KUVASZ PETS
VISIT A FARM
I am very fond
of dogs and their intelligence and adaptability is amazing to me. Aside from
enjoying the Hollywood type tricks and stunts they can master, it's a thrill
to see inbred instincts motivating them. Even untrained Border Collies
will herd for example, and still have an instinctive desire to group and
drive everything from children to automobile traffic. Pointing type dogs
turn into statues and will point at a bird they discover in a thicket. Huskies
live to run and pull and will tirelessly drag you along for the ride whether
you want to go or not. These tendencies and skills are a natural part
of the make up of pure and mixed breeds. But unfortunately some of the natural
tendencies dogs have can be their undoing depending on your/their home environment.
Therefore it is important to research the heritage of the breed you are considering,
and when you finally adopt to be patient and consistent in your training.
Patience is definitely
a virtue when you live with Kuvasz, and you could probably replace the consistency
requirement with a need for persistence. One reason would be the enduring
independent Kuvasz nature. Another would be the willful guardian oriented
behaviour which is their essence. You must acknowledge these traits, and
persist until you help them adapt to your/their surroundings. These dogs
are guardians first and foremost, and they will guard the gravel in your driveway
if they think that's what you wish, and sometimes even if it isn't what you
want. They will also instinctively guard you as they would livestock.
Karen and I realized that reality after we read the book Livestock
Protection Dogs, Selection, Care and Training, by David E. Sims &
Orysia Dawydiak. When we are walking in forest and field with our Kuvasz,
one is always close by, and the other at a perimeter, just as sometimes
happens if more than one dog is guarding a flock.
But Kuvasz can
also be quite versatile. There are many Kuvasz dog show champions. Some Kuvasz
have been awarded obedience and agility titles. Others have been involved
in therapy work, as well as search and rescue. Still others have participated
in Schutzhund type events. The level of success in many of these ventures
depends on the individual dog's personality, but even more important
is the time and effort their human companion is willing to invest.
Sadly, fewer and
fewer Kuvasz are used as livestock protectors these days. The majority of
those who reside in North America are in pet homes. But I honestly
believe if a Kuvasz is physically healthy, it can go from a pet to a farm
home and excel in the new environment. The instinct to protect is already
there, all that remains is some direction. Rick McKinney's story (see
CONTENTS) about Briar the pet turned livestock protection dog is a good
example. I witnessed an even more amazing example of transition while involved
with a young Kuvasz male who went from a Toronto high rise apartment, to
guarding livestock thanks to some basic instruction. There have been several
other similar Kuvasz adoptions with happy endings for all.
Some Kuvasz breeders
and rescue coordinators are reticent to place Kuvasz in working homes for
any number of real or imagined reasons. While I understand many dogs and
even whole lines are not physically capable, some healthy Kuvasz could work,
and would thrive while guarding livestock.
You will frequently
hear city people say they would like to place their overly energetic
and out of control pet dog in a farm home. But why would people in
rural settings adopt every untrained or exuberant castaway? It usually isn't
in their best interests or those of the dog. However a dump the dog in
the country so it will have more room to play mindset doesn't really
apply here. Kuvasz are natural guardian working dogs, and there is more than
a reasonable expectation they will work on a farm and guard property
and livestock.
I like to think
each of the Kuvasz I have shared my life with has been content more often
than not, despite the hardships which sometimes accompanied ill health. Having
said that, I don't know whether my present companions Triumph and Phantom
appreciate the various adventures I dream up for us, but I sure enjoy them.
In part that is because I like observing my Kuvasz in different surroundings,
and I'm always curious to see how they will react.
My desire to test
the theory of the Kuvasz natural affinity to livestock with my own
adult pets, was one reason for the following exercise. The other reason
was because local media outlets had publicized the problems area sheep producers
were having with packs of feral dogs and coyotes. I thought I might be able
to find nearby working homes for rescued Kuvasz, especially if I had some
hands on experience introducing pets to livestock.
Almost in the middle
of Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, is the Central Experimental Farm.
This real working farm under the control of Agriculture Canada, is also a
laboratory for every manner of agricultural invention and innovation. Therefore
it was fairly appropriate to test Triumph and Phantom's behaviour around
livestock at this facility, with the kind allowance and help of Michelle Dondo-Tardiff,
the director of the Agricultural Museum, and Richard Berube the herdsman
in charge. On two different occasions my pets were able to meet and
spend some time with Mike the Clydesdale horse, Eeeorrr the miniature donkey,
three little goats, and a flock of sheep.
Although I spend
an inordinate amount of time with Triumph and Phantom, and I like to think
I can usually predict their reactions based on previous history, every exposure
to something new is a learning experience for each of us.
We arrived at the
farm early in the morning on a September week day. I was carrying a load
of video and photographic camera equipment. Just in case, I also had various
dog attachments like long nylon ropes and prong collars.
One of the staff
members directed us to the barn where Richard was working. Triumph and Phantom
heeled nicely past rows and rows of cows until we found him. While we were
walking along, and even when we finally stopped and stood for several minutes,
I was extremely pleased to see how calmly my Kuvasz were reacting to the very
large animals who were tethered in an open area, (not in stalls) and standing
less than a foot away from us.
On the way over
to the pen, I asked Richard if Mike the horse would be congenial with my dogs.
He said Mike was "dynamite proof" and had a nice temperament. As it turned
out that was absolutely true.
Triumph, Phantom,
and I entered the paddock and Richard closed the gate behind us. I had a
leash and dual lead on my companions, but the sheep didn't know us, so they
adopted a defensive formation under their shelter. They were all in a circle
facing us with their backs to the fence, and in the middle of the flock were
the three little goats. But none of those creatures had anything to fear from
the dogs, because my Kuvasz weren't even looking at them initially. They
were hypnotized by the Clydesdale's approach.
Mike was coming
over to see if I had any carrots or apples for him. Unfortunately I didn't
have any on the first visit, but that didn't stop him from gently nudging
me in the area of my jacket pockets. Then he put his nose down to check out
Triumph and Phantom, who were doing their level best to move me and themselves
away, despite wearing the restrictive prong collars. They were definitely
very impressed and a little nervous in the presence of the biggest dog
they had ever seen. I figured they would be busy watching him, and unlikely
to immediately pester the sheep too vigorously, so I let them off the leash.
Triumph is an extremely
curious creature. He also lives to eat, and will consume almost anything.
I figured he would be drawn to the horse and sheep droppings, and wasn't
even a little surprised to see him make a bee line for those unexpected treats.
Phantom on the other hand is consistently my self appointed bodyguard, and
she was trying to position herself in such a way that she could protect me
from Mike, and at the same time judge what kind of threat there was from
all those staring, and perhaps menacing sheep.
When Richard saw
the introductions were going fairly well he went back to work. At that point
I took out my camera and tried to get some pictures of the Kuvasz and livestock
together. An easy task you might think, but only if the subjects co-operated,
and they didn't seem inclined to do so. While Triumph investigated every square
foot of the acre, and munched everything in sight including some of Mike's
food, Phantom decided the best way to get the sheep to stop their threatening
glare was to bark at them. Of course that didn't really help calm them. Finally
I called both dogs over, told them to lie down and stay, and photographed
and video taped while praying there would be some good shots.
After a short time
all of the animals seemed to be more comfortable with each other, and closer
inspection was allowed all around. I was happy to see better acceptance,
and the timing was quite good since a number of tour visitors had started
to arrive. Several adults and many children were standing at the fence and
watching the interaction. Since some were regulars and knew Mike, they had
treats for him, and he ambled over to see them. Of course Triumph figured
he could panhandle some for himself, and he hurried over to join his new
friend.
The first visit
was about four hours in duration. In general I was very happy with Triumph
and Phantom's behaviour, and enjoyed talking to the people about them and
the Kuvasz breed. It was also fun to visit with the farm animals.
The second visit
was two weeks later and Karen joined us. I expected this exposure to be
uneventful, but a new variable was introduced to keep us a little off balance,
and to teach the dogs and myself something new. The new variable was
Eeeorrr the miniature donkey!
Over the course
of the last several years, I've learned many things by reading email from
livestock guardian dog lists. One thing I learned was that sometimes donkeys
and dogs don't get along. Apparently some donkeys have such a dislike for
dogs, they will launch themselves into a rage and try to kick and stomp
a dog to death. Luckily for Triumph and Phantom, little Eeeorrr was not one
of those, nor did he have the power of the large sized version. However,
he did teach us a valuable lesson: it is unwise for a dog to do the canine
version of a handshake with a donkey, even a nicely tempered one. Eeeorrr
told them both in so many words, "if you try to sniff my tail end
as you would another dog's, I will give you a restrained kick-message each
time you try". Phantom understood the message after the second delivery,
but Triumph has a harder head and is more curious, so it took three special
deliveries for him to understand.
Dogs use each of
their senses to their best advantage. They also use body language to communicate,
and they engage in certain normal canine rituals. Since Triumph and
Phantom usually only interact with people and other dogs, they are accustomed
to certain patterns and behaviours, and they react accordingly. That is why
Phantom barked at the sheep when we went to the farm the first time. She considered
their unblinking stare to be threatening behaviour. Under our normal circumstances
she might have been right if the glare was coming from a person or dog. Similarly,
dogs always sniff each other when they meet. A dog shows poor etiquette if
he or she does not allow the handshake. So Triumph wasn't really
behaving boorishly when he didn't immediately understand the donkey's message
regarding tail sniffing.
Once everyone's
customs were understood, the second visit went very very smoothly.
All of the animals were very relaxed with one another, and that was pretty
amazing considering they had only been together for a short period of time
once before. In fact the atmosphere was so pastoral, many of the people touring
the farm on that morning thought the Kuvasz belonged there!
If you are a livestock
producer, I hope you will consider a Kuvasz rescue if needed. If you are
involved in Kuvasz rescue, I hope you will introduce yourself to local livestock
associations, and tell the membership about the breed. Even if you are
just a pet owner like me, I hope you will relate stories about the Kuvasz
heritage and versatility to both city and rural people alike.
My belief that
healthy Kuvasz pets can successfully and dutifully protect livestock,
is not only the result of a couple of pleasant visits to the Central Experimental
Farm. It is primarily based on Kuvasz history, and an unwavering conviction
that these dogs can and will guard. They only need to know the job description.