#Livestock Guardian Dogs

[losech]

Just saw yet another post (softly) demanding that breeders breed out the utilitarian qualities of their breeds "because pets". All dogs should have the same basic temperament with a different look.

Nah, that's not it.

How about don't get a serious LGD if you live in an apartment? That seems like a better idea than telling the people who use LGDs on their farms for stock protection that their dogs don't have jobs anymore because people own pets. (Their example was a guardian in an apartment complex.) Working dogs are still a thing even if you don't see them. They are not irrelevant because the majority of people where you live own pets. This viewpoint is very Eurocentric and is usually held by Americans, and there's a general lack of education about dogs in this country that is for some reason, shoved onto breeders to fix.

If I wanted a generic Good Boy pet dog, I wouldn't own West Siberian Laika. But I value what makes this breed what it is, and it's a lot more than looks. I've said it many times and I'll say it again, even if I didn't hunt, which I didn't when I got Flint, I would still want this breed as-is with all it's spicy bullshit intact. That's what I like in a dog, and I am under no obligation to conform my preferences to what you believe dogs should be.

[antiqueanimals]

The Thibet Dog "Canis molossus Thibetanus"

A Natural History of British and Foreign Quadrupeds. Written by James H. Fennell. 1843.

Internet Archive

[justhellacesome]

expanding on the kakashi headcannon,

Hatake Kakashi is literally Farmland Scarecrow or something right? then, Rather than wolves, Kakashi is more of a Livestock Guardian Dog and leader of his Dog pack rather than a wolf.

Thats why I said he's more like A pyrenees. With their white coat and droopy eyes.

Which would also mean Sakumo was one too, and having his sole purpose of guarding his village, denied from him, shunned by the very people he was loyal to. And even his leader uncaring of him. Its no wonder he took his life . What is a guardian dog without a purpose and shunned by those he was supposed to protect.

If he was a wolf, he would have long since gotten out of that stinkin village and prioritized pack he does have.

And Sakumos name really does go well with him being from Iron (different headcannon) and the way he died by seppuku is reminiscent to trying to regain his honor in a samurai way but he lack of a person to end his suffering rather than bleed to death makes it obvious with his standing in this shinobi village where honor is not something they can even fathom.

[petportraitsbyheatherlovelace]

A commissioned portrait of their Pyrenean Mastiff named Fiesta. Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils used on 11"X14" Strathmore paper.

[zaryathelaika]

Pavel's puppy-matcher published a new book assembling articles from Journal of the International Society for Preservation of Primitive Aboriginal Dogs (PADS). It's about 900-pages long.

Explore the rich history of man's best friend and the diverse perspectives on the topic of primitive and aboriginal dogs with "The Dogs of Our Ancestors."  With contributions from a range of international authors, this hardcover volume features essays and articles offering a wealth of knowledge on topics such as the rich history of native dogs, the evolution of different breeds, their unique characteristics, their crucial relationship with humans throughout history, and the legacy and preservation of these disappearing breeds. Published originally as the Primitive & Aboriginal Dogs Society's on-line journal – PADS International – this extensively researched and well-referenced material, with thorough descriptions and insightful analysis, is perfect for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge about aboriginal dogs that are invisible to the cultured-breed experts.  The book features a foreword by Vladimir Beregovoy, the curator, editor and contributor of the journal, PADS International. The hardcover format is unabridged, with over 900 pages featuring color and black-and-white images throughout, making it an essential addition to any library on dog literature as well as an invaluable resource material. Get your copy now and join the conversation about the preservation of aboriginal dogs, their role in today’s world, breeding, and so much more.

[ravynfyre]

You talk about your farm alot and you have livestock. Do you shoot the coyotes that you hear?

Oh, that's a good question. No. No I do not. First, while I do have a gun for protection, hunting, and *if necessary*, predator control, I do not tend to think of guns first when it comes to solving problems. Second, I happen to *like* coyotes, and understand that they're just trying to survive in this world, too. And, yeah, I've lost livestock to predators before. It's just a fact of ranching - you're going to lose livestock, even if you do every single thing perfectly. Third, I don't tend to think of guns first *because* of the solutions I *do* use - Livestock Guardian Dogs. See, predators - whether that's a raccoon, a coyote, a bear, a cougar, or anything else - CAN learn to be respectful of your boundaries and your livestock. If you haze them the right way, if you use the right deterrents, the resident predators can learn that trying to take your "helpless" livestock is way more work than just sticking to their own regular prey, and learn to leave you alone. Livestock Guardian Dogs - LGDs - are one huge tool in that arsenal. They are a warn off to spook all but the most determined predators. They are a weapon to ENFORCE those warnings. They lay down scent and sound that warn everyone that these animals are protected. I also employ electrified netting fencing that pretty much nothing around here will tangle with. I don't live out west where cougars and bears are as big a threat, but I know for a fact that, while rare, there *are* bears in the region, and a friend of mine who only lives 12 miles away from me lost a dog to a cougar some years back. Thus far, nothing has been dumb enough to challenge my fence and dogs. BUT, if you go and shoot/kill the local predators, all you do is open up an unclaimed area for a new predator to move into. A predator that doesn't know the "rules". One that hasn't learned that this farm is off limits. And, yeah, the dogs will teach them, and the fence will help... but for the folks that rely on killing as their PRIMARY means of predator control? Studies have shown that shooting the resident population just makes livestock predation WORSE, and that things like LGDs and appropriate hazing actually use the predators to help protect your livestock from intruding/transient predators. It seems counter-intuitive, but if you kill them off, you just make the problem worse. Also, have you seen the price of ammunition these days!?! LOL. I'll shoot if I *have* to... but I'd rather live and let live and let the dogs maintain the boundaries.

[creekfiend]

what's my biggest pet peeve well it's when someone makes a text post on tumblr dot com in which they are trying to romanticize the notion of the livestock guardian dog but they don't know the distinction between a livestock guardian dog and a herding dog and also they've never met a livestock guardian dog and do not realize what their attitudes towards the sheep that they protect actually are

[mischievousdog]

New OC just dropped

[losech]

Flint's breeder put together and published the PADS articles in a book! It's full of great info on primitive dogs.

Explore the rich history of man's best friend and the diverse perspectives on the topic of primitive and aboriginal dogs with "The Dogs of Our Ancestors."  With contributions from a range of international authors, this hardcover volume features essays and articles offering a wealth of knowledge on topics such as the rich history of native dogs, the evolution of different breeds, their unique characteristics, their crucial relationship with humans throughout history, and the legacy and preservation of these disappearing breeds. Published originally as the Primitive & Aboriginal Dogs Society's on-line journal – PADS International – this extensively researched and well-referenced material, with thorough descriptions and insightful analysis, is perfect for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge about aboriginal dogs that are invisible to the cultured-breed experts.  The book features a foreword by Vladimir Beregovoy, the curator, editor and contributor of the journal, PADS International. The hardcover format is unabridged, with over 900 pages featuring color and black-and-white images throughout, making it an essential addition to any library on dog literature as well as an invaluable resource material. Get your copy now and join the conversation about the preservation of aboriginal dogs, their role in today’s world, breeding, and so much more.

[antiqueanimals]

The Quizzer Book of Knowledge: Nature. Written and edited by George Beal. 1978.

Internet Archive

[claypigeonpottery]

a collection of directional background carving

all sold

[petportraitsbyheatherlovelace]

A commissioned portrait of their Bernese Mountain Dog named Eclaire. Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils used on 11"X14" Strathmore paper.

[slugmorelz]

red nose Central Asian Shepherds from Tajikistan - Sagi Dahmarda. © Latif and Alikhon Latifi

[akiacia]

gummies

[canisalbus]

Bread man made me wonder: Do you have any Saint Bernard characters? His coloration almost made me think of one, but I'm guessing he's not. They're my fave, so I'm personally curious!

The bread man is supposed to be vaguely st. bernardesque! His face was darker initially, but it didn't really jibe with the color palette and composition so I kept lightening it :'> In the end he turned out looking almost like a maremmano-abruzzese sheepdog or great pyrenees.

Saint Bernards were originally bred by monks in the Great St Bernard Hospice, situated in the Alps right at the border between Switzerland and Italy. So they would fit into the Vaschete/monastery setting pretty well I think.