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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On 12/4/06, EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:

> If they only made Anatolians in smaller packages.. :)

Why are you put off by the size of the dog? Louie is a big boy but
he's not huge. It took him a few months to get completely coordinated,
but now at about 2 1/2 he's coordinated enough so that the BCs can't
roll him (which they had fun doing through his adolescence). Right
now, he's got a good appetite, but I expect that like most LGDs he'll
taper off to eating less than the BCs.

> About Anatolians, are they more or less likely to go off adventuring
> than a Pyr?  Do they guard by line of sight like Pyrs do, that is, if
> they can see it they think it is theirs to guard?

They do to a certain extent but not far enough that they don't know
what's happening at home. The more they are bonded to their charges,
the closer they stick to home. Louie knows exactly where the coyotes
live, so he crosses the road to get to slightly higher ground that
overlooks the creek. He doesn't go out to get them though. OTOH, he's
doesn't tolerate strange dogs that come onto his territory. We used to
be plagued by strays from the hamlet of Sweetwater, a quarter of a
mile up the road. No more.

How would it work to
> have a LGD running loose on property with two house dogs?  When I had
> the Pyrs before, they were in the pasture with the stock, and any future
> dog would be loose.

Louie has worked out well with the BCs. They're part of the pack and
they can do anything to him. If they think he's getting too wild
around me they body block him. No matter how fierce they act, he's
fine with them. (Note: only one BC is with him at a time because,
while they play rough with Louie, they have on several occasions tried
to kill each other and I have blood on the ceilings to prove it.)

I don't want a porch dog, and I worry that any LGD
> outside would end up on the porch to be near the house dogs instead of
> out near the garden and barn.

Louie is sometimes -- though more and more rarely -- on the porch.
Mornings when I look out toward the pasture, I see him patrolling the
perimeter. Nothing gets close to the house.

> I could keep him away from the house
> dogs, maybe, during those critical training months, but I don't want him
> to be aggressive to my other dogs...he needs to ignore them since they
> aren't a threat.  I don't want him distracted by the house dogs to the
> point that he fails to do his duty.

That has worked out well here. The BCs are in the house a lot, and
Louie never is. When one of them is out he sometimes socializes with
them (in the summer I often see him and Lucy resting in the shade) but
more often he goes off and they stay near the house. He doesn't patrol
far, but he does cross the road to get to his spot, and they don't.

> I don't want him running off
> chasing coyotes in the night, either.  He needs to stay put.  Also, I
> have several friends who visit with their dogs, and I don't want an
> Anatolian killing everything in sight.

An Anatolian probably wouldn't kill a visitor but he would scare the
hell out of all concerned. Gloria spent the night here after the big
tornado in the spring, and Louie gave every indication of wanting to
eat her puppy. Other Anatolian owners have suggested that the best way
to introduce an Anatolian to another dog is on neutral ground, and I
expect that is right. Louie is fine at the vet's. He loves everybody,
even the little yappers (though their owners worry but only because
he's a big dog).

> I'm pretty familiar with the various LGD breeds, Akbash, Maremmas, etc.
> but I can't think of one that is a medium sized dog...they are all large
> dogs...am I forgetting something?

Nah. They're all big. In their countries of origin they took on
wolves, bears, and big cats.


> If I get another dog for outside, I'll probably get another Norwegian
> Elkhound.  I miss the one I had before who died a couple of years ago.
> Hector was always protective of baby animals, whether chicks, ducks,
> kids, lambs, or puppies.  He's big enough, he's tough enough, and
> doggone it, he won't kill my friends dogs when she comes to visit, but
> God help any weasel or coon that would try to get into the coop.
> I don't know...I just want to consider all options before I make a decision.

When I was a kid we always had a Chesapeake (hunting is big in my
natal county). We never had a varmint problem with a Chessie on the
place (though we found a few carcasses in the mornings). Anatolians
are less likely to kill varmints; if they can run 'em off they're
happy, and they won't leave the place unguarded.

If you want an easy dog, an Anatolian is probably not your best
choice. They're hard headed and know what their job is and don't
figure they need much instruction. They are sweet, though. Louie is
the most loving dog I've ever had. When I come home at night he
watches me from his lookout point. I get out of the car and walk
around a bit checking out what's happened while I'm away and
eventually he deigns to come over to see me (and get a cookie). And
then he leans. And leans. And leans some more. When I'm ready to go
into the house, he blocks me. It's really annoying if I'm in a hurry
because he's ready to get loved up.

It's hard to get mad at him. You can't buy that kind of adoration.

Marie