AgriLife LGD Program Update

With Covid-19 restrictions being lifted, we are excited to get back to some live and in-person events.  We are planning to host a LGD Field Day in Fredericksburg this fall.  There will also be a LGD program update at the Texas A&M Sheep & Goat Field Day on August 20.

Our next LGD webinar will be held on Thursday, July 22 at 3 p.m. and the topic will be canine reproduction.  Dr. Bethany Gibson from Oklahoma State University will be our guest presenter for this webinar.  You can register for the Zoom event on our Facebook Events Page by clicking on the blue “Go To Link” button or on the AgriLife Center’s website under the events section.  The webinar will also be broadcast live on Facebook.  Check out last month’s webinar, “LGDs and the Law” on our YouTube channel.

This month we are also finishing a three-part series on internal parasites presented by our guest writer Meriam Saleh, Ph.D., from the Texas A&M Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Queenie with her meat goats. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2021)

Most of the pups from the second round of the bonding project have been placed at ranches and are doing well.  Squiggy was placed at the Sonora Station and partnered with Queenie to protect some meat goats.  She is 12 years old and will be retiring soon.  Wyatt was placed in Ozona at the Read Research Ranch with Max.

Max is 8 years old and due to a new research project, that has opened some of the pastures at

Max with his Angora goats. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy Costanzo 2021)

the ranch in Ozona, he is unable to adequately guard all our Angora wethers. The goats can now move across approximately 2,000 acres, so an additional dog is needed to guard them as they break up into different groups.  We have not seen any losses of stock yet, but we wanted to be proactive and start training a new LGD before that occurs.  Lenny, Laverne and Louise were all rebonded for approximately 14 days to a cooperating producer’s Dorper sheep and will be placed at his ranch soon.  By placing stock from the producer’s ranch with the dogs in the bonding pen for a short period of time, it allows them to form a new bond with the livestock they will be protecting from now on.  Failure to expose the dogs to the new stock could lead to them roaming to try to locate the animals they were protecting at the Center.  Doc and Thelma will be placed at our research ranch in Menard in late June.  All the pups will be equipped with GPS trackers to track their movement patterns until they are 18 months old.

Doc and Thelma are still wearing their “yokes of shame” and fortunately this has stopped them from roaming to the goat pasture.  They are both doing well and have adapted to using their self-feeder outside of the feeding station with their yokes on.  Since the feeder is unprotected from livestock eating out of it, we have had to monitor it more closely.  We have not seen any additional feed losses to the sheep or goats yet.  This may be because the feeder is in the bonding pen still and stock can water at a different location outside of the pen.  The roaming of Doc and Thelma caused us to discontinue a short feeding project we were conducting to see how much feed each dog was consuming.  We too have had to adapt and overcome an issue to make LGDs work for our location.  We will move the dogs to another pasture this month away from the meat goats and retrain them to eat out of a feeding station again. They are going to be rebonded to a group of Dorper ewes from the ranch in Menard.  We will keep the dogs in a bonding pen for 7-10 days to rebond them to the stock they will be protecting from now on.

Waylon and Johnny are both doing well at their locations.  Johnny is still guarding Dorper ewes in Menard and Waylon was relocated with a group of Rambouillet ewes to the Sonora Station.  Waylon took a little time to get adjusted to the new location.  He wandered up to the headquarters at

LoRa System installed at the ranch in Ozona. (Lone Star Tracking photo courtesy T. Remmart 2021)

the Sonora Station several times but when he was met with an unfriendly welcome each time, he returned to his stock. With a little persistence, Waylon has been persuaded to stay with his stock and not return to the office buildings or residences.  Its important not to give positive reinforcement to your LGD whenever they are in a location you do not want them in.  Never give them any treats or any pets if they are found in an area that they are not wanted in.  It will only encourage them to return to these areas if you do!

We have a new tracking system installed at the ranch in Ozona that will use a LoRa system.  It uses a different version of the Oyster tracker.  These new trackers will collect data and send it immediately to the onsite system which will then upload it to an online server via cellular signal.  The advantage to these new trackers is cost savings and battery life.  We currently pay a monthly fee of $10 per Oyster tracker and $15 for the satellite trackers.  With the LoRa system we will be paying $3 per tracker per month.

Since the trackers are sending information only to the tower at the ranch, they are supposed to have an extended battery life.  With the LoRa system we only have to worry about the tower getting cellular signal, not each tracker.  Lone Star Tracking donated the equipment for us to try out along with two of the new trackers.  They installed a solar panel, control box, receiver and two types of antenna on a pole on the highest point of the ranch.  Check out our Facebook for more information on the new system and updates on how the new units are working out.

Guest Article – Common intestinal parasites of livestock guardian dogs: Part 3 of 3

This final blog post in our three-part series on the most common intestinal helminths infecting dogs will focus on the canine whipworm, Trichuris vulpis. If you missed our first two posts or want to review them you can check them out here. Our previous posts also have some great background information about the importance of routine parasite prevention. Alright then, let’s talk about whipworms! Unlike hookworms and roundworms which live in the small intestine, whipworms live in the large intestine, more specifically the cecum and colon, of dogs. Whipworms get their name from their bullwhip-like appearance, the head is the thinner portion of the worm (or the lash of the whip) and the posterior is the

Image 1: Adult whipworms recovered from the large intestine of a dog. You can see their whip shape more clearly. Image from the Companion Animal Parasite Council.

thicker end (the handle of the whip) and is easier to see (image 1, from CAPC). Adult worms embed their thin heads into the mucosa of the large intestine where they feed on blood, tissue

Image 2: Whipworm life cycle and depiction of the anterior end embedded in the mucosa. Image from Elanco.

fluids, and mucosal epithelium, see the lifecycle image (image 2) and callout showing the worms threading their heads into the host tissue. The visible portion of the worm in the large intestine is the posterior end (image 3).

The fact that whipworms live in the large intestine instead of the small intestine means that some of the characteristic clinical signs associated with infections are different because of their location. This can cause bloody diarrhea, but because the worms are in the large intestine the blood is not digested and therefore it is bright red compared to the dark tarry digested blood (called melena) that is often present in hookworm infections. However, whipworm infections can also be

Image 3: Adult whipworms in the large intestine of a dog. The visible portion of the worm is thick posterior end protruding from the mucosa. Image from the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology.

asymptomatic and cause no clinical signs. Very severe infections can result in bloody diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration, anemia, and even death in extreme cases. Another difference between whipworms and the hookworms and roundworms, is that whipworms shed far fewer eggs, which can make diagnosing infections more difficult if there are few or no eggs being shed at the time of a fecal examination.

Whipworm eggs have a unique and characteristic appearance—they are brown or yellowish-brown in color and are shaped like a football, with a small cap called a polar plug on each end (image 4). The eggs are very hardy in the environment and are resistant to drying out and temperature extremes. This means that whipworm eggs can be viable in the environment for several years. Whipworms have a direct life cycle. This means that dogs become infected directly from the egg, more specifically by ingesting the developed egg in the environment. It takes

Image 4: Whipworm egg recovered via centrifugal fecal flotation. Image from the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology.

about 3 months from the time of egg ingestion for adults to develop in the large intestine and begin passing more eggs. When eggs are first passed in the dog’s feces, they are not infective. It takes anywhere from 1–3 weeks for the eggs to reach the appropriate infective stage.

The time from infection to egg shedding is termed the prepatent period, and because the prepatent period for whipworms is so long (~3 months) dogs can show clinical signs from the worms before eggs are even being passed in the feces. Therefore, routine parasite prevention is so important. Not all preventive products are effective against whipworms, so if they are diagnosed in your dog it is important to make sure you use an appropriate control product. Your veterinarian can help make sure you are giving the correct product. You should also continue to use a product that is effective against whipworms in your other dogs because it is very likely your yard or pasture is already contaminated with whipworm eggs. Back to the issues with detection due to intermittent and low numbers of egg shedding, there are tests that your veterinarian can send out for to test for the antigen of adult worms in your dog’s feces. The adult worm antigen testing is available for hookworms and roundworms too from IDEXX (https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/fecal-dx-antigen-test/), but can only be ordered and submitted by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may also be able to do a fecal examination where they centrifuge the feces to try and help recover any eggs that are present either in-house or by sending a fecal sample out. If you are concerned about whipworms you can talk to your veterinarian about these other options.

Unlike hookworms and roundworms, canine whipworms are not considered a zoonotic parasite—yay! But just because whipworms cannot harm you doesn’t mean they can’t harm your dogs, as mentioned earlier. Subclinical whipworm infections will lead to massive environmental contamination and eventually dogs can acquire a mass of whipworms from their environment and become symptomatic. As with hookworms and roundworms, picking up the feces will prevent contamination of the environment, and is quite effective because none of these parasite eggs are infective when first passed. So, prompt removal of feces will go a long way in helping to prevent parasitic infections with hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. In addition, routine fecal examinations should be performed at the veterinarian’s office to check that your dog is parasite free and on the appropriate parasite prevention product. An ideal parasite prevention product should also be effective against heartworm and intestinal parasites, in addition to fleas, and ticks, as recommended by the Companion Animal Parasite Council. For more information on these and other parasites you can check out the Companion Animal Parasite Council and their Pets and Parasites website (https://www.petsandparasites.org).

Written by Meriam N. Saleh, Ph.D., a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Texas A&M Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Saleh currently serves as the project leader for the National Center for Veterinary Parasitology. In 2019 she completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on ticks, their geographic disruption, and tick-borne diseases at Oklahoma State University. She earned a BS in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee in 2011 and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Parasitology from Virginia Tech in 2017. She is also an active member of the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists.

If you enjoyed our monthly LGD blog don’t forget to subscribe to it The Guardian Way | Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo (tamu.edu).  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!

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Don’t forget to check out the Texas LGD Association on Facebook!  Follow the organization at https://www.facebook.com/TexasLGDAssociation A website is coming soon!

Program Update

Do not forget to register for our LGD Nutrition and Feeding webinar on March 25^th at 3pm with Dr. Deb Zoran, DVM, of the Texas A&M Small Animal Clinical Science Department.  You can register for the free event on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/ .  Look under the Events section and use the link in the webinar description to register for the Zoom event.  If you are not on Facebook, you can also register for the webinar on the San Angelo AgriLife Center Events page. https://sanangelo.tamu.edu/events/

As always, stay tuned to our social media channels for educational videos, tips of the week, fun photos, and more.  Do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions, comments, and concerns.

Feeding station with RFID door.

We are trying out a new radio frequency identification (FID) door on a feeding station to keep out varmints from the feeder.  We have not encountered any issues with the pups using it at the AgriLife Center.  They adapted to the door very easily and can enter the feeding station when needed.  Each of the puppies wears a RFID tag attached to their collars.  We had some initial issues with the dogs losing the tags, but after using zip ties to attach them we solved that issue.  The door can be programed for up to five different dogs and has a proximity sensor that can be adjusted out to ten feet away.  It uses four D-cell batteries as a power source.  The door can be completely locked, left open or set to open with the RFID tags.  We have purchased an additional door for testing at one of our research ranches.  We will keep you updated on the progress of this project.

We received a lot of messages and emails regarding LGDs and the harsh winter storm that covered Texas during the middle of February.  Your LGD does not need any special treatment that you would not provide for your livestock.  Shelter, bedding, and supplemental feed are welcomed by your LGD as much as your livestock.  These types of dogs have thick double hair coats on their bodies and extra hair between their toes for a reason, to withstand cold winters.  All of the LGD breeds were bred for thousands of years in Europe to endure the harsh environment there.  The weather in Europe routinely gets very cold with snow and ice in most of the regions.  However, if during any storm, your LGD is shivering, just as with livestock, they need shelter and warm bedding immediately.  My own LGD refused to be taken into shelter even on the coldest nights of the storm.  He was perfectly happy with a nice pile of bedding in the backyard, watching over the generator and keeping any cats or squirrels away that were looking for some place warm to hideout.

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

All of the puppies in the current phase of the bonding project have been released from their 1-acre pens into larger pastures with their charges and are doing well.  The seven puppies will stay at the Center until they are 8 months of age.  At that point, the pups will be spayed/neutered and placed at a cooperating producer’s ranch along with our research ranches.

Johnny with goats.

The Legends of Country Music are turning a year old this month, and both are doing well.  Johnny has not roamed out of his pastures since being separated from Waylon.  It seems that separating Johnny and Waylon worked out well for both dogs.  Waylon is still following the feed truck from time to time and needs corrective behavior when he does, but it is becoming less often as time goes on.  Other than following the feed truck, Waylon does not roam out of his pasture.  Hopefully, Waylon and Johnny continue to work well and graduate from the Bonding Project in September of this year.

The Superheroes and the Three Stooges are all graduating from the Bonding Project this month.  All the pups are now 18 months of age.  They will no longer be tracked as part of the project.  I recently visited the Stooges to change out tracking batteries and all of the dogs looked well and were easily caught with the sheep.  Larry is still very friendly while Moe is a little less than he was previously.  Curly is still shy, but quickly remembered me after a few belly scratches.

Larry with his charges.

Looking back, there were some challenges with Superheroes Hulk and Thor roaming at the Center as puppies.  Hulk and Goliath have never left the research ranch in Ozona since being placed there in March of 2020.  Hulk does wander between the wool sheep with Goliath and our Angora goats protected by an older male, Max, from time to time.  Our best guess is that he goes to provide extra protection to either species when needed.

Thor is continuing to roam as an adult.  Thor was doing well here at the Center but decided to roam over to ASU in early February.  We then placed him in the kennel for 4 days as punishment for his roaming.  He was very happy to get back to his goats after that and as of late February he has not roamed again.

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.

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Starting with this issue of The Guardian Way, we have streamlined it to allow for quicker reading of project updates and events going on with the Texas A&M AgriLife LGD Program.

Program Update

We will be presenting webinars on various topics related to LGDs this year every other month.  Our first webinar for 2021 was presented by Dr. Saleh, formerly of Oklahoma State, but now working at Texas A&M University.  The topic was “Common LGD Parasites and How to Control Them”.  We thank Dr. Saleh for her continued support of the Texas A&M AgriLife LGD Program.  The next webinar in March which will be on LGD nutrition and the May webinar will be on LGDs legalities and producers’ rights.  We hope you will join us for these upcoming webinars.  You can register for the free events on our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/ .  Look under the Events section and use the link in the webinar description to register for the Zoom event.  If you are not on Facebook, you can also register for the webinars on the San Angelo AgriLife Center Events page. https://sanangelo.tamu.edu/events/

As always, stay tuned to our social media channels for educational videos, tips of the week, fun photos, and more.  And don’t hesitate to reach out to us with questions, comments, and concerns.

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

If you are not a long-time reader, we’d like to review the LGD bonding project.  In the late summer of 2019, we started a bonding project with weaned livestock guardian dog puppies.  We started with six puppies that were placed as singles or as pairs in bonding pens with and without hot wire.  We started our second complete set of eight pups in September of 2020.  Newly weaned LGD pups are sourced from local breeders and they all start out in a 60×60 pen for one month with sheep and goats.   Then we open the gate and allow them access to a 1-acre pen for three months.  The two bonding pens are about ¼ mile apart and they are in the same 100 acre pasture.  We have two more bonding pens in another 100-acre pasture that is ½ mile away.  We have added a fifth bonding pen for this round that is near our headquarters, to determine if pups  are more likely to roam back to the bonding location as adults.

Once the puppies reach six months of age, they are released with their charges into a 100-acre pasture and tracked until they are eight months of age.  Notably, the bonding pens are new fence that prevent them from escaping and the 100-acre pastures have decent fencing, but they can be breached if the LGD has a strong desire to leave.  At that time, they are spayed/neutered and some of the dogs are placed at cooperating producer’s ranches for further observation until they are 18 months of age.  The rest of the dogs are placed on our research ranches for observation.  At 18 months of age the dogs have “graduated” from the program.  Our first round of pups are closing in on that 18-month mark soon.  We will give you an update on the outcome of the Stooges and Superheroes by the late spring.

Wyatt enjoying the snow.

Since our last blog, we haven’t had any other issues with stock or puppies being attacked at the Center so hopefully the event with Shirley and the goat was an isolated incident.  All the dogs at the Center made it through the mid-month snowstorm in January and they seemed to enjoy it.  The TV show pups (Laverne, Lenny and Squiggy) were released from their bonding pens into a 100-acre pasture with their stock in mid-January and are all doing well.  The dogs and a few livestock are wearing GPS trackers so that we can monitor their movements and patterns for the next two months.  In mid-February the other set of pups, Doc, Wyatt, Thelma, and Louise will all be released into a large pasture at the Center with their charges.  They will also be monitored with GPS trackers.

The Legends of Country Music, Johnny and Waylon, are doing well after we separated them to new locations.  Johnny has been staying with stock and has been floating between sheep and goats in Menard.  Waylon has been at the Center guarding some Rambouillet ewes that will be lambing soon.  He randomly wanders from the pasture when the feed truck comes through, but it’s not every time.  We haven’t figured out why that truck is such an attraction to him compared to other vehicles that he sees and doesn’t follow.  We are trying different methods to discourage this behavior from positive to negative reinforcement.  Neither seem to work for very long.  We will keep you updated on their prog

Thor with his goats at the Center.

ress next month.

The Superheroes are all doing well.  Goliath and Hulk are doing a great job guarding stock in Ozona.  As a reminder, Thor was in Ozona and had to be moved to Menard due to roaming. Unfortunately, he roamed in Menard and had to be removed from there as well.  He is now at the Center in San Angelo for further observation and behavior correction.  We placed him in a kennel for two weeks as punishment and then released him back with stock.  We placed him with a yearling meat goat herd in San Angelo to see if he will stick to his charges and stop roaming; so far it has been working.  Check back with us in March to track Thor’s progress.

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.

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Follow us on Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog

Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Home & Work

Merry Christmas!  The boys are out of college for the semester and helping me with projects around the house.  New appliances are a welcome addition for us this month.  Painting a few rooms and a bathroom update is on the list this month during the winter break.

It’s important to take advantage of the slower days during the winter to take care of projects that are needing your attention such as repairing dog feeders or feeding stations.  You may want to provide a higher quality dog food, as your dogs will be burning more calories to stay warm during the cooler days and nights.  Typically, dog food with animal protein listed as the first and/or second ingredient can maximize the nutrient level for your LGD.

With hunting season under way, it’s important to remind hunters about your LGDs on the ranch, especially if you have new or young LGDs.  Remind hunters how you want them to interact with your LGDs, if they come into contact.  That way the LGDs don’t end up lingering around hunting camp or worse a hunting blind.  If possible, move dogs and stock to pastures with limited hunting.  If problems arise, it might be best to pen up your LGDs when hunting activity is at its peak on your property.  It keeps your hunters happy and keeps your dogs from learning bad behaviors such as coming to headquarters for treats or following vehicles.

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Doc hugging Thelma

All the puppies in the current round of the bonding project are doing great and growing fast.  All the pups have been placed into 1-acre pens now with their charges.  They will be in the 1-acre pens until they are 6 months of age.  At that point, GPS trackers will be placed on all the dogs and stock from the bonding pens.  Dogs and stock will be released into larger pastures and tracked for 2 months.  Once the pups are 8 months old, we will place half of them at our research ranches for tracking and at cooperating producer ranches.  The pups will continue to be tracked until they are 18 months of age.

Our second round of pups from the bonding project, the Legends of Country Music, were placed at our research ranch in Menard to help our older dog Miley guard the Dorper ewes who are lambing.  After about a week at the ranch, Waylon and Johnny started to roam, even though they had never roamed at the AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo and were bonded in pens with hot wire.  At first, they left their charges and joined the dogs with the meat goats.  However, after about two weeks they left the ranch completely and ended up at a neighbor’s ranch approximately 2 miles from our research ranch.  They were retrieved twice, and each time dropped back off with the Dorper ewes.  After they left a third time and we decided to bring them back to the Center.   Observing the dogs at the Center, we concluded that they were following vehicles, not just randomly roaming off the ranch in Menard.  We have been having new fencing installed in Menard on several pastures.  We believe that the dogs started roaming because they were following the fence crews around the ranch and then continuing as they left each day.

We decided to separate Waylon and Johnny to see if it would make a difference in their behavior.  Thor was also roaming at our ranch in Ozona and visiting his three friends, the Stooges.  We have placed both Thor and Johnny together at the ranch in Menard and so far, neither dog has roamed again, and they are staying with their charges.  Sometimes a change of location can make all the difference in how an LGD works for your operation.  Waylon is also staying with his new charges at the Center and has only left his pasture once.  Again, we believed that he was just following a truck that was feeding stock.  Resolving this habit of following a truck is a top priority for the Legends of Country Music. Like their namesakes, they like to be “On the Road!”

The pups that are officially in the bonding project are all bonded with four different species so that they can be easily

Goliath with porcupine quills again!

moved to guard in a new location.  They are then given a quick re-bond to the new stock they will be guarding and then released on one of our research ranches or a cooperating producers ranch.  However, the Legends of Country Music were only bonded to Dorper sheep which we believed would create a stronger bond.  We were having predation issues on our Dorper sheep in Menard and we believed that a straight bond would ensure the dogs staying with the hair sheep.  However, the dogs still ended up leaving their charges and stayed with the meat goats and four other dogs.  Bonding to a specific species does not guarantee that your LGDs will stay with that species as we believed it would!

Hulk and Goliath are doing well without Thor at the ranch in Ozona.  Goliath stays with his sheep while Hulk floats between the sheep and Angoras.  Goliath still hasn’t figured out what happens when you play with a porcupine, however. This is at least the fourth time he has gotten quills in his face!

LGD Breed Spotlight – Slovensky Cuvac

Slovensky Cuvac breed standard

The origins of the Slovensky Cuvac breed can be traced back as far as the 17^th century.  It is also known as the Slovak Chuvach, and the Tatransky Cuvac.  It is a large Slovakian breed known for its plush white coat and its livestock guarding abilities.  The Slovensky is very similar to the Kuvasz, however the Kuvasz is a slightly larger breed of dog.

In the early years of the breed, the Cuvac was used as a livestock guardian in the mountains of the Soviet Union.  As wolves began to slowly disappear from the countryside, herding practices changed and the Slovensky Cuvac breed nearly went extinct.  After World War II, a veterinarian named Antonin Hruza set about to revive the breed and the first written standard was published in 1964.  While rare in the United States, the dogs are making a comeback in Europe.

The Slovensky Cuvac has rather long legs and deep broad chest that makes it well suited for mountain terrain.  The dogs are white as are many other LGDs from Europe.  Their coat is dense and doubled with a moderate wave to it.  The hair is short on the face and front of legs and longer on the body but without feathering on the tail as in other LGD breeds. The Slovensky Cuvac is a large dog that stands anywhere from 22 to 28 inches tall and weighs 70 to 100 pounds when mature.

Aa good guard and watch dog, as well as guide for shepherds, the Slovensky Cuvac has o proven its worth in the guarding of cattle and driving of poultry and other domestic animals to pasture.  The Slovensky Cuvac is a powerful, calm, loyal flock guardian.  It is a bold protector of its area and pack, whether it is livestock or people.  These dogs have been known to be very affectionate with members of their human family but suspicious of outsiders.  They are fearless guardians that will fight any intruder, even large predators like bears or wolves.

Sources: Dohner, Janet Vorwald. Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners. Storey Publishing, 2016, https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/slovenskycuvac.htm ,  https://www.ukcdogs.com/slovac-cuvac

Breeder/Producer Profile

This month’s producer using LGDs is Shirley Pfeiffer Kilgore from New Braunfels, Texas.

Q. Please describe your ranch.

1. 1. What type of livestock do you have?
   2. How many head of stock do your dogs’ guard?
   3. How many acres do your dogs’ guard?

A. I am the owner of a small sheep ranch located outside of New Braunfels, approximately 1 mile from Gruene at the beginning of the Texas Hill Country. I am the third-generation sheep rancher which dates to 1939 when my family bought the ranch now known as the Historic

Pfeiffer Ranch stock and LGDs

Pfeiffer Ranch. The ranch is approximately 250 acres with some large fields, heavy cedar, live oaks, elms, native pasture grasses, mesquites, and huisache. I currently have approximately 200 head of Rambouillet sheep with fine wool. Besides sheep I also have some cattle, horses, miniature donkeys, and a llama named Boo here on the ranch as well. Throughout the years since I was a child, I have watched more and more farm land around me being gobbled up by new house construction and businesses which in turn has crowded my ranch with more and more predators that love to prey on my sheep herd. We have coyotes, bobcats, owls, caracara, and a few mountains lions that occasionally come to visit and run through the ranch. Over the years these coyotes have caused more and more problems in even trying to maintain any kind of sheep herd worth keeping. It became such a problem that state trappers were called in to try different devices or techniques that did make some difference in the coyote population, but not enough to keep them away for very long, especially since a female coyote can have such large litters of pups.  At one point not long ago, the coyotes were so bad that I was unable to even keep 1/4 of my new lamb stock that was to be sold at market for profit. At its worst, I really considered not having sheep at all anymore, but then I decided on trying Livestock Guardian Dogs to see if my success rate would go up.

Q. How long have you used LGDs?

A. After making my decision approximately 5 years ago to try Livestock Guardian Dogs to protect my sheep I have never looked back. It was

Shirley with Aoife & Evanna her two LGDs

the absolute best decision I have ever made. I have never once looked back on my decision to try these dogs and regretted it. I cannot believe the 100% success rate that I have had with them. I have always loved dogs throughout my childhood. We had a variety of farm dogs, some for companionship and some dogs like the border collies that worked our herds. Of course, these dogs are very different than the Livestock Guardian Dogs that protect my livestock.

Q. How many dogs do you use?

A. I have used only two dogs during the last 5 years. My dog’s names are Aoife (Ee-fa) who is 100% Great Pyrenees and weighs approximately 130 lbs. and my 2nd dog Evanna who is 1/4 Akbash and 3/4 Great Pyrenees and weighs about 110 pounds. These dogs are siblings but from different litters and are only half related to each other by having a different dog parent on one side. Both of my dogs came when they were 6-8 weeks of age which is extremely important in the bonding process. I chose to have both of my dogs spayed when they reached 1 year of age. I waited for that period because of their large dog breed size and that time frame was also a recommendation by my veterinarian.

I am fortunate enough to work on the ranch every day. Starting out with new LGD pups 5 years ago, I wanted to come up with my own training ideas. I needed them socialized yet bonded with their charges. I did lots of reading on LGDs and decided that I would use a smaller dog pen area where my young pups would stay with their herd at night in a larger sheep pen so they were protected from harm’s way being so small at such a young age. During the day while my sheep herd would go out grazing, I decided that I would take my young pups out for approximately 2 hours to show them how important their job was going to be; I was their shepherd. We followed the sheep herd in the fields to learn sights and sounds. It was during this time I also taught my dogs not to kill the predators but to chase them away which honestly comes with their instincts as they get older. After 2 hours of training the pups it was always early afternoon. They were then put back into their dog pen area until the evenings when the sheep herd would come back in from grazing. At that time my young pups would be let out to become a part of their charges again to familiarize them and become more bonded with the sheep until it was time to be put up in their dog pen for safety during the night time hours.  I did this method until they reached 8 months of age when they then went out on their own to guard. Even though this practice may be unusual, I had a great success rate in how my dogs came to be bonded with their herd.

Now that my LGDs are grown they have different jobs during the year. During lambing season my dog Aoife guards my newborns and their mommas in a smaller sheep pen area to give my newborns a chance to get on their feet. My other dog Evanna goes with the sheep herd everyday into the fields or pasture to protect the herd from predators.  In the evenings all my sheep herd come in to a large fenced in area for additional protection by both dogs. After lambing season is over both my LGDs guard the entire herd during the day and night. I have had an unbelievable success rate by doing this method and the dogs do their jobs very well.

Wool sheep and LGDs.

Q. Do you prefer a specific LGD breed?

A. Some producers say that there are very specific differences in all the different LGD breeds. To some degree maybe this is true, however, I believe that each breed has their own strong guarding capabilities.

In my opinion, one example of this may be the Kangal or Anatolian Shepherds that can guard against bears, wolves, or larger predators. Or perhaps using the Maremma Guard Dog breed which many say that breed of dog makes even a stronger bond with their charges and never roams. Or another example is perhaps the Great Pyrenees that guard against the coyotes, bobcats, caracara but roam more frequently over a vaster area than other LGDs may and may bark more frequently warning the predators to stay away. Or perhaps lastly the great Spanish Mastiff that can be fearless and keep away predators such as a large moose, bears, or wild boars. So having said this, I believe that all LGDs, no matter what the breed you chose and for what specific reasons you need them for, can do their jobs efficiently given what types of animals they are guarding and to what predators they are protecting against. The bottom line is as a producer you must be able to trust your breed of LGD and believe in their ability to do their job.

I spend lots of time around my animals and making sure they are cared for. Making sure my LGDs have proper food, shots, checking for burrs in their feet and coat, bathing if necessary, looking at and down their ears and checking their teeth are all necessary things I do as a producer to make sure my dogs are cared for.  The bottom line here is over all maintenance is crucial to a successful LGD.

Q. Do you have an LGD mentor?

A. Over the years I have really enjoyed following a man by the name of Robert Nelson Lockey. He has a small sheep farm in Kentucky and has

Evanna and Aoife with their charges.

quite a few LGDs, all purebred Great Pyrenees, and always has been so helpful in answering my questions that I had especially when it came to my GPs. He has been a very important asset to me starting out and learning about Livestock Guardian Dogs.

Robert has been on several social media sites through the years, and I follow his own site Great Pyrenees Adventures and Advice page. Of course, there are so many social media sites for LGDs.

Q. What’s the one thing you wish you knew before starting to use LGDs?

A. I wish I would have known that Livestock Guardian Dogs and their protection existed at all to be honest. I was not aware of LGDs and what they could do for me until about 6 years ago. We were relying on state trappers so heavily to control the coyote population here as well as other predators at that time that it was then I determined even with that type of protection it just was not enough and I needed to do something else and fast. It was in that moment that I decided that the best way of doing this was through the use of the internet and social media. After doing a lot of reading about Livestock Guardian Dogs, I wanted to immediately get started. I wanted to get started on learning what needed to be done to make this protection work for me and what breed would work best for me and my livestock. I knew it would take time since I was just starting out and starting out with 6-8-week-old pups, but I had read so much about each breed that I was very excited to begin.

Q. What is the biggest thing you would recommend a new LGD user?

A. First and foremost- Treat your LGD like the asset they are! They complete your success in raising your livestock. They can be your most valuable tool and for them to be successful, you must set them up to succeed right from the start.

There are several very important things that I do to help my GP’s success.

1. Good food with protein listed first, water, and vet care.
2. Microchip and tag your LGD, so they can find their way home if lost.
3. Use GPS trackers. This is so important for you as the producer, knowing your dog can be found at all times and not possibly losing your dog in a snare or attacks from predators or even just wandering off where they cannot be found.
4. Reinforce positive behavior. Sometimes your LGD may have a bad day, take a step aside, place your LGD back amongst its charges and make positive gestures so your LGD is successful.

A good LGD is worth its weight in gold.

Remember your LGD has a tough job! They are in all kinds of weather hot, cold, ice, snow, sleet, or rain. So, be sure to take care of your LGD.

And lastly, READ, READ, READ and ask QUESTIONS. The more useful information you have, the better you will set your LGD up for success.

LGD Timely Tips

Every Tuesday check out our Facebook page @TAMUlivestockguardog for Tuesday’s LGD Tip of the Week!

Since it’s the holiday season, I decided to add a little fun into the timely tips this month.  I hope you enjoy the things that an LGD would like in their Christmas stocking and the 10 things for a Merry LGD Christmas!

 LGD Stocking Stuffers

• Dehydrated mud puddle in a bag, just add water!
• Big bag of sticks for chewing.
• Bale of fresh hay for bedding.
• Little brother/sister that I could train to guard so I can lay in the shade all day.
• Snow, lots and lots of snow!
• A giant bag of Pupperoni Treats.
• A shedding brush.
• Large water trough with cool water for the warm days.
• Big shade tree near a water trough.
• Collar with the name and contact info of my owners.

10 Things for a Merry LGD Xmas

• Restrain them on the night of the 24^th so they don’t scare off Santa and his reindeer.
• A canine calming agent so they don’t bark and wake up the kids while you are putting out the presents you just wrapped at 1a.m.
• A new package of Pupperoni treats so they come to you when you go to catch them in the field.
• A new set of batteries for your flashlight – to see what they are barking at in the night.
• New batteries in the GPS tracker so your kids can find your dog and give him/her their Xmas present.
• Phone number of the local vet on call taped to the fridge if they get into fight with a predator.
• Phone number of the local and regional animal control offices in case your LGD roams on XMAS or is picked up by a “helpful” stranger on a cold XMAS eve and taken 2 towns away.
• ID chip your dog and fill out the contact information online.
• Turn off the holiday blow ups before bed, so your dog doesn’t bark all night at them.
• A lock for the trash can so they don’t get into the leftovers after Christmas dinner.

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.

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Home & Work

Completed kennel structure

I can’t believe that we are already at the end of fall with holidays right around the corner.  The boys and I are looking forward to having the holidays in our new home. The dogs have adjusted well to the move and my LGD is guarding the house and yard from several roaming squirrels!

The newest set of pups for the second round of the bonding project arrived in early October and are adjusting well to their new home. These pups are out of the same parents as the Legends of Country Music. For those that follow our Facebook page, Johnny looks just like his mother and Willie looks just like his father.

The new kennel structure is finally completed and in place. It has four pens that are 6 ft x 12 ft in size. All that is left to do is install automatic waterers in the structure. It’s already been used by a few of our dogs and is a great addition to the Texas A&M AgriLife LGD program.

Internal Parasites – Gastrointestinal

This is the fifth and final part of a multi-part series on canine gastrointestinal parasites. The most common type of internal parasites that an owner of LGDs will encounter are worms. There are five main types of worms that your LGD may encounter: roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and flukes. Last month we covered tapeworms and this month we will focus on flukes in LGDs to finish out the series.

Snails are an intermediate host for flukes

Flukes are a class of parasites that can infect dogs and many other types of animals. They have a complex life cycle that can involve multiple intermediate hosts. The typical intermediate host however is a snail. There are three main types of flukes that affect dogs: intestinal, liver and lung. All types of flukes infect dogs through an intermediate host such as mice, snails or fish.

Intestinal flukes generally do not cause illness unless there are large numbers of flukes. Heavy infections can cause intestinal inflammation in the small intestine. Several antiparasitic medications are effective against intestinal flukes. Flukes in the bile ducts and gallbladder cause mild to severe liver disease in dogs. Various species of flukes have been reported from the liver of dogs in most parts of the world. Infections are generally uncommon and mild infections may pass unnoticed. In severe infections, dogs may develop progressive weakness, ending in complete exhaustion and death in some cases.

Liver Fluke Egg

The adult lung flukes usually live in cysts, primarily in the lungs of dogs. Infection is common in North America with this type of fluke. The eggs from the adult flukes pass through the cyst wall, are coughed up, swallowed, and passed in the feces. The life cycle includes several snails as the first intermediate host and crayfish or crabs as the second. Dogs become infected by eating raw crayfish or crabs that contain the encysted parasite. The young flukes eventually migrate to the lungs where they become established. Infected animals may have a chronic, deep, intermittent cough and eventually become weak and lethargic, although many infections pass unnoticed. Several drugs provide effective treatment for lung fluke infections.

Sources: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/gastrointestinal- parasites-of-dogs?query=canine%20internal%20parasites#v3202812, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/gastrointestinal-parasites-of-small-animals/flukes- in-small-animals

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Waylon and Johnny are doing well at our research ranch in Menard. They are staying with the livestock but are separating often as the sheep move to different locations on the ranch. The Superhero’s are still doing a great job for us. Thor has begun to roam to a neighboring ranch. We will be moving him to another location where he does not have friends (the Stooges) on the other side of the fence. The Stooges are all doing well, and the producer is still very happy with them.

Lenny & Laverne

Laverne, Shirley, Lenny and Squiggy are all doing great.  They were released from the 60ft x 60ft pens in early October.  They are all staying with stock and bonding well. The pair seems to be doing much better walking on a leash and being tethered than the two singles. I noticed this last fall also with the pups in pairs. The single pups in the previous round showed a slightly stronger bond to the stock than the pairs did. I believe the singles don’t want to leash walk as well because they are leaving their charges unguarded. Each time I walk Squiggy, he is always checking the location of his charges.

The four newest pups Doc, Wyatt, Thelma and Louise are adjusting well to their new home.

Doc, Wyatt, Thelma and Louise in the back

They arrived in mid-October and are growing fast. They will be placed in pens without hot wire to track their willingness to roam as adults. Wyatt was placed with Shirley to test whether dogs bonded close to headquarters are more likely to return to them as adults.

LGD Breed Spotlight – Polish Tatra

 The Polish Tatra Sheepdog, originated in the Podhale, a small, mountainous region in southern Poland. The area sits against the Tatra range, which are the highest peaks in the Carpathians. Tatras were originally developed as a livestock guardian dog. Outside the U.S., the breed is also used for personal protection, as guard dogs for private property, military/police work, carting, and as guide dogs. Tatras generally do not attack predators but stand their ground and stay with their charges. In their home country, they serve a dual purpose and act as both a herding dog and a guardian dog.

Polish Tatra Breed Standard

The Tatra is a strong and compactly built dog, with a rectangular body shape. Its body expresses both power and mobility. Their profuse coat is generally pure white. The hair is short and close on the head, muzzle, the front of the forelegs, and below the hock. The neck and body are covered with a long, thick, straight or slightly wavy hair that is hard to the touch. Tatras have a very thick undercoat. The thighs and tail are also covered with long, thick hair.

They are hardy, strong dogs able to work on a minimal diet and withstand cold, harsh temperatures, as well as the hot, dry heat. The Tatras require early socialization- and then throughout their entire life to remain friendly towards people. The Tatra is a large dog, often reaching 24 – 28 inches and 100 to 130 pounds. He has heavy bone, a massive body and is powerfully muscled. World War II brought the breed to the brink of extinction due to the dogs being pressed into military duty. The Polish Kennel Club worked to re-establish the Tatra Dogs following the War. The Tatra is one of the rarest dogs in North America.

Sources: Dohner, Janet Vorwald. Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners. Storey Publishing, 2016, https://www.ukcdogs.com/owczarek-podhalanski, https://www.ptsca.com/

Producer Profile

This month’s LGD producer is the Giles Family from Comfort, Texas.

Q: Please describe your ranch.

Misty Giles and one of her sons feeding LGDs treats

1. What type of livestock do you have?
2. How many head of stock do your dogs guard?
3. How many acres do your dogs guard?

A: We raise Angus cattle, fine wool sheep, & Angora goats. We have roughly 700 head at different times on the ranch. Our dogs do not always stay with the same herd. They move around as they see fit to cover predator threats. They guard around 2,000 acres as they move around.

Q: How long have you used LGDs?

A: We have had dogs guarding our stock for about 2 ½ years now.

Q: How many dogs do you use?

A: We have four dogs (1 dog for about 2 1/2 years and 3 dogs for 3 months)

A faithful friend

Q: Do you prefer a specific LGD breed?

A: No, we don’t prefer a specific breed. We currently have Akbash/Great Pyrenees and Anatolian/Great Pyrenees mixes on the ranch.

Q: Do you have an LGD mentor?

A: Yes, we do. Bill Costanzo at the AgriLife Center in San Angelo and WW Livestock Guard Dogs (where all four of our dogs came from). It’s important to have someone to contact if you are having trouble with your dogs.

Q: What is the biggest thing you would recommend a new LGD user?

Wool sheep with their LGD

A: Our biggest recommendation is to take the necessary time it takes to bond your dog to livestock and to you. It is time consuming, but so worth it in the long run. Properly bonded dogs are much easier to control and stay with your livestock.

Q: What is your favorite LGD/LGD story and why?

A: Pepper (dog we have used the longest) stayed with a nanny that had her head stuck in the fence until we came along to get the nanny out. Once the nanny was loose, Pepper

went on. Pepper wears a GPS tracker. Noticed her tracker kept pinging in the same location on a fence line, which is how we found the nanny that was stuck. Pepper knew she couldn’t get the nanny out of the fence, but maybe she knew we’d find the nanny if she stayed with her.

LGD Timely Tips

Every Tuesday check out our Facebook page @TAMUlivestockguardog for Tuesday’s LGD Tip of the Week!

• Move your LGDs to another field when hunters are on your property to reduce problems between the dogs and hunters.
• Remind hunters not to give treats to your LGDs unless they want them to come back to their blinds for more.
• Having several good pictures of your LGD is important if they need to be identified away from your property. Make sure you have pictures of any special identifying marks.

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.

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMUlivestockguarddog/

Follow us on Instagram: @tamulivestockguarddog

 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7        6H8mifBA

Home & Work

Change is inevitable and how you deal with it makes the situation easy or difficult.  Sometimes it’s easier to accept the change than fight it if you can.

The boys and I have settled into our new home in town and the dogs are adjusting to city noises.  It is important to allow your LGD time to adjust to new situations that they encounter.  If you move them to a new location or introduce new stock, make sure they bond with those animals and new surroundings.  Make sure they know where feed and water are located.

First half of the new kennel.

Progress is continuing on the new kennel structure.  We finished half of it, and we hope to have the structure completed by the end of September.  Its already been used by Waylon with his injured paw.  We will add more tin on the sides once the other half of the structure is in place.

The Fall LGD Field Day in Fredericksburg was cancelled, but we have scheduled monthly webinars in place of it for the foreseeable future.  Our October webinar will be on LGD diseases and is scheduled for October 21.  Check out our Facebook page to register for the event.  @TAMUlivestockguarddog

We recently started an Instagram account also.  You can follow us @tamulivestockguarddog.  You can also check out past webinars on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Internal Parasites – Gastrointestinal

This is the fourth part of a multi-part series on canine gastrointestinal parasites. The most common type of internal parasites that an owner of LGDs will encounter are worms.  There are five main types of worms that your LGD may encounter: roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms, and flukes.  Last month we covered whipworms and this month we will focus on tapeworms in LGDs.

Adult Tapeworm

There are several types of tapeworms that may infect dogs.  Adult tapeworms are segmented worms found in the intestines of dogs.  However, they rarely cause serious disease.  Most urban dogs eat prepared foods and have restricted access to natural prey and usually acquire the common tapeworm from eating fleas.  Livestock guardian dogs on the other hand, have more access to various small mammals, in addition to raw meat and offal from large mammals.  The possibility of exposure to several different tapeworm species can be expected in these dogs and regular deworming is required.   On sheep ranges and wherever wild ungulates and wild canids are common, livestock guardian dogs may acquire the hydatid tapeworm.

Hydatids are primarily parasites of dogs, coyotes and foxes.  Dogs become infected by eating offal containing hydatid cysts.  These cysts have thick walls and may enclose many smaller cysts containing small tapeworm heads, giving them a sandy looking appearance. The cysts develop into adult worms once inside the gut of the dog.  The adults then produce microscopic eggs with thick shells to protect them from environmental extremes.  The eggs are passed into the environment when the dog defaecates and can be spread by insects, wind and water.

Hydatid Tapeworm

Signs of tapeworm infection vary from a failure to digest and absorb food normally, irritability, variable appetite, and shaggy coat to colic and mild diarrhea.  There may be no signs in mild cases.  Tapeworms typically settle in the small intestine of dogs and may break into segments often found in the dog’s feces.  Diagnosis is based on finding tapeworm segments or eggs in the feces or stuck to the hair around the anus of the dog.

To control tapeworms, you need both treatment and prevention of the parasite.  Regular flea control is the critical preventive step for dogs.  Animals that roam freely usually become reinfected by eating dead or prey animals.  Preventing such feeding will limit exposure to other tapeworm species.  Make sure to have your dog examined by a veterinarian regularly and use the proper dewormer at least once a year.

Sources: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/gastrointestinal-parasites-of-dogs?query=canine%20internal%20parasites#v3202812, https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_multi_cestodiasis

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Laverne, Shirley, Lenny & Squiggy

Our newest members of the LGD Bonding Project have arrived!  We held a name the puppy contest at the end of August.  The winning names were Laverne, Shirley, Lenny and Squiggy.  By the time you read this, the four pups will have arrived, and the bonding project will have started. We have added a new phase to the bonding project with two pups being placed in a bonding pen at the Center headquarters to see if dogs bonded in close proximity to buildings, people and vehicles are more likely to roam and seek out those locations vs. dogs bonded away from the headquarters.

The Duke Boys have returned to their owner for further training and bonding.  The Legends of Country Music are being moved to their new home in Menard at our research ranch to guard Dorper sheep that have free access to the entire ranch due to a rangeland ecology research study.  Only Waylon and Johnny are going, as Willie is being returned to his breeder due to a genetic defect in a front leg.  Willie will be guarding livestock on a small piece of property that can provide him the extra care he needs.

LGD Breed Spotlight – Pyrenean Mastiff

Pyrenean-Mastiff Breed Standard

While the origin of the Pyrenean Mastiff is not clearly known, it is generally accepted that the breed is descended from dogs brought from Sumeria and Assyria to Spain by the Phoenicians some 3,000 years ago.  Due to the remoteness of the various areas of the Pyrenees Mountains and the rest of the region now known as Spain, the original Molosser dogs developed divergently by region into several livestock guardian breeds.  In 1659, France and Spain signed a decree splitting ownership of the Pyrenees Mountains with the northern area becoming French territory, and the Southern area remaining Spanish territory.  The French area further refined their mastiff developing a white, longer-haired breed, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog (Great Pyrenees), that possessed a more refined head and stature.  The Pyrenean Mountain Dog enjoyed widespread recognition due to its popularity and strong breeding programs, while the Spanish mastiffs in the south continued their work as livestock guardians and remained more massive, primitive, and less homogenous.

In the 1930s and 40s with the disappearance of the wolf and bear from the Pyrenees Mountains, the new reliance on rail to transport sheep, the Spanish Civil War followed by World War II, and a scarcity of food, these noble dogs became almost extinct.  With the return of a pack of wolves to the region in the 1970s, there was once again a need for these dogs, now known as the Pyrenean Mastiff.  A breeding program was designed by enthusiasts that brought the breed back.

Pyrenean Mastiffs have a dense and moderate in length coat that is bristly in texture.  Their hair is usually 2-3 inches in length.  Their double coat color is basically white, with a well-defined mask, and sometimes irregularly distributed, clearly outlined patches of body color that match the mask.  The most desirable color is snow white with patches of medium grey, intensive golden yellow, brown, black, grey-silver, light beige, sandy or marbled.  The dogs mask should be clearly defined.  The tip of the tail and the lower parts of the legs are white.  They can handle dry heat, but humid climates are uncomfortable for them.

Pyrenean Mastiffs are large dogs starting in height at 28 inches with no upper height limit.  They can weigh between 120-240lbs making them one of the larger livestock guardian dog breeds.  This large size can lead to a healthy appetite to maintain its body condition.  Being extremely large, Pyrenean Mastiffs are excellent fence climbers and need quality fences to keep them confined.  Double dew claws are also common in this breed.  While relatively rare, the breed has spread throughout the world with somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 dogs worldwide.

Sources: Dohner, Janet Vorwald. Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners. Storey Publishing, 2016,  https://www.ukcdogs.com/pyrenean-mastiff , http://pmusa.pyreneanmastiffclubs.org/default.aspx

Breeder Profile  

This month’s LGD breeder is Katy Siepert from Hamilton, Texas.

Q: Describe your operation/ranch.

1. How many LGDs do you currently own?
2. Explain your LGD program.

A:  My husband and I have a small operation of around 150 sheep and the same number of goats.  We have three dogs that we have owned a while, but also have several pups in training.  The older dogs are great for starting the pups, but one new pup is about enough for an adult dog to train.  Trudy, my oldest dog, had ten pups this time around.  So right now, some of the pups are with the older dogs, but the rest are

Katy & one of her Akbash LGDs

on goats and sheep supervised by me.

At about 8-9 weeks we start teaching them to lead and tie. This makes it easier to watch them and correct them as they are put with goats or sheep.   At around 10 weeks they are doing well.  They aren’t staying out full time but for several hours.  By this time, it’s gotten much easier to keep them out with the herd, and the dogs are concerned about the goats or sheep.  This summer was hard because even though these Akbash pups are short haired, they get hot very easily.  If I hadn’t had a creek for them to cool off in, I don’t know I would have persuaded them to stay out in that 106-degree heat!

Q: What got you started in breeding LGDs?

A: Town dogs were killing my goats.  I didn’t really like dogs and had my doubts.  I bought two grown Anatolian/Pyrenees crosses.  One of them was unbelievable.  They were not like any other dogs I had ever known.  Smart to the bone.  Unbelievable.  She chased my neighbor’s dog back to their house – a no good Heinz variety – but the owners to this no count dog shot my wonderful dog.  I never forgot her.  I thought she was one of a kind.  It turns out these dogs are so much smarter than any other dog.  They don’t really “obey” but they do more.  They figure out what you want by watching a few seconds and then they help.  For example, if you are trying to get goats or sheep across a creek, they walk out in the water, turn around and walk back to the bank so the goats or sheep will follow.  I have seen it time after time.

One of Katy’s Akbash resting in the shade

Q: How long have you bred LGDs?

A:  I have been raising livestock guardian dogs for about 30 years now.

Q: Do you prefer a specific breed of LGD?

A: Yes, Akbash as they are resilient enough as pups that a strong head butt from a mean mama goat or sheep won’t discourage them from coming back around, yet sensitive enough that they learn quickly to stay away from their babies.  Akbash truly love their herd which is essential in protecting them.  In the pasture, adult Akbash can be found near the herd under a shade tree or maybe right in the middle of the herd.  They don’t venture far.

Q: What breed of LGD do you raise?

A: The Akbash breed is compassionate, protective, and energetic.  It’s hard to get all three of these in any other lives

Akbash guarding goats

tock guardian dog breed as far I as I am concerned.

Q: What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting to breed LGDs?

A: One of the most important things I have learned and would recommend to a new user of LGDs is to not get too many dogs on a herd of goats or sheep.  They like to stay busy and lack of work will lose their interest, especially younger dogs.  If you want to keep them working and aren’t sure how many dogs are needed, start with a low number.  Equally important is when a young pup comes back to the barn, tie them up!  Make it a treat to go out with the herd. Don’t let them become barn dogs! A

Katy with an adult Akbash and pup

dog that saves their owner money from fewer lost goats or sheep is more appreciated than a dog that lies around at the barn.

Q: What is the number one thing you recommend to a new LGD user?

A: The most important thing I would recommend to a new LGD owner is to give their dog or pup a strategy.  At least for a while pen the goats or sheep at evening and feed both the dogs and the sheep at the same time.  The sheep will get in the habit of coming in at the same time and the dogs learn to stay with them.  If the dogs come in early without the sheep or goats, tie them up, but don’t feed them until the sheep come in.  They will learn that they only eat when they are with the goats or sheep.

Q: What is your favorite LGD or LGD story and why?

A:  Every situation is different, so each person must design a program for themselves.  When the dog understands what his owner wants it all begins to click.  Nothing can compare to the comfort in knowing this animal loves your herd as much as you do.

 LGD Timely Tips

Every Tuesday check out our Facebook page @TAMUlivestockguardog for Tuesday’s LGD Tip of the Week!

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  ID Collar

• Purchase collars with ID tags attached to them to make returning your LGD easier if the roam.
• Make sure to ID chip your LGD in case it is lost and taken to a veterinarian or animal shelter. Most cost about $40 which is a low cost to pay to make sure your LGD is returned to you should it be taken by a person rescuing them from the side of the road.
  

  ID Chips

• Use a GPS tracker to easily locate your LGD 24 hours a day. We are currently using the Oyster by Digital Matters.

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.

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