That's not what the anatolian sites I looked at said... they said they had been bred to follow roaming herders, so were inclined to roam in the area of the herd, whereas the Akbash site did mention how they slept in the herd. I've not known an Akbash to compare, but the Anatolian I knew was much more active than the Pyrs I know, which is what the Akbash sounds more like. Though it did stick around the acreage, it was no couch potato, like the Pyrs are.
There also appears to be some controversy as to just what is a mastiff...
http://www.bulldoginformation.com/molossers-mastiff-type-dogs.html
I guess I tend to think of mastiffs more in the way this site has defined them.
The Pyr sites I looked at said they were probably derived from the same foundation stock as the Kuvasz, no mention of mastiff made. The Bernese site and the Newfie site both mentioned mastiff bloodlines.
CHICKSS Sulking Queue part 2
I wanted a Pyr but idk that I could afford to feed one.. and we only have... 5 acres.. wasn't sure that was enough roaming space. I wanted it to protect my chickens & the house. A neighbor was giving pups away... a friend took one for his goats.. turns out the bloodlines must be bad.. they can't train the silly dog to stay with the goats or cows.. nothing. It just wants to lay on the back step of the house. I'm kinda thankful I didn't get one. If i get one i want a rescue pup or one that has parents known for taking good care of livestock.
The Mastiff was (gasp people will hate this) a male & unfixed. He was in excellent health. Ate like a horse. He was close to 250lbs i believe but never appeared over weight well.. least he didn't till he would curl up as best he could on my lap when i'd sit on the floor. He'd done that since he was a puppy & i tolerated it when no one else would so he kept it up with me. They have the biggest saddest eyes. All he'd have to do was look at me with his head on my knee & i'd be in teh floor sitting so he could curl up on me. I do have to say.. the new one they have, the lab/mastiff mix... he is a good protector. Thier son showed up on the doorstep without calling one night when i was house sitting. we heard him walk up the steps, Bo suddenly growled, all hair stood on end & the 150 lb dog pushed me into the back bedroom with a warning woof that clearly said stay put, then he went to the front door. The kid heard him growl.. backed off to the car & called the house phone so I could let him in. But that dog wasn't letting anything get to me. Even after I let the kid in Bo refused to go to him. He stayed btwn me & the kid the entire time, not letting me walk over to him either. Its the only place i can house sit & feel safe at night.
There's an alpaca farm up the road here... several hundred alpaca... and they have Pyrs for herd protection. All the dogs do all day is sleep on the back porch, and the owners didn't think they were doing anything for a living til one morning they found a rottweiller head amongst the sleeping pyrs. Realized the dogs were doing some night work after all. LOL
In reading about Newfs, I found out that Labs and Newfs come from the same root stock... though there doesn't seem to be any clarity about what that is. Viking bear dogs? Mastiffs? Local indian dogs? Probably like around here... nothings neutered and so all the local strays have a little heeler, a little pit, a little pyr in 'em, with an occasional basset or chihuahua thrown into the mix. LOL
The Anatolian people refuse to acknowledge that Akbash is a distinct breed...just a white odd looking Anatolian. The problem seems to be that neither is a distinct breed in their homeland. They are just the dogs they use to guard sheep and to some extent, children. Now that Westerners have gotten their hands on them there is all this work trying to define what is, and what is not, what.
Both Anatolians and to a greater extent, Akbash, are thought to be mastiffs with an infusion of "coarse sight-hound". I think the latter contributes the longer legs, less massive bodies and potential for speed. Akbash, in particular have a strong tuck and a sort of lanky quality....but their heads are massive...a huge, hard skull. Asgard looked up while I was bent over him and broke my nose.....
You have to put all the LGD in with the sheep as puppies and not let them bond with people...otherwise you have a big, determined, couch potato on your hands.
They did put it in as a puppy... 6 weeks old when they brought it home & straight to the goat/sheep area it went. They had a very good Pry but it died of old age & this one just doesn't seem interested in being with the animals. So its now just a spoiled family dog.. which its good at. It just wanted its herd to be two footed & talking vs 4 footed & fluffy. :)
Friends of ours have 2 GPs and one GP-Akbash cross pup (well 7 months) available right now. I sometimes wonder about one for our sheep, but we have the llamas, and so far, have had no coyote problems. I'm more worried about what they would do to the chickens.
They will guard chickens if they where raised with them.
They will guard chickens if they where raised with them.
I use to know some one years ago who raised Anatolians here in town. Hers where so good that the Turkey embassiner (?) bought 2 of them and imported them back to Turkey.
LOL, I was thinking.. I didn't know turkeys had ambassadors.. lol.. glad my thinking brain catches up with the cartoon side every now and then.
They are wonderfully caring about small things....one of the reasons Gomez has hurt Asgard is that Asgard won't fight back no matter what Gomez does...but if Kipper, my Border Collie, even looks straight at Asgard, Asgard pins him down (just to put him in his place, Asgard has such a soft mouth he makes a retriever seem rough and Kipper is a total maniac).
When I take Asgard to the dog park he always heads for the small dogs...he just loves tiny things and is very protective of them.
I think they will guard just about any vulnerable living thing.
But I don't think a llama will tolerate them.
My brain will not spell to day. I get older I am now 60 ears old so be nice. Plus colder. LOL
Hey.. checked the mail.. guess what I got.. a NWD...
It is beautiful.. Thank you so much Loreen.. I love the stitches.. how unique
thats Ok wren.. you just keep me on my toes.. I can't spell half the time either.
Someone told me I will have to watch Zipper he will kill my chickens, so I am thinking if I get him around them now, when he is older he will be ok?
Fran - I'm glad you like it. I use that stitch usually on baby blankets and NWDs. It's K5, P5 for five rows, then switch to P5, K5 for 5 rows and on and on....lol. It's so simple I can watch TV and knit at the same time....drives my DH nuts.
Today I went thru some boxes I have been carrying around for awhile.. IN them were various pictures and memories of my life and my kids. I found treasures that I thought I had lost forever...
Anyhoo I came across an old bag of yarn, bits and balls, that once belonged to my sister and I remember my brother in law giving them to me after she passed.
There were no needles, so I figure when I get paid in two weeks, I will go and buy a cheap crochet needle to attempt to crochet...
See what you all have inspired me to do?? I would like a nice hat to go with my NWD, do you think my goals are to high to start off with? Should I start with Chicken size NWD? or maybe dog or horse NWD? Socks are going to so be on the list, but way down the list....
My eggcitement cause a dozen spelling errors, I just had to fix them.
This message was edited Jan 9, 2010 5:59 PM
here is a web site that has a lot of free patterns.
would help if I posted the site. lol
http://lionbrand.com/
Yes, MsJ, if you raise your pup with the chickens (supervised, of course) he will probably not bother them in the future and may actually become very protective of them. Shepherds and retrievers are no more prone to killing farmstead chickens than heelers... LOL. It's all in how they're raised.
MissJestr, we have friends whose chickens wander in and out of a large barn where he hangs lamb and deer prior to cutting them up. We brought our labradoodle over there, and at first she went after their hens, resulting in loud squawking and fussing. I explained to our friend that I hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it yet, and the next morning I took her out into the chicken yard, showed her our chickens, and said, "Don't chase the chickens!" Later when we went back to our friends' to do the lamb I told her again, "Don't chase the chickens!" and she was perfect, even when the hens and roosters had a disagreement and became rather loud and flighty.
I still wouldn't leave her alone with them though; mere dog flesh can stand only so much!
Oh Lookie what I found I think I want some...
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90567AD.html?noImages=
Boozer ws intrested in them when they were babies and in the house, she goes to the coop with me, but does not come in. I am going to start taking Zipper in with me so he can get upclose and personal with them before I get new chicks..
I would so love to let the chickens run, but I cant.... Not here now.
Miss J if you have a printer just push "download" and then the little printer picture and it will print out.
A little hen discipline might impress the pup that they are not to be messed with, just don't let some ol' hen bully him and scare him... then he'll want revenge when he gets big if he's got any gumption at all.
No printer at home but I have been reading some of the patterns and am a bit confused. I found a beginner hat pattern that I like, but having an issue understandint the pattern.
MsJ I always introduce every single critter to my border collies (mixes) -as "babies" They can find babies, tell me where the babies are, but NEVER do they chase babies.
Miss J which pattern and what do you not understand and I will try to help
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90380AD.html?noImages=
I am thinking this is a kids hat, not an adult hat.
OH I have found the hat of my dreams... It is a knit one though..
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90193AD.html?noImages=
I found this crochet one but it does not look the same
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90144AD.html?noImages=
yes it is for kids. but it should be easy to in large. It seems to be a tube that is gathered at the end.
It is 18 inches, what I would do is measure your head and make a chain long enough and add rows until it fits. should be very easy.
This one would hide my devil horns...LOL
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/50607.html?noImages=
and some are NOT happening..
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/cfancyf-chemoCap.html?noImages=
LOL If you enter "crochet hats" then you will only get the crochet patterns. they have a number of scrochet socks.
I liked the cottage socks, but even the easiest pair is not at my level.
MissJ! Do NOT buy a crochet needle. I am sending you a couple. I have spares that I don't need.
Thank you CMoxon, I think with everyones help, the chickens shall have NWD and the dogs as well... I figure those are easy, I tried to read patterns and well when I start, I will start a thread for answers, and make it livestock or chicken related so I can keep it here... LOLOL
I was thinking I should probably add a crochet and knitting entry to the reference thread, lol. The links are great and we'll lose them otherwise. And besides...we've done so well keeping it short I figure we deserve it!
We should put the links at least for the chicken coats.
I have a few links that explain the stitches remind me tomorrow and I will find them.
I am going to bed.
Good night everyone.
P&L craft projects maybe??
Night Wren... hope your day was a good one.
That would be a good Idea about the links, I go back to topics I have started for advise on my chickens. that would be easy to find.
The ONLY reason I think it might be "acceptable behaviour" is that information like that could be contained in 1 post. So the thread stays short.