Tag: lgds

Realistic Expectations for Livestock Guardian Pups

Posted on by Megan


I want to take a few minutes to address some common misconceptions about livestock guardian pups and what they can and cannot handle when they first come home.

Housing

There is an old school of thought that an 8-12 week pup should be immediately placed out with his stock to get to work.  Some folks go so far as to suggest these dogs should be minimally interacted with in order to preserve the bond between pup and the stock he’s guarding.  This is flawed, outdated and often results in bad outcomes.  Just don’t do it, please. Continue reading “Realistic Expectations for Livestock Guardian Pups” →

10 Steps to Livestock Guardian Dog Wildfire Preparedness

Posted on by Megan

It’s wildfire season again.  Up here in eastern Washington, late summer brings us the perfect conditions for wildfires and this year seems to be even drier than normal.  A spark can turn into hundreds or even thousands of acres in heart stopping short time.  A fire several miles away can be at your back door before you’ve had time to make all the preparations necessary for evacuation.

As I write this, we have 15 sheep evacuees and their companion livestock guardian pups taking it easy in a pasture on our place.  While they’re resting comfortably, their home remains threatened and we await the news of the final outcome.  My heart goes out to the family while my mind goes to the steps we all can take to help make an evacuation of our livestock guardian dogs go as smoothly as possible.  These steps to livestock guardian wildfire preparedness can help you, your dogs and their foster home transition with less stress on everyone involved. Continue reading “10 Steps to Livestock Guardian Dog Wildfire Preparedness” →