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HOW TO "TRAIN" YOUR GUARDIAN Guarding come natural to a Komondor Guardian Dog. It is not necessary to try and train them to do their job. It is only necessary to instill good habits and respect for the animal or people they are guarding. At Turtle Rock our pups are born and raised with goats. When they are six weeks old, the mother usually weans them. The liter is left together for two more weeks to insure they are eating well and, in general, getting along. At eight weeks we sell puppies and sometimes keep one or two for our farm to be used as guardians for goats. The eight week old pup is put with an adult herd of goats. Putting pups with babies or very young animals is a recipe for disaster. The pup will play with the small animals and never learn respect for them. It is provided a fenced off area where there is food, water and, if needed, a small shelter. The pup can then come and go as the need arises. Since they are very social animals, they stay with the goats. It is a good thing to have mature goats that have little patience for puppy antics. We feel the very best guardian is developed by goats butting the pup. We provide a safe haven so the pup can get away if the goats are especially hostile any given day. You will see how this treatment pays off when your dog is as big as your goats and will still tiptoe around the goats. They always remember their rough treatment and I have never seen this keep a pup from guarding and caring for the animals they guard. Please, never, never, let your pup go to places he should not. Do not have him in the yard, outside the pasture or any other place your animals are not kept. Pups are small enough to go through the best fencing. If your pup finds a way into the yard or where it should not be, pick it up and gently shake it, saying "No"! Mother dogs shake their offspring to punish them. Put them back. If they come out again you may need to spank them (not really hard) and place them firmly back into the pasture, saying "NO". Petting and socializing your puppy is not a bad thing. You need to handle them for many reasons, medical, shearing, etc. If you have small children that live with you or simply visit, the dog should get to know them. Guardian dogs may be raised to love humans and still guard against predators or they can be taught to guard against humans if you do not let outside people pet them. Most important, however, is to NOT spoil them. If you purchase you dog as a guardian, let him learn his job by not coddling him. If you have an opportunity to purchase an older dog, learn how they are treated by the current owner. If this dog has not been taught to stay in the pasture, it probably will not stay in your pasture. Habits are hard to break. There are ways to make a grown dogs stay where you want them, but they do not always work. Forming a bond with the species of animals you want guarded should be done when the pup is young. You may be able to change them from sheep to goats or cattle to llamas but if they have always lived with people, it may be a challenge.
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