Breed of Dog for Alaska living? (Chase, Chicken: food, company, average)

[DreamChasers8]

As far as using Mals to guard livestock would not be the best bet. While I love our Mals, one already killed one of my son's duck. The other can sleep in the same room as the ducks and not have any issues. Weird I know...
The majority of the time Mals are prey-driven meaning they are great for keeping your propoerty pest free of vermin. Mine are in kennels here but let in often for lots of family time. My chickens are in a coop, so are the ducks and that keeps everyone safe. Tho I will say when the bears came down the driveway our Mals were going crazy and warning us. So I feel they did protect the livestock and their home by being a great warning system, which all Mals will do. Border Collies are suppose to be good with livestock and have a long coat. Good Luck

[karibear]

Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons

We've been looking at Mastiffs. Technically, we're "End of Roaders" since we're not quite out in the Bush, just in the middle of nowhere a mile off a gravel road. But, still, we'll be in bear country and will have livestock that needs protection from various predators in the area. The reasons we've considered them over other livestock guardian dogs is that they are breed for the cold (from Tibet and Mongolia), are HUGE, very intelligent and pretty independent. We considered other guardian breeds, including Great Pyrenees, but all seem to have issues either with the weather or occassionally eating their charges (GPs are known for getting a taste for your hens). So far, the only drawbacks we see with Mastifss is keeping them fed (did I mention they are HUGE?!) and finding a breeder/trainer in AK.

I'm not opposed to getting an Alaskan breed by any means, I just haven't found much data on whether they make good livestock guardians or not. Most of the info I find on Mals, et al, is about bear defense/warning and using them as work dogs (mostly draft/pack, like sledding and hiking). If anyone has any info on their suitability for guarding/herding goats on pasture, and chickens etc in the barnyard... send me a DM or link please!!!

Otherwise, does anyone know a Mastiff breeder/trainer in AK? If not, I might have to get them down here and try to tote them with us up to AK next spring and pray they are trained properly and still small enough to travel with!

There is also a Tibetan Mastiff rescue in CA, but their requirements are pretty stringent. They - as do virtually all rescues - want to avoid seeing their dogs dumped at some point in the future, because they are 'too big' or 'eat too much' or are 'too' something else. People come up with the most incredible reasons for getting rid of dogs, things like 'we're redecorating and the dog doesn't match our new paint' or 'she went and got herself pregnant' [like haven't they ever heard of spay/neuter?] or in one case, someone left a pregnant rottie tied to a parking meter outside Chilkoot Charlie's, then called and told the bartender there was a dog outside that anyone who wanted could have. Some woman took her home and she immediately went into labor and dropped about a dozen puppies - must have been in early labor whle tied outside.

For the most part, the traditional Alaska-type dogs aren't going to be good guard dogs for livestock. They have an in-born desire to run, and a very high prey drive. There are always exceptions, but you can't count on getting an exception - and trying to train a normal one not to run or chase is about as successful as trying to teach someone with brown hair and blue eyes to change to brown eyes and red hair through sheer wllpower.

[MissingAll4Seasons]

I would love to take in a rescue (most of my pets have been "recycled"), but I am worried that an older mastiff would be bonded to humans and not livestock - great for home protection, but not so good keeping our other critters safe unsupervised. If I could get an adult we already know is trained for livestock from the rescue shelter that would probably be best... but trained adults are worth their weight in gold so their humans rarely dump them.

Thanks for the info about the Alaskan breeds. I figured they were more suited for running and had strong prey instincts. Since we're going to be day ranging our animals we need a dog that will stay with them on the open pasture and not take off running or helping themselves to the other critters

[Laughing Crow]

Where we lived there was a variety of dogs: Labs, Karelian Bear dogs, Alaskan Huskies, MacKenzie River Huskies, Mals, Cocker Spaniels, and several "Heinz 57" types wandering town. We bought our little long haired Dachshund....he did fine in the minus 40 temps. Learned real quick to go out and do his business without dinking around! LOL. One day, he took off after a mama moose with her calf. That was scary for about a minute....wondering if she would trample him to death or move on. Thankfully she decided he wasn't worth the effort and moved on. We were also warned to watch our little guy when he was outdoors, as the eagles & hawks liked to pick up small animals for dinner.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Malamutes are indeed wonderful dogs. Great Pyrenees are also large breed guardians that are particularly suited to Alaska's climate.

It should be noted that guardian breeds typically want to be with the family they are suppose to be guarding. They will not be happy being left outside all day if it means they are not close to the family they are suppose to be protecting, regardless of the weather. Mastiffs, Malamutes, Great Pyrenees, and other guardian dogs are happiest at the feet of their master. So unless the master spends a great deal of time outdoors, the dog doesn't necessarily need to be equipped to handle Alaska's harsh winters.

Another trait that seems to be common among the giant breed dogs is their gentleness toward family and friends. Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, and all the others are devoutly loyal with a gentle temperament.

There isn't one breed of dog that is better than all the others. It really boils down to personal preference.

We rescued a young female Great Pyr-Husky mix from the Mat-Su pound and she's been great. She is incredibly tolerant of my 18 month old daughter and absolutely loves to be close to us. She is, quite literally, a great foot-warmer. I'm glad to see that apparently we've made a good choice.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

We rescued a young female Great Pyr-Husky mix from the Mat-Su pound and she's been great. She is incredibly tolerant of my 18 month old daughter and absolutely loves to be close to us. She is, quite literally, a great foot-warmer. I'm glad to see that apparently we've made a good choice.

Congratulations on your new family member. How old is your Great Pyrenees/Husky?

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Congratulations on your new family member. How old is your Great Pyrenees/Husky?

Thank you! The shelter said two years but we think that she's younger. She was very, very thin when we got her due to the previous owner's neglect. She's since packed on about 20 pounds.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb160/classicsatch/House/002-2.jpg (broken link)

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Wanderer818

These are some of my last pack.

OMG, they are precious! My dog is 100% MUTT, but I suspect he has some type of northern breed in him... it's the talking (he's very vocal, but doesn't really bark) and curled/feathered tail that clue me in.

To answer the OP's question, what about a Malamute? Seems like an obvious choice for Alaska, though I'm not sure how they are with bears - smart, I would assume. I used to live in Lake Tahoe, and my roommate had a Malamute-Wolf Hybrid, who absolutely loved the snow and cold... he was also extremely protective, loyal to his people (luckily that included myself ), and had tons of energy and stamina. My roommate led ATV tours in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter, and the dog would pull supply carts alongside them without a problem. We also had a Black Lab in Tahoe, and they're usually a safe bet... he wasn't as well-equipped for the snow, but never seemed to mind & actually loved frolicking in it.

[gizmo980]

P.S. That Mal-Wolf tipped the scales at around 120 lbs, so it was VERY important that he was well-trained... he didn't always listen to me, but was definitely obedient to his owner. Some northern breeds can be extremely stubborn and mischievous, so make sure to do your homework if you get one.

[mongazid]

are there any newfoundlands in Alaska?