Raising Puppies for Flock Guardian Work

When raising puppies who are destined to become flock guardian dogs it is critical that the pups be raised with sheep, even better if done so from birth.

Livestock guardian breeds come with an inherent ability to guard that which they bond to, so our job is to be sure they bond to sheep.

Puppies who are whelped out and raised amongst sheep will develope a bond with sheep early on. They will garner an affinity for sheep through the dam. This bonding will need to continue in the new home. To do that, the pup must spend all of its time with the flock.

Bringing a new puppy home

Purchase one pup at a time, or keep pups in seperate areas to help ensure the pup bonds to sheep without the interference of other young canines for the first while. As the pup matures he can be placed together with suitable older guardian dogs.

When we bring a new pup home we will pull a group of older lambs with some quiet ewes from the flock to put with the pup. Pup and lambs will be together in a paddock secure enough that the pup can't slip outside the enclosure and end up on the porch and large enough to provide space for both.

The pup and ewes will need a grace period to get used to each other. When raising puppies we always make sure the pup has a secure house or pen area inside the paddock where aggressive ewes can't reach him and where he can eat and sleep in peace. If ewes are able to harm the pup at this time they can quickly turn him off of his guardian duties.

Once the pup and sheep are settled together, leave well enough alone and let the dogs natural instinct come into play. As the pup matures you will notice if he is bonding to the sheep or not. He will begin to treat the sheep like another dog, even sometimes chasing them and enticing them to play and eventually sleeping with the group.

When raising puppies it is a matter of personal preference and balance as to how much of a role you play in the pups development. Too little and you have a feral dog you can't catch and can't treat when needed. Too much and you have a dog that prefers your company over the company of a flock of sheep.

We like to handle the pup briefly when we feed him. A nice pat, touching the ears, holding a paw and then letting the pup go again. This way the pup is familiar with being touched by us and we can administer treatments when the pup becomes an adult dog. We feel this helps when it comes to care and training of the guardian dog.

These breeds are simply adorable as young puppies so it is emotionally challenging to keep your hands off of them and not treat them as a pet.

Livestock guardian dogs are working dogs and a balance of how much interaction to have with the dog must be found. Blame for these pitfalls is often placed on the dog or on poor breeding, yet the nurturing of a pup and the amount of human interference has as much or more to do with how the pup works.

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