Since some of you have asked for puppy pictures I finally took some.
Kuzco the "older pup"
Samantha
Working as a team
Liberty looking over her field
Best friends
As a side note. Since these pictures Juno and Kuzco can no longer play together because I guess she is too old now, and Kuzco is acting too manly, and I don't want an accidental puppies. Sad.
Also Juno has mauled several goats, and now lives in a kennel until she can learn to behave her self. We are trying to take them out and work with them both, at least every couple days and let them have supervised goat visits. Kuzco is FINALLY starting to learn things, and is finally starting to come out of the "bad puppy stage." He is about 1.5 years old now. And yesterday I managed to get him to sit, lay down and stay very well. Which is a lot of progress for him. Usually they are very independent, and distracted, and you're lucky to even get them to come to you. This breed isn't known for listening well. lol.
They usually just do their own thing, and come to you occasionally for some belly rubs.
Pup Pictures
August 22nd, 2014 at 03:14 pm
August 22nd, 2014 at 03:42 pm 1408718551
August 22nd, 2014 at 03:55 pm 1408719319
Husband would like to have a litter of puppies in a couple years if the dogs mature into good livestock dogs.
I'm not much on breeding dogs, because of all the unwanted strays. But livestock dogs are kind of different. I have yet to see an Anatolian in any shelters around here. They are sought after, and rarely sold or given away. In fact, I have yet to see an Anatolian anywhere, within a several hour radius of me.
But we will wait and see. If I don't think they would be fit to breed for puppies we will get them neutered.
I usually don't advocate breeding pets. All of my past dogs were neutered, along with all of the cats I've ever owned, horses, etc. I've never had a litter of anything, except goats, which are different because you eat them.
Actually I've never picked out a pet either. All of cats and dogs were strays that were dumped at my house, or rescued. These are the first that I sought out.
August 22nd, 2014 at 04:01 pm 1408719664
Adults that are already trained for livestock are even more. It is crazy!
August 22nd, 2014 at 04:43 pm 1408722225
August 22nd, 2014 at 04:50 pm 1408722639
Love the pictures. So cute. For some reason I was transported back to that happy place of my childhood on the farm where my grandpa was born and raised.
August 22nd, 2014 at 04:51 pm 1408722716
Puppy is for sure not full size. Kuzco is getting close I think. They can grow until they are 3 years old. But I would say he is about his finished height, and will probably just get a little bulkier. He has gained a lot of muscle mass in the past few months. Juno is all legs right now, and is super gangly and skinny. They grow so funny.
Like I said it would be a couple years down the road before any pups, but I surely wouldn't complain if I made enough income to pay for dog related expenses. They eat a lot!
August 22nd, 2014 at 05:54 pm 1408726464
Honestly $350 is super-cheap for a well-bred purebred dog, and rarer breeds like Anatolians are often priced much higher. (Of course, the price usually goes up if the parents, grandparents, etc., are health tested, shown, and proven as livestock guardian dogs.) Anatolians are a fairly robust breed, so not many genetic issues, but before breeding you'd want to have both check for hip and elbow dysplasia and hypothyroidism. Hip and elbow x-rays are one-time expenses done after 24 months of age; thyroids tests are done annually or every other year (blood test). I'd guess that a large LGD breed would need extensive socialization as puppies, too, especially if they'd be going to pet homes rather than as livestock guardians. (Just some things to keep in mind; it really does take a couple of years to fully prepare for a responsibly bred litter of puppies, so it's good that you're considering it now while you have plenty of time to research!)
Is Juno in season right now? If not, Kuzco's "acting manly" (if by that you mean mounting behavior) could be a few things: it could be play and posturing; it could be that Juno has outgrown her puppy license and Kuzco is trying to 'put her in her place', as it were; or if he's very 'interested' in her rear end and you're sure she's not in season, she could have a UTI. If she is in season, they should be separated for 4 weeks then they should be able to run together again. (Watch at first, some females have extended seasons but most are 21-28 days.)
If you do decide to sterilize, there's a growing body of evidence that shows later is better than earlier -- definitely after growth plates close, after full maturity is reached (hormones are important to long-term health!), and a recent study in Rottweilers showed that females spayed after six years of age lived 33% longer -- if the owner is capable of preventing unplanned pregnancies.
Just some food for thought. I apologize if you know all of this already! Obviously this is a passion of mine.
August 22nd, 2014 at 07:27 pm 1408732058
I want to be clear that neither of them are purebred. I have papers with Juno, but they are no good since one of her parents is a Pyrenees and one is an Anatolian. So she is half and half. Kuzco is like 7/8 Anatolian, with a little Pryenees mixed in. Which is why I only paid $350 for them. Which suits me just fine. The Pyrenees are a little more popular, and people friendly, which I wanted my dogs to be, although I prefer the Anatolian. So I got mixes, because they seem to be the current "craze."
I don't think Juno is in season, but he was acting more and more interested in her rear end. So I just took them apart to prevent anything. I realize they can be together most of the time, except for her season, but I was just being cautious since I've never had unfixed animals and I didn't want any accidents. I will be further inspecting things, and then putting them back together and watching more closely.
Thanks for the info!
August 22nd, 2014 at 08:43 pm 1408736594
August 22nd, 2014 at 09:31 pm 1408739469
August 23rd, 2014 at 03:57 pm 1408805870
Thanks for posting.