be an all-round farm dog, or trustworthy with the kids.

5. That it is cruel/abusive/neglectful to raise a pup in with livestock.

6. That supervision requires 24/7 surveillance and containment.

I am not sure where the idea evolved from that no LGD should be left alone with livestock until at least 2 years old.  But, these 2 years of the young LGD life will shape his future behaviour, his learning and bonding ability to the livestock. To waste this time, waiting for a dog to mature is nonsensical to me. It goes against what shepherds have been doing for thousands of years, what researches suggest and what sheep ranchers already know.

Similarly, the advice to keep pups separated from the livestock by a kennel or in a pen adjacent to the livestock is questionable. Raising the dogs next to the livestock means nothing to the dog, in fact they can become territorial of the area "next to the livestock", meaning they could behave aggressively towards the stock if they approach the area. Having a pup born and raised among the livestock instead of being separated means that the pup will become casual about having the animals around him, there is not that super excitable stage of being released from his pen into the livestock pen. The pup will grow up not knowing any better that the sheep belong in his space and there is nothing to get all hyper excited about. The pup will get the occasional head butt that will remind him to be mindful of the animals. The whole idea of bonding to the livestock is that the pup develops a relationship with the animals, that he regards them as a part of his world, that he learns the finer points of livestock behaviour, and that there is a routine and calmness to this whole process.  There are very few times when containment is necessary, but it is not normally required with a pup under 16 weeks of age with hoofed livestock.

4-month-old pups on double look-out duty.

This advice that no LGD should be alone with livestock also contains the implicit suggestion that the LGD cannot be trustworthy before two. By two years old these dogs should be fully functional within its job, they should be building on their experiences and maturing into their role on the guardian team. If we treat them like babies and have no expectations that the should be working then yes, they will remain unreliable adolescents. In some countries the life span of these dogs is very short due to poisoning, disease and other causes of death, if they must wait until the dog is at least 2, then they would have no dogs left to do the work.

 Of course, some go through naughty phases, there is a moment where a pup may require tethering or removal from a group of livestock, but that should only be when the pup shows behaviour that requires him to be separated.  We have had dogs that have never gone through a naughty stage and have lived all their lives with the livestock with no issues.  Most pups are as good as gold until at least 4 -5 months old, after that age some naughtiness can creep in. Supervision is the key, not segregation. Supervision does not mean 24/7/365 constant “eyes on” the pup, it means paying attention to the pup’s behaviour, how the livestock behaves, a timely correction and a reprimand. I sometimes only see my pups 2 x a day, and in those short moments, I need to access how they are doing, if there are any concerns or any behaviour that needs to be corrected. I will watch the stock, as they are the first to indicate if a pup is being naughty or unreliable. It is only when I have an inkling that the pup may need a little more attention/supervision that I will focus on that. If the behaviour of the pups and the livestock gives me no reason to be concerned, then they continue living together.

A pup of 14 weeks old is looking, learning and watching what the sheep do all day.

I do not believe that a pup needs equal family time and livestock time to be an all-round farm dog or even trustworthy with other family members.  The owner needs to decide before acquiring the pup what they want and expect from their LGD. If they want a full-time family dog, then absolutely let it sleep on the couch. If, however, you have predator concerns and you need an LGD to protect the livestock, then the dog needs to be where the livestock is.  He cannot do his job from inside the house. It is so easy for a pup to bond and socialize with humans that this is rarely an issue that the LGD won’t be social to family members. The primary bond should first be with the livestock, then the family and by doing it in this order, you will have a dog that is happy to be with the animals and happy to visit and be with you when you are in the pasture.

It is easy to be called out for being cruel and abusive these days when one has working dogs. The fact that we use our dogs for the task they have been bred for and selected for is admirable, we tend to forget that these dogs are happiest doing what they have been bred for. It is not cruel to have a puppy live with the livestock, the animals provide companionship and there are often other working LGD around to guide the new pup. The pup needs primary care such as good food, shelter, health care, safety and of course some attention.  The pup may whimper and howl when removed from the litter, this is a normal reaction. Allowing him to snuggle up with some sweet ewes or a few lambs will quickly help the pup realize that sheep are his companions. A pup being raised with livestock is not a neglected animal, and that mindset needs to be changed!

I am sure that this advice originates from well meaning dog folks who have little experience with livestock and working dogs. Many do not understand the nuances of terminology such as bonding, supervision and or even reliability. The idea that one can leave a young LGD for hours alone with the livestock is for many, a foreign concept. 

How can you leave a 12-week-old pup in a pen with some ewes?  Surely, it is better to have him in the house and then later transition him into the livestock pen? However, when that pup is 10 months old, he becomes a habitual escaper, will not stay with the sheep, is super excitable when he is allowed free with the sheep, races around and chases them, he is not trustworthy without someone micromanaging his every move. Many of these issues can be prevented by raising the pup in with the sheep directly. When a pup is born and raised with livestock, he regards them as part of his world, he becomes so accustomed to having sheep around him that it does not elevate his excitement or energy level. A timely butt from an ewe reminds the pup to be mindful and respectful.  The owner knows that supervision means watching this process unfold at a distance without the need to micromanage his every move.  

A young pup rolls belly up to the ewe, it is a submissive behaviour towards the ewe.

This is not about hands-off raising, the pup can be very much hands on, provided all the attention happens out in the livestock pasture. This is not hands-off raising, this is attentive raising.

When 50 people on Facebook say sure, bring the pup inside the house, he should not be alone with the livestock until at least 2 years, he cannot be reliable before then, always kennel or keep him next to the livestock, only leashed visits to the livestock  then, it is hard for new people to know what is the right thing to do, particularly when the advice given, is contradictory of what they should be doing.

I suppose this generation of helicopter parents, flows over onto our dogs. The need to micromanage everything our dogs do has crippled us in our ability to raise them in a manner that is most appropriate for their future work. It should be logical that a pup needs to live with the livestock from the moment he arrives and that the owner tries to facilitate this learning from a young age. The idea that we can trust their instincts, and trust in our own ability to observe and supervise without needing to micromanage, is the biggest challenge of all.