| Dogs - The Guardians |
We were so pleased with this litter of puppies. Their dam had a ball playing with them and teaching them how to be "good guardian" dogs. At a very early age they interacted with the farm animals and would find a high spot to sit or lay quietly observing the world around them and watch for anything that was out of place. |
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We find two dogs work well together as their vigorous play helps them stay strong and healthy and also teaches them valuable fighting skills they will need later in life. When two dogs are together they tend to play rough-house with each other and not with the livestock. |
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Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD) are necessary on our farm to protect the livestock from predators. Here in Western North Carolina our major threats are feral and domestic dogs, coyotes, white tipped buzzards, and deer that carry deadly ticks and diseases. |
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"Tired Puppies after a great day of wind, rain and lots of mud to play in." |
Uncle Zeus |
Our guardian of choice is the Maremma, a breed that originates in Italy. They are a quiet dog unless they feel there is a threat and then their bark is usually enough to detour predators from coming any closer to the farm. They do not require training to guard livestock as it is a natural instinct created by centuries of breeding for that trait. They are extremely intelligent, loyal, brave, independent, and take their job very seriously. They will often tell you when an animal is not feeling well, or has gotten in a bad place. If a cat, chicken or any other animal puts out a distress call all the dogs on the farm sound the alarm and rush to see if they can solve the problem. |
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