LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOG TRAINING TIPS (update on our lgd puppy)

I'm excited to share with you all this VERY comprehensive update on our livestock guardian dog, Uhtred, who is a one year old Great Pyrenees. Uhtred lives full time with our Nigerian Dwarf goats and he is a fantastic working dog who offers protection to our goats and poultry from predators such as coyotes, raccoons, foxes, hawks, possums, etc.
It has not been an easy road in training Uhtred, but as my first LGD, I would say I got pretty lucky to have a dog that has such great temperament and instincts. He is a wonderful partner and I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of training him.
In this video, I share my successes and many failures in training an lgd to be a successful livestock guardian dog to protect my goats. I also discuss feeding an lgd, parasite issues, weight concerns and more.
Website: www.fablehillfarm.com
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Email: [e-mail]

[@ChristopherMosley-dj3kt]

The LGD experts always say Great Pyrenees are for people experienced in handling those kind of dogs but you're proving them wrong

[@nikkiburg]

"Boys! Go away!" "Blaaaaaa-aa-aaa-aaaah" *defiant noise* 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@stalinlukas9562]

Uhtred is one happy guy. He's got the best life a livestock guardian dog could have, and the best owner! Your love and respect for animals shine through! Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thank from Borneo🙋🏻‍♂️☃️☃️

[@FableHillFarm]

Hello there and happy new year to you. I apologize for missing your message. I responded to it weeks ago but then noticed some of my comments didn't send through my phone when I wrote them so I am playing catch up now. Your words warm my heart - thank you for noticing the care and affection I have for my animals, I sincerely appreciate your support in watching my videos and having such encouraging, kind words. Thank you from the US and I hope this is a beautiful year for you and your family filled with health and joy.

[@stalinlukas9562]

@@FableHillFarm Wow. Happy new year too. Have a wonderful day!

[@CFaith23]

Thanks for your experience & information on training-Good information that has helped me & will look up more from you. Excited about my 1st opportunity to start training my new boy, Ranger, 12 weeks old. We drove 6 hours to NC to pick him up and made the drive back to GA the same day; we got home after dark & settled Ranger in a pen we use to haul sheep & goats, so he starts out with their scent. Of Course he was some what stand offish but allowed me to pick him up out the crate carrier to place him in his pen on wheels, with encouraging words, touch, and plenty of good food and water.We parked it in front of the cabin so he gets used to the home front surroundings, & another outside family dog. Moving his pen to one of our pastures this morning, will start with worming and grooming while he sees his new herd. He was not socialized a lot, so, lots of patience with our new relationship & learning him that he can trust me to love him. Feel blessed that we found Ranger on a farm surrounded by livestock from birth & with working parents to start him off right.

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there Kelly, how is Ranger settling in?

[@MsAtom70]

thanks I've got a 4 month old definitely lots of training your guy is so happy

[@FableHillFarm]

I think the hardest times for me with him was 3-7 months, he was still really challenging me a lot and being especially frustrating.

[@lynnchaney5258]

Watched your video this morning, enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to finding more of your work. Recently bought a GP three weeks ago that was six weeks old and took him to the barn two days ago. I hate leaving him out there, but it must be.😢😅

[@lindseyyoung5773]

MY BUDDY!!!!! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

[@Kathleen67.]

Wonderful video, very helpful, we will be getting one soon. Thanks!

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks so much for watching Kathleen! Have you already selected a breed?

[@mssorochofied]

We just recently acquired a GP (LGD) for our Chickens. We had 11 when we moved out to the country and then slowly they were getting picked off by different critters. We ended up with 5 hens and a rooster remaining and we’ve just added 19 more pullets to the mix. They’re around 9 weeks old so brand new! Anyhow, our GP is 14.5 weeks old currently and is in a partitioned section of the chicken run. In a “look don’t touch” area for everyone’s safety. We have an older Aussie who is our current “LGD” (I know, not an actual LGD breed😆). She is docile with our chickens and lays down all day with them in the run unless she needs to scare away a “predator”. So she is doing training as are we and things seem to be going well! I spend anywhere from 2-5hrs/day outside training him on leash and walking calmly around the run not allowing him physical access to the chickens. I make him lay or at least sit while they are around him. As well as “leave it”, “come”, “sit”, and “lay down”. Did you train Uhtred with chickens as well as your goats? Did you have to do anything different training-wise with the chickens v. goats? I’m hoping he’ll settle down well before 2 years old but from everything I read, it’s at least 2 years 😭 That’s a long time before I can trust him! Lol! I’m tired but it’ll be worth it! And our Aussie is getting up there in years so we need or GP to be well trained before she’s no longer with us! Thanks for these videos!

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there Michelle, sorry for the late reply. The only thing I did with Uhtred to 'train' him with poultry was to spend time with him around the chickens (on lead and off) and monitor his behavior towards them. If ever he showed as a puppy anything other than a very casual indifference towards them, I offered a verbal correction or a tug on the leash with a verbal correction. He has honestly never showed much interest in poultry. I do continue to offer verbal correction when he is eating and the ducks and chickens try to eat his food, he does get a little ferocious (understandably so) but I always correct when he starts swiping at them with his paws.

[@beccam507]

We have an 8-month-old GP female. We have about 50 chickens and ducks here. I'm not an expert dog trainer, but I have trained other dogs successfully. we used the e-collar on the vibrate setting (for the most part.. We did have to actually shock mildly her a couple of times when she tried to put her mouth on a duck). Anyway, after a few weeks of concerted effort training her, and being very vigilant, I am now able to leave our GP pup out free while the chickens are free-ranging, with no issues. I think it helps that we have two other old dogs , not LGDs, but they are well trained with the chickens, so she has a good example . I still watch her with the chicks. I keep an eye on her in general just to make sure she's behaving herself outside but she got the message and she is now watching over the poultry. So it can be done before 2 years of age.

[@healingpasturesfarm89]

Thank you so much for this! Just got to young Maremma 1 year old and 2 year old... I'm Learning a lot FAST! They are awesome. I really appreciate your advice and insights!

[@FableHillFarm]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed this video. What type of stock are your dogs guarding?

[@healingpasturesfarm89]

@@FableHillFarm sheep!

[@christisstanley2348]

Just found your channel, thank you for sharing your training and journey. In the process of purchasing a small farm and will be adding an LGD, or two. While I train dogs and service dogs, I have not a clue to train an LGD. Loving that you're feeding what raw you can and using a holistic approach. Hope you're feeding the whole egg with the shell, its really good for them. You can use fresh garlic as a natural dewormer, and it also helps prevent fleas and ticks. Virgin coconut oil is great for the dogs, and fractioned coconut oil (not oily) can be rubbed into the back end, preventing spurs from sticking as well as its other great qualities. Thank you, I'll be watching your other training videos

[@pamcooley5012]

He is getting so big!

[@FableHillFarm]

I know! When I see pictures and footage of him as a puppy, it's hard to believe how much he's grown. He really towers over Amara now.

[@thomasstamatelos3322]

Beautifull...greatings from Greece

[@FableHillFarm]

Greetings and blessings of health and happiness from Michigan!

[@minerspring1662]

Good video. I just adopted a 3 month old male Pyrenees pup. He is shy and a little timid. I don't know if he just wasn't exposed a lot to people or wasn't trained initially or exposed to various things. I have been doing basic obedience training with him and trying to bond with him so he trusts me. He has 1 eye also and he has a very chill, calm personality but is just as sweet as can be. I've exposed him to my poultry and he was not phased at all. So, that's good. I enjoyed watching your videos and will continue to do so. I have experience with dog training and working with dogs, but an LGD is a different kind of training and I'm looking forward to seeing the progress with him. His name is Moses. Thanks for being so thorough with your advice and suggestions. And I also wanted to point out that having other dogs is interesting. He wants to be with my other dogs who aren't allowed to roam with my chickens and turkeys. So, I need to limit his time spent with them. I do make him sleep out in the dog yard with my 100 lb Anatolian mix so he's not by himself at night. We have too many coyotes, etc...for him to be safe until he's much bigger.

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there. Thanks for sharing! I hope Moses settles in well for you. The one eye has got to make things very challenging for him. Was he born that way?

[@Andy-ok7ev]

Awesome

[@sunnyfarmdays]

As far as the brushing and matting on the back end. Use Cowboy Magic detangler. Really helps condition the hair and keep it easy to brush through with fingers.

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely try that.

[@kevelpurcell9141]

I really like what you are doing. I have 2 other house dogs and I do allow them limited interaction. But my LGD stays near the goats.

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks for that, I so appreciate hearing my content is valuable to my viewers. It was definitely the right decision for us to have Uhtred used to our dogs. I like the concept of their relationship being “friendly neighbors.”

[@jessicalukes2239]

Remember that he may not have to go back and forth to the does. Just him marking the perimetwr on walks with you, taking dog feces from him and your other dog making a larger perimeter outside of your fencing, and him barking helps to keep predators away. Remember dog language to predators that we tend to forget.😊

[@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY]

Nooice! 😎 STOC

[@tylergaylik]

Your series is amazing, we are getting ours March 16th 2024. We feel a little more prepared after watching this, wish us luck. Thank you , plz keep us posted. Any tips for poultry training a lgd

[@FableHillFarm]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed! You’ll have to keep me posted on when you get your puppy. As far as poultry training, constant supervision (like a long lead) and just correcting anytime the dog shows more than a few seconds interest in the birds with ‘leave it.’ Having the dog on a leash when you are doing poultry chores so it’s right there with you. Time. It definitely takes time to make them poultry safe and I think almost every dog will kill some if given the opportunity during that time frame. Uhtred loved defeathering our turkeys. That was very unfortunate. But now he wouldn’t look twice at a bird.

[@OffGridDogs]

Our puppy was a 98 pound weakling (lol) for what seemed like forever than all the sudden boom 140 pounds all muscle not an ounce of fat their growth comes in weird spurts my wife said his body stopped growing for a while so his brain could catch up lol

[@bpxdurangoinc7013]

Have two LGD Anatolian Shepards. 14 weeks old now. I am doing passive training by walking them around the 20 acres a couple of times per day and familiarizing them with the chickens and other livestock. They are crazy. lol. They will sit and are leashed trained. I like your gate training and will start that tonight. They have a bad habit of jumping on the screen slider when they get excited. Any suggestions?

[@high_deff69]

Could you make a video on your laying flock of chickens as well as the ducks 🙏🏾

[@FableHillFarm]

Do you have chickens already or doing preliminary research? Looking for information about holistic poultry management or just laying chickens in general?

[@denisdufresne5338]

As I am concerned a maremma guard dog is a better choice because it barks only when necessary and it does not tend to wander to it stays on the property.close to the farm animals to protect.

[@angieroberge2275]

Great video; fyi, I recently heard there is a problem with Purina dog food; can't remember where I saw that info.

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks for watching. He's long since been switched to Diamond Naturals. Thanks for that though! I am hearing some conflicting things about the Pro Plan from Purina.

[@ChristopherMosley-dj3kt]

​@@FableHillFarmhow much raw meat is okay and what kind would you say is best for them health wise?

[@joshramsey902]

We have a 4 month old lgd and he likes to chase and nip at the goats here and there how do we brake this I'm not always here all day so I can only correct it when I see it

[@kp76333]

Don't kill your burdock, make tinctures with the roots, read up on it, I promise you won't be disappointed.

[@danielleakins3890]

Do you have a direct contact? I've got some LGD puppy questions. You've done a great job!

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there Danielle, thank you for watching. The best way to reach me directly is through my farm FB page or via email. My farm page is facebook.com/thisisfablehillfarm and my email is [e-mail]

[@cdkfarm73]

Saya suka melihat peternakan anda..😍😍👍👍🙏

[@FableHillFarm]

I hope this translates alright...Saya menghargai Anda menonton, senang berbagi dengan Anda.

[@cdkfarm73]

@@FableHillFarm trimakasih 🙏

[@viseshseernam39]

this breed is easily trained but need a lot of attention and cuddle

[@MandyHeck]

I always see posts about making sure you keep an LGD puppy inside and close with you for the first year. Did you do this?

[@FableHillFarm]

No I did not. I wanted him bonded to the livestock. I am a stay-at-home mom however so I was with him every day and he's very bonded to me and my family as well.

[@valeriesjeans]

Read that large/giant breeds shouldn’t have extra calcium when growing so fast?

[@Pawsitive_Influence]

Can you share with me your process of recall training?

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there Kim. I typically start recall on a long leash and use high value treats and praise to reward the puppy when it comes to me when called. As we get more advanced in training and the puppy is doing really well and being consistent on a leash, I remove the leash and really kick the praise up to an extreme when the puppy is responding and coming to being called. If the dog is regressing, we go back exclusively to the leash. If the puppy isn't 'feeling it' and not responding well to recall training, I may switch it up and work on another command or change the treats being offered until I find something of higher value to the specific animal. I also feel there is tremendous value in ecollars for recall training when used safely and properly.

[@Pawsitive_Influence]

@@FableHillFarm yeah that is my struggle in trying to help my friend. She has two LGD dogs that she has kept in the field since day one. One of them is like 15 months the other is 6 months. They are not motivated by food at all. I’m thinking the e-collar is gonna be my best bet and a long leash.

[@OffGridDogs]

Pyrs are puppies for 21/2 years so long ways to go before he is physically and mentally mature. During early “fear periods “ a negative experience will imprint permanently and never totally go away. The best thing you can do is remain calm and not make a big deal out of it. It is optimal for a young dog to have an experienced dog to learn from although their genetic inclination to guard is built in. It is way better if an lgd has a partner and doesn’t have to do the guarding alone. 2 dogs are 5 times better than 1 dog.

[@Elizabeth-cg9xn]

Would you recommend for first-time homesteaders to start with one LGD puppy or two? In a few years we will have an older dog and get another puppy, but I’m curious how to start out.

[@OffGridDogs]

@@Elizabeth-cg9xn I would recommend getting one puppy first so it bonds with you and the flock and not the other puppy and you can train it first so it helps you train the next dog instead of trying to train 2 at once and battling littermate syndrome. Make sure you are doing well with the first dog before you add the second and different sex is usually easier than same especially 2 females. I have a client now with 2 female Great Pyrenees littermates trying to kill each other.

[@OffGridDogs]

If you shave a Great Pyrenees they can’t regulate body temperature, it won’t grow back correctly and they’ll sunburn

[@danav.2559]

Is it hard to find customers for good Lifestock Guardian Dogs? Since I know a lady she's having perfect Kuvasz working dog puppies looking for work and looking for a new home. Send a comment down below and I'm happy to forward more information about her. Puppies are CKC registered, vet checked, microchipped and raised on her farm, exposed to livestock, with good genitics working dog parents.

[@bigletdown]

Yes, it's very hard. Most farming communities are overwhelmed with excess lgds, mostly because people do not have the patience to work with the dogs for YEARS. These poor dogs end up roaming, getting hit by cars or picked up to shelters. Don't do it.

[@goofy4birds]

because he is having to work solo. if you get him a companion they will work as a team. Dogs are pack animals. if solo they are at high risk of harm. research it

[@angieroberge2275]

CBD oil may calm Outred down before grooming.

[@FableHillFarm]

CBD is a good idea. I have found some dogs don't respond as well as others but I will give it a shot with him.

[@melanehme3661]

Utrecht? Uhtred? ... that's not an easy name to say. Generally speaking I prefer to name my dogs based off of their heritage: the Pyrenees are in France and Spain, I'd've gone with "Pierre" (Peter) or "Pedro" (Peter) or something else Frenchy and/or Spanishy, but hey that's just me 😊 BTW my dobbies Hansel and Grettel say hi 👋

[@FableHillFarm]

If there’s one thing my husband truly struggle with in our relationship, it’s agreeing on names for animals. So Uhtred was remarkable to agree upon as it’s a name we both really loved. Hello to Hansel and Grettel. Great names!

[@melanehme3661]

@@FableHillFarm names are so important to us for very different and valid reasons; I'm glad that you arrived at a safe conclusion with a name that works for all parties. Now that's a cause to celebrate! 🍾🥂🥳🥳🥳

[@minnahumble2294]

Seems like a bad idea to feed him whole chickens when some of his animals are chickens.

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there. I do not believe that there is any correlation in his mind from a live chicken to a dead one. One of the most interesting things about LGD's and their natural instincts is that they will eat dead animals, afterbirth, etc from their stock because leaving it would attract predators. So if say a lamb dies during the birthing process, some LGD's would actually try to consume the lamb, or if a chicken dies and that dog protects poultry, they might instinctively eat the chicken to remove the remains to prevent predators being drawn in. :)

[@OffGridDogs]

Our sheep guardians favorite food is raw lamb shanks ironically

[@paolobreber4512]

A LGD should not wander but always stay close to his sheep. If it's a male get a female. LGD are not trained because they have it in their genes. When they are weaned place them with the sheep and everything clicks. It is not a pet; you don't want it looking for you all the time. To have them face up to a coyote or wolf they have to be completely adult, i.e. 2 yrs old. Are you sure your GP is working stock? All GPs in France stopped working and became fancy dogs 100 yrs ago. If it has good working instinct it probably has working Maremma in it. With the new appearance of wolves in France they are using working Maremmas imported from shepherds from Abruzzo.

[@OffGridDogs]

A 10 month old Pyr in Georgia fought off 11 coyotes killing 8 by himself. Not bad for a puppy! Google it.

[@dallascowboys9430]

I have a 12 week old gp pup named bear he does great with the chickens etc but he's scared of our goats any advice?