# Spot the dogs!



## iwillard (Oct 23, 2014)

My LGD's... They use to live with sheep (no sheep now so they guard my cats) 24/7/365.


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## bullsie (Oct 23, 2014)

I love LGDs!


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## abax (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm not familiar with the breed...Large Guard Dogs???!!!! ;>) Please
enlighten me.


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## iwillard (Oct 24, 2014)

abax,

They are Sivas Kangal breed from Turkey and yes,they are big dawgs.


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## NYEric (Oct 24, 2014)

No photos?


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## Erythrone (Oct 24, 2014)

Funny picuture! It looks like if the sheeps are taking care of the dogs!


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## likespaphs (Oct 24, 2014)

are they as big as Caucasian Shepherd Dogs?


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## PaphMadMan (Oct 24, 2014)

LGD - livestock guardian dog - breeds that imprint and basically become a protective member of the herd.

I think the Kangal is probably taller but not as heavy as the Caucasian.


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## NYEric (Oct 24, 2014)

Those are BIG dogs!


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## iwillard (Oct 24, 2014)

Caucasian dogs looks bigger,once shaved down they are about the same size. 

Kangal dogs have long bodies and some stands well over 6 feet tall.


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## MaryPientka (Oct 24, 2014)

Sweet dog, my daughter has a maremma for her goats.


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## abax (Oct 24, 2014)

Thank you for the enlightenment! I wish I could see them more clearly, but
they're doing their job. Now that I look closer I think I've seen one at the
Westminster. It's an impressive breed. If they guard cats, they must be
incredibly patient as well.


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## iwillard (Oct 25, 2014)

Mary,

Maremmas are a very nice breed and make a great working LGD's as long as they come from working lines,unfortunately they look like a big fluffy polar bear cubs as puppies and are sold as pet dogs. 
Nothing against pet dogs unless they are bred to produce more pet pups,within 3 generation all their inbred working abilities gets muddled and they turn up at the pounds and rescues as unmanageable breed which is quite tragic.

abax,

LGD breeds are quite unusual creatures. Independent thinkers,very maternal including males,little suspicious of newcomers unless they are introduced properly and very territorial. They sleep the day away and are nocturnal,their big barks keeps predators (coyotes or stray dog packs) at bay. 

I have some pictures from Turkey where the shepherds keeps as many as 8 to 15 dogs when they take their flock to greener pastures for hundreds of miles away from home base that can last 6-8 months. Seen so many dogs at work out in the wilderness is quite a site where wolves are much bigger than the dogs.


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## MaryPientka (Oct 25, 2014)

4 month old Rocco with his 'herd.' He's 18 months old now and weighs 120 lbs.


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## Erythrone (Oct 25, 2014)

MaryPientka said:


> 4 month old Rocco with his 'herd.' He's 18 months old now and weighs 120 lbs.



Cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## abax (Oct 26, 2014)

Wonderful dogs. I wish I had something to herd, but my little yappers
seem to herd each other. Life is too short for all the dog breeds I'd love
to love. A neighbor down the road has two Great Pyrs guarding his goats
and they do GUARD with a capitol G.


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## iwillard (Oct 26, 2014)

Mary,

Rocco is really cute,love their puppy furs.

Here's my old Akbash dog (RIP) when she was 8 weeks old.





When she was a year old.





Kangal pup Celik (RIP)at 7 weeks.





Celik (RIP) at 9 months with my 15 year old nephew.





abax,

LGD's don't herd,they are sedentary creatures who just lays about their charges and move along with them when they are herded by Border Collies.

Rex (RIP),driving sheep.


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## bullsie (Oct 26, 2014)

Our LGDs, Great Pyrs, bark regularly just to bark. Some folks don't like that quality in LGDs, but I love it. Tells all the predators that they are here. We have had such a loss of domestic and wild animals with the coyote explosion, but since we introduced the LGDs we are seeing growth in turkeys and ruffed grouse numbers. The deer are now living in the LGD 'zone'.


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