Crane Creek Karakachans

01/01/2025

Crane Creek Koza. Happy 2025.

We hope that everyone had a safe and happy new year. As with everyone else, January 1st is a great time to reflect on the previous year and look forward to the year coming! I could go into a long post about all of the highlights from 2024, but instead I am going to share one in particular that is new for the farm and myself. 2024 was our first full year with Koza. There has been so much progress with him and the goats, as well as myself learning about LGDs. I am looking forward to adding a 2nd LGD to the farm this year and continuing the LGD adventure!

What was your favorite moment of 2024? What about 2025 makes you excited? Share in the comments!

Pictured is 1 year old Koza, Karakachan Maremma cross posing for the camera during our pasture walk today.

12/29/2024

Crane Creek Koza, his mom loves cats too!

12/26/2024

Crane Creek Clyde at Red Rooster Farm

12/25/2024

From Kristen Psyck (featuring Crane Creek Wicket and Crane Creek Agatha, in a lovely wood burning )

I received the MOST BEAUTUFUL gift today and I can't stop crying! 🥹 Thank you do much, Anita Mascarenhas! You are so incredibly talented and you captured my babies.

12/24/2024

Crane Creek Koza.

The best part of December 2024? The goats finally accepting Koza into the herd! The herd queens have decided he's proven himself after a year of introductions and baby steps to get to this point. He's not with them 24x7 but spends hours at a time in the pen with no issues. 🙌

12/17/2024

Crane Creek Jazelle (left) and Hope (right), pure Karakachans.

12/17/2024

5 year old neutered male Maremma/Karakachan looking for new livestock to guard. Crane Creek Max was raised around small children. Good with goats, sheep, chickens and other dogs. Needs larger acreage or perimeter fence or hot wire. We have him on 300 acres without a fence and he likes to do a parameter check a little too close to the neighbors. He does mostly stick with his livestock. 30 min north of Helena, mt. Please call James 763-2four2-4fiveone3

12/10/2024

12/06/2024

Crane Creek Clyde

Good Morning from Clyde. ☀️

12/02/2024

Sunset. High % Ile de France ewe letting Crane Creek Hope know that she has things well under control. The lamb was born during the frigid (single digits) night sometime.

12/02/2024

Winter is settling in at Shady Oak Farm, and Koza is in his element! While we were hanging lights and decorating the porch for the season, Koza lounged in the yard, surrounded by his trusty flock of chickens. He’s been loving the crisp air and frosty mornings—this kind of weather was made for him. ❄️🐾

Koza is a Karakachan-Maremma mix, two incredible livestock guardian breeds known for their thick, weather-resistant coats. Bred to guard herds in harsh mountain climates, these dogs are built to thrive in cold weather. Rain, snow, or icy winds—Koza handles it all like a champ, staying cozy while keeping a watchful eye on the farm.

But don’t let his rugged exterior fool you—this big guy still has a soft side! No matter how much he loves the great outdoors, Koza always comes inside for his daily snuggles on the couch. He truly is the best of both worlds: tough, loyal, and oh-so-loving. ❤️

11/08/2024

Crane Creek “puppy”! celebrating year one. He will become a better and better guardian (and steal even more of your heart).

🐾 Coming up on a year with our first Livestock Guardian Dog, and I finally understand what words alone could never convey. I spent years researching LGDs, thinking I was prepared. But no amount of reading could truly capture how remarkable these dogs are until I experienced it myself.

From retrievers to herding dogs and hounds, I thought I’d seen loyalty, intelligence, and love in so many forms. But LGDs are in a league of their own—more loyal than any retriever, more cunning than any herder, and more affectionate than any hound I’ve known. Even as he’s still growing and learning, he’s already shown such depth of instinct and commitment to protecting our farm.

For anyone who has or knows an LGD, you’ll understand—it’s only something you *feel* once they’re a part of your world. 🐕❤️

11/04/2024

I love getting a message like the one below!!

Hello! This is (Crane Creek) Thor’s owner Summer and I would like to get on the list for a pup from this springs upcoming litter! We have decided Thor needs a buddy to be with him and his goat friends. We just love him so much and he is doing fantastic with the goats and chickens!!

10/01/2024

Crane Creek Hope (left) and Crane Creek Jazelle (right), pure Karakachans, enjoying their “walk”! We need rain badly.

09/28/2024

Crane Creek Koza!

Time to brag on this boy (who turned 1 year old a few weeks ago!) Koza has been doing an amazing job this past week keeping the predators at bay. Every night he has been busy warning off the coyotes as they have been moving in closer to the farm recently. I also noticed a racoon that showed up in one of the horse pastures recently, but Koza has been effective at keeping it from moving much closer.

A couple of days ago, a coyote was messing with Koza - every time he would recall to me, the coyote would yip at Koza, who would then run back out and shoot off some warning barks. Koza listened well to me while also maintaining his focus on the coyote.

Because of his busy nights, Koza has been sleeping all day long. I will feel much better when Koza has a buddy out there with him and he isn't alone. Soon!

09/22/2024

This is Crane Creek Violet, pure Karakachan. She is 3 yrs old spayed. Great working dog. Has lived with sheep 100% of her life. Working on a rotational grazing sheep farm in Kansas. Looking for a good working home with sheep.

Violet will approach handlers for affection and food. Easy to care for her but she prefers to be with the sheep and will only seek affection briefly. One of the best dogs I’ve ever had.
Contact Jacqueline Smith +1 (816) 824-7784 or [email protected]

08/28/2024

Crane Creek Lenna. Thank you Hollie A for keeping in touch and giving Lenna a wonderful life.

08/26/2024

Crane Creek Clyde, Karakachan x Maremma, born 7 March 2024 loves his snake says Kathleen Weller. (And thank you for the great photo).

Toys and games are great for stimulating and occupying livestock guardian dogs!

From “Training Support for Livestock Guardian Dogs” see Guide 2 Myths about Livestock Guardian Dogs on Facebook. Please join this excellent group!

One common idea surrounding LGDs is they shouldn't play with toys or be encouraged to play certain ways. People say:
"Stuffed toys teach them to play rough and kill stock."
"Playing tug teaches them to keep things from you."
"Playing chase or fetch teaches them to chase stock."
"Squeaky toys teach them makes things screech is fun, so they will terrorize the stock."
These statements couldn't be further from the truth! I'm not sure where these ideas started or why but LGDs are smart enough to tell the difference between toys and living creatures. Toys and games are a wonderful way to help them direct their energy onto more appropriate objects. If they are chasing, they want to run! Go play fetch with them or go on a run or hike with them. Redirect their playfulness rather than trying to squash it. The need for play will be there whether you want it to be or not so better off harnessing it through toys. Granted, many LGDs do not particularly care for toys which is common amongst many primitive breed but if your dog likes a Kong, stuffed toy, rope, or whatever it may be, let them have fun!