Guard Llamas or Guard Donkeys

Moon · Dec 22, 2004

( So in the interest of all critters safety, the dogs must be on a leash if they want to visit the livestock.
)

and who would be holding that leash? Those are some BIG puppies!

I never heard of guard donkeys / llamas / mules .... Heck I couldn't tell a mule from a donkey. Interesting thread though. Thanks for the education.

Moon of Ohio

RichZ · Dec 22, 2004

Moon, the thing with big dogs is that they're very mellow, and usually very obediant. We usual take the St, Bernard and mastiff out together, with either my wife or me, holding both leashes in one hand. The St. Bernard and mastiff are extremely well behaved. It's our lab/Austraslian shepherd mix who is often a handfull, and she's less than 1/2 the size of either of the other two.

Moon · Dec 22, 2004

Very impressive. Way back in the 70's we had a St. Bernard. Bilbo was his name. He was one cool doggie. So big! Neat dogs.

Moon of Ohio

heehaw · Dec 22, 2004

i am down to 5 donkeys right now, one minature jack, a minature jenny and 3 standard jennies: i have seen all of the donkeys stand, and watch a coyote walk across the pasture, and do nothing, but i have also seen them run the pesky critters out of the pasture, so they do work sometime. but i do not recommend getting a jack, get a young jenny and have a friend for life..
heehaw

Bird · Dec 22, 2004

( i have seen all of the donkeys stand, and watch a coyote walk across the pasture, and do nothing, but i have also seen them run the pesky critters out of the pasture, so they do work sometime )

I, too, have seen my neighbor's donkeys stand and watch a coyote cross the pasture and do nothing but only as long as the coyote stayed a long ways from the herd.

heehaw · Dec 23, 2004

thats true, there was no threat....i really like the minature donkeys the best...they are super friendly, easy to handle, eat less, and do the same job guarding as the bigger ones do: just to small for a fatty like me to ride, but we put the GRANDkids on them all the time..the prices of donkeys has really dropped in this area..i sold a little female a couple months ago for $150...she was a nice donkey, but wouldn't reproduce...i usually sell the a jack every year, and get $100-200 for him when we can take him off the momma.
heehaw

EastTexFrank · Dec 23, 2004

A word of caution about guard dogs. A guy I know has a son who uses dogs to guard his goat herd. He had 4 of them. I don't know what breed but they were huge white monsters. I said he used to have 4 of them but now he only has the three females left. He said the big male got so protective that it wouldn't even allow him to get out of his truck to tend the herd or feed them so it had to go. They knew their boundaries very well. As long as you (a stranger) stayed on your side of the fence you were OK but I just wonder what would of happened if someone, especially a child, would have wandered into the pasture. Scary thought.

stevenf · Dec 23, 2004

East Texas Frank your friends sons dogs are called Great Pyrenees pardin the spelling but I agree with his sons decision. My wife and I have raised protection dogs since 1980 and I'm talking all large breeds Great Danes, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Shepards and lastly Great Pyrenees. Of all we've worked with the Doberman, Rottweilers and Shepard mixes are in my mind the best. We currently have a Sheperd/Doberman mix that guards the ranch, my wife uses a Rottweiler and I use a Sheperd cross herd dog. The last Pyrenees we had was a Male that we got as a puppy it was a Male and he finally contracted Lead Poisoning after trying to eat me in broad daylight he had my arm up to the elbow in his jaws and when a 150lb dog has a bad attitude its time to result to serious measures before someone gets hurt undeservedly. I was just feeding him but apparently not fast enough to suit him so he decided to go to the buffet line.
Steve