01/08/2024
Sharing really good information🐾
Let's debunk some LGD myths!
Myth #1: You shouldn't handle your livestock guardian dog because they won't bond to their stock. Touching, hugging, and being sweet to an lgd will ruin them.
Why not? This is simply not true and the worst offending myth out there. Lgds are not raised like this in their countries of origin, and there's a good reason why.
Lgds need to bond with their family. They should trust you, feel respected as a partner, and feel loved. This will, in turn, create a working dog that wants to please you by following your lead and doing a good job.
They need to be comfortable being handled. You never know when they'll need medicine, treatments, a vet visit, or even an evacuation.
They need to feel protected as a pup. Baby pups are defenseless, and they know it. The security you give them allows them to grow up in a healthy manner so they can develop into the ferocious guardian you desire.
In modern times, Armenian Gamprs are raised this way. Nomadic shepherds who spend most of the year grazing the mountainside love their dogs. Puppies are allowed to be pups. They're given hugs, are petted, and get to snuggle down with the shepherd for naps. They even get fed pieces straight off the shepherd's plate, a treat for sitting nicely at their feet during a meal.
This is how every new generation of working dogs has been raised for thousands of years.
Yes, there are some people who raise their dogs with this antiquated no touch method, and some tout it's the only way or that they have 100% success.
However, who wants a dog that you can't touch, won't recall, tries to escape or run away, may be a liability with aggression due to fear reativity, and may not even care to watch over the herd? Those are the risks and it's a high price to pay- and for what? I'm not exactly sure.
Also, if you can't touch the dog by the doings of this no-touch method, how many of them will fail with livestock or create total chaos because they've had no training?
This photo was taken by my friend Tigran Grigoryan of Yerevan, Armenia. We work closely together to vet shepherds and good foundational stock in Armenia. In the photo is one of our friends, a nomadic shepherd named Zorik who's been raising Gamprs and sheep since a young boy, just like the endless generations of ancestors before him.
Training an lgd isn't hard. It just takes time, patience, and setting your pup up from the start with love and gentle leadership.
Be a Zorik. Love your LGD ❤️
