Home & Work

Hopefully 2021 will prove to be a better year  than 2020!  I had some changes in my personal life as I know many did, some caused by Covid-19.  I know I am happy for the new year to be here, sadly we are all still being affected by Covid-19 however.  But with the vaccine available soon, hopefully life will return to normal in 2021.

The boys are back in college again and looking forward to their new courses.  We got some projects done in December at the new house and the dogs seem to be slowly adjusting to their new surroundings.  Life is definitely better living in the country though.  For those that do, don’t ever take it for granted!

The Predator Board has extended the contract for an LGD Research Specialist for another two years so that we can continue to provide support for producers using LGDs.  We will continue research on bonding LGDs, producer outreach and our social media platforms.  We will be focusing more on outreach moving forward than research so that more educational information is produced and can be presented to producers on LGDs.

When Should You Spay/Neuter?

I often get asked by producers when they should spay or neuter their LGD or if they should at all.  There is some debate on how soon this should or shouldn’t be done.  We suggest that you and your veterinarian work this out, as there are pros and cons to every decision.  Whether or not you should spay or neuter your LGD is a little easier to answer.  Unless you are planning on breeding your LGD, then we recommend that you spay/neuter them.

Most LGD breeders would agree that the breeding instincts in LGDs is quite strong.  One reason dogs may roam is because they are in heat or looking for a female to mate with. To help curb this, it’s important to spay/neuter them.  Having an unwanted or unexpected litter of pups in your pasture may cause more problems than it is worth.  First, your female will require more feed to nurse the pups.  Second, she will be pulled away from guarding your stock during the time she is caring for and raising her pups.  If pups are raised in the field without human socialization, they may become feral and be extremely difficult to handle.  They may also spread disease and parasites to other LGDs if they

Potential benefits to spay/neuter

are not properly cared for.

To get a more in-depth perspective on the topic of spaying and neutering, I spoke with Dr. Debra Zoran DVM, PhD, DACVIM-SAIM, Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team member and Professor of Medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.  Here is what Dr. Zoran had to say on this subject:

“This is a great question and with many medical decisions. There is not an absolute right or wrong answer.  However, let me give you some things to consider.  We do know that in medium to large breed dogs the risk for early closure of their epiphyses (the parts of the bone that allows growth in length as the dog grows) when dogs are spayed or neutered before they reach full adult size:  that means about 12-15 months in medium (20-40 lb. dogs) and 18-24 month in larger breed dogs (40lb or greater).  So, for example with my search and rescue dogs, we try very hard to keep them intact until they are 18 months of age (if we can) to allow this bone development.  The reason that early epiphysis closure is a problem is that it can lead to changes in joint confirmation (hips or elbows) that can increase the risk of poor joint structure that results in risk of arthritis (hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia) from the conformation changes.  Obviously, there are also genetic and dietary factors here, but early age spay/neuter is a proven risk factor now.  So, we recommend that dogs that are intended for work (sporting, hunting, working dogs such as search and rescue) not be spayed or neutered as long as possible (12-18 months is ideal, longer if they are giant breeds dogs)  – to reduce this risk and increase working life longevity from reducing joint issues).”

Next, I asked Dr. Zoran about spaying/neutering working LGDs and if it was a good idea to help control roaming and fighting.  “Yes, you are correct that the risks of intact dogs (male and female) mating, running off, and fighting are real, and they must be managed by how you handle them.  If you are not able to control those things by how you use them or work them during those early years (8-18 months) then it is definitely better to have them spayed or neutered early.  In the search and rescue world, most of these dogs are kenneled when they are not training or working, so the problem can be mitigated, but in a herding situation, that may not be an option and if not, then you have your answer.  Another aspect of the decision is male/female – obviously the females coming into heat will affect their work, as well as disrupt work in the males, so some groups will spay the females a bit earlier (1 yr.) but hold the males a bit longer 15-18 months (then neuter) as they are typically larger – this is a compromise that often happens just because of the logistics of managing them – not saying it’s better, but just what happens.

In my opinion as a veterinarian, and I advise canine handlers and trainers about this all the time – it is our responsibility to do the right thing and prevent unwanted mating if we are going to choose to keep them intact during that first 12-18 months.  I encourage the delay in neutering/spaying for working dogs, but you can’t just make that decision and then not take the measures necessary to prevent the other issues that occur (pregnancy in very young bitches, males running and fighting).  I think the main thing to remember is this: if you can’t manage the issues that will occur with intact dogs because of how they are housed, trained or whatever, then it is far better to have them spayed or neutered early.

As I said, there is no right or wrong answer here, but there are definitely consequences to any decisions you do make.”

Source: Debra L. Zoran, DVM, PhD, DACVIM-SAIM, Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET), FEMA IST Veterinarian, Texas A&M Task Force 1 Urban Search & Rescue Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4474, dzoran@cvm.tamu.edu, (979) 845-2351

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

We had some sad news last month in early December.  Over a weekend, Shirley and one of the goats in her bonding pen at the Center were attacked and mortally wounded.  Our veterinarian suspects the attack was a large domestic dog.  We suspect some dogs from a nearby neighborhood, as the only LGDs we have at this ranch are very friendly to people, livestock, and other LGDs.  Shirley was only 5 months old.  Wyatt (just under 4 months old) and half a dozen other livestock in the pen were not injured during the attack.  The incident happened in a bonding pen that is only a few hundred feet from our office complex and an employee’s residence.  We can’t find sign of how the culprit gained access to the pen.  Regardless, we are going to make improvements to bonding pens to prevent this type of issue from occurring in the

future.  Shirley was a great pup with a lot of potential.  She will be missed in the bonding project.

Lenny during leash training

All the other seven puppies in the 2020 bonding project are doing well and growing fast.  Doc is still the largest of his siblings and Laverne is

the largest of her siblings.  The puppies have bonded well to the animals in their pens.  Recently the “Laverne and Shirley” pups had stock switched so that the dogs do not develop too strong a bond to specific animals.  Doc and his siblings will have their stock changed by the time you read this blog.  We swapped dogs to different pens regularly so that they bond to species and not specific animals.  While there isn’t research to prove switching livestock promotes a more well-rounded bond to all livestock, we find that it is not that difficult to switch out animals and is cheap insurance to prevent a potential issue.

Johnny and Thor were doing well at the ranch in Menard for a couple weeks and were staying with their charges.  Recently they roamed off the ranch again and ended up at a neighbor’s ranch.  We suspect that they decided to follow a hunter’s truck this time as the fence crew was finished with the project.  Luckily the dogs had GPS trackers on, and we were alerted to them leaving.  Johnny returned on his own to our ranch, but Thor had to be picked up from our neighbors’ ranch.

Johnny with meat goats

As a reminder, Waylon had the same issue as Thor and Johnny a few months ago.  Waylon was moved to the AgriLife Center in San Angelo and placed with a group of ewes that did not have another LGD.  We are pleased that he has not roamed and has stayed with his sheep.  He has followed the feed truck a few times, but some loud blasts of sound from an airhorn have stopped that from reoccurring.  It seems like splitting up the brothers was a good choice for these siblings.   Unfortunately, we were short on LGDs that would stay with the sheep at the Menard ranch and we suspect a significant amount of predation occurred on our fall lambing flock.  We recently had a helicopter with hunters fly the ranch and they killed 72 hogs and 3 adult coyotes.  We are planning to reinstate this method of aerial predator control to our overall predator control plan in addition to the LGDs.  All the pastures at the ranch have been opened up for a long-term research project.  By allowing stock to roam freely across the ranch, they are spread too thin for the dogs to adequately protect each small group of ewes.  Providing aerial control of predators, should allow our lambing percentage to increase again to its previous rate of 120% at the ranch.  Stay tuned to “The Guardian Way” for an in-depth discussion of this issue and how we are working through it.

Hulk with his charges

Goliath and Hulk are doing well at the ranch in Ozona.  Goliath was bonded as a single dog in the bonding project without hot wire and has not left his charges to date.  Hulk was bonded as a pair with Thor without hot wire in his bonding pen.  He regularly moves between the sheep and goats at the ranch but has only left the ranch boundaries once which was in December.  We are not sure why he left, but he has been returned thanks to GPS tracking.  GPS trackers can a good investment in technology that can save you money should your LGD roam off your property.  However, they do require a fair bit of work to keep them working.   Most require cell signal, but some do work off a satellite signal now.  The units that we use cost about $120 with a $10-$15 monthly fee.  Battery life can be an issue with the cellular units, but satellite solar trackers are now available for an additional cost.  Feel free to contact us with any questions at the AgriLife Center in San Angelo.

Breeder/Producer Profile

This month’s breeder and producer using LGDs is Bob Rieck from Junction, Texas.

Q. Please describe your ranch.

a. How many LGDs do you currently own?

b. Explain your LGD program.

One of Bob’s pup in a bonding pen

A. I have run around 6 to 8 LGDs amongst sheep and goats. I mainly try to breed dogs that have done a good job for me personally. What that means is that I only sell dogs that I do not need in my own operation. When I have a litter, I know how many I need and then begin to sell the extras until they are sold either as weaned pups or older bonded individuals.

Q. What got you started in breeding LGDs?

A. I got started as a result of not being able to eliminate coyotes by all other legal means.  They were killing too many of my lambs and kids.

Q. How long have you bred LGDs?

A. Best I can remember, since 1990. So at least 30 years that I have been using LGDs on my ranches.

Q. What breed of LGD do you raise?

A. Right now, they are a Great Pyrenees/Anatolian/Akbash crosses. They seem to work best for me.

Q. Do you have an LGD mentor?

A. Hmmm, I did buy my first dog from Bob Buchholtz.

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

A. Well, I suppose if I knew what the best breed or combination of breeds that consistently would produce the best LGD, I would not have

One of Bob’s feeding stations

had to put so much effort analyzing why some dogs work better than others. However, this might not ever be possible because of all the variables involved.

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

A. I would say bond the dog to the type of animal you plan to guard and leave them alone to do their job.

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

A. Never really had a favorite dog. I really like any dog that does his job. As far as favorite story, I don’t know, there are so many, I could go on and on but I did have a dog once that was in a large brushy pasture that we gathered horseback and he or she (I can’t remember) would actually hide the three ewes it had been bonded to. If I found them and put them in pen and mixed them, in 20 minutes, it would have the three identically looking ewes separated in the corner of the pen standing between them and the rest of the flock and other things going on. Probably too good of a bonding job. Ha, ha. That’s a good example of why you need to rotate stock when you are bonding LGDs!

LGD Timely Tips

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

• Proheart is an injectable 12-month heartworm preventative that is now available for your dog.
• LGD should be pure or mixed bred from guardian breeds. Purchasing a LGD that is mixed with a non LGD breed may cause problems, as other breeds tend to exhibit behavior unwanted in LGDs.
• If you are using a new LGD breeder, ask if they guarantee their dogs and what’s included in the guarantee.

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

The boys and I were busy packing boxes to move to a new house in town at the end of August.  We sold our place outside of Grape Creek and moved to a smaller home in San Angelo.  This is going to be a big adjustment for the three of us and our two dogs.  My registered border collie, Booker, and my Pyrenees Maremma cross, Brutus, have never lived in town.   It is important to make changes with your LGDs slowly over time.  Things like adding or deleting livestock that the dog is accustomed to may cause behavior problems.

We were busy at the AgriLife Center last month.  Our maintenance crew and I installed water lines to all the bonding pens, so I do not have to haul water out to the stock and pups every other day.  That is a huge time saver for me.  We also removed our old kennel, poured a concrete slab for the new one, and started fabricating the new kennel structure.  The project should be done by the middle of September.  We also held the annual Sheep & Goat Field Day virtually this year, which included a presentation of the LGD program.  Check the Facebook page for more information regarding the LGD Field Day on September 25^th in Fredericksburg.

Internal Parasites – Gastrointestinal

This is the second 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 hookworms and this month we will focus on whipworms in LGDs.

Whipworm

The whipworm parasite is generally transmitted to dogs when they ingest infested food or water.  Although whipworms can be contracted from other infected animals as well.  Adult whipworms in dogs are typically found in the colon and cecum which is a part of the large intestine.  They attach themselves firmly to the intestinal wall.  Eggs are passed in the feces and become infective in about 4 to 8 weeks.  Under ideal conditions, whipworm eggs can remain dormant in the environment for several years in moist climates.  Once infective eggs are ingested by the host, the larvae hatch and develop in the small intestine and then move to the cecum and colon, where the adults mature in about 11 weeks and will remain there for up to 16 months.  No signs are seen in light infections, but as the number of worms increases the cecum and colon can become inflamed, which can cause diarrhea and weight loss in the dog.  Fresh blood might be seen in the feces in heavy infections and anemia may also result.

Since whipworm eggs take a month to become infective, whipworms can be controlled with good sanitation in a kennel situation.  Prompt removal and proper disposal of feces is critical in confined areas.  Whipworms are susceptible to drying; therefore, keeping the dog in an environment that is clean and dry reduces the risk of infection considerably.  A variety of medications—including some monthly drugs that prevent infections with other parasites like heartworms—are available for treating whipworm infections.  Your veterinarian will choose one that is appropriate for your LGD and its environment.

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/whipworms-in-small-animals?query=canine%20whipworms, https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_multi_trichuriasis

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

We will be starting our second round of the Bonding Project Trial this month.  We have added a new phase to the project, and we will have a total of eight dogs involved this time from two different breeders in Texas.  We will be bonding two of the dogs within close proximity to our Center and the others will be bonded in a pen at the furthest end of our pastures, over 1 mile away. The goal of this project is to see if there is a difference in roaming behavior later in life of dogs bonded to animals nearer to human activity than dogs bonded further away.

Bo n Luke, “The Duke Boys”

The Duke Boys that are being trained for a cooperating producer are coming along well.  They will be leaving once the new set of puppies arrive for the Bonding Project.  The Legends of Country Music are also doing well and will be moving to our research ranch in Menard at the end of September.  They will 8 months old by that time and ready to start working under the supervision of our two adult dogs with the sheep there.  Willie will be returned to his breeder as his right front leg is still causing him to limp and move around slowly.  He will have a small place to guard and receive the daily care he needs.  I will miss his friendly and happy personality.

The Stooges are all still doing well at the cooperating producers ranch.  The hot wire treatment during bonding has worked very well for those dogs.  According to the producer they are always with stock and have not left the herd at all.  GPS data for over 60 days shows that he is correct about that.

The Superheroes are also doing well, but Thor and Hulk routinely leave their pastures to guard other stock.  Thor also visits his old friends, the Stooges, once in a while.  In their defense, the fencing at that ranch is old and holes develop regularly which does not help keep the dogs and stock where they are supposed to be.  However, it does show a difference in the bonding project criteria since these dogs did not have hot wire in their pens when they were reared and bonded at the Center.

LGD Breed Spotlight – Karakachan

The Karakachan dog is likely a breed you have not heard much about as they are rare in the United States.  Native to Bulgaria, it is difficult to trace their exact

Karakachan Breed Standard

origin as they are an ancient breed.  It is widely believed that they originated from Central Asian herding dogs.  They derive their name from a native group of shepherding people called the Karakachani, who lived in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania.  These nomadic people put great emphasis on animal breeding, as well as preserving, the Karakachan dog.

The dog breed’s prime purpose has always been to guard livestock on mountains.  They are known for their courage when confronted with such threatening predators, like bears and wolves, and will not hesitate to defend their flock.  Due to their sheer size, as well as their inherent loyalty and territorial behavior, the Karakachan has also been used for many years as a patrol dog.

The Karakachan is a remarkably large and impressive dog, reaching heights of 25-30 inches, weighing between 88-135lbs.  They are double coated and always have a thick, full undercoat, but their straight topcoat is variable among the breed and may be short or long.  When long, it should reach lengths of over 4 inches.  Their coat color will be white with brown, or white with black, or white with both black and brown.  Large, well defined colored spots are preferred on the dogs.  Most dogs have black noses, but red noses are seen in red or brown dogs.

The Karakachan is dedicated to its role and is hardy, diligent, and hard-working. They are always alert, patrolling and guarding their flock.  They will bark to warn off predators.  They are less likely to roam than other LGD breeds and will move their stock to safe areas if they perceive a threat.  Any perceived threat to their herd will be met with aggression. They are a breed that will bond closely with their stock and will quickly become very protective of them.  They need extensive socialization when young to encourage them to be tolerant of strangers within their area, as they will instinctively be very wary of any newcomer.

They were developed throughout the years for high levels of stamina and the ability to patrol a flock all day and jump to their defense when needed.  While they are known to be an intelligent breed, the Karakachan survived by itself for a long time out on the remote Bulgarian mountains and can thus be strong-willed when it comes to training.  They require a confident and experienced handler who will not allow them to get their own way.  This is particularly important due to their strength and potential for aggression when they feel threatened.  Positive reinforcement works best when training the Karakachan.

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.dogzone.com/breeds/karakachan/ , http://www.karakachanusa.org/

Breeder Profile  

This month’s LGD breeder who is using LGDs in his operation is Michael Annuziato from South Plains, Texas .  He owns and operates the A Bar Z Ranch.

Q: Describe your operation/ranch.

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

A:  We have a small breeding operation of sheep, goats, alpacas, chickens, ducks, turkeys, quarter horses and cattle.  We have six adult LGDs and four pups that

Customers with two of Mic’s Maremmas.

are 5 months old. There are currently dogs with different animals and at different locations, usually in pastures of two to three dogs guarding.

Q: What got you started in breeding LGDs?

A: We had two old Maremmas that were extremely good guardians that died on our property.  We had a difficult time replacing them. I was working for a neighbor taking care of his sheep when he suggested that I breed and raise some for him and sell the rest.

Q:How long have you bred LGDs?

A: I have been breeding and selling livestock guardian dogs for seven years now.

Q: Do you prefer a specific breed of LGD?

A: Yes, I prefer Maremmas.   They are originally from Italy.  They seem to stay with livestock better than other breeds I have used.

Q:What breed of LGD do you raise?

A: I raise purebred Maremmas. I feel purebreds do better than mixing breeds to form composites.  You do not always end up with the best of the breeds in pups when you mix them together.  There is not enough scientific information available on purebred LGDs, let alone mixed breeds of dogs to know what traits are likely to show up in a specific breeding cross.

Q: Do you have an LGD mentor?

A: My mentors have all moved on, but they were there to help me start 15 years ago.  I’m always available to my customers to answer questions and provide advice on the dogs.  Its important to have a mentor to talk to when you are just starting out with the dogs.  You breeder is a great choice since they know their specific line of LGDs.

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

A: The special thing I did in the beginning was to research the breed and find out all I could about them.  I would highly recommend that people that are looking into getting livestock guardian dogs do as much research as possible on the dogs.  They should look for a breeder that raises the breed of dog that they are wanting.  They want to make sure that the breeder bonds the dogs to the same type of livestock that the producer has at his ranch

Two of Mic’s female Maremmas.

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

A: I would highly recommend that people that are looking into getting livestock guardian dogs do as much research as possible on the dogs.  They should look for a breeder that raises the breed of dog that they are wanting.  They want to make sure that the breeder bonds the dogs to the same type of livestock that the producer has at his ranch.

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

A: Do research on the LGDs.  Interact with other LGD owners, find a right-hand man that will be very loyal and help you.

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

A:  The Maremma is my favorite, very loyal, and passionate about their job. They tend to stay with the stock, bonding and protecting them. They are not an overly aggressive LGD. They have a large deep bark that warns the enemy to stay away. They can be, and I recommend it that they be, socialized with family.  This also helps when you must take them to the vet for shots etc.  They are highly intelligent! They are very loving and gentle with our children and grandchildren.

LGD Timely Tips

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

• Dogs heavily infested with brown dog ticks often require blood transfusions to recover. Routine use of tick control keeps the situation from getting out of paw
• Hepatozoonosis is a tick-borne disease that can cause weight loss, fever, lethargy, and muscle pain. Transmission of Hepatozoonosis occurs by ingestion of an infected tick and not by a tick bite.
• You may not always spot a tapeworm in pet’s feces after treatment, but this does not mean the pet was not infected. The treatment targets the tegument or covering of the worm, which may cause it to be digested by the animal instead.

Sources: Bayer Animal Health Companion Vector Borne Diseases Calendar 2019

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.

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

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

Home & Work

My boys are finally registered for their college courses after more than two months of delays due to Covid-19 closures and will be starting classes at the end of the month.  That was quite an ordeal to go through with limited personal interaction due to the lockdown.  Hopefully no one has been too inconvenienced trying to contact personnel at the San Angelo AgriLife Center; we are back working at 50% capacity at our location until further notice.

We are gearing up for the next phase of the puppy bonding project in early fall.  We are currently looking for puppies to place into our second trial.  Check our Facebook page for the name the puppy contest.

We were happy to have Dr. John Tomecek join us for the July webinar on the LGDs and wildlife.  Dr. Tomecek is an Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist and was based out of the San Angelo Center a few years ago, but is now based out of Thrall, Texas.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uExmgKerf8A&t=25s

We are now hosting monthly LGD webinars. Each event will be sponsored, and prizes provided by the sponsors may be given away to lucky participants.  Each webinar will be on a different topic related to livestock guardian dogs.  Check out our Facebook page @TAMUlivestockguarddog for more details and to register for the events.  Don’t forget to follow our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF7YbP6bNDV7___6H8mifBA

Internal Parasites – Gastrointestinal

This is the second 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 round worms and this month we will focus on hookworms in LGDs.

There are several types of hookworms that can cause disease in dogs.  Ancylostoma braziliense infects dogs and is distributed from Florida to North Carolina and along the Gulf Coast in the United States.  Uncinaria stenocephala is the principal canine hookworm in cooler regions.  It is the primary canine hookworm in the northern fringe of the United States, but it is found with frequency across the country.

Hookworms (Wikipedia)

Hookworm eggs are first passed in a dog’s feces 15 to 20 days after they are infected.  They hatch in 1 to 3 days when deposited on warm, moist soil.  Transmission of the worms may result when larvae are ingested or in the case of A. caninum, from the colostrum or milk of infected female dogs.  Infections with Ancylostoma species can also result from larval invasion through the skin.  Once the skin is penetrated in young pups the worm’s larvae migrate through the blood to the dog’s lungs.  The worms are then coughed up and swallowed to mature in the dog’s small intestine.  However, in dogs more than 3 months old the larvae may remain in the body tissues in a state of arrested development.  These larvae are activated after removal of adult worms from the intestine or during pregnancy.  They will then accumulate in the small intestine or mammary glands of the female dog.

A hookworm infection will often cause anemia in young puppies and it may be fatal.  The anemia is the result of the bloodsucking and the bleeding internal wounds that occur when these hookworms change their internal feeding sites in the small intestine.  This movement of the worms leaves open wounds in the dog’s intestines.  An outward sign of infection to look for is pale linings of the dog’s nostrils, lips and ears.  Surviving puppies develop some immunity and show less severe signs.  Malnourished and weakened animals may continue to grow poorly and suffer from long-term anemia.  Mature dogs may harbor a few worms without showing signs.  These dogs are often the direct or indirect source of infection for puppies.  Watch for diarrhea with dark, tarry feces as this is a sign of severe infections in dogs.  Anemia, loss of appetite, weight loss and weakness develop in long term cases of the disease.

Hookworm Life Cycle

There are several drugs and drug combinations that are approved for treatment of hookworm infections in dogs.  In addition, many heartworm medications also control certain species of hookworms.  Hookworms cannot be seen with the naked eyes.  A diagnosis can often be made from the identification of hookworm eggs upon microscopic examination of fresh feces from infected dogs.  Your veterinarian can recommend the best treatment for your LGDs if you suspect a hookworm infection.

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_ancylostomiasis

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Waylon & Johnny with ewes

The Legends of Country Music are now over 6 months old and are all doing well.  Waylon’s injuries are all healed up at this point and he is very happy to have rejoined Johnny.  Willie had an issue with a front leg.  For some reason the growth plate in his knee has fused together already.  This in turn caused him to limp which irritated the should and wrist joints.  Our veterinarian is not sure why this occurred, as it was only the one growth plate.  Willie was prescribed limited movement for three weeks along with an anti-inflammatory medication and a pain medication.  He is doing much better now and recently rejoined his brothers.  If the problem should return, he will have to be removed from the program as our veterinarian feels he will not be able to effectively carry out his duties on large acreage.  We will keep you updated on Willie if the problem reoccurs.

Hulk, Goliath and Thor with ewes

The Superhero’s are all doing well still and getting big!  I almost didn’t recognize them the last time I saw them.  Thor has wandered twice recently to visit his old friends the Stooges at a cooperating producers ranch.  We are trying out a new satellite GPS tracker on the dogs from Optimus Tracking.  The trackers are working great and we are getting regular updates on their positions.

These new satellite trackers use 4 AAA batteries and are waterproof.  They don’t require cellular service which is a big plus for our ranch location.  The company claims that the unit’s batteries should last 6 months so it will be interesting to find out in a real-world application.  We will keep you posted how they are working.

LGD Breed Spotlight – Sarplaninac

Sarplaninac Breed of LGD

The Sarplaninac (pronounced shar-pla-nee-natz) is from the mountain region of southeastern Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.  This breed was formerly named the Illyrian Shepherd Dog when first recognized in 1939.  The name was changed in 1957 to Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog Sharplanina, after the Sharplanina mountain range where the breed is most common.  The Sarplaninac is still widely used in its homeland to protect flocks against predators.  Until 1970, Sarplaninac’s could not be legally exported from Yugoslavia.  Since then, growing numbers of American ranchers have been successfully using Sarplaninac’s for predator control.  They prefer more human contact than other breeds which make them slightly less suitable for range operations.

The Sarplaninac is a formidable adversary of predatory animals.  This breed has a typical livestock guarding temperament: highly intelligent and independent; devoted to family members and wary of strangers.  It is calm and steady but fearless and quick to react to perceived threats.  The Sarplaninac is a medium-sized dog who looks bigger than they are because of their heavy bone and thick coats.  The length of the dog’s body is slightly longer than its height and the head is in proportion to the size of the body.  The Sarplaninac’s ears are drop and V-shaped.

The Sarplaninac is a double-coated breed with a long, straight, rough-textured outer coat and a shorter, much finer and thicker undercoat.  The coat on the head, ears, and front side of the legs is short.  The hair on the neck, buttocks, tail and the back side of the legs is longer.  This variation in coat length results in a ruff at the neck, and frill on the buttocks and backs of the legs.

The dog’s height at maturity is 24 inches or more for males and 22½ inches or more for females.  Mature males in good working condition weigh between 77 and 99 pounds. While mature females weigh between 66 and 88 pounds.  Despite being slightly smaller than many other livestock guarding breeds, the Sarplaninac is characterized by extraordinary strength.  Dogs in North America tend to be slightly larger than their European counterparts.  Our producer of the month, Independence Wool, uses these dogs on their livestock operation.  Check out what they have to say towards the end of this month’s edition of The Guardian Way!

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/sarplaninac

Texas LGD Association

 In the fall of 2019 several LGD breeders where contacted by the AgriLife Center in San Angelo in the hopes of establishing an association to support the use of livestock guardian dogs in Texas.  The group of local breeders has met several times and have officially formed the Texas Livestock Guardian Dog Association.  The goal of the organization is to support, promote and advance the sustainable use of effective livestock guardian dogs by farmers and ranchers.  The group of 16 founding members represents a variety of LGD breeders, ranchers and people interested in promoting LGD use in Texas.  Bylaws for the association have been created and a temporary board of directors has been selected.  The organization is officially recognized by the State of Texas and is in the process of filing a 501c3 nonprofit request with the IRS.

The TLGDA has a Facebook page that can be found @TexasLGDAssociation.  One of the main goals is to create a website for breeders to advertise LGDs for sale and to promote the use of the dogs to ranchers.  The group will be making a presentation at the AgriLife LGD Field Day in Fredericksburg on September 25.  The association is open to anyone that is interested in raising, using or promoting the use of LGDs.  Please contact me via email at bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu with any questions or how to join the Texas Livestock Guardian Dog Association.

Breeder Profile  

This month’s LGD ranchers that is effectively using LGDs in their operation are Dawn and Paul Brown of Independence Wool.

Q: Describe your operation/ranch.

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

Wool processed into yarn at Independence Wool Mill

A:  We are a small sheep and goat ranch located outside of Independence, Texas, between Brenham and College Station. Our home, ranch, and wool mill sit on 80 acres in an area of low rolling hills, live oaks, scattered brush and native prairie grasses.  Our range, combined with usual plentiful rainfall, allow for a denser stocking rate which currently consists of 120 Angora goats and fine wool sheep (Rambouillet and Merino).  We primarily produce wool and mohair as a source of fiber for the mill, although we purchase raw fiber from other Texas producers as well.  We create Texas grown and processed yarn and textiles for the artisan hand-craft market.  Our region mostly consists of cattle and horse ranches, and, as it is relatively close to large urban communities, we have mostly part-time weekend-only neighbors.  Very little predator control is undertaken in our county, and our biggest issues really surround a hefty coyote population and prevalent town dogs or feral dogs.  We do have bobcat, great horned owls, caracara and turkey vultures, but thankfully very few feral hogs.  We do have venomous snakes, but mostly copperheads, occasional coral snakes and water moccasins.

Q: How long have you used LGDs?

Sarplaninac on duty at Independence Wool

A: We have had LGDs now for almost 10 years. However, Paul has been a dog person since youth, training, competing, and hunting with Labrador retrievers.  Growing up, I was always surrounded by dogs and, as a youth, I participated in conformation dog shows with 13-inch beagles.  Sporting and hound dogs are very different than the LGD, but you certainly learn a lot about drive, instinct and training from those breeds. With my beagles, they were easily trained and groomed for the show ring, but after you cleaned them all up, if you happened to walk them on the leash past a certain smell, they would drop and roll in it every time!

Q: How many dogs do you use?

A:  We usually have four dogs- two with the wethers/bucks, and two with the does/ewes and their kids/lambs. We have two GP females, and one Sarplaninac male.  This June we lost our six-year-old Sarplaninac female to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.  We are fortunate that all the dogs got along very well, three were spayed females, and one is an intact male.  The groups of two dogs always shared a fence line with each other, could easily switch partners, and all four worked together in the same pasture if need be.  Our two female GPs are litter mates and came to our ranch at 10 weeks of age.  They came from working parents and were raised with our goats. Raising sibling females is

LGD on duty at Independence Wool

controversial in the LGD world, but it worked great for us.  They are matched in energy, independence, guarding style, stock bonding, and lack food/resource aggression… most of all, no fighting between themselves or the other two dogs.  They are now 9 years old, and still work together.  We were told via the online LGD forums that we “just got lucky” … perhaps… but I believe there is a missing “link” to this issue.  Our Sarplaninac’s were imported from Canada, from Grazerie Ranch, Louise Liebenberg.  We were looking for a steadfast, loyal guardian with a harder edge in dealing with the coyote load in Texas.  Our male dog was 3 years old when imported, and the female was 11 weeks of age.  These two dogs shared the same sire, so they were not to be a breeding pair.  We spayed the female and left the adult male intact.  These dogs are not common in North America, and we thought a litter sired by him could be possible one day down the road.

Q: Do you prefer a specific breed of LGD?

A: I wouldn’t say one breed is preferred over the other, but what we needed were dogs that could be trusted to guard and be companionable as well.  As a small ranch and producer, our stock is handled or managed daily in a manner more intensively than a large thousand-plus acre operation.  We spend a lot of time around the livestock and dogs, so we sought breeds and breeders that bonded well to their shepherd and flock/herd.  I would say our GPs are fairly typical. They bark and posture at threats, move goats off the fence line when they sense danger, putting themselves between the goats and whatever has caused the alarm.  They tend to stay in amongst the sheep and goats. They are less aloof than the Sarplaninac and enjoy a great deal more head petting. Overall, the Sars are a harder dog.  They are “guardy” and can be a whole lot of dog for one to handle. It is a primitive breed, very old, if not one of the oldest LGD breeds.  Having said that, our older male dog, Shadow, is friendly, polite with strangers, incredibly stable and calm, but always on the watch. He was raised in Canada with sheep and seems to prefer their company.  Our female Sars that we lost in June was always a handful. She was the most vigilant and reactive of the dogs and would go right through or shimmy under a fence to get at a threat.  She was always on the higher-energy side.  She required a yoke when in the pasture most all her life. We stopped her as an adolescent from pulling Angora goats around by the tail and dealt with her food aggression.  She went on to never hassle or injure stock. She was the best at coming to you when her name was called, and she never picked fights with the other dogs- after she grew out of continuously ankle-biting them as a puppy.  It wasn’t always sunshine and roses with her, but she was a good dog and we learned a great deal.  Both breeds of our dogs have a denser coat that requires extra care. The Sars have a correct working coat, and thankfully due to our milder winters produce less of a downy undercoat.  We do have to manage for spear grass in our area, and feel it is best to clip the belly and leg hair for the dogs.  We also clip the hair under their ears in the summer as it seems to help them stay cool and have fewer ear ailments.

Q: Do you have an LGD mentor?

A: Someone I have enjoyed following over the years is Louise Liebenberg of Predator Friendly Ranching Blog, High Prairie, Alberta.  We imported our two Sarplaninac’s from her in 2014. While her range is vastly different than ours, I felt that her methods were generally based on the idea that by making management decisions that set your dog’s up for success, many problems can be avoided and therefore the rancher, dogs, wildlife and livestock all benefit.  This goes for just about everything, deciding how the dogs are fed to reduce the chances of food aggression, what fencing type and height to decrease roaming, GPS and identifying collars for location if dogs wander, socialization and basic obedience training to promote a safe “good citizen” guardian at the ranch or if in contact with the public.  Louise also implements nighttime corralling with her stock and dogs, and that is something that works well for us, too.  Our sheep and goats, along with the dogs, come back to shelter in the evenings. This paddock is enclosed behind a gate overnight.  In the morning, chores are finished, and everyone is turned back out to their pastures.

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

A:  I would have to say when doing research regarding LGDs and their management, be wary of individuals that offer knowledge or advice in absolutes.  Language such as “must always”, “don’t ever”, and “must not” when dealing with working dogs doesn’t agree with me.  The varied range conditions, operations sizes, type of stock guarded, and breed characteristics, make it hard for a “one size fits all” absolute approach.  Starting down that path early into LGDs can set you up for disappointment and discourage you from finding what really works for your ranch.

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

A: Consider treating the dogs like the valuable asset to your ranch that they really are.  Treat them well and set them up for success. Give

LGD Gate Sign

them fewer obstacles to an already tough job.  Provide them good food, clean water, quality vet care, correct fences.  Give them a way to get back to you if they get lost chasing a predator- microchip, GPS collar, collar with tags.  Depending on your area- let your neighbors know what to expect from your dogs, educate them about the dog’s job and value to livestock and wildlife. Reinforce the dog’s good behavior, have positive energy, smile and be kind. If you feel like throwing things, screaming, and punching a wall, and that can happen with LGDs, try not to scream and throw things at them.  If something goes wrong, take a step back, see if you had a role in the outcome before claiming the dog failed. No one is perfect, no dog is perfect, but a good LGD is worth all the effort.

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

A:  Paul’s favorite story: Angora goats, and goats in general, can easily get themselves into predicaments.  One evening in early fall, one of our yearling bucks in full fleece found himself stuck in bramble vines and unable to get free.  When the herd headed off to the barn before dark, he was left behind and struggling to get free.  One thing that is handy when nighttime corralling our animals, is that you notice when all the dogs are not back at the barn at dusk, sometimes that is easier than counting all the goats.  And on this night, one of the GPs didn’t return with her goats.  Paul went out to search for her and found the buck in the brambles with the dog standing by.  Good dog.

Dawn’s favorite story: My story has to do with an unexpected visitor in the barn.  When we first started raising Angora goats in 2010, my job had taken us from Texas to Northeast Arkansas.  I was practicing rural women’s health out in the foothills of the Ozarks, near the Missouri border.  In addition to the goats, we also raised black Angus seedstock via AI.  One afternoon during a torrential rainstorm, I was working in the office area of the barn and had the dogs inside with me. Our goats were like indoor cats and never liked to be wet, so they were bedded down undercover during the storm.  The rain was so heavy on the metal roof that I didn’t hear anyone approaching barn, but when the door opened and a hooded raincoat clad man entered with the liquid nitrogen for the cryo tank- the dogs were up and barking angrily- I call it the vicious “police dog” bark. He backed out fast!

LGD Timely Tips

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

• Ticks don’t engorge within 24 hours. If you see an engorged tick it means it has been there for longer. The feeding period can range
  

  Engorged Brown Dog Tick & normal Brown Dog Tick

  from several days to more than a week.

• The brown dog tick is the perfect vector for several dangerous pathogens including Ehrlichia canis and Babesia vogeli.
• Heartworm microfilariae can be transmitted to unborn puppies via the placenta. So,
  

  Heart Worm Microfilariae

  puppies may be born with microfilariae in their circulatory system!

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.

Bill Costanzo
Research Specialist II, Livestock Guardian Dogs

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

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

This is a new section to The Guardian Way in which I will give you a brief update on things happening for me at home and work.  In May, my twin boys graduated from high school in Grape Creek.  Although it was not your traditional ceremony, which I’m sure most were not this year, the boys were excited and happy to finally put that chapter of their lives behind them.  It was sad for me, being a former teacher who  saw so many traditional graduations of my past students,  to miss out on that tradition with my own sons. Grape Creek High School did a great job with the video they presented.  It was also a nice touch for them to send home a flash drive with professional pictures of the student’s individual ceremonies and parent and graduate pictures.

We are supposed to all be back to work at the center by August 1 baring anything else halting working from the office from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Hopefully our travel ban will be lifted too, and I will be able to start visiting producers again.  I learn something each time I have a producer visit.  I also completed the process of developing my first LGD factsheet, How to Select an LGD Puppy.  The factsheet can be found on our website at  https://sanangelo.tamu.edu/research/lgd/.

Internal Parasites – Gastrointestinal

Roundworms

This is the first 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 dog may encounter: roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and flukes.

 The large roundworms known as ascarids are common in dogs, especially in puppies. The most important species is Toxocara canis because infections are common.  Fatal infections may occasionally be seen in young pups. Toxascaris leonina is typically much less common and is generally seen in older dogs.

Adult dogs often have some resistance to infection.  However, during whelping of a litter, the immunity of the female dog to infection is partially suppressed.  Often the inactive larvae become active, crossing the placenta to the pups and sequestering in the mammary tissue.  When the puppies nurse they are transmitted in the colostrum and milk.  Due to immune system suppression at the time of whelping, active infections may occur in the pregnant dog, with large numbers of eggs passed in the feces.

In puppies, round worm infection usually occurs by transfer into the developing fetus through the placenta.  The worms can be found in the intestines of the puppies as early as 1 week after birth.  Pups may also be infected while nursing.  If pups less than 3 months old eat the eggs that have been in the environment for at least 4 weeks, the eggs will hatch, releasing larvae that penetrate the intestinal wall. The larvae migrate through the liver, reach the lungs via the bloodstream, are coughed up, swallowed, and mature to egg-producing adults in the small intestine.  Many larvae will be carried by the bloodstream to other parts of the dog’s body and remain in the tissues of the dog for years in an inactive form.

Puppies often show no signs of infection.  The first indication of infection in young animals is lack of growth and loss of condition.  Infected

Potbellied puppy with round worms.

dogs may have a dull coat and often appear “potbellied.”  Worms may be vomited out and are often passed in the feces.  In the early stages, migrating larvae may cause pneumonia, which can be associated with coughing.  Diarrhea with mucus may also be evident.  Infection in dogs is diagnosed by detection of the roundworm eggs in feces using a microscope.

There are several compounds available for treating roundworm infections in dogs.  Transmission of infection from mother to newborn can be greatly reduced by a program of antiparasitic drugs given during pregnancy and after the birth of a litter.  Pups should be treated as early as possible.  Ideally, treatment should be given 2 weeks after birth and repeated at 2- to 3‑week intervals to 2 months of age, then monthly to 6 months of age.  We use a liquid wormer that is given orally for the pups at the AgriLife Center.  Nursing dogs should be treated on the same schedule as their pups.

 Source: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/gastrointestinal-parasites-of-dogs?query=canine%20internal%20parasites

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Johnny & Willie cooling off.

Waylon has finally rejoined the other two pups and is healing up well from his injuries in early May.  He required several stitches and three vet visits before we were able to get his infection under control from one of the wounds.  For more information on this incident you can check out the video at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QB2nRHALLE

All three of the Legends of Country Music are doing well in the bonding project and are staying close to their Dorper ewes.  We recently introduced some rams in with the ewes and are observing how the pups are interacting with the breeding process. We will be keeping this set of pups for protecting some of our own livestock at our research ranch in Menard.  They will stay at the Center until 8 months of age before being released with a couple of older dogs to guard our Dorper sheep in Menard.

The Superhero’s and Stooges are all still doing well.  We will continue to track the six pups with GPS trackers until they are 18 months old and take note if they are staying together or wandering to other locations.  We will be bonding our next set of six pups in September.

Maggie and Marley, the Kangal pups that were donated to the program back in the late winter, have started wandering for some reason.

Maggie & Marley with yokes.

After several attempts to contain them at the Sonora Station, we decided to bring them back to San Angelo for monitoring and retraining.  They have been placed in our bonding pens with electric fence to prevent climbing and digging out.  We will keep you posted on how the girls are progressing.  We are not sure what made them start wandering other than adolescence.   They have been great dogs up to early June when they started to dig and/or climb out of their pasture and leave their goats unguarded.  They had been raised with sheep and goats by the breeder and we bonded them to our goats before releasing them.  Hopefully we will be able to retrain them and place them back to work in Sonora or one of our other ranches soon.

LGD Breed Spotlight –

Estrela Mountain Dog – Breed Standard

Although uncommon in the United States, the Estrela Mountain Dog is popular in other countries.  The dog got its named for the Estrela Mountains in Portugal and is believed to be the oldest breed in the region.  The breed has several distinctive characteristics including rose ears that are folded backwards against the head, a black mask and a hook on the end of its tail.  They are a faithful flock guardian, protecting against predators and thieves.  They are distrustful of strangers but typically docile towards their masters.

The earliest of the Estrela ancestors were herd-guarding dogs in the Serra da Estrela, in what is now Portugal, and are one of the oldest breeds in that region.

Shepherds have chosen to breed the dogs that had the characteristics necessary to survive in their mountain environment.  They want dogs fit to do their job: large-sized, strong, having endurance, agile, deep-chested, able to tolerate a marginal diet, a proper set of  legs, a powerful mouth, a tuft of hair around its neck, an easy, jog-like gait and a warm coat.  The Estrela’s have a watchful, mistrustful, yet loyal temperament.  The dogs are expected to move from their spot of guarding to bring the stragglers back, and then assume a leadership position at the head of the flock.  They are accomplished climbers and jumpers, so good fences are a must with this breed.

The dogs come with long or short haircoats.  During the 1950s, the long-haired variety was popular at shows, but show dogs represented only a small portion of the Estrela population in Portugal, and still do. Many of the working dogs are short-haired.  The hair coat ranges in colors from light fawn to dark mahogany to wolf gray with or without brindle markings.  Fawn colored dogs are most popular in the longer haired variety while brindle is common in the shorthaired dogs.  Short haired dogs are rarely seen outside of Portugal.  The dog’s range in weight from 80-115 pounds and range in height from 23-30 inches.  They have a broad skull, long head and tight lips with oval eyes that are dark amber.

Sources: https://www.estrelamountaindogassociation.com/the-breed-standard, Dohner, Janet Vorwald. Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners. Storey Publishing, 2016.

Breeder Profile  

Connie Wilson with Kate Malone and her new puppy.

This month’s LGD breeder and rancher that is effectively using LGDs in their operation is Connie Wilson of WW Livestock Guard Dogs.

Q: Describe your operation/ranch.

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

A:  I live on a small 23-acre place with my best friend Jimmie Willenberg on a major road between San Marcos and Luling. I raise sheep, goats, and Livestock Guard Dogs. I started raising Livestock Guard Dogs to protect my animals. I currently have around 50 dogs –from puppies, to breeding males and females, to dogs that are ready to work.

Jimmie Willenberg and I got together around 2002. He has around 400 acres near Red Rock, Texas. He first tried wool sheep on his place.  We raised pups out of Bobby Joe and Pearl and put them on his place to protect the sheep. They were successful in controlling the coyote problem. But after the first couple of years of trying to the pay shearers and sell wool, he decided to stock his place with goats.

Jimmy Willenberg feeding some of his LGDs

We had too many goats for my small place, so we started buying goats to stock his place.  Our Livestock Guard Dogs started multiplying and we had enough to put on his place and sell a couple.  After a few years, the goats just got too much to handle.  Jimmie had previously had a cattle pre-conditioning operation on his place.  The fences were not meant to hold goats.  So, Jimmie decided to try Dorper Sheep. This was truly an answer to prayers.  He has about 1,350 head and eight or nine dogs on his place.

I start feeding the puppies a few days after their eyes are open.  I feed them powdered goats’ milk and Purina One for large dog puppy feed. I will feed them twice a day until they are about ten weeks old, if they are still here.  We deworm at four weeks or sooner if they look like they need it.  Puppies and dogs’ gums will turn a grey or ash color if they need deworming.  If you notice it, do it very carefully over a few days because they are already weakened condition.

We give them their first puppy shots at six weeks.  Then again, every six weeks for a year if they are still here.  We have had trouble with Parvovirus in the past.  We do all we can to keep our pups and lactating females, vaccinated and in a clean dry area.  We don’t sell pups until they are at least eight weeks old. They run with the sheep and goats with their mothers and the other dogs.  We still catch the pups and feed them separately twice a day.

We raise these pups for our use and sell extra pups. All these pups and dogs have a job. We pen males up when we have enough puppies. If we don’t sell puppies, we will keep them and use them on our own places.

Q: What got you started in breeding LGDs?

A: It all started with two terribly flea-bitten puppies, a male and female we purchased from some folks that had Pyrenees dogs years ago. I wasn’t even sure they would make it. They were wild puppies and had never been handled. But after several baths, lots of time, and lots of love, they grew to be a beautiful pair of dogs. They were called Pearl and Bobby Joe. We named them after dear friends, that were pillars in our rodeo community.

Q: How long have you bred LGDs?

A:  Since about 2002.

Q: What breed of LGDs do you raise?

A: My place, where we raise the pups, is small. I have it broke up in several different pastures. We have sheep and goats, so these dogs are exposed to both. We raise some Pyrenees, Anatolian/Pyrenees cross, and Armenian Gampr dogs. We started crossing Anatolian/Pyrenees dogs to try to get a shorter haired dog because of the heat here in Texas. The Armenian Gampr dog is a livestock dog that originated in Armenia. They are a little more aggressive than the Pyrenees, but they have a loving protective attitude toward their family and their stock. We have a registered pair and have some pups.

These dogs all work. This is through nothing I do other than give them the opportunity to do what the good Lord created them to do, protect His sheep.

Q: Do you have an LGD mentor?

A: Yes, we had known about Great Pyrenees dogs because Bob Buchholz and his brother, Dave. They had been putting Great Pyrenees with goats on their property and leased places since the seventies, maybe longer. They had grown up in goat production and I had known them since I was in 4H or longer.

I truly think my Daddy loved these two boys more than my two sisters and I. Daddy, R. B. Wilson, built a home, barn, and arena on his place near Driftwood, Texas around 1985. My sisters and I had all married and moved away from home. Bob and Dave would go to Daddy’s and practice team roping. Daddy treasured the time he spent with the “Buchholz Boys” at his roping arena. He would tell stories and just laugh! They were both great young men that enjoyed their horses and roping. They were also hard workers that always had goats and dogs for their protection.

It was only natural, when I got Bobby Joe and Pearl, the first person I would call for advice was Bob Buchholz. As you well know, if you live anywhere in the goat or dog community, he is your go-to person! He and his brother Dave’s experience spans from their teens to now. They don’t just know it, they live it! Big difference!

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

A:  It is important they are exposed to all elements: heat, cold, rain, dry, goats, sheep, lambs, kids, horses, trucks, trailers and people. Our goal is to raise a dog that will be comfortable in any situation on anyone’s place.  We have just started teaching them to tie. Mainly, from coaching from Bill Costanzo and John Walker from Texas A&M AgriLife. We don’t lead them, as most of the time they just follow us. However, these dogs do have to be able to be handled and given shots or taken to a vet when necessary.

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

A: Puppies will play with lambs and kid goats. Every morning when I feed my sheep the ewes will pen and maybe a few of the babies will not. I have noticed if I try to run and the head the lambs, the puppies will chase them, too. If I calmly walk and push them toward the gate the pups just follow my lead. If a pup gets rough or chases a lamb, I am there to correct them immediately. I will tell them ‘no’ or tap them with a stick if necessary.

If you have a pup that gets rough with sheep, a lamb, or a kid goat just pen them up in the pen when you feed the sheep or goats. The ewes or nannies will teach a pup more than you can. If the sheep and goats are being too rough on the puppy, step in and save the day. Pick up the pup and love him. He will know you as a safe place and he has learned to keep an eye on those mean mamas.

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

A:  It is one that works. My experience is different people look for different things. Some want aggressive dogs; some want a dog their kid can play with. All want a dog that protects their animals.

The research and seminars provided by the AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program have been extremely beneficial. It has given us a platform to discuss problems, meet and visit with other dog breeders and ranchers, and to improve our management programs. The tracking systems and studies done show that these dogs are where they need to be, when they need to be. We have received the same feedback from ranchers watching these dogs daily. Thank you to the AgriLife Livestock Guardian Dog Program for putting like-minded people together with good working dogs to maintain predator control.

LGD Timely Tips

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

• Use dog-proof raccoon traps at your feeding stations to eliminate feed waste. Make sure to have one of the tools to make them easier to set!
  

  Raccoon trap with tool.

• Use some sort of lock to keep raccoons from getting inside your dog feeder.
  

  Improved self feeder with lock and hooks.

• Place your dog’s feeding station at a watering location for your stock so the dog doesn’t have to leave them to eat. If you have large pastures, you may want to place a dog feeder at every water location.

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.

Bill Costanzo
Research Specialist II, Livestock Guardian Dogs

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

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

LGD Webinar

On May 1 we held our first LGD Webinar with over 90 people actively watching during the events scheduled time. We discussed several things regarding the LGD program at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Service Center, from inception to the current time, including the puppy bonding program. We reviewed our initial results of the set of six pups that we bonded last fall. We also reviewed GPS tracker information and had a panel of three local producers. I would like to thank our producers, Grant and Misty Giles, Kristal Spenrath and Shirley Pfeiffer Kilgore, for taking time out of their schedules to provide information on their experiences with GPS trackers and invisible fencing.

If you missed the webinar or wanted to review it again the event is posted online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud0wWcNXaEA . While you are there, go ahead and subscribe to our channel and check out our other videos. We are hoping to host additional webinars in the future. If you have any topics that you would like us to focus on, please send an email with your topic to bill.costanzo@ag.tamu.edu.

LGD Puppy Bonding Project

Goliath with a smile!

The Superheroes are all doing well still. Recently I went out to help process lambs and all three of the dogs approached us and were happy to see everyone. Thor and Hulk spent most of the day sleeping under a tree in the working pen while Goliath kept an eye on what we were doing to his lambs.

The Legends of Country music have been released into the large pasture now and have GPS trackers on them. Waylon encountered another large dog and suffered some wounds that required stitches. Based on the size and location of Waylon’s injuries our vet believed it was an adult dog. After reviewing our GPS tracking data, we believe it was one of our adult female LGDs, but with GPS drift and the trackers updating once every 15 minutes we may never know for sure. The pups and our adult female had shared the fence line for a couple weeks before the event occurred. In addition, the female dog has never been aggressive towards humans or our other LGDs at the Center. Waylon is an aggressive pup and

Waylon in blue and Feathers in yellow on 5-8-20 with time locations.

may have challenged her which could have caused the confrontation to occur between them. We encourage producers to use GPS trackers on their LGDs so that if something like this occurs with a neighbor’s dog or livestock, they are hopefully able to show that their LGD was or was not the cause of the injuries. If we discover any other information about Waylon’s injuries, we will keep our followers updated.

Willie also got to see the vet this month for an injured paw. Somehow, he managed to completely pull out a toenail on a back foot which quickly got infected. After some antibiotics and time in the kennel he recovered from the infection. He is back out with Johnny protecting their ewe lambs.

The Stooges are still doing well at their cooperating producer’s ranch in Crockett county. He is happy with their progress and is looking for some more dogs to add to his operation.

Breed Spotlight – Tibetan Mastiff

Tibetan Mastiff Breed Standard

The Tibetan Mastiff is a large working dog from the Himalayas. Tracing the breeds history back to antiquity, it acted as the guardian and companion of the Tibetan villagers and nomads. Accounts by travelers to the region, dating back to the late 1200s, describe a large dog with natural strength and physical and mental impressiveness, which is evident in the Tibetan Mastiff today. Even its deep bark has been described as a unique and highly treasured feature of the breed. The Tibetan Mastiff may be the forefather of all large mountain and mastiff breeds.

The dogs are large, sound, well-boned, muscled, and powerfully built while still very agile. The impressive head provides a noble and dignified look, enhanced by a mane around the head and neck. The head is balanced by a curled tail carried over the back. The Tibetan Mastiff is still widely used in its traditional role as a natural guardian of families and flocks. They are highly intelligent, strong-willed, independent, aloof and protective when necessary. They can be patient and tolerant; but may be wary of strangers to their territory.

The Tibetan Mastiff keeps its double coat all year, with little shedding until spring/summer. They often have a ruff or mane around the neck and a shawl down the spine. The outer coat is harsh in texture, thick, stands off the body, and ranges from fairly short to moderately long. The undercoat is dense and woolly in cold climates and becomes sparse in warm weather. Shedding normally lasts about eight weeks and requires regular brushing during shedding. Tibetan Mastiffs retain the longer guard hairs until fall when the undercoat again begins to grow.

The coat ranges in colors from black to chocolate brown and slate gray, all with or without tan markings, as well as, various shades of gold. The shades of gold and the tan markings may range from cream to dark red/gold. Pigmentation on lips, nose and eye rims is black, except on a few colors where it is a darker gray-black. These dogs are very slow to mature taking between three to five years. The dogs can range from 75 to 160 pounds. They stand between 24-30 inches in height.

Sources: https://www.ukcdogs.com/tibetan-mastiff, https://www.tibetanmastiff.org/tm-as-livestock-guardian.html , Dohner, Janet Vorwald. Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers, and Other Canine Working Partners. Storey Publishing, 2016.

External Parasites – Mange

This is the final part of a four-part series on external parasites that can infect livestock guardian dogs. This month I will be discussing Mange in LGDs. Mange is caused by microscopic mites that invade the skin of healthy animals. These mites cause irritation of the skin, resulting in itching, hair loss, and inflammation. Most types of mange are highly contagious. There are several types of mange that affect dogs, including canine scabies (sarcoptic mange), ear mites (otodectic mange), walking dandruff (cheyletiellosis), canine demodicosis and trombiculosis. Sarcoptic Mange and Canine Demodicosis are the two most common types that dogs can acquire.

Sarcoptic Mange Mite

Sarcoptic mange, often called Canine Scabies is a highly contagious parasite found on dogs worldwide. The entire life cycle (17 to 21 days) of these mites is spent on the infested dog. Females burrow tunnels in the skin to lay eggs. Mange is easily spread between animals by contact. The incubation period varies from 10 days to 8 weeks, depending on how severely the dog is infested, part of the body affected, number of mites transmitted, and the individual dog’s health and hygiene.

Not all dogs have signs when they are infested with sarcoptic mange mites. Usually, the animal will have intense itching that comes on suddenly. Initially, infested skin will erupt with small, solid bumps. Because the dog scratches or bites itself to relieve the itch, these bumps and the surrounding skin are often damaged, causing thick, crusted sores. Secondary yeast or bacterial infections can develop in the damaged skin. Usually, the sores appear first on the abdomen, chest, ears, elbows, and legs. If the mange is not diagnosed and treated, the sores can spread over the entire body. Dogs with long term, recurring mange develop oily dandruff, severe thickening of the skin with wrinkling and crust build-up, and oozing, weeping sores. Dogs affected this severely can become emaciated and may even die. Mange is very highly contagious and can spread easily between animals of different species. Treatment should include all dogs and it may be necessary to clip the hair. The crusts and dirt should be removed by soaking with a medicated shampoo, and an anti-mite dip applied.

The mites that cause canine demodicosis live in small numbers in the hair follicles of all dogs. However, for reasons not clearly understood, some dogs have large numbers of Demodex canis mites, resulting in inflammation and hair loss. There is evidence of hereditary predisposition for this condition in some dogs. Since it may be inherited, dogs with demodicosis should not be bred. There are two forms of canine demodicosis: generalized and localized. Localized demodicosis is usually seen in dogs less than one year old. Affected dogs will have one to five small, isolated areas that are usually hairless, red, and scaly. Itching is mild or absent. A few cases of localized demodicosis progress to the generalized form, though most cases resolve without treatment.

Canine Demodicosis

The generalized form of demodicosis can occur in young dogs or in adults and occurs when the dogs immune system is unable to fend off the mites. Affected dogs have severe disease with widespread inflammation of the skin. Generalized demodicosis can cause hair loss, reddened and swollen skin, increased pigmentation (darkening of the skin), raised lumps that look like acne, and scabs. Secondary bacterial infections are common. Many dogs with generalized demodicosis also have inflamed foot pads. Other signs can include enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, fever, and pus-filled inflammation of the deeper layers of skin.   Laboratory analysis of deep skin scrapings is usually used to confirm a diagnosis of demodicosis.

Cases of localized demodicosis often resolve without treatment. Generalized demodicosis is a serious disease that requires medical treatment. Medicated shampoos and dips are often used to treat demodicosis. Owners of dogs with demodicosis should understand that treatment of generalized demodicosis can take several months.

Source: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/skin-disorders-of-dogs/mite-infestation-mange,-acariasis,-scabies-in-dogs, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/mange/mange-in-dogs-and-cats?query=mange

Breeder Profile  

This month’s LGD breeder and rancher that is effectively using LGDs in their operation is Chad Raines of Key Farms.

Q: Describe your operation/ranch.

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

A: I run approximately 3,000 dorper ewes. All my sheep are run on cropland. I plant my crops for the sheep to eat. Most is on dryland but about 1/3 of my land is irrigated. However, 2/3 of my sheep are on irrigated land. I am always having to rotate my sheep to different farms to chase grazing; thus, it is important that all my dogs are social and can be moved.

I currently have 16 adult LGDs. Six of these dogs are fixed. I also have 10 dogs ranging from 8-months to 1-year-old s. Of which most are for sale. Nine of these dogs are fixed. I currently have 23 puppies on the ground. They range to one week old up to 4 months of age. I like to have my adult LGD’s to train the younger puppies. I leave the puppies with their parents until around 3 months of age or longer depending on the number of sheep and/or the number of total puppies that I have on all my farms. If there are not very many puppies, I take two puppies at a time to other farms and let the adult LGDs at those farms train them. It is very common for me to go to each farm and see young puppies out in the middle of the sheep. I think that it creates a very natural and extremely strong bond with my sheep. I have had a lot of success with my dogs.

Q: What got you started in breeding LGDs?

A: I got started breeding my LGD’s because I really like my alpha male. He had all the qualities that I looked for in my LGD. It all started when I witnessed him take a 1-day old lamb that had been left behind back out to the herd. At that point, I knew that he was special. Plus, he just had the respect from the other LGD’s without having to show them that he was the alpha. He is just different. It’s like with people, there are those that are natural leaders. I am also picky about which females that I breed.

Q: How long have you bred LGDs?

A: I have been breeding LGDs for about 5 years now.

Q: What breed of LGDs do you raise?

A: All my LGDs are Akbash except two. Those are Anatolians. My female Anatolian is one of my best females. What I like about my Akbash is the fact they are short-haired. In my cropland setting, we do not have any trees. The only shade available are the ones we build. Plus, I like that they don’t get burrs in their coats.

Q: Do you have an LGD mentor?

A: No.

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

A: Socialization. I socialize all of my dogs. I don’t think it’s wrong petting my LGDs. I also think it’s important to praise your dogs. Let them know that they are doing a good job guarding your stock. I don’t make them pets but they all know and love me. But their first love are my sheep. I never question that they are truly bonded with the sheep.

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

A: Something that I would recommend to a new LGD producer is to think about your situation and what type of LGD would fit your operation best. I have a lot of people call me about puppies but that’s not always what they need. Puppies cannot immediately guard the stock. I sell a lot of adult dogs. They are much more expensive than a puppy, but they go in and immediately start to guard the stock. Just think about the number of losses that are being lost to predators and the price of the adult dog isn’t so bad.

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

A: Overall, I think that I enjoy raising LGD’s as much, if not more than, sheep. Just don’t overthink things with your dogs. They are extremely intelligent and just want to do their job. I just try not to get in their way.

LGD Timely Tips

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

• Never purchase an LGD that is mixed with a non-LGD breed to guard your stock.
• If you are using a new LGD breeder, ask if they guarantee their dogs and what’s include in that guarantee.
• Having an older dog guide a new puppy during its first year on the job is helpful during the training process.

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.

Bill Costanzo
Research Specialist II, Livestock Guardian Dogs

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

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