So far, the dogs haven’t had an opportunity to do any guarding, but Lisa says they’ve already bonded with the sheep. Great Pyrenees . The Karakachan dog is a descendant of the dogs of the Thracians, renowned as stock-breeders. The dog is brave and loyal, dignified and powerful. Karakachan Appearance Karakachan Size . As John Shivik puts it in his book The Predator Paradox: “[S]heep see the dog as a herd member, while the dog sees sheep as pack members.”. His huge size will require that he be trained because when he is indoors he can knock things over and he must be able to respond to you telling him to lie down. They have a broad back, well-muscled body with a deep chest and long, rough tail. What’s more, the mere threat of predation can prevent domestic animals from grazing comfortably, diminishing their body weight and market value. The Karakachan dog, is a breed that originated in Bulgaria.It is related to the livestock guardian dogs of the surrounding countries: Romania to the north, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. They shed heavily in spring, but regular brushing will keep the shedding and the hair manageable. Though that’s not a fatal flaw, it’s proving problematic at the moment, as Kinka is trying to affix a GPS collar around Sonny’s neck. Only those dogs that meet this standard are considered “true” Karakachans. Remember this is a working breed and they need a job. Before the study’s outset, she surveyed breeders and scientists and was encouraged by what she heard about the canines’ assertive behavior. Although birds comprise the vast majority of those killings, over 75,000 coyotes — one every seven minutes — were slain in 2013. The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, strong willed dog with a mind of his own so he will be able to be trained and socialized successfully. Feed them at least twice a day with a high quality large or giant dog dry food. Great Pyrenees vs Bulgarian Shepherd. The muzzle is massive as well while the nose has wide nostrils and is fairly large. (females) For more on LGD breed sizes, check out my article, Livestock Guardian Dog Sizes. They do bark a lot, including at night. His tongue lolls from his mouth; steam rises from his heaving flanks. “Farmers are sometimes skeptical at first, but once they see how these dogs work, they’re sold,” says Tom Gehring, a biologist at Central Michigan University who has studied guard dogs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “Ideally the sheep don’t die, the wolves don’t die, the dogs don’t die,” Kinka explains. The Bulgarian Shepard Dog comes from the ancient line of Molossers of Central Asia and Tibet, and the shepherds of the Balkans, Turkey and Caucasus. They're being tried out in the American West in an effort to use bigger dogs that can ward off grizzly bears and wolves. Internationally, Canada began to import the Great Pyrenees to breed with other large dogs, as did the United States. January 5th marked one year since Mindy, our Great Pyrenees/Karakachan dog, came to live with us at Hickory Cove Farm. It is thought that they only arrived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. “This dog, he may be good with sheep, but he’s afraid of people,” murmurs Tepeli, a Turkish veterinarian, from beneath heavy black eyebrows. They derive their name from a native group of shepherding people called the Karakachani, or … History. By deploying guard dogs and other deterrence techniques such as electric fencing and alarms, however, many ranchers have alleviated their predator problems without resorting to lethal tactics. He makes a wonderful companion and although he loves indoor life as much as outdoor life, he is much happier settling into life in the country or the suburbs as opposed to life in the city and a tiny property. With subtle differences between them, most breeds perform their jobs similarly. Commercial breeding of the Bulgarian Shepherd in the end of the century has resulted in controversy as other breeds came into the breeding program. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. Today, more than 1,700 wolves roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and at least 145 prowl Oregon and Washington. Breeders having more that 12,000 sheep owned approximately 100 dogs to protect the… In 2013, in addition to the aforementioned tens of thousands of coyotes, the agency also terminated 320 gray wolves, 345 cougars and 419 black bears. compare height, weight, life span, litter size and more. They are either hazel or dark. In contrast to the Great Pyrenees, the Karakachan dog of Bulgaria has been known to chase a wolf away from the flock for nearly a mile and a half. Kimsey’s family has used Great Pyrenees and akbash dogs for 20 years, and though the animals haven’t thwarted coyotes, cougars and black bears altogether, they’ve reduced the losses. The dogs even chase off ravens that peck at lambs’ eyes. These dogs are mostly white with perhaps a touch of \"biscuit\" color, especially on the head. Their ears are low set, small and v-shaped. “Parts of Idaho look like Turkey!” he says with a disbelieving grin. “I don’t want to put our dogs in a situation where I know they can’t win.”. “All three breeds are working with wolves in Europe, and some are in areas with brown bears, too,” Young says. Osteosarcoma – bone cancer must be treated immediately as it is potentially fatal. Only those in the mountains survived. Pyrenean Mastiffs In Colorado, where sheep producers faced not only coyotes but also cougars and black bears, dogs averted nearly $900,000 in livestock losses in 1993 alone. In France, the Great Pyrenees is one of the most familiar livestock guardian dog breeds. Livestock guarding dogs have been chosen for their white color to match the flock so they are not mistaken by the shepherds for predators, most of which … The Communist government exterminated large numbers of sheep dogs including the Bulgarian Shepherd. "Find similarities and differences between Pyrenean Mastiff vs Great Pyrenees vs Komondor" Compare Pyrenean Mastiff and Great Pyrenees. The dog was adopted into the court of Louis the XIV as a royal dog. Reserved around strangers but loyal and devoted with his family. He isn’t that overly active and will happily make himself at home on your couch and bed. “His social skills need work,” he says. “A lone wolf typically won’t challenge your guard dogs. Not a single transmontano, kangal or karakachan has been injured by a predator in the line of duty, and some have already rebuffed carnivores. “I don’t think anybody relishes the thought of having to kill another living creature.”. One Kuche could run up to 1200 animals and hundreds were used by the herdsmen in the mountains of Bulgaria. Even if Wildlife Services can identify a better guard dog, however, the agency faces another challenge: converting science into on-the-ground policy. “We’re trying to help people, but we’re also trying to understand this novel ecosystem of wild animals, livestock and humans,” Kinka says. His large size means you will need to look out for typical 'big dog' ailments such as hip dysplasia. That’s wrong,” says Tepeli. Give your big white coated pet all the love he thrives on, and you'll enjoy a wonderful relationship with this large, amicable dog. Native to Bulgaria, it is difficult to trace their exact origin as they are truly an ancient breed, but it is widely believed that they originated from Central Asian herding dogs. I ask Kinka how Sonny is doing. Great Pyrenees dogs might look all sweet and fluffy, but they viciously attack then their charges are threatened. “Producers in Turkey will feed their dog when it comes back to the house. Thank you all for helping us reach our goal of 1,000 donors. Great Pyrenees may live 45 years less than Bulgarian Shepherd. He has an intense voice: deep, staccato, explosive. Guard dog breeds like the Great Pyrenees, so stalwart against coyotes, suddenly appeared outweighed and outmatched. They are very nurturing with children as well as young animals. When the government farms were disbanded in the early 20th century, these dogs were exterminated as well. In Turkey, many bear battle scars. The dog was used to defend flocks from predators but its lineage goes a long way back, thousands of years in fact. The Akbash dog is a large, powerful dog. Karakachan dogs, from Bulgaria, have a history of guarding livestock. Great Pyrenees shed a LOT. Pyrenean Mastiff vs Great Pyrenees vs Komondor – Which one is a better dog breed for you? Is an Anatolian Shepherd Great Pyrenees Mix Right for Me? “You feed when it’s in the field.”, Ideally, dog and sheep form the active elements in a sort of animal alchemy. Kinka, Tepeli and a wizened Peruvian shepherd named Geronimo chase Sonny around the pasture like bats after a moth; the dog dodges and weaves, ducking through the legs of his pursuers, growling irritable. Want to see what's on deck? Kimsey believes that the dog fell victim to larger canids. These are very intense guard dogs that will respond aggressively if they think their people are being attacked. See more ideas about livestock guardian dog, livestock guardian, dog breeds. Lisa Kimsey was among the ranchers who lost dogs. A massive, powerful and muscular Molosser, the Bulgarian Shepherd is strong, agile, powerful and fast. ... Great Pyrenees. (718) 792-5534; Home; Order; Menu. Although the breeds are not the same, most of the dog world does not know the difference. They have an intelligent and confident, yet firm almost grim expression. When a pack of wolves rolled through the Bighorns a few years back, one of the Kimseys’ guard dogs vanished, leaving nary a hair behind. Wolf raids, in particular, have become more commonplace: In 2005, Canis lupus killed 4,400 head of cattle nationwide; by 2010, that number had nearly doubled to 8,100. This story was a co-production of Ensia, an environmental news magazine based at the University of Minnesota, and High Country News, a nonprofit media organization that covers the important issues and stories that define the American West. “If these dogs are attacked, they continue to guard.” Kangals, for instance, are renowned for not only fighting off wolves, but for pursuing them. It has close fitting, thick lips with strong, scissor bite jaws. The nose is black, the eyes brown, the ears of medium length and floppy and the tail long and plumed. The guard dog leaps to his feet and bounds back to his flock. He certainly doesn't require strenuous exercise but will require a nice, brisk walk every day. “There’s a disconnect between Wildlife Services’ research arm and its field operations,” cautions Camilla Fox, executive director of Project Coyote, a California group that promotes coexistence between ranchers and predators. “I don’t like this behavior.”. Link to this: Maremma Sheepdog vs Bulgarian Shepherd Dog vs Great Pyrenees – … They worked well for him and he shared with us his love of the breed. It has been reported that after such encounters, wolves leave that flock alone and turn their attention to other flocks (Dohner 2007). The Great Pyrenees Rescue Society finds homes for mixed breed crosses of the Great Pyrenees. Size can range from 28 to 34 inches with weights of 80 to 140 pounds (36 to 63 kilograms). In the United States, unruly fauna is controlled by Wildlife Services, a branch of the US Department of Agriculture that kills millions of animals each year via methods including poisons, traps and aerial shooting. The Bulgarian Shepherds are willing to fight bears and wolves in defense of its family and flock. For Kinka and Tepeli, Washington is the final stop on a 1,500-mile (2,400-km) odyssey with an important objective: to find a better livestock guard dog. Long walks every day are essential for his well-being. One Kuche could run up to 1200 animals and hundreds were used by the herdsmen in the mountains of Bulgaria. On a bright fall morning in central Washington, a flock of sheep, the off-white of dirty snow, moves across an emerald field of timothy. A Roman agricultural treatise published in 37 BCE describes the dog as “the guardian of the flock, which needs such a champion to defend it.”. There are many reasons why you will fall in love with the Bulgarian Shepherd Dogs as they are known for their Dominant, Independent, Intelligent temperament. The Anatolian Shepherd is already a large dog, and crossing him with a Great Pyrenees will only make him larger. In Bulgaria however the Karakachan is a national treasure and the history of the breed runs deep. But while guard dogs — not to mention guard llamas and donkeys — have proved their mettle against mid-size predators, today they face more menacing foes. In the long run the original Karakachanskoto Kuche became extinct, replaced entirely by the Bulgarian Shepherd even in places where the new breed is still called by the Kuche name. Some Great Pyrenees are not safe with cats. When trained and socialized, your big dog is social, active and loving. Being a part of the Molossoides group, they served as an excellent guard dog, not hesitating to the slightest bit while fighting bears and wolves. A good guard dog, however, forestalls conflict by warding off carnivores before they attack. He is quite capable of making her own independent decisions. It was in 1933 that the Great Pyrenees received American Kennel Club recognition. Often he will have a black “mask” marking. They sit close to the head which sits on a powerful but short neck. First, though, he has to attach the collar. He's territorial and likes large grounds to walk around and guard and this constant guarding is a good form of exercise too. Your Great Pyrenees isn't going to be a dog leaping around you demanding a game or walk like what you get from some energetic dogs. Use of breeds such as Sarplaninacs, Caucasian Ovcharkas, St. Bernards, Central Asian Ovcharkas and Bosnian Tornjaks in these programs resulted in Bulgarian Shepherd or Karakachans that were a lot different from the original breed. The Great Pyrenees could be from Spain or France because the dog hails from the Pyrenees Mountains, which spans both France and Spain. Can a domestic animal truly help restore some of the world’s wildest creatures while at the same time saving livestock? Somewhere to the east, obscured by the cloud of livestock, is Sonny. If you raise goats, sheep, cattle, or even chickens, an LGD will protect them for you. The new arrivals worked immediate wonders. 6. Height: 26-30 inches (males), 25-28 inches (females) Weight: 99-135 lbs. Karakachan Colors. But if there’s more than one wolf, your dogs are in trouble,” Kimsey says. They are great for protecting a large variety of livestock. Over the past two decades, wolves, aided by federal reintroduction, have recolonized the northern Rocky Mountains. Oct 12, 2013 - Explore Puppy Lover's board "Bulgarian shepherd dog" on Pinterest. Kinka, a doctoral candidate at Utah State University’s Ecology Center who wears a safari hat and two radios clipped to his belt, rubs his beard thoughtfully. As a large dog, he isn’t suited for tiny homes, as he requires lots of space even though he doesn’t require a lot of exercise. Humans have been employing dogs to protect livestock since the dawn of animal husbandry. They have a long, thick, harsh coat in white with patches of black. Geronimo whispers soothingly in Sonny’s floppy ear as Kinka straps on the GPS collar. This is a beautiful dog, noticeable by the essentially white coat and his overall size, standing at 70 to 82cm and weighing between 40 to 54 kg. Only those species on government owned farms and in remote regions survived. This is an extremely old breed, used for centuries by shepherds to guard livestock, where their bravery in going up against predators such as wolves and bears became legendary! Comparison between Great Pyrenees Dog and Bulgarian Shepherd Dog. But to the minds of many ranchers, wolves and bears pose an existential threat. We circumnavigate the sheep, and Sonny — a muscular dog with a long, stiff tail and mottled brown fur — leaps to his feet, barking furiously. The Great Pyrenees is typically white or cream-colored with long hair; the Anatolian Shepherd has a short coat with some longer hair around the ears, legs, and tail. There were many regional types of Bulgarian Shepherds with very little difference between those types. Today, there are maremmas warding off dingoes in Australia, Anatolian shepherd dogs chasing away cheetahs in Namibia and Spanish mastiffs battling brown bears in Spain’s Cantabrian Mountains.