LGDs . . . First Kidding

Today was an exciting day! One of my favorites on the farm, in fact. When I got home from my “other job,” I found Bergenia had given birth to triplets! Once I knew all the kids were dry and nursing well on their mom, I decided to let the pups have a supervised visit. This was their first kidding, which can be overwhelming. There were so many new sounds, smells … and tastes.

The puppies are almost 6 months now and have entered the teenage LGD stage. During this time, I expect them to become more of a challenge and require extra training. These dogs are amazing, but they aren’t magical unicorns. You can’t get a puppy, throw it into a herd of animals and expect things to go perfectly. Sure, some fairytales come true, but that’s not the norm with these dogs. They require training. Especially when you don’t have a veteran LGD to show them the ropes. As much as I love these pups, there are some days I questioned my decision to add them to the farm. After all, they can be a lot of work. But I am now reminded why I got these pups and how genetics and upbringing play a huge role.

I could not be more proud of their reaction! The pups bounded in like they normally do, eager to be with the goats. But they became immediately calm when they noticed the newest additions to the farm. Approaching them slowly and quietly, they gave each baby goat gentle licks.

Petra quickly started to “clean up” the birthing area for us, while Boris engaged the kids. He actually shocked me by becoming completely submissive and rolling over for the baby goats. I was in awe of their behavior around the kids.

When I originally brought the puppies to the farm I had people question why I didn’t adopt a dog for this roll. I will always be a dedicated rescue advocate, but I also always set dogs up for success. I knew it would be irresponsible to put just any dog with our livestock. There are very few dogs that instinctually have such low prey drive and will act so calmly around new, small prey animals. Today I am a very proud LGD mama. A light bulb came on and I finally understand why they are worth their weight in gold.