Friday, November 13, 2015
Trust and Love
Guardian dogs are born on a ranch or farm. Their parents that were born and raised on a farm. Guardian dogs will live their entire lives on a farm or ranch. The only time they leave the ranch is to go to the vet or when they are puppies and go to a new home. (This is so new to me because all of my dogs have been house dogs, even my big doggies.) My boys have been bred and carry the breeding that began back in Italy almost 2,000 years ago with the Maremma breed.
Charlie and Toby are my right and left hands in protecting my little alpaca herd. They will bark when something is going on, when someone is driving up the lane, or if the house doggies are out and about. Because dogs have better hearing than us humans, sometimes they bark and I don’t know why. I am trying to learn what their different barks mean. Sometimes it’s just a warning; however, I’ve heard serious barking when coyote nearby are howling at 4:00 am. It’s times like that I am extremely grateful they are outside there to take charge and defend alpacas. (I actually like the fact that they bark at night because that bark keeps the “bad things” at bay.)
Guardian dogs need to be trusted and need to have a relationship with their guardians, their humans. There needs to be a daily interaction so they know they are loved, that they are appreciated. Kindness and the physical belly rubs, neck rubs, tail pulls, playing fetch, and physical touch keeps us bonded and connected. I couldn’t have the luxury of knowing my alpacas are watched over without these guys. They fit right in to our ranch and our lives and we love them.