To have the peace of mind that a good guardian dog offers, is an essential component of managing my goat herd. The experience of a loose-dogs, coyote or bear attack is heart breaking. Years of planned breeding and management can be ruined in one event. We have been working on breeding dogs that we can rely on and we offer puppies from our litter every year which reflect our best dog pairing for that year. I do not breed purebred dogs at this point. My concern with LGD is only concerned with producing the best guardian dog I can.
What I look for in a good dog.
Apart from the obvious, like health and soundness, I think that a calm minded dog with a tendency toward stability is the most important thing that I select for. All dogs are different but I am not looking for characters or clowns to guard. I do not like skittish or nervous dogs either. Excessive playfulness leads to trouble and skittish and nervous behavior makes things unnecessarily difficult for handling purposes. Defensive barking is acceptable. Excessive barking at small vermin and deer is a nuisance in my opinion. A single dog will sometimes bark due to nervousness based on their realization they are out number by a heavy predator population. Those dogs need the support of another dog in my opinion. That is different from barking for hours at small vermin or deer.
Having watched videos of traditional herders from all over the old, traditional sheep and goat herding world, I am convinced that herders handle their dogs and expect good behavior and I do not see dogs working with stock who exhibit nervous behavior around the stock or their herders.
Rome was not built in a day but moving toward breeding goals guides breeding decisions and can change the animals produced over time. I feel that I have been improving my dogs and like how they are working for me now. I am farming and not ranching and recognize that there are traits that suit both environments better than others and know that not all animals suit all situations. With that said, a lot of the sheep and goats producers in the USA are farming and not ranching open range land. Many farms have children and visitors. The dogs I aim to produce need to be safe and reliable around other people when I or one of my family members is present, even if they are being defensive.
Having watched videos of traditional herders from all over the old, traditional sheep and goat herding world, I am convinced that herders handle their dogs and expect good behavior and I do not see dogs working with stock who exhibit nervous behavior around the stock or their herders.
Rome was not built in a day but moving toward breeding goals guides breeding decisions and can change the animals produced over time. I feel that I have been improving my dogs and like how they are working for me now. I am farming and not ranching and recognize that there are traits that suit both environments better than others and know that not all animals suit all situations. With that said, a lot of the sheep and goats producers in the USA are farming and not ranching open range land. Many farms have children and visitors. The dogs I aim to produce need to be safe and reliable around other people when I or one of my family members is present, even if they are being defensive.
PJM Igor - Central Asian Shepherd (CAS)
A very stable dog with good guarding instincts. He was my pick from a large litter of purebred Central Asian Shepherd that was born here at the farm. He has excellent bone and structure in my opinion. Always sound and strong. He has never chased or played with stock that I have seen. Very serious but kind with the family and kids. Can be left in charge but is deferential to my family members and I.
His progeny have gone to other large farms of goats and have been reported to be excellent young dogs.
His progeny have gone to other large farms of goats and have been reported to be excellent young dogs.
PJM "Nipper" - Akbash Crossbred
Pictured here at breeding time with Igor. She was a little bashful about getting her picture taken.
Named by my 4 year old girl who played with her in the paddocks as a baby puppy and called her "Nipper". She was selected from her litter due to her calm and easy going temperament and her comfort with and fondness for her goats. She likes to stay with her goats. I rear the dogs with goats in the Spring and they stay with goats or at the barn all the time. Never at the house.
She barks when necessary but I do not select dogs who bark due to nervousness in the fields. A gentle dog with family members and safe with the stock, I expect Nipper to produce good-minded dogs when crossed with PJM Igor, CAS.
She barks when necessary but I do not select dogs who bark due to nervousness in the fields. A gentle dog with family members and safe with the stock, I expect Nipper to produce good-minded dogs when crossed with PJM Igor, CAS.
Puppies - 2017
This puppy is from the 2016 litter sired by PJM Igor.
We have no puppies available. May 2017. Thank You.