Welcoming Levi to Marigold
When I first began dreaming of Marigold Livestock Co, I knew I would want a livestock guardian dog (lgd). Marigold Livestock is nestled in the mountains and most pastures quite literally back up to a hillside that turns into acres of BLM land. It’s basically a wildlife mecca. And sheep, like most livestock, have various predators. Coyotes, bears and mountain lions being the biggest threats. And recently, the mountain lion pressure has increased a lot around Marigold.
In fact, because of the increasing mountain lion threats, I sped up my lgd search. Many ranches have lgds, but there are so many different ways to raise an lgd and different responsibilities to give it. Some have an lgd to protect chickens from hawks, owls, weasels foxes and more. Some have an lgd to protect sheep or goats. And then some keep the lgd in the paddock with the livestock it's protecting, or others let their lgd roam the entire property. Lots of different approaches to consider, and I wanted my dog to live with the sheep in the electric fence paddocks. Thus, I was searching for a ranch with a similar approach.
I eventually found a ranch about 4.5 hours away that also keeps their lgd in the same paddocks as their sheep and goats, and all their litters are born outside and are immediately immersed with the livestock. This was the perfect upbringing for a puppy to then transition to Marigold. They had various breeds, but I was looking at their litter of Great Pyrenees mixes.
I could have brought home a younger puppy (Levi was just over 6 months old), but lgd puppies learn from experienced lgds. Since I didn’t have a lgd to teach the puppy, I opted for one of the older puppies who had spent more time learning from its parents.
As I mentioned, Levi was born outside and lived his first 6 months among sheep and goats. While this was great for what I was looking for, it didn’t make the most seamless transport from his original home to Marigold. He had ridden in a car once at 8 weeks old to go to the vet, but never again. He had never worn a collar, never been on a leash. He was basically a sheep or a goat. So, he understandably was nervous about a collar, leash and being told to jump into the back of a Subaru Forester. Once inside my car, he was still very confused and unsettled. It was a long drive for him filled with a lot of nervous panting, but once we got back to Marigold and he was on pasture, his demeanor instantly relaxed a bit. He was still very timid and a bit uncertain, but happy to be outside on a ranch.
Levi spent the first 1.5 days by himself in a paddock next to my sheep. He was assimilating well though, becoming less timid, instantly respecting the electric fence and showing signs of wanting to meet the sheep. I let him in with the sheep and was planning to take him out after an hour or two and gradually integrate them. But, he had such a calm demeanor with them that he has been with them ever since!
Of course, he’s a puppy so at times he really wants to play with the sheep. And they aren’t too interested in romping with him. But overall, he’s very gentle with them. He loves getting pets from people, but then he’s equally as happy hanging with the sheep.
Around 6 months old is when Great Pyrenees start to develop their voice and protection instinct. He’s barked a few times at loud trucks driving by or other things in the distant vicinity, but I’m excited to watch his protection instinct mature. Levi will use his large frame and deep bark to deter predators.
Levi will continue to mature and I’m sure push the boundaries a bit, but I think he’s going to be a great fit at Marigold and I’m so grateful to have him!
