Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo

Some rain has finally been falling around San Angelo bringing some colder temperatures too.  Make sure that your LGDs are in adequate body condition to handle the colder weather and can bed down with livestock to stay warm.  All LGDs, even shorthaired breeds, have double hair coats to protect them from the cold but a layer of fat is helpful for extra insulation and metabolic needs. We have moved over to feeding a high energy 24/20 kibble this winter and the dogs seem to be doing much better across all the ranches. I would recommend a different formula for the warmer months however as I think this kibble may spoil quickly in the heat.

The Texas LGD Association will be having its first field day on Saturday June 10 in Caldwell at the Burleson County Fairgrounds.  Check out their website and Facebook page for more information.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

Save the Date – Our spring LGD Field Day will be held in Sonora at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sonora Station on April 14 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The field day will include workshops, producer panel and ranch tours. For more information check out our Facebook page. To register for the event, contact the Sutton County AgriLife Extension office at 325-387-3101 or email annette.estrada@ag.tamu.edu

Our next online seminar will be held May 18 at 3 p.m. on Zoom. Check out our Facebook page for more information as the event gets closer. The topic will be “The Great Pyrenees Breed” presented by Carrie Parks, chair of the Judges Education Committee at the Great Pyrenees Club of America (GPCA).  Carrie is also an AKC judge, on the board of directors of the GPCA and has had Great Pyrenees, both working and show, since 1959.  The online seminar will be free as always. You can sign up on our events page.

The Texas LGD Association will be hosting a field day in Caldwell TX at the Burleson County Fairgrounds on June 10th from 8am to 4pm.  Event will have workshops, a breeder panel and association meeting.  Breeders of LGDs will be on site.  Contact Bill Costanzo at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu for more information.

Pasture vs. Stall Whelping/Bonding Pens

Some producers prefer to allow their dogs to whelp in the pasture and keep their pups with them until weaning or longer. While other producers prefer to use bonding pens and have their female LGDs whelp in a barn or stall. Which system is better?

Pasture whelping and bonding allows nature to take its course and select the healthiest pups to survive. Its less work for the producer as well since they do not have to manage the puppies or livestock in pens. Pasture whelping also keeps the female in the field should a predator try to prey on livestock. Pasture whelping and bonding may allow the mother to teach her pups more skills as they mature. While pasture whelped and bonded dogs are often successful, I do not believe it is the best way to whelp or bond pups.

The main problem I see with pasture raising LGDs is the possible loss of pups from disease, weather, predators, and malnutrition. A good female LGD’s ability to guard her charges will be diminished because she will need to feed and protect her pups. Poor or young mothers may not be as attentive to pups leading to death loss. Pasture raised pups may also not be as socialized to humans as they need to be.

Stall whelping gives a producer the ability to constantly monitor the health of the pups and mother. It also gives them the ability to keep livestock near the pups which should create a stronger bond since the puppies are hearing and seeing livestock shortly after birth. A puppy’s brain develops rapidly from 2 weeks of age to 14 weeks of age. It is forming many different associations with the world around it during this time. The process of the puppy forming bonds starts as early as 5 weeks of age and continues until approximately 14 weeks of age. This is a critical time and if the pups are not near livestock during these weeks, they will not form as strong of a bond to livestock as they should. Weak bonds to livestock can be a cause of roaming later in the dog’s life and dogs that are more of a property guardian than a livestock guardian. Poorly bonded dogs may also have a higher death rate because they leave their charges and get hit by cars, trapped, poisoned or shot.

So, which system is better? While there is no research that I know of on this topic, I would say that barn whelping and bonding pens are a better system to use. You can better manage the pup’s health, training, and the bonding process with this system. The more puppies that survive and form proper bonds, the more lambs, or kids you should have to sell. Extra well-bonded puppies are often easy to sell too!

Bonding Project Update

Round Five Pups

We will be starting round five of the bonding projects in early March. There will be six pups for the next round. Three pups will be Great

Mable, Belle and Pearl our new Komondor pups. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2023)

Pyrenees and the other three will be Komondor. Producers, if you have over 250 ewes/nannies and are interested in participating as a cooperating producer, please reach out to Dr. Redden at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu.  This round of pups will be available around November of this year.

Round Four Pups

Carol and Cindy heading back to their charges after tracking collar changes. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2023)

Ewes are lambing on several of the cooperating producer ranches in this round. Producers are happy to see more lambs this year and are hopeful that the dogs continue to keep predators at bay until the lambs are sold. Carol and Cindy are doing well together. Cindy will chase ewes sometimes, but Carol does not according to the producer. Cindy was producer bonded and Carol was an AgriLife bonded pup. Even though they are sisters and bonded apart, both dogs get along well. We have seen comparable results in this round across all locations except Eagle Pass. The producer bonded pups are more socialized and easier to catch than the two AgriLife pups. They are at separate locations with different handlers which may be the issue for this.

The GSat solar GPS trackers in Rocksprings are working better now that the software has been updated, and we moved the upload time to 2

GSat Solar ear tag GPS tracker. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Lone Star Tracking 2023)

hours. The trackers are staying fully charged except on overcast days. They are not dying but we do get a notification or two on those days. We will keep you posted on how these new units are working out.

Round Four and a Half Pups

Colt and Ruger are still doing well and will be moving to a larger trap this month. The pups have found a potential ranch to call home in the

Colt and Ruger in a trap at the ranch in Ozona. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Green 2023)

Menard area when they turn 10 months old in May. The pups will be monitored with GPS trackers once they are placed on a cooperating producers ranch. We will track Colt and Ruger until they turn 18 months of age.

Adult LGD Updates

Doc and Thelma were moved back to the ranch in Menard last month after their ewes had lambed out at the Center. Waylon is still at the Center barking and carrying on as always with his Rambouillet’s. Even though he just turned 3, you would never know it. He is full of as much energy as he was as a pup in the bonding project. Luckily, he has outgrown his need to get into trouble which always required a vet visit or two.

Queenie was rehomed last month and seems to be doing well with a small producer in the Wall area. She is with goats on small acreage getting the care the old girl needs.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board. Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Do not forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online! Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

The new year often brings resolutions.  One of our resolutions is to body condition score, BCS, all the LGDs on a quarterly basis.  Body condition scoring of dogs is like livestock, but dogs have a nine-point scale.  The ideal score for a dog is 4.5.  Its relatively easy to score your dog, feel down their spine and across the ribs.  They should have some cover across both areas.  A good reference is to hold your hand out flat with the palm down.  Run your fingers across the knuckles of your opposite hand.  If the dog feels like that, they are in good condition.  Next, make a fist and then run your opposite hand fingers across the knuckles of the fist.  If your dog feels like this, they are under condition and need more feed. Check out this video for more information on BCS.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

Save the Date – Our Spring LGD Field Day will be held in Sonora at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sonora Station on April 14, 2023, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  The field day will include workshops, producer panel and ranch tours.  For more information check out our Facebook page.

Our next webinar will be held Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. on Zoom.  Check out our Facebook page for more information as the event gets closer.  The topic will be “What to Expect from Teenage LGDs.”  The webinar will be free as always.  You can sign up on our events page.

Bonding Project Update

Round Five Pups

We will be starting round five of the bonding project in late February or early March.  There will be six pups for the next round.  Three pups will be Great Pyrenees and the other three will be Komondor.  We are excited to have the Komondor pups as this breed has not been tested before in our project.

As a reminder, the primary research objective is to determine: 1) how many LGDs should be reared in bonding pens and 2) does electric fence in bonding pens to improve guardian effectiveness and reduce roaming.  Weekly updates on the pup’s progress will be posted on Thursdays on our Facebook and Instagram pages @TAMUlivestockguarddog.

Thank you to all the breeders that responded to our request for pups.  We greatly appreciate the support for this ongoing research project.  Producers, if you have over 250 ewes/nannies raised in large pastures and are interested in participating as a cooperating producer, please reach out to me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu.

Round Four Pups

The pups in round four of the bonding project have all been doing well.  The four pups (Fred, Dolly, Trisha, and Bobby) that were relocated to

GSat Solar ear tag GPS tracker. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2023

a new ranch near Rocksprings have settled in well and are not roaming as much as we can tell.  The solar satellite trackers have not been working as well as promised.  I first had to increase the upload/ping time to one hour and then two hours.  I also had to update the software as apparently there was a glitch that was causing them to use too much battery life and die.  Now that this is done, we should be able to start tracking the dog’s movements more accurately.

As we mentioned last month, Trisha is continuing to chase sheep, so she still has a dangle stick on.  Both Trisha and Bobby (producer bonded) seem to be perimeter dogs.  While the producer is not losing lambs, he rarely sees the two dogs with his sheep.  Fred and Dolly (AgriLife bonded) are always with their flock of sheep according to the producer.  Other producers are seeing a variety or results with their dogs, but all are happy with the increase of live lambs that they are seeing.  Some dogs are always with sheep while others are patrolling away from the herds.

Round Four and a Half Pups

Colt and Ruger in a small trap at the ranch in Ozona. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Saldana 2023)

Colt and Ruger are both doing well and have been released from the bonding pen into a small trap at the ranch.  They are seven months old now and will be ready to go to a cooperating producer at 10 months of age.  We had planned on keeping these two pups but due to the drought we have had to depopulate the ranch.  Colt and Ruger will be looking for a new home in April or May of this year.  If you are interested in participating in our bonding project and taking Colt and Ruger, please drop me an email at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or call me at 325-657-7311.  Producers need to have at least 250 head of sheep and/or goats to participate in the bonding project.

Adult LGD Updates

Miley was retired to a small ranch in the Miles area in December.  She was 10 and had some health issues recently that needed continual care.  With the depopulation of livestock across our ranches due to the drought, we have been rehoming some of the older and youngest dogs we had.  Sally also was rehomed in January to separate her from her sister Sara.  While Sara has done better after the invisible fence training, Sally was continuing to leave her pastures at the Sonora Station to visit the office area.  We returned her to the Center in San Angelo for a few weeks of additional invisible fence training and found a producer that could use her.

Queenie, the matriarch of the program, has still not found a home to retire at.  She is a 14-year-old Great Pyrenees X Maremma.  She never

Queenie still keeping tabs on some kids at 14 years old. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Brown 2023)

leaves her charges but is showing her age and needs a small farm or ranch to live on.  If you are interested in Queenie, please drop me an email at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or call me at 325-657-7311.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

Hopefully you had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! It was cold around Christmas. The holidays can be a hectic time of year and things like LGD health checks can slip our minds.  Make sure to check your LGDs regularly to keep them healthy and guarding your livestock.  Check your dogs’ ears, eyes, coat and especially its paws for injuries.  Long haired dogs can collect lots of burrs and thorns in the hair on their paws.  These items can cause an abscess causing lameness to occur.  Trimming the hair between the toes can help keep them clear of debris.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

Save the Date – Our Spring LGD Field Day will be held in Sonora at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sonora Station on April 14, 2023, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  The field day will include workshops, producer panel and ranch tours.  For more information check out our Facebook page.

Our next webinar will be held Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. on Zoom.  Check out our Facebook page for more information as the event gets closer.  The topic will be “What to Expect from Teenage LGDs.”  The webinar will be free as always.  You can sign up on our events page.

How Many LGDs Do You Need? Part II

We will cover the final three parts of determining how many LGDs you need in this month’s edition of “The Guardian Way.”  We generally recommend 1-2 dogs per 100 head of livestock.  However, that number can change based on several things.  Producers need to consider the following things: livestock characteristics, terrain and brush, predator load, management style, fencing and pasture size and LGD behaviors.  All these things can affect the number of LGDs you need on your ranch to guard your livestock.

Management Style

How you manage your livestock can have a large effect on how many LGDs you need for a specific ranch.  Producers that have livestock spread across multiple pastures on a ranch will require more LGDs to guard those groups of animals.  By combining livestock in fewer pastures and using rotational grazing producers can increase the amount of grass available to livestock while decreasing the number of dogs needed and lessen their dog food bill.  By placing livestock into fewer larger groups, your LGDs can more effectively protect them and their offspring from predators.  This is often one of the biggest challenges for new users of LGDs to conquer.  A producer must be willing to make management changes to allow the dogs to be as effective as possible or they will continue to lose livestock.  LGDs are one of the best tools for producers to use to increase lambing and kidding percentages. However, if producers are resistant to changing their livestock management, the dogs can only do so much to control predation.

Fencing and Pasture Size

High tensile hot wire fence at a ranch in Texas. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2019)

The quality of your fencing and the size of your pastures can influence the number of LGDs needed.  Good fencing keeps LGDs, and livestock contained and provides a deterrent to some types of predators.  The kind and age of fencing you have also affects the number of LGDs required.  Fencing that is old, easily jumped or squeezed through can require more dogs.  New fencing with small woven wire openings, skirting and/or hot wire will require less dogs to protect livestock.  Basically, poor fencing allows predators to penetrate it and requires the use of more LGDs.  It’s important to weigh the long-term costs and management of the extra dogs to the cost of new or improved fencing.  Invisible fencing is a possibility for many ranches now that the system is GPS based.

Pasture size is also an important factor to consider when deciding on how many LGDs you need.  Large pastures require more dogs to protect livestock because the livestock tend to spread out more.  Consider placing all your livestock together during lambing or kidding seasons so that your LGDs can provide extra protection to young livestock.  Open range situations often use herders with their dogs to protect livestock.  Range operations often need a few extra dogs to provide enough protection for livestock.

LGD Behavior

Another important consideration is your LGDs capabilities and training when deciding how many you need.  If you have older, experienced dogs, you may not need as many to protect your ranch.  Young dogs or pups will need extra help to provide enough protection.  Young pups under 10 months of age should not be released on their own to guard livestock.  It’s best to have a pair of young dogs or place a young single dog with a mature dog.  Old, pregnant, or whelping dogs will require extra help to provide the proper protection for your livestock.  Proper nutrition is also an important factor that can impact how LGDs guard.  Make sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendation for feeding your LGDs.

Hopefully the information provided last month and in this issue will help you in determining how many LGDs you need to guard your livestock.  Feel free to reach out to me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu with any questions.

LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

All pups in Round Four turned a year old in November and were scored for socialization in December.  All the dogs scored well this time.  We generally see lower scores at the 18-month test as dogs have not been leashed or tethered very often.  A few dogs were harder to catch than we would like, but they have not been receiving as much socialization at some locations.  Also, four of the dogs were rehomed in late November.  These dogs are all doing well at the new producer’s location.  One of those pups is chasing sheep from time to time so a dangle stick was placed on her to deter her from running.  We will keep you updated on the dog’s progress via Facebook or this blog.

Round Four and a Half Pups

Colt and Ruger are both doing well and have been released from the bonding pen.  Sadly, due to the drought we have had to depopulate the

Colt being tether trained. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Green 2022)

ranch in Ozona.  We will not have enough animals for the adult dogs and these pups to guard.  We will be looking for a home for Colt and Ruger after the first of the year.  If you are interested in participating in our bonding project and taking Colt and Ruger, please drop me an email at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or call me at 325-657-7311.

Adult Dogs

We spilt up Sara and Sally when the two dogs were done with retraining in the Invisible Fence System at the Center in San Angelo.  So far, the dogs are both doing well.  Sara left the ranch in Menard once in early December but has not left again.  Sally is at the Sonora Station and has left the ranch once since she was placed there in mid-December.  She has visited the headquarters also a few times but seems to be settling in at the ranch.  Doc and Thelma are still doing well and not roaming anymore.  Both dogs are still at the Center with sheep until late winter.  They will return to Menard when the sheep are taken back after lambing.

Miley hanging out on her bed in the kennel. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

Miley and Queenie are being retired to help ease the extra number of dogs we have due to drought forced depopulation of livestock across all our research ranches.  Miley is going to be 11 years old in 2023 and Queenie, our matriarch of the LGD program, will be 14 years old!  Both dogs have been excellent LGDs for the Martin Ranch and Sonora Station.  They both adapt to changes in locations and livestock to be guarded and never leave their charges unguarded.  Queenie has been supervising Squiggy at the Sonora Station for the last year as her replacement.

Miley has been at the Center in San Angelo for the last couple months gaining some weight and recovering from Ehrlichiosis.  She has some arthritis in her hips and rear legs.  She’s on a joint supplement that seems to be helping her move around easier.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

Since cooler than normal temperatures are forecast for the next couple months, make sure that you are keeping your LGDs well fed during the winter months.  LGDs should be in a Body Condition Score (BCS) of at least 4 at this point with normal feeding.  If your LGD is below a BCS 4 you should consider providing extra feed or a better-quality feed now before winter completely arrives later this month.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

On November 17th we held our Fall LGD Webinar.  Dr. Kathryn Lord from the University of Massachusetts Medical School presented a great webinar on Canine Behavior: The Socialization Period.  We had over 90 producers log on to the live event.  If you missed this excellent webinar, you could view it on our YouTube Channel. Our next webinar will be held on February 16, 2023, at 3 pm.  Check our Facebook page for more information on that event as the date gets closer.

How Many LGDs Do You Need?

I often get asked, how many LGDs are needed on a ranch.  We generally recommend 1-2 dogs per 100 head of livestock.  However, that really depends on several things.  Producers need to consider the following things: livestock characteristics, terrain and brush, predator load, management style, LGD behaviors, fencing and pasture size.  All these things can affect the number of LGDs you need to adequately guard your livestock.  I will cover the first three in this month’s edition of “The Guardian Way.”  Make sure to read the January issue for part two which will include the last three things to consider.

LGD with young meat goat overlooking a brushy pasture. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Lillian Ramge 2022)

Livestock Characteristics

The number of dogs you need will also depend upon the type of livestock you own.  Some types of livestock, like Dorper sheep, tend to stretch out over the land.  While wool sheep and meat goats tend to stay closer together in large herds.  Animals that spread out across your pastures require more LGDs to defend the area and keep the livestock safe.  The larger the number of animals in a pasture, the more dogs that are needed to protect them.

Terrain and Brush

The type of terrain your property is on is a key factor in determining how many LGDs you will need.  If your property is mainly open and flat, the line of sight for your dogs will be clear. If your property has hills, rocky areas and/or lots of brush, the line of sight will be blocked.  Rough terrain with lots of brush makes it harder for LGDs to see and protect all the livestock.  Rough brushy terrain makes it easier for predators to hide and prey on your livestock, so you need more dogs in those areas.

Predator Load

You can have fewer dogs if they only need to guard against the occasional fox, coyote, or bird of prey. However, if your LGDs are constantly on patrol, you will need more dogs.  I have heard from some producers in the northern part of Texas that packs of coyotes threaten their flocks regularly.  In these situations, having more LGDs protect your livestock will also reduce the risk of injury or death to your dogs.

The type of predator you dogs defend against is also important. If your dogs are defending chickens against birds of prey, their presence may be all the deterrent needed and you may only need one dog. However, if your livestock are at risk from larger predators, such as feral hogs, mountain lions, wolves, or bears, you may want a much larger group of LGDs to keep your livestock safe.

The population of your area can change the number and type of predators your LGD will need to defend your livestock from.  If you live in a more rural area there will likely be more wildlife that your dogs will need to protect against.  If you live in a semi-rural area and have close neighbors you may not need as many dogs, but your dogs may need to guard against town dogs attacking your livestock.

LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

All the Round Four pups are now a year old and doing well.  We do progress checks every 4-6 weeks with the cooperating producers.  All the producers are very happy with the pups and their progress.  The pups that were bonded at the AgriLife Center will all be scored this month for socialization, roaming and overall LGD ability.  The pups are scored three times at 8, 12 and 18 months of age for these three things.  This scoring allows us to judge the effectiveness of our treatments over time with each round of dogs.  We adjust the bonding process based on each round of scores.  We will be starting the fifth round of pups in the early spring of 2023

Round Four and a Half pups, Colt and Ruger are doing well in their bonding process at the ranch in Ozona.  Both pups are being bonded for

Colt and Ruger waiting for their weekly ride to acclimate them to traveling in a vehicle. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Green 2022)

our use in a hot wire pen on the ranch.  They are receiving the same socialization treatment that the normal pups in the bonding project receive.  Colt and Ruger are 6 months old this month and will be moving out of the bonding pen to a small trap with some additional livestock.

Adult Dogs

We decided to split Sara and Sally up instead of sending both dogs back to Menard in November.  We believe the invisible fence training along with separating the sisters will stop their playful behavior and roaming.  Sara returned to her goats in Menard, but we needed an additional dog in Sonora to guard a group of goats, so Sally was chosen for the task.  We will keep you updated via Facebook and this blog on how they are progressing.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

The cooler temperatures of fall are here, and it has brought some much-needed rain to the San Angelo area.  Hunting season has started as well and with that comes plans for dealing with LGDs.  Make sure you talk to your hunters about the LGDs on your ranch.  Remind them not to feed the dogs or encourage them to hang out near camp or hunting blinds.  It can also help to focus hunting efforts on pastures away from livestock and LGDs, although this is not always possible.  Try to keep gut piles in locations away from pastures with your LGDs or near hunting camp.  Also, if possible, kennel your LGDs on weekends when hunters are on the ranch.  This will stop problems between the dogs and the hunters along with giving your LGDs some time to rest.  Kenneling can help to get your LGDs body condition score up for the winter ahead.  Your LGDs should be in a BCS of 4 or greater going into the winter and a BCS of 5 or greater starting in the spring for lambing and kidding season.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

We had a great visit from Dr. Linda Van Bommel of the Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University on Oct^. 14.  We gave Dr. Van Bommel a tour of the Sonora Station and the AgriLife Center.  She had a chance to see several of our dogs and the bonding pens in San Angelo.  Several faculty and staff presented their current research projects that day as well.

Dr. Van Bommel has written an excellent handbook to help producers effectively use livestock guardian dogs.  One surprising fact that we discussed was that Australian producers use predominately Maremma’s as their LGDs.  There are also a few Anatolian Shepherds being used but no other breeds are used to guard livestock in Australia.  The main predator’s ranchers deal with in Australia are dingo’s, feral dogs, feral cats, raptors, and foxes.  The predator pressure in the higher sheep producing regions of Australia is much lower than what we face in Texas, however.

Workshop presented by Dr. Redden, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Sheep and Goat Specialist. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

We held our Fall LGD Field Day on Oct. 21 in Hamilton County at the Jayson Harris Pavilion.  Over 25 producers from across Texas attended the event.  The crowd at the event was filled with questions related to LGDs during the workshops.  The field day ran from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and consisted of several workshops, a producer panel, and a local ranch tour provided by Dr. Allen Mc Analley.  Several vendors were also onsite for producers to visit with.  We would like to thank AgriLife Extension agent Bruce Boyd for hosting the event this fall.  We would also like to thank the following businesses and associations for generously sponsoring the event:

Gold Sponsors:

Hamilton Farm & Ranch                               Invisible Fence Brand                     Lee Health Care

Melanie J Financial                                        MICOBE Inc.                                     Nestle Purina

Pfluger Herefords LLC                                   Sheep & Goat Predator Management Board

The Partin Agency                                          The Parts Store                                Watson’s Ranch & Farm

Silver Sponsors:

C&F Steel Company                                       Hamilton County Farm Bureau Insurance

Mc Gregor Real Estate                                  Pfeiffer Ranch                   Shue E Tan CPA

Tractor Supply – San Angelo

Exhibitors:

Ag Southwest Rainfall Insurance                Krazy Goat Socks                             Lone Star Tracking

Sheep & Goat Predator Management Board                                                      Texas LGD Association

Wenzel Lonestar Meat Company

 LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

Jan (left) and Betty waiting for some treats during a producer visit. The producer is very happy with how both dogs are performing. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

Pups from round four of the bonding project are all doing well and still growing.  In early October we had four of the pups (Fred, Dolly, Bobby, and Trisha) returned to us.  The cooperating producer felt that the dogs may be killing his adult livestock.  Pictures from the dead livestock were reviewed by our wildlife specialist and he was doubtful that it was caused by LGDs.  All four dogs have been observed with ewes and lambs for over a month at the Center.  No animals have shown any type of bite marks nor has rough play been observed.  The four dogs are scheduled to go out to another cooperating producer in Rocksprings in early November.  We will keep you posted on how the four dogs are doing and how well they protect their new livestock charges.

A few of the pups that were not bonded in hot wire are randomly patrolling outside of their pastures at cooperating ranches.  All four of the pups have returned on their own each time they have left.  None have been stayed outside their intended pasture for more than 45 minutes to date.  Both producers have stated that the dogs have been chasing coyotes or feral hogs when they have left the ranches.  We prefer that the dogs always stay within pasture boundaries.  We are monitoring these four dogs’ behaviors to see if they continue to return on their own.

Adult Dogs

Sara and Sally will be returned to Menard in early November after being in the Invisible Fence System for retraining for three months.  We will track the pups to see if they start roaming again once they are released at the ranch.  The system has worked well at retraining Doc and Thelma.  Hopefully Sara and Sally will no longer roam outside of the ranch boundaries as well.

Johnny was brought back to the Center to rebond with some yearling Dorper ewes for a couple weeks.  Johnny was returned with the sheep back to Menard in late October.  We have been having issues with low lamb crops in the sheep flock, likely due to feral hogs and sheep scattering in small groups across the ranch.  With the drought and predation complications, the mature ewes from the Martin Ranch were brought to San Angelo to lamb out this fall along with Doc.  Thelma will join Doc in November to provide adequate protection for the ewes and lambs at the Center once she has fully recuperated from her Ehrlichiosis.

Miley relaxing on her dog bed in the kennel. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

Miley is doing better every day and gaining weight back.  She even got a bath at the local Tractor Supply last month!  Her coat was filled with matts and burrs.  She also smelled bad, so we decided that a proper bath and grooming session was needed.  She has been maintaining her own coat now and even sleeps on a raised dog bed to help with the arthritis in her hip.  We are hoping that she can return to limited duty at the Center in December.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

Daily temperatures are starting to decline, and fall is coming soon.  A chilly winter with normal rainfall is predicted for Texas this year.  With fall approaching, now is the time to body condition score your LGDs to make sure they have enough fat cover to keep them in adequate condition through the winter.  Dogs have a one to nine body condition scale, and the ideal score is a five.  Your LGD should be at least a BCS of four going into the winter months so that it can be at a five or more in time for spring lambing and kidding.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

Don’t forget our next Facebook live LGD Q&A Session is this Thursday at 3pm.  You can post your questions in the comments of the post from last week to be answered!

We are very excited to have a visit from Dr. Linda Van Bommel from the Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University on Oct. 14.  Dr. Bommel has conducted research in Australia using LGDs and has written an excellent handbook to help producers effectively use the dogs.  She will tour the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo and the Sonora Station before leaving to visit the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Idaho and the University of Montana.

We will be holding our Fall LGD Field Day on Oct. 21 in Hamilton at the Jayson Harris Pavilion, 1007 Park Road.  The event will run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and consist of several workshops, a producer panel, and a local ranch tour.  Vendors and LGD breeders will be onsite for producers to visit with also.  Registration is $25 single and $40 for a couple.  Make sure to register by Oct. 14 to get the lower fee.  If you would like to register for the event, please contact the Hamilton County AgriLife Extension Office at 254-386-3919.

LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

Severe hot spot on Blue’s (aka Barney) neck. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Womac 2022)

Overall, the pups are doing well at their new ranches.  We have seen some of the dogs get hot spots from the tracking collars.  Blue (aka Barney) got a severe hot spot on his neck.  It’s important to check the dog’s necks regularly after a rain and then hot weather.  That’s when we see the most cases of the sores happen.  Its best to remove the collars, shave the area and apply a medicated ointment or spray daily until the skin heals in seven to ten days.  All of the pups have healed up and are back out guarding livestock.

All the pups are starting to develop their guarding patterns at this point and generally working as a team.  You can see from the GPS tracking picture of Carol and Cindy that even though they were raised separately

Carol and Cindy on a ranch in Junction. These pups are siblings but raised and bonded separately. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Lone Star Tracking 2022)

both dogs are following each other across the pasture.

Adult Dogs

Miley is back at the Center with Ehrlichiosis and some arthritis in her left rear leg.  She’s 10 years old now and the last one from her litter.  She will be staying here to semi retire with Duchess.  Miley will be in the kennel for a couple months recuperating from the Ehrlichiosis infection.  She is difficult to catch in the field and has not been getting her tick medication.  This disease is prevalent across Texas and its very important to have well socialized dogs that can be caught so that you can prevent this disease.  It is transmitted by ticks and can spread through tick bites to other LGDs on your ranch.  Once the dogs have the disease most still test positive even after recovering.  The disease will reappear any time the dogs body system is stressed.  It can decrease the dog’s life span which in turn increases your production costs to replace them earlier than necessary.

Thelma is still in the kennel also.  She is gradually regaining weight from her case of Ehrlichiosis.  We have her on a very high-quality kibble so that she can recuperate as quickly as possible.  We are also giving her a daily probiotic powder to assist her digestive tract in breaking down the feed.   

Doc with an injury to his left front paw. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

Doc was back in the kennel for a couple weeks last month.  He got a severe cut on the bottom of his paw that required over twenty stitches and several days in the kennel to recover.  He will be going back to the ranch in Menard as soon as the paw is completely healed.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

Some cooler days finally showed up in late August around San Angelo.  There were also a few scattered showers across the area too which were a welcomed sight.  They weren’t enough to bring us out of the drought but at least they settled the dust for a day or two!  Hopefully we will continue to get some rain to quench the dry fields and grow some feed for the hungry livestock.

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program: Events and Update

Jayson Harris Pavilion, Hamilton, Texas. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Boyd 2022)

We will be holding our Fall LGD Field Day on October 21 in Hamilton at the Jayson Harris Pavilion, 1007 Park Road.  The event will run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and consist of several workshops, a producer panel, and a local ranch tour.  Vendors and LGD breeders will be onsite for producers to visit with also.  If you would like to register for the event, please contact the AgriLife Extension Office in Hamilton County at 254-386-3919.

We are continuing to host our live Facebook LGD Q&A sessions usually on the first Thursday of the month at 3 p.m.  Interest in the event continues to build with more producers posting questions they would like to have answered each month.  Please make sure to provide as much information as possible about the issue you are having so that we can accurately answer your question during the sessions.  Check our Facebook page @TAMUlivestockguarddog for the next live event.

LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

The pups from Round Four were all delivered to cooperating producers last month.  Two of the producers received LoRa GPS tracking

Cindy and Carol rebonding to sheep at a cooperating producers ranch in Junction. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

systems and trackers for their dogs. The other three cooperating producers received Oyster 3 cellular GPS trackers for each of their dogs.  All the pups are doing well and adjusting to their new homes.  We will use the GPS trackers to make sure the pups are not roaming off the ranch and to help determine areas of possible predator activity.  The pups will receive socialization testing at 12 and 18 months of age, along with having roaming data collected.  Each set of pups will receive an overall score measuring their success rate in the project at 18 months of age.  This project is being funded by a grant from the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC).

Adult Dogs

Sally and Sara hanging out in the kennel until they get moved to the invisible fence pastures for retraining. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

Sara and Sally are two high energy yearling Akbash X Great Pyrenees pups that we purchased from a breeder at the end of 2021 as bonded pups.  They were purchased to add extra coverage to some yearling nannies at the ranch in Menard.  Although they have roamed the ranch regularly, they have not left it until recently.  We received a call from a neighbor about Sally being on his ranch in mid-August.  We decided to bring the two pups to the Center for some retraining in the invisible fence pastures to see if it would decrease their roaming behavior.

Both Doc and Thelma dramatically decreased their roaming behavior at the ranch after being treated for three months in invisible fence pastures at the Center.  We are hoping to see a positive outcome with Sara and Sally also after being placed in the pastures with the invisible fence for a few months. You can follow their progress on our Facebook page.

Thelma finished her antibiotic treatment for Ehrlichiosis in August but was still thin from the

Thelma recuperating in the kennel. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

disease.  Her spirits are up, and she was put on a top-quality kibble with probiotic supplements to help her regain her body condition as quickly as possible.  She will probably be at the Center until the end of September to regain body condition.  LGDs should always be in a BCS of 4 to 5.  A BCS of 3 or less is an indication that the dog is not eating metabolizing feed properly.  A classic sign that a LGD has Ehrlichiosis is rapid weight loss and depression.  Make sure to regularly administer flea and tick medication to your LGDs to prevent them from getting this bacterial infection.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!

Summer has arrived and I think we have had more days over 100 degrees already than all last year.  While the drought hasn’t broken, several of the ranches we manage have received some rain bringing a little bit of optimism.  We could still use a lot more rain (or optimism), however. 

With hot conditions and wet weather, make sure to check your LGD’s neck for hot spots under their collars.  They can lead to serious infection if not treated quickly.  It’s also that time of the year that rattlesnakes are active.  Make sure you vaccinate your LGDs in case they are bitten!  It has helped our LGDs recover from bites in the past. 

AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program Events and Update

2022 Spring LGD Field Day workshop in Ozona. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Redden 2022)

Our Spring 2022 LGD Field Day was held on May 13 in Crockett County at the 4-H Livestock Barn in Ozona.  The day consisted of several workshops by AgriLife personnel, a producer panel, and a ranch tour.  Capital Farm Credit sponsored a great lunch, and the Texas Farm Bureau sponsored the morning refreshments.  Over 35 people attended the event that was sponsored by several local businesses in Ozona.  We would like to thank the following generous sponsors of the event.

Gold Sponsors:

Capital Farm Credit

Koolin’ Klothz

Nestle Purina

Ozona National Bank

Sheep & Goat Predator Management Board

The Ozona Stockman

Triple C Hardware & Lumber

Silver Sponsors:

Cauthorn, Griffin, and Leonard Ranch Insurance

Lone Star Tracking

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

Bonding vs. Socializing vs. Acclimating

At a recent event we overheard several producers talking about raising their LGD puppies.  They were using the terms bonding, acclimating, and socializing interchangeably.  Is there a difference in these terms when they are related to LGDs?  Yes!  We often hear producers share these terms when discussing how to raise young LGDs but often we have different definitions for each term. We thought it was time to try to clear up the meanings of these important terms. 

Bonding

Bonding refers to the process of taking weaned puppies and placing them in a pen with livestock for

LGD Johnny, in a bonding pen at the AgriLife Center. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2020)

several weeks to a few months to form an attachment to livestock that the dogs will guard as adults.  The purpose of bonding is to create a strong connection to a certain specie or species of livestock while the puppy’s brain is still developing and forming attachments.  It is important to bond your puppy with livestock as soon as possible, as the puppy’s brain development in that area drastically slows about 4 months of age.  Bonding after that age may cause weaker attachments to form which may lead to dogs roaming away from their charges.  Bonding pens should be escape proof and contain a safe space for your puppy should it be bullied by livestock.  Our feeding stations double as a safe space for our puppies in the bonding pens.

Socializing

Socializing your puppy is an important process to perform during the bonding period.  Socializing refers to teaching your puppy not to fear contact from humans.  This is an important step in the bonding process as an adult LGD that cannot be caught can be a liability to producers.  To socialize your LGD puppy, spend approximately 5 minutes, three times a week, petting, brushing, and gently rolling the puppy over on its back.  Check the puppy’s ears, teeth, and paws during this time.  You should also expose young dogs to leash training and riding in a vehicle or trailer.  Some producers may also want to crate train their LGD during this time.  Gradually start out with a couple minutes for each item and then increase the time as the puppy ages.  This should give the puppy enough interaction to be socialized as an adult dog.

Acclimating

Acclimating on the other hand refers to the process of bringing in other animals such as herding dogs, horses, cattle, etc. for the puppy to become accustomed to seeing and working around.  This is important to do while you are bonding your puppies to livestock so that the puppy learns that these other animals are not a danger to them or their charges.  Acclimating your puppy can be done easily while your puppies are in the bonding pens.  Simply bring the other animals into the bonding pen or your puppy out to visit the other animals so that it learns not to fear them.  You should acclimate your pup to theses other animals and any other ranch personnel that may interact with them regularly during the bonding process.

LGDs & The Bonding Project Update

Round Four Pups

Reba, Marsha, and Betty were all happy to be released from their bonding pens in late May. Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2022)

The pups were released from their bonding pens into larger pastures with additional livestock and other puppies in mid-May.  The feeding trial comparing two different Purina Mills puppy chows was started when the pups were released.  The pups and feed are weighed weekly to see how much the pup’s weight has increased and the amount of kibble that has been consumed.  We will continue the feeding trial for 60 days.  Make sure to check back for an update on the results of the study.     

Adult Dogs

Sadly, we lost one of our adult LGDs from the Read Ranch in Ozona in May.  Max, a Great Pyrenees X

LGD Max with his Angora charges. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2020)

Akbash, was 9 years old and had been at the ranch for many years guarding our Angora goats.  Max never left his charges for any reason.  He contracted Ehrlichiosis from a tick bite a few years ago.  Recently he started losing weight again and then developed a severe inner ear infection which affected his ability to walk.  We treated him with antibiotics, but the Ehrlichiosis had already done more damage to his body systems, and he stopped eating altogether.  At that point our vet recommended that he be euthanized.  The best defense against Ehrlichiosis is to prevent the infection by using an approved flea and tick medication.  Not all products will prevent this disease.  Make sure to check with your veterinarian for product that defends against this disease.

Doc and Thelma have been doing well using the invisible fence collars.  Neither dog has left the two pastures they are being rotated between.  Sadly, Thelma was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis in late May and had to be kenneled for several weeks.  She will be returned to the invisible fenced pastures as soon as she is done with her treatment of antibiotics.  We are planning to release both dogs at the Martin Ranch in mid-June and track their movements to see if they leave the ranch boundaries again.

In closing

If you enjoyed this monthly LGD blog, please don’t forget to subscribe to it with this link The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo. 

To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, please contact me at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu or 325-657-7311. 

The Texas A&M AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program is a cooperative effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board.  Make sure to follow us on our social media sites and share them with your friends and family!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/ 

Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on online!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation or check out their website!