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Yeah I would hold off on purchasing any kind of LGD until you really know three things: a) what the dog on your farm will have to be used to (i.e types of livestock, strangers, strangers with kids, other animals, other dogs) b) what the dog on your farm will need to do (Is it going to stay with the flock and deter predators or do you want it to chase and hunt them down? Many farmers use one breed for a flock dog and another as a patrol dog) c) what you as a person can teach the LGD and whether it would be more effective to have a mentor/paid help to get you through the first year Having an LGD on a farm is a serious consideration, one that can gently caress up carefully laid plans if you're not careful, and cost you lots of income. I would be laughably surprised if an Ovcharka would be a good fit for a first-time LGD owner; that's a serious dog and needs serious handling. Similarly, Kangals, Maremmas, and the other massive 'gently caress you up' dogs would be a bad choice. I would really recommend going to an LGD club, seeing them work on a farm, and then building your choice from there. Ovcharkas from what I've seen don't make a good all-around dog, so you'd either need a dog in conjunction with them (more work, more $$ and potential lost $$ if the dog doesn't work well with the imposing Ovcharka) or need to train them to work the way you want, which, frankly, you would not be able to do. Ovcharkas are difficult dogs even for the people who regularly work with them, and breeders describe the temperament as more bear than dog, which isn't necessarily what you want, and is also going to make any kid of safe farm work improbable if not impossible. What if you have workers repairing fence lines or building onto your property? How will you train your dog to accept some strangers but guard against others? After you've had some time to research and less time to go gaga over rare breeds, I think you'll find that the standard LGD setup is what works best: one or two Pyrs in the flock to protect and stay with the animal, and one or two Anatolians on patrol at all times, to chase down any fleeing predators and really hammer home the point. You'll need secure outside housing for these animals, registration, and in some cases, permits. Keep in mind, they're not a dog you can throw in a dog run and call it a night; Superconsdar can tell you the story of the time her Parvo-ridden, sick and underweight 6 month old puppy Pyr ate through a horse stall to get back outside with his goats, so there's that. If you only have chickens and waterfowl, you don't need an LGD setup, really. Just a noisy, patrolling dog with prey drive towards varmints will work perfectly. Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 16:06 on Aug 16, 2013 |
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Aug 16, 2013 16:04
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| # ? May 14, 2024 08:10 |
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Shanti update: Still gigantic, still gay for Aussie. 
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Aug 16, 2013 16:57
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Picked up Kip this morning, and first 700 miles of our bonding road trip behind us! 1100 more to go. Here he is looking like a creature of the plains.  And another when we finally got into a hotel and after a good long walk to stretch those legs:  That's a king bed but I guess I'm sleeping on the floor. Poor little guy is freaked out, and scared of his own shadow. Skittsh of everything, especially men. But he's been all over me today, so I know he and I are good at least. When he's not sleeping he rides with his head on my shoulder. He hasn't gone to the restroom in 10 hours, though, so I'm a little nervous about all night in a new place.
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Aug 17, 2013 06:18
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Holly has a way to get us to give her stomach scratches. Other than pawing at our legs, she sees us walk by and rolls on her back, tail wagging. Sort of makes it hard for me to ignore her.     Sorry for the poor quality, these were taken on my ipod. Also the reason she is lying on a sheet is that she refuses to actually lay on a proper bed, she ends up getting too hot.
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Aug 17, 2013 09:24
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After 2.5 days in the backseat of a Chevy Malibu, Kipp has arrived at his new home. He and I had the best roadtrip, though. Getting re-introduced to his old buddy:  Following him around the backyard learning where the fruit trees are:  We're having a time managing him and our other, gimpier dog (she just tore her cruciate and we're looking at a TPLO) without everybody getting overly excited. Glad the two boys are getting along though.
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Aug 20, 2013 00:34
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Food Guy posted:Sorry for the poor quality, these were taken on my ipod. Also the reason she is lying on a sheet is that she refuses to actually lay on a proper bed, she ends up getting too hot. Shanti's favorite places are either in leaned against my front door or on the tiles in front of my fireplace, because they're the coolest places in the house. I threw out my dog bed after the cat pissed on it for the thousandth time* and I didn't want to waste any more Nature's Miracle. *Cat is fine, but he's had two UTIs since I got Shanti, and both times he went for the dog bed instead of the litterbox. Whatever. I guess I didn't take any pictures, but he was blowing his coat earlier this month and still is to a lesser extent right now. My dad was HORRIFIED at how nasty he looked, and my mom thought we should take him to the vet because he looked so small and mangy. Ah the beauty of a double coated dog.
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Aug 20, 2013 00:50
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Archer was ready to goto work this morning when I reminded him that he is in fact a dog and does not have a job! He was disappointed. Gracie wanted in on the fun too!  This is Archer's "I'm ready for business" look. 
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Aug 22, 2013 18:14
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Gracie is a girl dog and needs eyeliner to go with her Avril Lavigne tie.
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Aug 24, 2013 02:03
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Hey Bella... Why the long face? 
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Sep 12, 2013 20:05
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rebounded posted:After 2.5 days in the backseat of a Chevy Malibu, Kipp has arrived at his new home. He and I had the best roadtrip, though. So how is Kipp doing in his new home?
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Sep 12, 2013 22:49
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Pretty well, actually. We have our moments but new home and all. He's funny about walking, I guess. It is an easy 2mile walk but I worry I am pushing too far. I have slowed down; keep him closer and we're having good times.
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Sep 13, 2013 08:29
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Writer Cath posted:Hey Bella... "You're so funny  "I love that flat look she permanently has.
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Sep 13, 2013 19:44
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 Hi  What is with your ears.  This is 10 parts "Balen in a tie is adorable" and 1 part "Stop tearing up your bed covers, you assholes". They don't care at all.  How do you sprawl like that when you're 100+ pounds of dog?
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Sep 18, 2013 17:41
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Where all my big dog friends at? I need to take some new pictures of Archer soon.
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Nov 1, 2013 19:49
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Y'know. Havin' a snack.   Legs. The usual.  
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Nov 1, 2013 20:34
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I will share this big guy from work. He is a good dog.
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Nov 1, 2013 21:38
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Here's Archer! Little side tongue action for ya! 
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Nov 4, 2013 19:03
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Took these back in October and posted them to PIFB, but maybe you'll like them. They're pretty blurry at points, but you still get the point. I had never met a newfie before so I decided to go see the local Newf club do their Water Dog Trials and meet some owners. These dogs be great. I need one when I get settled. I have a total dog-crush on this Landseer.   Drool ropes flappin' in the wind.  Soft puppy. I think they said he was 16 weeks. 
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Nov 5, 2013 04:59
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Merry Christmas from Sage! She promptly claimed the spot by the tree when we started putting it up last week. 
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Dec 22, 2013 05:02
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Where's all the santa hat-shaming? Kipp won't even pretend to like it.
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Dec 24, 2013 01:36
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rebounded posted:Where's all the santa hat-shaming? Kipp won't even pretend to like it. I don't have a Santa hat, but here's Ozzie in some reindeer horns from a couple years ago. Need to update this so I can see how much bigger his head is in comparison. 
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Dec 24, 2013 04:30
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Happy belated birthday, old lady dog.
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Dec 28, 2013 16:31
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via /aww: 
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Jan 1, 2014 21:30
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 Tali back from the groomers
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Jan 4, 2014 22:47
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Pen Expers posted:
Fat sighthound or bad angle?
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Jan 5, 2014 15:27
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a life less posted:Fat sighthound or bad angle? Bad angle I guess, though she does weigh more that her breed standard. Not fat though and gets plenty of running time. Edit: 
Pen Expers fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Jan 5, 2014 |
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Jan 5, 2014 20:45
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Actually, she does look fat, sorry to say. That tuck under her waist should be much more defined, and her chest shouldn't be pudgy like that. With sighthounds, because they're designed to be slim, any excess weight can begin a train of health problems that you really don't want, so I'd put her on a diet and increase her daily activity. Even if she's a 'larger' sighthound, that's still pretty large. Ideally, as a pet, you want a very thin padding over her ribs, enough that they're not obvious but not enough that she looks like a lab from the side.
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Jan 5, 2014 20:59
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Stop fat-shaming that dog. She doesn't deserve that kind of emotional abuse from you, Foxy.
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Jan 5, 2014 21:21
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Pile of Kittens posted:Stop fat-shaming that dog. She doesn't deserve that kind of emotional abuse from you, Foxy. I hate to agree, but can we at least just leave it at 'I think your dog might be overweight you should talk to your vet' or something? I'm not trying to start poo poo but people seem so snippy.
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Jan 5, 2014 21:27
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Everyone post examples of the fun poo poo you do to exercise your derphounds! Positive encouragement, folks! Also post pictures because giant dogs are adorable.
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Jan 5, 2014 21:29
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No, that's good to know, I'll consult the vet. She doesn't eat all that much and we've got a big yard for her plus weekly trips to the beach to run around so maybe there's something else going on. When I'm back home I'll take some profile pics. Pen Expers fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Jan 5, 2014 |
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Jan 5, 2014 21:48
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Pen Expers posted:No, that's good to know, I'll consult the vet. She doesn't eat all that much and we've got a big yard for her plus weekly trips to the beach to run around so maybe there's something else going on. Here's a photo of a saluki that I would probably consider in pet condition.  I think the starkest difference is that you can see a bit more ribs (seeing ribs is common in sighthounds, not so much in, say, Labs) and the fur/skin covering the body is nice and smooth. Your pup is a bit lumpy. You can see fat rolls above her shoulders, and it's probably collecting a bit between her front legs. Good luck getting her in shape! 80% of it is just reducing food a bit. Don't mindlessly feed the same amount every day. Take stock of your dog's body condition and feed appropriately. If she feels a bit fat, feed less. If she feels a bit thin, feed more.
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Jan 6, 2014 00:08
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She's still really pretty
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Jan 6, 2014 03:19
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a life less posted:Your pup is a bit lumpy. Hahaha, I read a book once in which a bitchy character referred to a young lady as "disastrously lumpy".
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Jan 6, 2014 03:27
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I'll have to have a talk when I get home in two weeks. My parents have had her for the last 6 months because I've been out of town due to work. She's also over there a lot because they own her sister in the second photo. We let her get pretty shaggy over the winter so it probably wasn't noticeable until she just got groomed.
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Jan 6, 2014 15:22
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Pen Expers posted:I'll have to have a talk when I get home in two weeks. My parents have had her for the last 6 months because I've been out of town due to work. She's also over there a lot because they own her sister in the second photo. She is a very pretty dog, though. I'm a HYOOOGE sucker for black and tan colouring. :>
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Jan 7, 2014 18:26
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I love the  look I get when I try to get Bella outside one last time before I go to bed.Damnit dog, I know you're just going to wake me up at 2am for the same thing! 
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Jan 13, 2014 03:14
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Writer Cath posted:I love the I try to push out the one-before-last walk of the night so there's a solid two hours or more before the pre-bed walk. If I don't leave enough time, they'll look at me like "I know you want me to pee, but I'm only at 50% capacity and we BOTH KNOW I can't pee until I'm at 100% full bladder!"
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Jan 13, 2014 14:28
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Groomer: Oh, looks like she nicked one of her back claws on something. If it starts bleeding again, just put flour or baking soda on it. It would have to be baking soda, because Bella will lick up flour if someone spills a small amount on the floor. Edit: And guess who just reopened that claw?  My poor
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Jan 15, 2014 21:25
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| # ? May 14, 2024 08:10 |
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Alright, need some help, and while I'm not sure what thread to ask this seems like the best fit. Basic scenario: My mother wants to get a Dogo Argentino puppy, because she likes big dogs like that (pit bulls are another favorite of hers and she helped out at the bully rescue in town a few times, and has owned a few in the past herself), and she's fallen in love with this breed now. I'm helping her look, but, well, this is a breed with relatively few resources available online (the American club hasn't even finished their website), so I'm turning to you guys for some help myself. Does anyone know any breeders who are either in or near California, or are willing to ship here, that are trustworthy? Between the lack of information and that this is a breed that sells for a lot (I think the puppies tend to be over two thousand each), plus my inexperience in dealing with breeders, I don't trust my own ability to not find a bad one; it seems like something that would attract untrustworthy folk. Did some searching myself anyway, just to see, but, yeah. Not quite sure what to make of what I've found; these people, for example, have some really weird requirements and comments in their FAQ, but I don't have the experience to tell if those are "avoid these people" signs or just them being oddly passionate about what they do. If anyone can assist me here, it'd be much appreciated.
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Jan 19, 2014 01:42
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