The Foundations of a Great Partnership: Training Your LGD Puppy

The foundations of a great partnership with any dog stem from some basic principles: communication, trust, respect, and an understanding of what your dog needs and how you can best meet those needs. When we are in harmony with our dogs, and we learn how to communicate with dogs in an effective way, we can build a deeper, more meaningful, and fulfilling bond with our dogs.
Uhtred, our Great Pyrenese puppy, is in training to become a livestock guardian dog. The groundwork I am laying on a daily basis is SO IMPORTANT. What Uhtred learns now will shape him into the reliable livestock guardian dog I expect him to be someday.
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[@Raynestorm1968]

Thank you for the video. I am worried I won't get it right. The puppy I am picking up this weekend is a great Pyrenees. But she is already 16 weeks old. Is that too old to start training? Would you anticipate any problems with her being that age already? We have foxes taking our chickens......fun fun Is there preferred sex for a lgd? Or do both female and male equally work? Any thoughts you have are appreciated.

[@lindseyyoung5773]

great video! perfect balance of allowing him to be a dog, yet teaching him how to respect your livestock. Awesome work, friend!

[@FableHillFarm]

Thank you sweet friend. I so appreciate all your encouragement and support. Thanks for coming over last night!

[@tomphillips612]

Recording volume to low

[@jackpepperfarms3416]

My pup just turned 8 weeks and we'll be bringing him home soon! I want to do it right! Thanks for the video ❤

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks so much for watching! Congratulations on the new pup - what breed? What role are you looking for him to fill?

[@atheisticallysound]

I just got a Pyr pup and he’s 10-11weeks old and he looks just like Uthred. Anyway, you said in your video he lives with the goats 24/7. I see it’s winter there. It’s winter here. Is that safe for a 10-11 week old pup? Can he really handle the cold temps 24/7 or does he have a heated garage/barn that he can ge to?

[@FableHillFarm]

So we never had a heated place for Uhtred, but he always had access to a dry shelter with lots of straw bedded for warmth. He seemed to stay outside most of the time, regardless of the cold. Something you could do, if you feel like it’s too cold (not sure how low your temps get) is look into a heating pad (they make them for pigs, dogs, etc) that has a hard plastic cover and a cord protector and plug that in somewhere he can get to it. We did stall/pen Uhtred a lot as a puppy when he was not supervised, so if it was too cold, this is what I would have done. You can get the Lectro kennel pad on Amazon in different sizes, and that one is pretty decent. Just ensuring he couldn’t access the cord. Or hang a Premier 1 heat lamp in his pen at night or something. Pyrs have a double coat, they stay very warm. Something like a dog igloo loaded with straw bedding is actually very warm.

[@lizpurvis2386]

Thanks, I am getting my first guardian dog pup in January

[@FableHillFarm]

Awesome! What kind of dog did you select? What stock do you have for it to guard?

[@caseyferraro4]

Uhtred is gorgeous I can't wait to see him get bigger and do his job well.

[@FableHillFarm]

Thanks Casey! He is quite the little ham. I am also really looking forward to continuing to share his journey to maturity with all of you.

[@evelyny7037]

I am considering an Anatolian guard dog. This puppy is about five months old. Is that too late to really develop a good bond and train them well? Should I just be looking for a puppy between 10 and 12 weeks? Thank you for your evenhanded and fully informative way of training!

[@FableHillFarm]

@@evelyny7037 I am not an expert by any means, but I don’t think you necessarily don’t want an older puppy. I would want to know how has he been trained (ie what training methods, what commands, training under an adult working animal?) where is he living, what stock has he been exposed to, what type of corrections has he received, in what ways has he been exposed to human interaction, etc.

[@evelyny7037]

Well, you seem to have that driving passion to understand these animals and I truly appreciate that. It seems to be a cross between the IQ and the EQ. Anyway, I appreciate your insights and I will use them as I approach my decision about this pup. We lost our Anatolian cross great Pyrenees back in February and he has left a gaping hole here. I’m looking for a pup that’s going to have some big paws to follow, if you know what I mean. ☺️Thank you!

[@melissablair4233]

Yes please share!! I'm thinking of getting a LGD next year or after. I Got my first two goats this year. ☺ I'm so excited for what the future holds.

[@FableHillFarm]

Congratulations on your new goats Melissa! What kind of goats do you have? What are your goals? Pets? Milk? Show? I will definitely be posting more LGD training content here very soon, so keep an eye out and thanks so much for watching!

[@Suburbangettho]

From Hopkinsville,KY with a new pyr pup. Great content, just looking for helpful tips on training a well rounded family dog.

[@lynndonovan519]

Thank you! I have a 14 week border collie and 5 dachshunds who distract her a lot. I am working with the BC to behave, and I hope to be able to help me in the chicken pen. Mainly to help put the chickens and ducks up at night. Will watch your videos for more advise.

[@melplatt6224]

I feel this so much!!! I’m bringing my boy home by mid Oct, and it’s my first time I’ve have a LSD in a new flock. Hoping all works out well. He’s a Great Pyrenees mix.

[@TSis76]

How old was he when you got him, and when you put him in with the goats?

[@FableHillFarm]

He was 8 weeks old and I put him with the does after Day 2 full time and he’s been with the goats ever since.

[@MarieYoungbloodKrebs]

Really appreciated the information and that you showed real world action in training. We just got a 7 week old Heeler/Shepard Mix and looking to train him right! PS- love the name Uhtred - great show! :-) We are in TN, 9 weeks into a new Homestead and in our 60's!

[@FableHillFarm]

Welcome to the channel Marie! Thanks for watching! How's it going with your new pup so far? I have an update coming out on Uhtred soon where I am going to talk about some problem areas we've been dealing with in his training regimen and an overview on how it's going at 6 months. Glad to see another fan of the Last Kingdom! We absolutely loved the show (obviously ha). Tennessee is a beautiful state! One of my absolute favorites to drive through. I admit, I haven't actually spent much time there but my husband and I have talked about moving there some day.

[@hilarydorris8135]

Hi, this was helpful! I'm getting a LGD for the first time. He is 6 months old and working currently. I was a horse trainer for many years so the comparison in training methodology makes sense to me! Thanks!

[@FableHillFarm]

Thank you so much for watching and I appreciate the feedback immensely.

[@pamcooley5012]

He's doing good!😊

[@FableHillFarm]

He is doing very well Pam, I am extremely happy with the progress we've made so far. We still have our bad days, ha, but mostly they are good ones.

[@nicoleallen4744]

we're dreaming but about to take the plunge from Cali to Indiana this fall. What comes First? The LGD or the goats?

[@FableHillFarm]

Hi there, thanks so much for watching! Where in Indiana are you moving? That’s a big move! Excited for you. Goats should come before the dog…an LGD without stock would be a difficult one to train to guard stock I would think. Also, knowing your property, your predator load, having secure fencing, a place to keep your LGD if necessary, your local right to farm ordinances, etc are all things you want to know before getting an LGD.

[@nicoleallen4744]

@@FableHillFarm thank you! Southeastern Indiana. 10 acre mini farm. Just praying that all the deals go glitch free. We have a 3 year old German Shepherd who is a super protection dog for us. Very excited about our new homestead. We have been doing so much research. Taking it all slow and easy.

[@XStephandOliviaX]

Super cute! 💚🙌

[@l2iowacowgirl893]

Just got my Great Pyrenees she's 9 w÷KS old

[@FableHillFarm]

Congrats! How is it going so far?