Myths of Livestock Guardian Dog Training

• Once the dog has a taste of blood - it no longer can be a successful LGD

  How wrong is this!! I have successfully re-shaped and trained hundreds, upon hundreds of livestock guardian dogs (all different breeds) that have maimed, killed and 'tasted blood', and the above comment is just that - a MYTH.

  Here at Windance Farms, the dog was guided and shown the way to go - and the dog carried on as a successful livestock guardian. I have never had a dog seek or search for blood. EVER.

• A LGD should not be pet and handled by children or family members as the dog will bond to the human and not the animals.

  You NEED to pet, love on and handle your LGD. Your children need to be a part of the dog's life from the very beginning. The dog will be living 24/7 with the stock, and you will be going in a couple of times per day to feed and do daily chores. There is no way the dog will not bond with the stock. UNLESS, you have stock that is too aggressive to the dog, then the dog cannot fall in love with the stock, which is needed. Handle your dog, pet your dog, put a collar and leash on it and walk it around the pasture, teach it manners, LOVE your dog. A dog who loves and respects you, listens to you - one who does not - will ignore you.

• A new dog should be kept separate from the stock and be brought in on a leash daily for introductions. This could not be further from the truth. The dog needs to understand its job. The dog will not know that what is next door, is his to guard. Every time you bring the dog in and out, breaks that bond the dog is forming with the stock. It also makes for a very playful dog. The dog sees the stock and is overjoyed and tries to immediately play with them. Which is a huge no no. The older the dog, the bigger the dog, the more damage he can do... unknowingly....

  A new dog needs to have the right stock to work with... and if it is a puppy - the right "babysitters". Calm, not playful, not flighty, steady stock for puppies. Stock that will not cause fear, but also not allow playful behavior. If you have a herd, then check to see which one is the best babysitter. If that is just two animals, that is fine. The puppy can live full time with those two babysitters. Then as the dog grows, it can be added into the herd.

A livestock guardian dog is very important to the farm. They are your eyes and ears... they keep everything safe and in order. Setting him up for success is key... and so is dispelling so many myths that are attached to having one.