I Hit The Maremma Jackpot!!! (Edited: More Good News!)
Nov 13, 2015 12:01:21 GMT -5
missevelyn, lew92, and 5 more like this
Post by farmwench on Nov 13, 2015 12:01:21 GMT -5
(Sorry, no pics ) Brought home my first LGD last night and he is exceeding expectations already. Moses is a started dog, 14 months old, and was working with an older female Maremma. He's been with donkeys, a pony, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, barn cats, exposed to rabbits in hutches, and played nicely with the house dogs (border collies). Very human friendly and affectionate. Seller said he's always been good for vaccs (she gave), and was never aggressive or played rough with any of the stock when he was a pup.
He had never been on a leash, and hadn't been inside a vehicle since the seller brought him home as a pup. We had to lift and shove to get him in the back seat of my truck (extended cab, so adequate but not overly roomy). It was just over a 3&1/2 hour drive home and he traveled great! No carsickness (yippee!) or even excessive drooling; within 1/2 hour he had gone from hugging the floor to standing on the back seat. He did a lot of up & down, & turning, but never tried to come over the seat or escape out my partially open driver's window. I stopped twice & got out (to reopen the passenger side rear window/vent that had popped closed, and to check my oil [it's an old truck]); he stayed quietly in the back seat with no escape attempts.
Got home after dark and he didn't want to come out of the truck (another new experience for him). I settled him in his pen I set up until he knows my place is home, and until the critters get used to him. The sheep were alarmed. The yearlings have never even met a dog. When I brought him into their paddock, they took off into their feeding area. Once he was settled in, I had to push the flock (including my more than a little aggressive ram whom I just put in a few days ago) back out past Moses' pen. They didn't much want to go, but when they did, they went in a hurry. Did my chores then called the girls up to eat. They said NO! So then I had to go out in the dark, with the dangerous ram (thank goodness he wears a bell so I can track him) & push them back past his pen to eat, which they resisted by running back and forth repeatedly, while Moses lay calmly on the opposite side of his pen, totally unconcerned. Awesome! They finally went past his pen, in a hurry, and ate. While they ate, I went in the shed & for the first time, heard Moses alert to something; a few barks, a pause, a few more barks, then quiet. The sheep kept munching. Perfect!
I took him out on a lead this morning to walk the perimeter of my front pasture (sheep are kept up in a smaller area all winter) to start showing him the lay of the land and teaching him where he'll be working. He is afraid of the lead, so we'll limit our outings to the easier to maneuver front field until he learns to trust it, and me, and to walk like a gentleman. He still behaved FAR better on the lead than a lot of supposedly leash trained dogs I've dealt with in the past.
I am SOOO lucky to have found the breed I wanted, after just starting to look, within a reasonable driving distance, at a price I could come up with. That he is a REALLY well started dog, experienced with the types of animals I have, and most of those I will eventually have, is unbelievable! When I first called the seller, I assumed the dog would already be sold because LGDs usually get snatched up fast. I was the 2nd caller; the 1st caller was making up their mind & I had to wait a few days to find out if I'd get a shot at him. I was so hopeful, but didn't want to get too excited and be disappointed. I got the call on Monday; 1st caller hadn't been back in touch, so I could come see him! Drove up Thursday and he was even better than I could have hoped for.
"Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." Thank you Karma, for blessing me with this incredible dog. He is already an asset to my little farm, and I am sold on the Maremmas! (We need a Snoopy doing the Happy Feet dance emogy!)
A Maremma breeder (I just visited her farm to meet her dogs a few days ago) and the seller both stressed that I should get a 2nd dog to work, & to keep Moses happy. So I just found an ad on Craigslist for Maremma pups, closer than Moses was, & just called to get my name on the want list. Farm sitter took the call, so I didn't get a lot of info, but at least I'm potentially signed up to get a pup around Christmas. Friday the 13th is my lucky day!!!
He had never been on a leash, and hadn't been inside a vehicle since the seller brought him home as a pup. We had to lift and shove to get him in the back seat of my truck (extended cab, so adequate but not overly roomy). It was just over a 3&1/2 hour drive home and he traveled great! No carsickness (yippee!) or even excessive drooling; within 1/2 hour he had gone from hugging the floor to standing on the back seat. He did a lot of up & down, & turning, but never tried to come over the seat or escape out my partially open driver's window. I stopped twice & got out (to reopen the passenger side rear window/vent that had popped closed, and to check my oil [it's an old truck]); he stayed quietly in the back seat with no escape attempts.
Got home after dark and he didn't want to come out of the truck (another new experience for him). I settled him in his pen I set up until he knows my place is home, and until the critters get used to him. The sheep were alarmed. The yearlings have never even met a dog. When I brought him into their paddock, they took off into their feeding area. Once he was settled in, I had to push the flock (including my more than a little aggressive ram whom I just put in a few days ago) back out past Moses' pen. They didn't much want to go, but when they did, they went in a hurry. Did my chores then called the girls up to eat. They said NO! So then I had to go out in the dark, with the dangerous ram (thank goodness he wears a bell so I can track him) & push them back past his pen to eat, which they resisted by running back and forth repeatedly, while Moses lay calmly on the opposite side of his pen, totally unconcerned. Awesome! They finally went past his pen, in a hurry, and ate. While they ate, I went in the shed & for the first time, heard Moses alert to something; a few barks, a pause, a few more barks, then quiet. The sheep kept munching. Perfect!
I took him out on a lead this morning to walk the perimeter of my front pasture (sheep are kept up in a smaller area all winter) to start showing him the lay of the land and teaching him where he'll be working. He is afraid of the lead, so we'll limit our outings to the easier to maneuver front field until he learns to trust it, and me, and to walk like a gentleman. He still behaved FAR better on the lead than a lot of supposedly leash trained dogs I've dealt with in the past.
I am SOOO lucky to have found the breed I wanted, after just starting to look, within a reasonable driving distance, at a price I could come up with. That he is a REALLY well started dog, experienced with the types of animals I have, and most of those I will eventually have, is unbelievable! When I first called the seller, I assumed the dog would already be sold because LGDs usually get snatched up fast. I was the 2nd caller; the 1st caller was making up their mind & I had to wait a few days to find out if I'd get a shot at him. I was so hopeful, but didn't want to get too excited and be disappointed. I got the call on Monday; 1st caller hadn't been back in touch, so I could come see him! Drove up Thursday and he was even better than I could have hoped for.
"Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." Thank you Karma, for blessing me with this incredible dog. He is already an asset to my little farm, and I am sold on the Maremmas! (We need a Snoopy doing the Happy Feet dance emogy!)
A Maremma breeder (I just visited her farm to meet her dogs a few days ago) and the seller both stressed that I should get a 2nd dog to work, & to keep Moses happy. So I just found an ad on Craigslist for Maremma pups, closer than Moses was, & just called to get my name on the want list. Farm sitter took the call, so I didn't get a lot of info, but at least I'm potentially signed up to get a pup around Christmas. Friday the 13th is my lucky day!!!