LGD attack

[Liz P]

This one makes it sound like she was not at all to blame. Reports say she went right into the flock at full speed screaming. I would attack her if I was a LGD and she did that to my flock.

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...j3dkxwD9GQ2K8G0

[sweet_ceana]

Mia Stockdale, who owns a mountain bike school in Vail, said she was bitten by a sheep dog 15 years ago and incidents are becoming more common. For her, the solution is simple: "The sheep should not be near heavily used trails. Those dogs are super scary."

 

Maybe trails should not be carved out near heavily grazed areas. I've lived in Colorado, there isn't a shortage of hiking or biking areas. I love being outdoors. I hike, rock climb, bike, walk , etc... but I also realise that the outdoors are not only there for my enjoyment. Animals live and people make their living off of "the outdoors."

 

But ranchers lease vast areas for their sheep to graze, and in most cases, it's not feasible to block them off from trails the public may have cut through.

 

Here's an easy solution. If you have to use the leased grazing land for trails, regulate the trails and fence them off from the rest of the feilds. I imagine you can make gates with sheep crossing areas, and if you rotate which trails are open and when, you could probably still graze efficently. If you go off the beaten path and get bit tough cookies.

 

I guess I am not very simpathedic. If you cannot regulate the land properly don't let the public on the land.

[njnovice]

I'm with you Ceana. I have a very low stupid threshold, and I think the land just needs to be managed better.

 

Of course a dog is going to percieve somebody riding through on a bike yelling as a threat. I don't fault the dogs for biting her. They were doing what they were bred to do.

[bcnewe2]

I read this article a year or so ago. I have an LGD and we have the same issues in this area, we are about 1/2 hour drive or so from Aspen.

What I wonder is why LGD owners think that they can't make their dogs a bit more human friendly. It's not going to stop the "stupid" and I can't blame a dog for biting "stupid" but I can say, we raised our LGD's with the sheep. They are here to guard the sheep, they do a fine job. But they were also raised to enjoy human contact. They are not afraid or worried about humans in the least. It does not deter them from doing the job they are here to to in the least.

 

There seems to be 2 schools of thought on LGD's. One is to not make them pets, never give them attention other than the care that they need so they only bond to sheep. The other thought pattern is where I hang my hat. Socialize them enough to where they don't attack humans while still being with the sheep.

 

They say it's hard to get a dog socailzed that has limited access to humans but STM if it was do it or risk having your dog killed because it did something like bite a human that it precieves a threat to it's sheep, it'd be a no brainer to me. I've had 4 lgd's, they were all not afraid or worried about nomal humans.

 

I think these dogs use intent to tell a threat from a non threat. I had a not so nice guy come on my property down in AR that I worried a bit about, both my LGD's were right there and they weren't letting the guy get close to me. Other times I've seen them let certain dogs come right up or into the sheep fields. Then there were the times I sat amazed watching them escort dogs off the property that were a threat to their sheep.

 

Lilly can be out enjoying a visit up at the house, she can see her sheep area while at the house. If she feels the sheep need her she is off like a shot to get back to her sheep.

I've even had her on a walk (her property but away from her sheep) she heard the threat of coyotes close gave me a quick glance and bounded off to protect her sheep. Once the threat was aliveated she came back and finished her walk with me, where I think she feels she is watching over me and the black dogs.

If give half a chance I think these dogs can learn the difference and do a great jog without having to worry about them attacking anyoe that might wander across their path.

 

JMHO