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Guard animals

3K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  ND_ponyexpress_ 
#1 ·
What kind of animals do you have for security and how do you train them if at all?

I have geese that are very good about notifying you if anyone is within 300 yards of the house. Wife has a tiny dog as a pet that amplify the geese alert as well as telling you which door/ doors someone is at.

To get to the house you have to go thru a gate or over fence and get past the big dogs. Boxer and Golden Retrievers - I suppose pit bulls might look meaner But I have yet to have a visitor come thru the gate . The goldens are not normal in that they bark and appear very aggressive when you are outside their fence it is something the older boxer taught them.

I have neighbors who keep donkeys and sheep dogs to protect cattle and sheep from coyotes . From what they tell me both will also keep unwanted people out of the field. I do not think the guard dogs would bother you unless you messed with a sheep. The donkeys will try and kill any dog in the field and will attack a person and knock them down . Then kick them. I do not think it is so much they were taught that as a natural reaction . They folks that have them never walk in the field, they drive a 4x4 of tractor instead.
 
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#2 ·
As the pround 15 year owner of a 150 lb long legged American Rotty..will proclaim that breed as the best for guard dog duty. They are friendly to their fellow weaker critters and only bite bad guys or them with dark skin. They dont need much training once you convince them which one of you is the Alpha Male of the pack. That sometimes takes a kick under the chin. But wear boots..they have a hard chin. They are totally crazy till age two. After that they settle right on down.
 
#4 ·
Our dogs are all rescues, have been for decades. Right now we have two labs, a boxer, and two mutts.
Left in the house when we are in town, we have never been broken into, but our neighbors have.
Their main "guard" function is to alert the Big Dog (me).

Our back fence neighbor raises cattle for the market and keeps a donkey out with them. He puts his horses there too, under the watchful eyes of the donkey. There are coyotes around, and he lost calves before he got the donkey. None since.

Our property is fully fenced, and the two gates on the road stay closed and locked shut at all times, whether we are home or not.
I always wear a holstered handgun when outside - mowing grass, getting the mail from the box at the end of the driveway, whatever. Always. Neighbors driving down the road wave, but they never stop.:tango_face_smile:
 
#6 ·
Dog, Blue healer 62 pound big teeth. The chickens may at times alert him he alerts me. He is very good at his job. He will try to warn you there is a white man over 40 with a gun here best leave while you can.
Out here we have room to see the Bg coming.
 
#8 ·
My two guards are a Belgian Shepard and Dobie mix, trained to be silent, attack when alone and on command when I am present.

They were taught to go for throat and gonads, they double team and will remove what they bite.

The third dog is a love, comic relief, a golden retriever, loves everybody.

The guards know when someone outside does not belong, will come and whine or tug on my arm,

when I respond they will take up position either at front of back door, whichever is most likely the threat entry, they know.

A push down hand gesture indicates to low attack so I can go center mass or above, a verbal kill command they will go for either point.
 
#10 ·
While I believe large dogs are best there are 2 problems with large dogs or any dogs for that matter. They need food and they will announce your home's location to strangers 600 yds away. Right now I'm listening to neighbor's dogs 700+ yds away.

Dogs can be a mixed blessing if you're trying to stretch out your food and remain unnoticed.
 
#12 ·
While I believe large dogs are best there are 2 problems with large dogs or any dogs for that matter. They need food and they will announce your home's location to strangers 600 yds away. Right now I'm listening to neighbor's dogs 800+ yds away.

Dogs can be a mixed blessing if you're trying to stretch out your food and remain unnoticed.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Some dogs have big mouths, mine don't, they are trained that way.

The golden growl's and barks a bit when he sees himself in the bathroom mirror.

Not worried about food for them, plenty of corn, barley, rye, fish and game if needed.

They dig up moles and tubers to eat.

Golden eats ripe tomatoes, ripe raspberries, off the bushes, also digs up potatoes to eat.

Mind you, they are well fed, I guess instinct drives them to. .
 
#14 · (Edited)
Dogs are territorial by nature and will sound the alarm and/or protect. Some are naturally excellent at it, some require more training. I keep mine (Black Lab) primarily as a companion but also as a deterrent. No formal training though as I don't have the time or knowledge.

Mine will "interfere" if he thinks I'm being too rough on the grand-kids when playing. He plays progressively rougher as the human gets bigger. Very gentle with the little tykes and progresses with the kid he's playing with according to size/age. He can get downright mean with me unless I slow him down.

No one just walks on by, towards us or the house, without assurance from us that it is OK.
See how vicious he is?
.
 
#15 ·
I have 4 livestock guardians. Guarding is instinctual and they require little training. There's no safer place to be than in with the pack! If needed, they'd be turned out instead of penned with the livestock.

In the house we have a GSD who alerts if there's something serious detected by the LGDs. We're adding a heeler in June to work the stock and it will be a house dog also.

I'm working on rabbit and pork production to feed them. With current numbers, we need about 12# of meat a day, so it's a big goal to work toward but so very worth it. We found a breed of pig that fattens and marbles well with ZERO grain inputs, so we're just getting started with them.
 
#16 ·
Our Boxer was trained to be quiet. She is a growler. She doesn't eat very much at only 60 pounds, works off of voice commands or hand signals and likes to practice Kung Fu with me.

She travels well and is easier to clean up after than a goose...
 
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#17 ·
And he said that he would admit to no wrong doing the tail is not evidence of any wrong doing.

Dog Australian cattle dog Carnivore Grey Dog breed
 
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