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We have tried about every type of working animal and found what is best for us in our part of the world. We have had Llamas,
donkeys, Maremmas, mutt dogs and more. ALL failed as guard dogs/animals. (Except the donkeys, were OK but had their faults/limits)
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We do have other animals that do work on our farm but NOT as guards.
Mandria (Mandy) is a border collie that herds our animals (and sometimes us!!).
Bailey is a corgi cross that drives our livestock when we need safe passage.
Also Bailey has a nose that will smell a coyote a quarter mile out in the bean field long before they get close, she then
will sound the alarm for the LGD's to get to work. (Look under the damages album for a shot of the injuries to her, inflicted
by a pack of coyotes. Took 3 layers of almost 100 stitches and staples to put her back together.).
We started with llamas but JJ our llama killed several Suffolk sheep, so we sold him and Boris.
Oliver a Maremma lgd killed around a half dozen sheep in one day, another "lgd" killed a few other sheep and
our first lab cross (pet) killed several animals over a month till we put him in a kennel.
Next we purchased four donkeys. Two of them were good protectors but only for the animals in their pen. Once a lamb crawled
through a gate panel they were out of the "safe zone" where a donkey could work and immediately the coyotes had
a free snack... well free to them, costly to us.
Eventually we purchased a real Grand Pyrenees puppy named "Buck". He was a great LGD to start our pack with.
Since he started patrolling our farm we have not lost a single animal to a predator. That was three years ago. BEST investment
EVER was a properly handled LGD with great bloodlines and superior instinct.
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