New Livestock Guardian Dog, a Sweetie!

[blackie's maiden]

 Not the dog I first posted about. That guy was playing too many games with us and others wanting the dogs so we had to give up.

But Lady Fate may have dealt us a better hand anyway. We got this one, also an akbash/pyrenees cross like Paws, from an experienced sheep/goat guy so she comes to us at 5 months old with sheep and poultry experience. Apparently he gave her good care because she checked out clean at the vet for intestinal worms and heartworm, my biggest worry.

We kept her in our kidding stall for first two days. She sure was a depressed, sad little girl, would not eat or befriend us and just laid in a heap the whole time.  The kidding stall is cut out of our goat barn with 6' walls of 2×4 wire netting where she could see/visit with Paws, our old lgd, and the bucks on one side and the does on the other.  Yesterday after the return from the vet, we tried to turn her loose in the pen at the front of our property along with Paws. She dashed under the small horse trailer and.stayed there for hours until we.drug her out and put her.back in her stall. Again she refused to eat. I was getting worried she would not.adapt.

This.morning we.tried.again. We drug her outside the kidding stall outside the buck side of the barn in the sunshine. She began to move around and explore a little. So we decided to chance it and leave her out while we went to the city. About 4 hours later we returned not sure she would be here or halfway back to the home she knew.and.loved. To our delight she was playing with Paws with all our bucks around her as if they had all been together all their lives. So we took another risk and chose.to leave her out all night. After dark we checked on her one more time. She is mingling among the bucks in the buck barn where they will all keep each other toasty warm. Last challenge, she is.still not eating enough! But I have hopes that will change in another day or so.

I think she is going to be just as much of an angel as.our precious Paws. Happy ending! Whew!

[Nanno]

I'm so glad you got a dog that you think will work out for you! I hope she settles in very nicely soon and starts eating.

[blackie's maiden]

Thanks, Nan. Well...she is still not eating enough to keep a bird alive. We bought her Diamond PuppyChow per our feed store man's recommendation. Owner had her on Diamond Premium. I am going to get a small bag of that tomorrow and see if that makes a difference or maybe mixing the two for a while. Somehow I think it is still missing her family but she is really losing weight tho vet gave her a clean bill of health.

[Nanno]

Have you tried putting a little milk, bacon grease, or broth in her food? Our dogs eat Diamond Maintenance and seem to do very well on it. At her age, the puppy chow is probably a better choice if she'll eat it. I'll bet mixing some goodies with her food will help tempt her.

[blackie's maiden]

Will try it. Thanks.

[Nanno]

How is your new pup doing? Is she starting to settle in?

Also, can I move this thread to the livestock guardian section?

[blackie's maiden]

Doing pretty well. More people friendly. Learning to give a little more to a lead role. Have caught the little snot chasing nanny goats and ducks and guineas a bit. Seems to be puppy "please play with me" jumps at them like she is.trying to get them to play with her. Hubby said he saw our old dog.get between her and a.goat.tonight when she tried that so here's hoping he puts her in her place. 28th we take her in for spaying.

Still biggest challenge.getting her to eat enough. Still a problem. Tried.getting her the Diamond Premium Adult and putting meat broth on both that and the pup food we had bought her. Hubby said.she finally ate.about 2/3 of her food.tonight. I know even when we had her penned up in the kidding stall, she managed to kill a startling so maybe she is getting rabbits and rats out in the field.

Today not much chance to work with her. My old horse had a really serious choking episode...ok now, I think, but that consumed my day's energy getting him thru that. Tomorrow's another day.

Thanks for asking.

[blackie's maiden]

Oh, sorry. Yes, you can move it to guardian section. Didn't know.there was one. Sorry.