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We decided a guardian was needed for our animals due
to predation from raccoons, fox, and opossums, not to mention the occasional visit from neighbor's dogs.
Frosty, our guard llama, did a great job protecting
the hooved livestock, but he didn't see the birds as part of 'his herd' or see the raccoons as a threat, so we still lost
birds on occasion during midnight raids.
When Frosty passed away, I went in search
of a pyr pup.
We picked Razor up in KY when he was about 3 mos.
old.
Life with Razor has been a real learning experience.
I truly believe he would die protecting his "family", both human and animal.
He has little use or tolerance for any other humans
besides us. I have to constantly be aware of his location when taking people down to meet the animals.
| Edge as a baby |
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| Again.....LOOK at that face! |
Razor did a great job of "training" Edge.
She's not as aggressive w/ strange people as Razor is, but she tolerates no strange
animals in "her" pasture.
She is a wonderful LGD and a great Mom, as well.
| Edge tries to talk Razor into playing... |
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| Razor as a baby |
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| LOOK at that face!!! |
| Razor at 4.5 mos |
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| Poor fella looks humiliated |
Having a 120+ pound dog snarling at you and chewing
on chain link to get at you can be a bit off-putting.
Because of his aggression towards people and to keep
him focused on the job, we decided to get Razor neutered when he was one year old.
We decided to get a second pyr for a couple of reasons.
For one, I wanted Razor to have a helper and companion to play with, and he was old enough by then (2.5) to "train"
a helper. I'd read there's no better teacher for an LGD in training than an already-established guardian.
Edge came to us from IL at 2 mos. old.
| Before long, they're rolling around |
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| They relax for a little while.... |
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The dog pictured left is "Tank", an Anatolian Sheperd.
We used him to breed Edge before he moved on to a farm in
TN. Short haired guardian pups were our goal, and as you can see w/ Gus, we got what we wanted.
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Razor was very shy at first. We started him out
in a
box stall with
young chicks.
Any
time he tried
to chase or play with
them, we corrected his behavior.
After a
few weeks we put
some older kids in
with him and
continued to correct
"bad" behavior.
When he first moved
in with the "big"
goats they helped to
teach the new guy
what would (and
would not) be
acceptable behavior.
There were a few incidents of rough play and torn
ears while Razor was growing up, but he quickly bonded with the herd and took to his role as protector very seriously.
Razor is constantly looking across our property for
threats. He patrols all night, barking occasionally to make his presence known.
We've found a few of his victims, unfortunate opossums
and skunks who've dared enter his territory.
| Edge on her first day in the goat pen |
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| Watch me, I'm gonna be a guard dog! |
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| Pokey says "Enough of this foolishness" |
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| After a little rest, they're back on the job |
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Thanks for
taking a look at the guardians of Roll Farms.
We've had
NO losses since getting Razor, and no visits from strange dogs, either. If you're experiencing predation problems, consider
getting an LGD to take care of what you care about.
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