Showest Farm

08/23/2024

08/23/2024

08/03/2024

These two handsome boys are 9 weeks old and ready for new adventures. Started with our flock of sheep and doing great! AKC registered, microchipped, vaccinated, etc.

showestkennel.com/litter-e

07/05/2024

Some photos of the boys first time meeting sheep

07/05/2024

CAO Litter E - Gandalf x Rayne
5 weeks old - first introduction to sheep

Both boys are looking for homes.

Showestkennel.com/litter-e

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06/23/2024

Sometimes you just have to sit down and appreciate the beauty around you. Photo taken today after some much needed rain. Outside of Seligman, AZ on Old Route 66.

06/22/2024

Eggs are pipped! Muscovy ducklings soon 😍

05/29/2024

Kona with our ram lamb

05/29/2024

Rayne 🥰 Should have puppies within the week

05/29/2024

Sheep are all sheared and staying cool!

05/29/2024

Hilde from Sam and Rayne’s litter

05/28/2024

05/23/2024

05/23/2024

Video from a few weeks ago before the flock got sheared

05/23/2024

Everyone is sheared and happy

05/22/2024

Baby pigeons are hatching out

05/22/2024

Excited for some ducklings next month

05/22/2024

🙃

05/18/2024

Dasha and Kona with our Navajo Churros

Dasha and Kona with our flock of Navajo Churro in Northern Arizona.

04/19/2024

Let’s talk about CAS ears. We have gotten quite a few requests for natural eared and tailed puppies over the last year. I’m going to explain why we will never leave ears on as long as it is legal to crop and dock.

Central Asian Shepherds are an ancient breed, some believe they are the ancestors of all livestock guardian breeds including the Tibetan Mastiff as there have been figurines of the breed found that have been dated to be over 4000 years old, if not older. These figurines featured dogs with no ears and short tails. Meaning, this breed has been cropped for as long as it has existed.

Over time, the ears naturally changed to adapt and accommodate the missing protection. Their ear canals are well furred; all the way down. This keeps sand and debris out of the canal. When you leave the ears on, the ears cannot breathe (yes, it’s a body or***ce, it needs to breathe) and dirt, oils, etc will become trapped under the flap. Ear infections become a serious risk. A flap over the ear will also make it harder for them to hear predators, and therefore less effective at their job.

We have seen the argument that leaving ears on doesn’t actually increase chances for ear infections but the breeds being spoken about are modern breeds who don’t have the same furry ear anatomy. Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, etc all have clean ear canals. It is not fair to compare an ancient breed to a modern one.

Cropping and docking has a working function in this breed as well. These dogs are designed specifically for their job, from loose neck skin to their powerful yet athletic build. Predators go after ears when fighting. Ears are a weak point, especially when they are floppy. They get ripped and not only are they painful but they bleed a lot. If a predator rips the ear of an LGD while fighting, the LGD will keep fighting obviously but they will be shaking their head and blood will be spraying. Blood can get in the dog’s eyes, blinding them or it can make the ground slick. This can potentially cause the death of a valuable guardian. Tails are docked to keep the dog from covering its nose with the tail while sleeping and keeping it from smelling predators. This is a bit silly but this is the reason. The tail is left long enough to protect its ge****ls.

We understand that many LGDs are not cropped or docked and do fine but most of these breeds don’t have the same predators as CAS in their native countries and ear injuries are definitely still an issue in those breeds when under a heavy predator load. We chose CAS because we do have a heavy predator load where we live; with some dangerous predators. Within a mile of our home, some even on our own property, we have seen mountain lions, bear, Mexican grey wolves, coyotes, bobcats and we have also seen packs of stray dogs in the past. Our area is very secluded and human thieves are an issue too so we chose a breed who would protect from all possible threats.

Aside from the practical reasons as to why cropping is so important in this breed, there is also our personal reasons. We don’t let people pick puppies out until they are 6+ weeks old. We evaluate conformation and temperament and see how they respond to livestock before deciding which puppies will be best for which homes. Some people want property guardians, others want livestock guardians. Some people want breeding stock or dogs to show. We only offer puppies with correct conformation with full rights. So what happens when we leave a puppy natural and that puppy ends up being a puppy unsuited to the person who wanted a natural puppy? Or the puppy is the only show quality puppy but the people a cropped and docked puppy to show. While the breed standard allows for tails and ears to be natural, an uncropped/docked dog just does not look like a CAS. A cropped dog will be considered over one with ears in the ring because the judge will go off what looks the most like the standard. It’s the sad truth.

Included are pics of the ears from several of our dogs to show the fur. Please share the direct post, don’t copy and paste. This is my own writing and I am sharing because many people are not aware of it. We are here to help educate, please don’t steal our work.