Post by bluebar23 on Jun 4, 2018 13:25:15 GMT -5
We have an 11mo intact female Karakachan LGD named Oona. We also have a mutt who lives outside with her, and two other dogs that are mostly indoors. They all get along just fine. We have raised them all from puppies, and 3yo DD has grown up with them (and a bunch of other animals).
Today DD was in the front yard playing by herself. I was keeping an eye on her through the window, but not watching continuously. Suddenly I heard DD's seriously-hurt cry, so I shot outside. She was standing next to the Karakachan, bawling. I asked her what happened, and she said Oona bit her on the head. There was no blood, and her face was already pretty splotchy from crying, and I couldn't find any distinct marks. I asked DD what she had been doing, and she said she was trying to "give Oona puppy things." (One of DD's latest "games" has been collecting all the dog toys, dishes, bedding, etc. and "giving" them to Oona out in the front yard.)
So, the two were definitely interacting, and the dog definitely did something. What exactly it was is harder to say. I'm having a hard time knowing how to handle this. DD just isn't old enough to clearly communicate what happened, but I have ZERO tolerance when it comes to the animals and her. DD is kept safely away from clear potential dangers, and the animals are expected to respect her in common areas (like the yard), or else they go. But that's easier to handle with a rooster than a dog. At the same time, I don't want to be too permissive and have DD get seriously hurt. She needs to be able to go outside and play.
I'm just not sure where the line is. How many "chances" do I give the dog? Would having her spayed possibly help? Do I forbid DD from touching Oona?
I really just want this dog to live outside and protect the livestock. And she does a great job of that... I think I just screwed up by getting her the mutt as a buddy. She spends too much time in the yard rather than out in the field. But two LGD seemed like a lot of dog for five acres. She likely would have been fine on her own, if I'd just let her bond with the dogs and cows. Having an LGD sounded so simple in theory, but in practice it has been kind of a pain. But she's also done her job really well; we know for certain she's warded off coyotes, feral cats, possums, raccoons, and (less helpfully) deer. We'd be losing poultry left and right without her.
Today DD was in the front yard playing by herself. I was keeping an eye on her through the window, but not watching continuously. Suddenly I heard DD's seriously-hurt cry, so I shot outside. She was standing next to the Karakachan, bawling. I asked her what happened, and she said Oona bit her on the head. There was no blood, and her face was already pretty splotchy from crying, and I couldn't find any distinct marks. I asked DD what she had been doing, and she said she was trying to "give Oona puppy things." (One of DD's latest "games" has been collecting all the dog toys, dishes, bedding, etc. and "giving" them to Oona out in the front yard.)
So, the two were definitely interacting, and the dog definitely did something. What exactly it was is harder to say. I'm having a hard time knowing how to handle this. DD just isn't old enough to clearly communicate what happened, but I have ZERO tolerance when it comes to the animals and her. DD is kept safely away from clear potential dangers, and the animals are expected to respect her in common areas (like the yard), or else they go. But that's easier to handle with a rooster than a dog. At the same time, I don't want to be too permissive and have DD get seriously hurt. She needs to be able to go outside and play.
I'm just not sure where the line is. How many "chances" do I give the dog? Would having her spayed possibly help? Do I forbid DD from touching Oona?
I really just want this dog to live outside and protect the livestock. And she does a great job of that... I think I just screwed up by getting her the mutt as a buddy. She spends too much time in the yard rather than out in the field. But two LGD seemed like a lot of dog for five acres. She likely would have been fine on her own, if I'd just let her bond with the dogs and cows. Having an LGD sounded so simple in theory, but in practice it has been kind of a pain. But she's also done her job really well; we know for certain she's warded off coyotes, feral cats, possums, raccoons, and (less helpfully) deer. We'd be losing poultry left and right without her.