Livestock Guardian Dogs: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

What is a LGD?

  • What Is a Livestock Guardian Dog?
  • What Animals Can LGDs Protect?
  • Farm Dog vs Livestock Guardian Dog vs Herding Dog
  • Do You Actually Need a Livestock Guardian Dog?
  • How Livestock Guardian Dogs Protect Livestock
  • How Many LGDs Do You Need?

Predator-specific articles

  • Do LGDs Protect Against Coyotes?
  • Bears
  • Bobcats
  • Hawks
  • Owls
  • Foxes
  • Dogs

What livestock do they protect?

Do you actually need one?

Do You Need an LGD on Small Acreage?

Choosing a breed

  • Why We Chose Maremma Sheepdogs
  • Maremma vs Great Pyrenees
  • Best Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds
  • Male vs Female LGDs
  • Should You Get Two LGD Puppies?

Bringing one home

  • Preparing Your Farm Before Bringing Home an LGD
  • Puppy vs Adult Livestock Guardian Dog
  • Essential Supplies for LGDs
  • Best Fencing for Livestock Guardian Dogs
  • Shelter Requirements
  • Feeding LGDs
  • Grooming Double-Coated Guardian Dogs

What do I do the first week?

Training basics

  • How to Train a Livestock Guardian Dog Puppy
  • What Age Can an LGD Be Trusted?
  • Introducing an LGD to Chickens
  • Introducing an LGD to Goats
  • Can a Livestock Guardian Dog Live With Cats?
  • Can LGDs Live With Pet Dogs?
  • Common LGD Puppy Mistakes
  • What If Your LGD Kills Livestock?
  • Should You Tether a Livestock Guardian Dog?

Daily care

  • When Should You Spay or Neuter an LGD?
  • Feeding Multiple LGDs
  • Do LGDs Need a Partner?
  • Living With Barking Dogs
  • Right-to-Farm Laws and LGDs
  • Cost of Owning a Livestock Guardian Dog

What to Expect During Your LGD’s First Two Years

Fence escaping

  • Why LGDs Roam
  • How to Keep an LGD From Leaving
  • Best Fencing for LGDs

Barking

Why does my Great Pyrenees bark all night?

Common mistakes

10 Mistakes We Made Raising Our First Livestock Guardian Dogs

Common myths

  • They train themselves.
  • They never need supervision.
  • Two puppies are easier.
  • Bigger is always better.
  • They should never be pets.

Buying guide

  • Questions to ask an LGD breeder
  • Red flags
  • Working parents
  • Health testing
  • Puppy contracts

Advanced Topics

  • Bonding vs Training
  • Understanding Predator Pressure
  • Working LGDs on Small Acreage
  • LGDs for Chickens
  • LGDs for Goats
  • LGDs for Sheep
  • LGDs for Ducks
  • LGDs for Cattle

FAQs