TRAINING

Guidelines for Training the Young Livestock Guardian

by Diane Spisak

Over the years we have tried a number of ways to raise livestock guardian dog puppies with our sheep. I have come to the conclusion that it is far better to instill good manners and proper behavior right from the start than to later try and correct bad habits.

The Akbash Dog is an active and athletic guardian that is often playful as a pup and adolescent, and as a result will likely develop bad play-chasing habits if poorly supervised. All pups require some guidance and supervision for the first year of life but those efforts will reward you with a superior guardian dog by maturity.

Some guidelines to get your new puppy off to a good start:

It may be tempting to keep this cute white puppy in the house for the first few days after you pick him up from the airport. This is a mistake. A young pup is insecure and impressionable and it is important that he finds comfort and security with the livestock in the barn area. People will always be more fun to the dog than livestock, so don't worry that he won't also bond to you. Play with the pup and start obedience training right away, but in the barn yard. The dog will be less likely to try and escape to the house if he is first bonded to the livestock and barn. After a few weeks it won't hurt for the puppy to go out for a few hours to dog class or be socialized away from the barn, as the primary bond with the animals has been formed. All dogs, especially such large ones, require at least some obedience and socialization. Even a partially socialized dog will make much better educated decisions if he has varied life experiences than a dog always confined to a narrow, unchanging environment.

For the first month, and until the pup is well bonded with the animal species he will be expected to protect, human affection and attention should be given to the pup mainly in the barn area. A loafing area in an escape-proof wire enclosure where he can have nose contact with his animals is an ideal place for the pup to live. Take the puppy in with gentle livestock on a regular basis and supervise for any play-chasing or mouthing.

If you choose to raise the puppy with a few adult and gentle animals you must be around enough to be able to administer swift and firm corrections the first time and every time that the puppy stalks, mouths, or play-chases. The puppy may be allowed to lick faces or rear ends, sniff and follow at a walk and show casual interest, but no more. Any active play with the stock must be discouraged.

Making corrections:

Until the puppy knows what you are asking him to do, gently guide him through right and wrong for the first week while he gets used to his new home. Correct him first by redirecting him to an acceptable object or behavior. Exceptions to this would be if the pup growls at people over food or chases livestock, and then he must be stopped and reprimanded immediately with a verbal correction.

The key is to know what level of correction to administer; is it too mild, effective or too strong? The intelligent Akbash Dog will ignore an under correction and not forgive you or be resentful for an over correction. If you make a correction and the dog repeats the behavior your correction was not firm enough or poorly timed. The pup will respect a well-timed correction and consider it fair and just. A dog is happy with a low pack order if he is sure this is his place, and your consistency is what relays that message to the dog.

It is also very important to catch the puppy in the act - a correction given even five seconds after the misbehavior will not be associated with the actual deed. If you can get in a couple of well-timed corrections the first time a behavior occurs you can often nip that behavior in the bud. If you allow the pup to pull wool for a week before you catch him in the act, a bad habit is already established and it may take months or years to correct the behavior.

To correct a pup for chasing stock, I use a riding crop with a broad leather flap on the end to swat the pup if I can reach him while he is in the act. At the same time I shout at him, "Leave it!" Swat the puppy hard enough to startle him and make a lasting impression. If you can't quite reach the pup, an empty soda can with a couple of pebbles in it when tossed near the puppy can also be effective by startling him which interrupts the chasing. Or if you are within arms reach, growl "Leave it!", grasp him by the scruff and give him a fast jerk to the ground. Immediately release the pup and go on with your business.

The dog will generally show less rough play behavior if kept with mature animals that are taller than itself. If your training is effective you can gradually allow the adolescent puppy more freedom with the animals.

The cheeky adolescent:

It is not unusual for a well-behaved puppy to start play-chasing when he reaches adolescence at seven to twelve months of age. So be observant and ready for this stage in his life. I don't allow any dog under one year of age to be alone unsupervised for any length of time with young lambs. It is too tempting for the playful puppy to join in with lambs bounding around the pasture. Before you know it the pup is trying to play with the lambs like it would with another dog. Lambs just don't appreciate mouth wrestling and are also more likely to be injured or killed.

You will also have to supervise the young dog through his first and often second lambing season. Take the dog in with you to see and experience the birthing process. Make the dog sit and wait until the birthing is finished before allowing him to lick the lamb or eat the afterbirth.

Another place to watch for bad habits to occur is when you work your herding dogs. Akbash Dogs are amazing in their ability to watch other dogs and mimic their behavior. Keep an eye on your Akbash Dog when you work your Border collie and discourage him from watching the chase. My Border collie works the sheep almost daily but not until around six months of age did the young Akbash Dog in one of the pastures actually watch my Border collie bring in the sheep. The very next day the Akbash pup started chasing sheep. Coincidence? I doubt it.

The importance of teaching commands:

Teach your puppy to walk on a leash, and the commands come, sit, get back, wait, down and no from the moment he arrives. Use the pup's name first to get his attention and then add the recall command as you say, "Puppy, come". If you start calling the eight-week-old puppy to come to his food bowl, and also several times a day, rewarding him with a piece of kibble, then allowing him to go play again, you will have a dog that as an adult will reliably come. If you wait until the he is four months old and showing his independent nature, your dog will probably never have a reliable recall. "Come" can become a nasty word to the dog as it often means "come, you have to be penned up, crated, etc.". In other words the fun is over. Make an effort to call the dog a few times a day when you can reward him and let him resume what he was doing. Then "come" does not have a negative association.

Never tell the dog "It's okay," while he is growling at you or struggling in your arms. To the dog you are saying it is okay to growl or struggle. The proper thing is to say "NO!" and when the behavior ends and the dog is calm, praise him with a "Good dog". We see many people at our veterinary clinic trying to pacify their wiggly dogs on the exam table saying "It's okay," and actually reinforcing the wiggly behavior.

Subordination exercises:

This is a large guard dog breed and it is very important that you and your family establish the top positions in the dog-human pack. Guardian dogs have strong pack hierarchy instincts and are rather independent as they have to make decisions on their own while working. In the dog-human pack, however they must not be the dominant animal. What I strongly recommend is that every member of the family practice some subordination exercises with the puppy at least weekly. Make the pup sit still for a few minutes while you handle every part of the dog's body, make him sit before receiving his food.

Practice putting your hand in the food bowl and requiring the dog to tolerate it, and be ready to make that split second grab of the scruff and take the dog to the floor with a harsh "No!" if he growls. Release the dog the second he submits. Make the dog sit before he rushes through gates or doors, and never before you unless you allow him to. Another good subordination exercise is to roll the puppy on to his back and hold him down with your hand on his chest. The second the pup stops struggling and turns his head away from you, let him up. Never allow him up while he is struggling..

If you are consistent in both your praise and corrections you will find yourself with a wonderful protector and companion. If you do not you will end up with an unreliable dog who is unsure of his position and constantly challenging you for top spot in the hierarchy. Livestock guardian dogs are extremely intelligent, they learn quickly and will respect a person who neither under or over corrects them. A properly raised dog will develop into a loyal and responsible guardian and an asset to your operation.

Diane Spisak   PO Box 146   Wellsville, KS 66092   (785) 883-4774   spisak@embarqmail.com