The age at which puppies leave home

I see a tremendous number of advertisements for puppies available to go to new homes as young as five weeks. I personally think that's insane. Yeguza, Tiaga and dams I've fostered here for other rescue groups tend to wean the puppies at six weeks. And the day the puppies turn nine weeks old the dams start to really emphasize submission by alpha rolling the puppies and holding them down until they submit. This can be a frightening time because we find ourselves charging over to wherever the puppies are to make sure no one is being slaughtered, given the squalling and screaming emanating from them.  It's always a great relief to see the dam patiently standing over her puppy with one paw on its chest and her head cocked watching the puppy with a "you will need to quit this noise and submit: you're not getting up until you shut up" look on her face. The dams spend the whole ninth week doing this and by the end of that week, the puppies have pretty much accepted their subordinate roles in the pack order.

By this time we have tried to explain the concept of "no bite!", "leave it!" and other basic things the puppies need to know.   Our Noa was made to be a nanny, as she has been assisting with alpha rolls since she was seven months old. She has even taken on some orphaned puppies under nine weeks and taught them on her own. I think this is an extremely critical time in a puppy's life and will determine how that puppy will respond to the alpha human or humans that will become its family.

That said, puppies do not leave here until they are at least ten weeks old in spite of the adage that they must be younger than that in order to be introduced to livestock and be able to work with livestock. Can't prove that by me!   Every time I hear the ridiculous myth that puppies need to be put with livestock at six weeks of age and from then on untouched by human hands, I cringe.  All that produces is an unsocialized loose cannon of a dog that will be unpredictable in terms of its association with humans.

Caucasians do not want to be part of the flock, or cuddle up to the nearest ewe, but they will most assuredly find the highest point on their property in order to be able to guard it.  Therefore, as long as they are properly introduced to new livestock, they will be more than willing to expand their concept of "territory" to include this livestock.

_{Intact vs. altered working dogs & altering in general}

For quite some time now and I confess with some amusement, I have been following arguments regarding spaying and neutering as there seems to be no middle ground. Either ALL dogs need to be spayed or neutered or NONE of them should be.

Apparently there is some misconception that a neutered dog does not have the protective instincts of one that is still intact. I don't know where anyone gets that idea. Actually, in a livestock guarding situation it is better to have neutered dogs guarding the flock when the primary predators are coyotes. Coyotes have managed to survive virtually every human incursion on their territory and have adapted in order to survive. A coyote pack will send a bitch in season to the area where the flock is in order to entice an intact livestock guardian out and then kill him........not exactly the fate you want to wish on any dog. And for those who feel neutering renders a male less protective, I invite them to either visit our dogs here or in their new homes :-))

I find the myth that a spayed bitch will immediately become fat absolutely hysterical! Obesity has nothing to do with spaying, but everything to do with the amount of exercise and food the bitch receives.  Research indicates that there may be some loss of muscle tone after spaying,  so once again, diet and exercise will have an effect here. And just as a matter of interest, some bitches become more aggressive when spayed. My own theory there (and it IS only a theory :-)) is that once you remove the estrogen, you're left with what? All of the bitches here, both my own and the rescues, lift their legs just like the males.......pretty funny to watch, as everyone busily tries to cover everyone else's spot.

Having spouted all of that,  I must say that I am now firmly opposed to early spaying/neutering for this large breed. The one puppy out of Yeguza's 2002 litter that was spayed at four (4) months of age injured her shoulder about a month after that surgery and the veterinarian found that the growth plates had not been able to close as they should, so she often limps when she has exerted herself. Conversely, she will charge and chase coyotes off a 40 acre property without any indication of weakness and only limps when she knows the threat of incursion is gone. And that is very typically stoic behavior from this breed.

I do feel that unless dogs are show dogs or develop into excellent examples of the breed, with correct temperament, health and conformation, they should be spayed or neutered after reaching at least one year of age. And we should all be responsible enough to be able to prevent unwanted pregnancies during that time!

The Pros and Cons of Owning a Caucasian

Pro:  A huge and very scary sounding bark, enough to have scared a few people right off our front porch :-))

Con:  If left outside or working as a livestock guardian, a propensity to bark loudly and quite a lot and especially at night when the predators are out!!!!

Pro: They don't shed year round.

Con:  They blow coat twice a year and that's enough hair to build two more dogs :-)

 Pro: They are independent thinkers.

Con: They are independent thinkers.

Pro: They are aloof with strangers.

Con: If not properly socialized, they can be very aggressive toward anyone who is not an immediate family member.

Should YOU breed?

For those of you living outside the USA, the following may have no meaning if you are not familiar with the vast pet overpopulation problems we have in this country.  We have entirely too many people here who own what they believe to be the most wonderful dog in the world.  That’s fine in and of itself, as everyone should truly love the animals they have chosen to live with them: but must all of these marvelous animals be bred?  How many of them even come close to their breed standards in terms of temperament, conformation or health?  How expert are their owners in determining their suitability for breeding?  Are these owners even aware that many characteristics may not breed true: that short of cloning (by no means a proven science from the temperament or health standpoint), “Fluffy” won’t reproduce him- or herself?  And how many of these “breeders” follow the basic tenets of responsible breed ownership?  No breeding should take place without at least the following questions answered:

• What precisely is the breeder trying to accomplish with this specific breeding?
• What will this breeding do for the breed as a whole?  
• Does the breeder have the ability and objectivity to determine which dogs best represent the breed standard?
• Have all the health issues been tested and evaluated? Please do understand that contrary to claims being made, Penn-Hip issues no certifications regarding hips. The Penn-Hip test is a tool for determining which dogs MAY be appropriate for breeding. OFA is the group that does provide certification. The ultimate test will be in the ability of each dog to move as per the breed standard and to perform its designated functions.
• Does the breeder demand that any dog that can’t be kept by its original purchaser be returned to the breeder?  (What if all of the dogs end up back with the breeder?)
• What if a purchaser dumps a breeder’s dog at a shelter? Will the breeder expend the effort to retrieve that dog?  And then spay or neuter that dog before attempting to place him again?
• Will the breeder ensure that unless dogs are show quality, they will be sold under a spay/neuter contract?
• Is the breeder willing to rescue dogs originating from other, less reputable breeders, should their dogs end up in a shelter? And then spay and neuter them before placement in order to avoid more rescue situations?  

“Ask not what your breed can do for you: ask what you can do for your breed”
(With apologies to John F. Kennedy)