The relationship between goats and guard dogs is very important on my farm because of the proximity of bears and a large coyote population. Loss to predators is a fact of life if you raise goats. The Anatolian Shepherd is an ancient breed from Turkey that has been guarding livestock for thousands of years. I also use Anatolian/Pyrenees cross dogs. The pups spend several months with young goats and begin to guard around a year of age. The ideal situation is to have a pup working with a seasoned guard to "learn the ropes". The guarding instinct is very strong in some pups and not so much in others. I have raised three litters of pups and most of them are working now.
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| Freya and Heidi are our foundation Anatolians |
