Countryside

We researched many types of livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) looking to protect our Katahdin sheep and Tennessee Fainting Goats (a.k.a. Myotonics) from coyotes, dogs and other predators roaming our mountains. In the past, we could not successfully raise sheep or goats due to attacks from local dogs-a situation many farmers have experienced. This, along with the growing population of coyotes and black bear in the area and for the safety of our young children, we knew we had to find the right guardian that would meet all of our needs. From our discussions with goat and sheep owners across the United States, the most enthusiastic LGD success stories were from those who owned Karakachans. These Bulgarian dogs are rare in the U.S., having only been imported as LGDs in the past 10 years. Because of this, it was very difficult to find unrelated dogs in the U.S. Given the excellent guardian work of our first Karakachan, and our desire to help preserve this breed, we've gone to Bulgaria three times since 2007 to bring back new bloodlines. They really are the best farm dogs for protecting livestock. We no longer have problems with roaming dogs and coyotes. We can hear the coyotes calling from the fields at night, but once the dogs bark in return, the calls of the coyotes fade away. It has been our experience that these dogs only bark when a threat is perceived. Otherwise, they are content to be silent and blend in with the herd. Karakachans are more than guardians. For example, we have a male named Volo, born of our first Karakachan female and an unrelated male we imported from Bulgaria. Volo corrals his sheep every night, on his own accord, keeping them in a secure bunch. Not even a crow or groundhog (much less a stray dog) is allowed in any part of the pasture where he is on guard. Our Karakachans also call our attention to other flock problems: For example, when livestock gets caught in a fence. One time they alerted us when a goat fainted and fell down, jamming his horn into the ground, unable to break free. Such an alert can consist of a series of barks mixed with howls. Last fall our first Karakachan, Sasha, located a young goat that had just given birth. Sasha stayed with the doe and her kid for the entire day, assisting in the clean-up process. Each of our five Karakachan LGDs is very diverse, varying not only in color and size but in their working abilities. Pirin, our "alpha" male imported from Bulgaria, is usually in charge of our goat bucks, ranging in the fields where the coyotes are heard the most.