How to choose the right livestock guardian for your farm.

If you own a farm with animals, chances are you've considered the need for protection for them. Maybe you've lost animals to predators? Or maybe you've seen your neighbors lose animals and you know it's only matter of time before you lose some too. Once you add animals to your farm, suddenly the skunks and racoons aren't just annoyances, they are threats.
That's exactly how we ended up in the market for a livestock guardian dog (LGD). We purchased some goats, and then realized that one visit from the neighborhood pack of coyotes could be devastating. Losing animals is traumatic and expensive. Suddenly having a capable guardian became worth investing in!
Have you traveled down a similar path? Then you know that once you decide you need a livestock guardian, you become suddenly overwhelmed with the task of choosing the right one. What breed would fit best? Do you get a puppy or a trained adult? Do you need 1, or 2, or 3? 
Before we got our Colorado Mountain Dogs, we did a lot of research. But experience is really the best teacher. Here are a few things we learned along the way.
1. Understand your needs and the expectations you'll have of the dog/dogs. What will be the dog's primary job? What kind of animals do you plan to have? Guarding chickens is a bigger ask than guarding larger livestock. Will they need to be accepting of lots of people, or will people be their biggest threat? Will you have visiting animals? Will they be guarding animals only? or kids too? Will they be exclusively with the animals or do you need them to guard the whole property? Do you have close neighbors? 
2. Be realistic about how many dogs you need and how soon you need them. What is your predator load like? A few skunks or racoons are very different than battling packs of coyotes, mountain lions, bears, or even wolves. Are you already losing animals? Or do you have the months it will take for a puppy to be ready to guard?
3. Genetics matter. This is probably one of the biggest lessons I've learned on the farm. Did you know friendliness is genetic? It is! Barking, wandering, guarding instincts, health...these are all highly influenced by genetics. Not just in the specific breed (Anatolian Shepard, Marema, Great Pyrenees, Turkish Boz) but in specific lines within these breeds. 
4. Plan for time to adjust. With any new dog or puppy you'll need to carve out time for them to adjust to their new life. This can take a week or several weeks depending on age and personality. Grace, patience, and love are key to making the transition a success. They will be your partners on the farm so you'll need to make bonding a priority. You'll also want to make time to give them a proper introduction to your people and your animals. 
5. Meet the puppy and the parents! It has been my experience that breeders who care about their genetic lines and the outcome of a litter, will welcome you to the farm for a visit. Take them up on that! Meet the dogs and spend time asking the breeder questions. You won't regret it.
The bottom line? Bringing an LGD to your farm is a big decision. This addition should overall make your life easier - not harder. Putting in the time to work through these five things will help ensure that your new puppy or dog will be a good partner and loving companion on your farm.