A Livestock Guardian Dog, or LGD, is a type of dog that has been bred over several centuries to have certain instincts.  They are somewhat more primitive and independent in their instincts than most "pet," sport, or even other working dog types.  They are also not "guard" dogs in the common definition of the term.  To simplify, a good LGD has had much of the prey drive bred out, and they have a strong instinct to bond with and protect the livestock they live with from any and all threats.  You cannot train a dog to be a LGD.  It comes naturally.  We simply teach them boundaries within which we want them to hone their instincts for our farm purposes.  These dogs are truly amazing, and we could not farm the way we do without them.  They are the reason our poultry can range freely in our pastures, and we don't have to worry about them being eaten by hawks, raccoons, or other predators.  We use our dogs as "nannies" when a goat is expecting to deliver and we can't be present--the dogs can offer a bit of insurance by cleaning up a new baby should the mother neglect to do so right away (not a common problem, but can happen).  In addition, they help protect our gardens and orchards from being eaten by the local wildlife.  The services of a good LGD is critical to farmers in many ways! 

We do not breed for show or focus on registration papers.  Our dogs are a beautiful balance of several genetic lines, which results in a dog with hybrid vigor, that is fiercely loyal to its livestock and family, protective of its territory, but also very social and friendly.  At first glance, they have full, thick coats common to the Great Pyrenees, which allows them to thrive in colder climates (ours lived outdoors in the high altitude plains of Colorado, and had no issues), but they blow their coats and lose their undercoats in the spring, which also allows them to thrive in warmer, humid environments (like central Illinois or Texas). Their fur requires little to no maintenance throughout the year, and they stay surprisingly clean.  They are extremely intelligent dogs, work very well with minimal  training, prefer to warn off predators by barking rather than use of force, but will defend their herd to the death if required.  

They have proven to have a very high success rate as guardian animals, due to the fact that we have spent almost a decade developing our lines for the sole purpose of protecting livestock rather than having show traits introduced into the genetic lines. In addition, they have proven very adaptable to the variety of farms and ranches they patrol.  We've seen our dogs on 1 acre homesteads, and know of others that patrol hundreds of acres.  Some families choose to bring them in the house at night, while others prefer to leave the dogs with the livestock at all times.  Some owners prefer a fairly hands-off approach, where the dog learns to work by instinct alone, while other owners are very involved with their dogs.  Either way, these dogs are highly intelligent, fast learners.  They learn routines, they learn by watching, and they learn what is acceptable and what is not.  

Although they often appear to be sleeping, the dogs are always aware of what is going on.  One squawk from our chickens, an eagle flying a bit too low to the flock, or a goat screaming with labor pains will always bring the dogs running to ensure the area is safe for their livestock.  When there are multiple dogs, they work together very well with an invisible, but thoroughly understood form of communication.  One dog will often be seen lying with the livestock, while the other performs patrol duties around the pastures. They will switch on occasion, but typically, we've found each of our dogs have their assigned duties and they stick with that role the majority of time.

We should warn you though....once you've fallen in love with a great LGD, they can become a bit of an addiction!