My Livestock Guardian Dog Protected Her Territory

Every morning we get up, get dressed and get out to walk.

Most mornings Kiah will circle the pond, check the woods, and get a good overall sense of the conditions by sniffing here and there. Generally, it’s pretty mundane.

Because we have been following this routine for several months, she usually goes ahead of me, running down to the building, and I follow at a more leisurely pace. Then I sit on the porch and wait for her to finish her ritual and come collect me, then we walk back up to the house together.

Intruder Alert

This morning I was just nicely starting down the drive when I hear dog barking I don’t recognize.

Two black dogs come out from the woods heading across the dam and Kiah is running to intercept them. What the hell.

I’m too far away to be much help physically and there is no way I can catch up to her in time.

Visions of vet visits dance through my head.

My mind is racing at this point, two against one is unfair odds and even though I trust my Livestock Guardian Dog totally, we’ve never faced something like this before and I’m not sure what her exact reaction will be.

Perfect Instincts

The only thing I can do is yell at the intruding dogs to try to scare them off. I lower my pitch and increase my volume and start yelling. I’m moving around the end of the building and have yet to get a good view of what’s going on. I take comfort in the fact that at least I don’t hear an all-out dogfight.

By the time I round the corner of the building, Kiah has the two dogs moving toward the corner of the property while she stays at the foot of the dam. (Good girl!)

As she sees me coming up on the porch, she moves forward to drive them farther along.

There is a slight dip in the landscape and from where I’m watching it looks like the two dogs are holding their ground just over the lip of this hollow.

I whistle for Kiah to return to me and as she turns away from the dogs, they start running toward her! Again I yell for them to “get outta here”. Kiah turns back toward the dogs as she hears me yell and again moves them toward the edge of the property.

This happens about three times before the dogs give up and leave, exiting through the woods at the far corner from where they entered.

The Beauty of A Livestock Guardian Dog’s Instincts

This was amazing to watch.

Kiah never engaged with the dogs, only barked them off the property. Not a single drop of blood was shed.

I don’t think she would have been happy had I tried to approach the intruding dogs. It was suggested that I carry a large stick with me during our morning walks but I don’t believe that Kiah would let me get close enough to effectively swing a stick in defense. Every time I have moved toward her when she was “guarding” she has moved further away.

Thinking that through it makes perfect sense. She is supposed to be protecting me so having me running into the thick of things just makes it more difficult for her to do her job.

Kiah is smart enough to know that when I began yelling again, she should check her flank. Each time I yelled, she spun around and faced the oncoming dog who then turned around and started to leave again. Three times this happened and three times she turned. She had already located me and knew where I was. I wonder if she knew I had the high-ground advantage and it was safe for her to turn her back to get to where I was.

She didn’t come right back to where I was either. After she was sure they had left, and yes, she watched them go without giving further chase, she checked the dam and the woods where they had entered, giving it a good sniff to make sure everything was okay.

Once satisfied, she came over to collect me and we walked back up to the house as usual.

A Possible Payback To The Dogs And Their Potential Owners

I didn’t mention that as I approached the building there was a definite odor of skunk in the air. Hopefully, one or both of the dogs got sprayed and they will be taking that back home with them. Normally I wouldn’t wish skunk on someone, but really people, keep your dogs on your own property.

What’s Going Through My Worried Thoughts Now

Before I had Kiah in a one-acre fenced yard and anything that wished to challenge her had to climb a fence to get to her. At least it offered some protection.

With an open field like we have now, I wonder how in the world I would challenge an actual predator. The neighbors have cattle and have lost a calf here and there to coyotes.

We don’t keep prey animals so, fingers crossed, coyotes won’t be a problem. The good news is her behavior indicates that she won’t give chase. That’s the biggest risk factor as coyotes will lure a single dog away and toward their pack. The results can be devastating.

Kiah is an indoor, semi-non-working Livestock Guardian Dog and I don’t want to put her at risk. She has been by my side for over 5 years and as each year passes she impresses me more and more.

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Does Your Dog Sleep With You? Mine Does And I’ll Tell You Why!

OK, so this is Kiah and she’s a big ‘ol bundle of love. Really. She weighs in at just over 100 pounds, towers a good six inches above my Golden Retriever and insists on draping that tiny frame over any non-moving living thing in the house…usually me or Emi (the Golden). She also sleeps every night right next to me.

Since I’m single it’s not a problem, actually more of a comfort. She sleeps on the pillow, back to back with me and she stays there until I get up in the morning. I wondered why this was, if she was just spoiled (yes she is) or if there was a tangible reason behind it. I think I have figured it out.

She does always start back to back, but regardless of where in the bed she sleeps, she is always touching me somewhere. Since she is genetically pre-disposed to guard her flock, especially at night, I believe that is exactly what she is doing. I do have chickens but they were a late addition, well after she had bonded to me and to Emi. She has no interest at all in protecting the chickens through the night.

My girl knows where she’s needed. I can’t tell you what a comfort a large, on guard, dog provides. Let’s face it, we’re pretty defenseless as we sleep. Not me, I am well watched over. I think she maintains contact with my physically so that she can constantly be aware of where I am. I can even get up during the night, as long as I don’t say anything to her, and she will stay on the bed and wait for me to return.

Kiah is a Great Pyrenees and is genetically pre-disposed to bond and guard her charges. Usually, (for normal people) this would be a flock or herd. The Great Pyrenees will remain with the animals and watch over them. Generally working in small groups, the dogs will have specific tasks. Some will take a perimeter watch as others stay with the flock to protect the older members and the newborns.

The stories around these dogs are amazing. They will take on bear, coyote, wolf, stray dogs, or any threat to their charges. While I don’t anticipate a bear making it’s way into my house and up to my bedroom, the quiet growl I hear occasionally let’s me know that nothing is outside of her notice.

We work well as a team. At home she is in charge of defense. When we walk on property near our house, but away from home, she defers to me as to what she needs to do. Never does she get out of eye-sight and most of the time she is within 10 feet of me. She will go explore if necessary, but returns to check that I’m still OK.

As an example of how well she works with me, we were walking our path when off to the right I saw three deer in the wood line. Most pyr owners will tell you that an off-leash pyr is a dis-a-pyr and you will spend hours riding around trying to locate your MIA dog. Understandably I was a little nervous that she would run after the deer and possibly into a road. She spotted them a few seconds after I did and took off. I could see her running after them along the tree line. I stopped, clapped my hands to get her attention and started whistling to her. She chased them well away from me, about 500 yards, turned and came back to me.

She is my protector and I am her flock.

 

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Dog Attack – Who’s Fault Was It?

Recently my Facebook feed has been filled with cries of help to keep a Great Pyrenees that had allegedly attacked a child. There are passionate arguments on both sides, but maybe we should explore not only the instance but our relationship with dogs in general.

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Life With A Great Pyrenees

What’s it like living with a pyr as your companion? Maybe not exactly what you would expect!

You’ll be checked on as if you’re living with your mom again. Periodically throughout the day, you’ll hear a soft “woof” behind you, or maybe a cold nose resting on your knee. Soulful brown eyes will gaze up at you as if to say “I missed you, is everything OK here?” and you won’t be able to keep the smile from your face.

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Smiles

Emi has a typical doggie smile, one that seems smug and self confident. She breaks it out occasionally when the smug is in an appropriate context. Kiah on the other hand, has the smile that says, “I just love it here, and there, and that, and this, and everything”. She has a sweet, sweet smile that seems typical of the Pyrenees breed. I find it easier to read her expression as compared to Emi’s.  Before Kiah’s arrival I would return home to a quiet house where Emi would be secreted somewhere safe and secure. If I let her find me, she would always approach with a stern look as if she were trying to figure out just who had invaded her space.  Never would she greet me at the door full of typical puppy love, wiggly and squirmy, with the tail going a mile a minute.

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Pyr Furniture

Emi is welcome to pick where she wants to sit or lay, including whatever furniture is in the house. Kiah isn’t so much about the furniture I have but seems to have decided that Emi is her own personal easy chair. It’s hard to describe accurately how she saunters over, not a care on her face, until she is close to Emi. Then she just flops down right on top of her, many times sliding off Emi’s soft fur to tumble over on the other side. She will either straddle Emi, fully on top of her, or drape her front legs across her and wiggle herself comfortable. Many a time Kiah will look up at me and smile while Emi peers out from beneath a tangle of legs looking very much abused.

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