Dogs Continued from Page 13
“You want a submissive dog with no prey drive, is calm and alert, and barks,” Whitesell advised. Although guardian dogs basically know their job without training, she said it is important to take the time to accustom them to seeing people on bicycles, riding in trucks andgettingalongwithotherdogs in the operation. The dogsmust also learn to respect fences. “They can roam or jump the fence,” Whitesell said. “This is typically a bonding issue; theyaren’tbondedwell enoughwith the livestock. Therearealsodevices tostop thedog fromrunning, jumpingor slipping through fences.” The importance of barking makes it worth considering whether livestock guardian dogs make sense if they spend their time close to neighbors. “Ideally, buyapuppy fromworkingpar- ents, which gives you an idea how the dog will work,” Whitesell said. “Make sure the parents have the traits you want—and be ready to be patient.” There isawaitingperiodbeforepuppies can be effective deterrents to predators, she said, but thewait is probably worth it. “I’ve seen mixed results from getting adult dogs,” Whitesell said. “Puppies bond with the livestock, but it takes 18 to 24months for them to be effective. It may
Mae, a border collie, and Dillon, a Pyrenees-mix guard dog, work with rancher Dan Macon’s sheep at a Placer County ranch.
K LOWER P
take a few years to be sure the dog will not play too roughwith livestock.” Males and females canbe equally effec- tive guardiandogs, but there canbe issues with intact dogs of both sexes. Whitesell said it is important to avoid the temptation to treat these animals as pets,whichcouldmake itmoredifficult for themto do their job. “Thesedogs areadorable, but theyneed to spend significantlymore timewith live- stock than humans,” she said. Believers intheeffectivenessof guardian
dogs said they see the day coming when they will be used to protect a wider range of livestock, including cattle.
That fact sheet estimates the cost of buying a puppy and caring for it as it grows enough tobeof use as aprotector at around$1,500.Dog foodandvetbillscome to around $600 a year. Advisors said those costs can be bal- anced against the value of the livestock spared attack by predators, and of the peace of mind of knowing the flock is not alone. ( Bo b J o hn s o n i s a r e p o r t e r i n Sacramento. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
KUBOTA M5L SERIES LOWER PROFILE, HIGHER STANDARDS. “InCalifornia, thesedogs areassociated with guarding goats and sheep,”Whitesell said, “but I would like to (emphasize) that they can guard anything.”
Several UC Cooperative Extension fact sheets on livestock guardian dogs are available online, including one that has estimates of both the upfront and annu- al operating costs, at ucanr.edu/sites/ Rangelands/files/305121.pdf.
Visit the authorized Kubota dealer nearest you. HEMET Al’s Kubota Tractor 687 North Jacinto Street (951) 658-9471 MERCED Garton Tractor, Inc. 700 South Highway 59 SANTA ROSA Garton Tractor, Inc. 211 Cresco Court
KUBOTA M5L SERIES LOWER PROFILE, HIGHER STANDARDS.
(707) 586-1790 (877) TRACTOR STOCKTON Big Valley Tractor 3516 Newton Road (209) 466-9631 www.bigvalleytractor.com COACHELLA Eberhard Equipment #2 86-100 Ave 54 (760) 398-41411 TULARE Linder Equipment 311 East Kern Avenue (559) 685-5000 www.linderequipment.com TURLOCK Garton Tractor, Inc. 2400 North Golden State Blvd
(209) 726-4600 (877) TRACTOR MODESTO Garton Tractor, Inc. 5933 McHenry Avenue (209) 538-0911 (877) TRACTOR NEWMAN Garton Tractor, Inc. 2101 L Street (209) 862-3760 (877) TRACTOR ONTARIO Glenn B. Dorning 1744 East Holt Blvd
Perfectly proportioned for work in orchards and including an updated V-3800, Visit us to find out
Perfectly proportioned for work in orchards and other low-clearance applications, the M5L is packed with full-size features including an updated V-3800, Kubota diesel engine and an ergonomic operator station. Visit us to find out why the M5L is the right tractor for you.
(209) 632-3931 (877) TRACTOR UKIAH Garton Tractor, Inc. 285 Talmage Road (707) 468-5880 (877) TRACTOR
(909) 983-2089 PORTERVILLE Farmers Tractor & Equipment Co. 1132 South Main Street (559) 784-4967 REDDING Nor Cal Tractor & Equipment 8537 Commercial Way
(530) 221-6800 norcaltractor.com
KubotaUSA.com Optional equipment may be shown.
Perfectly proportioned for work in orchards and other low-clearance applications, the M5L is packed with full-size features including an updated V-3800, Kubota diesel engine and an ergonomic operator station. Visit us to find out why the M5L is the right tractor for you. KubotaUSA.com Optional equipment may be shown.
© Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2018
BB1000-24-145379-3
14 Ag Alert April 28, 2021
Powered by FlippingBook