Meet Spartan

[hillsdown]

This is Spartan our new adoptee to the Hillsdown household.

He is a 2 year old neutered male 3/4 Pyrenees X 1/4 Anatolian Shepherd . Spartan will be our new livestock guardian dog, has been a year without Bo so we really needed someone to come in and take over. He is a gentle giant , but I wouldn't want to cross him. I must say we look very impressive walking down to get the mail together . :lol:

My dad and I brought him home on Friday ,it was a very long 200 mile drive home with that huge 120 +lb non traveler in the back seat. :help: He is getting acclimated quite nicely here now and bonded with me almost immediately. The coyotes are already not coming around and he scared the bejesus out of a neighbor who popped by unexpectedly . So all in all ,so far so good. :D

I just bought him a really nice insulated dog house ,so he will have his own home warm and dry for the winter.

 

[Anonymous]

Good looking dog..almost looks like a lab on steroids. :mrgreen:

 

[hillsdown]

Good looking dog..almost looks like a lab on steroids. :mrgreen:

He is HUGE. Not used to a dog that big. When he runs the ground vibrates . :lol: I can't even begin to guess what our dog food bill is going to be now, but I am already changing my attitude to buy generic treats for him, not the gourmet/holistic stuff Nikkle gets . That boy can EAT !!!!! :help:

Nikki is still really scared of him and Pinta is not sure what he is all about. Hopefully they can get things all sorted out. The good news is that the Kit Kat has already become aloof to the big guy . :D

Is really nice to hear that barking though ,sure have missed having a protector around .

 

[slick4591]

I just bought him a really nice insulated dog house ,so he will have his own home warm and dry for the winter.

Spartan is certainly a handsome fellow. If he's like every dog I've bought houses for he'll sleep beside it and not in it.

 

[hillsdown]

I just bought him a really nice insulated dog house ,so he will have his own home warm and dry for the winter.

Spartan is certainly a handsome fellow. If he's like every dog I've bought houses for he'll sleep beside it and not in it.

I hope not Slick, he did use a dog house at his previous home. -40 weather ,I think he may want a warm place to lay in . But yes ,I have heard that about these dogs, they like the great outdoors. I do know that he sure as heck ain't coming in the house . :shock:

 

[Anonymous]

Imagine the size of those turds!

 

[slick4591]

Betcha she already knows.:lol:

 

[hillsdown]

He poops in the wooded part of the pasture, I had him trained to go there immediately. All of my dogs are trained to NOT go in the yard. Remember I used to be a city girl and picked up my share of dog poo as a kid and that was of a little terrier chiwawa cross . I am not picking up this fellas poo, that is a deal breaker . :lol:

 

[3waycross]

Great dog HD. It looks like you just became about 1,000% safer.

 

[Kingfisher]

Good looking dog..almost looks like a lab on steroids. :mrgreen:

He is HUGE. Not used to a dog that big. When he runs the ground vibrates . :lol: I can't even begin to guess what our dog food bill is going to be now, but I am already changing my attitude to buy generic treats for him, not the gourmet/holistic stuff Nikkle gets . That boy can EAT !!!!! :help:

Nikki is still really scared of him and Pinta is not sure what he is all about. Hopefully they can get things all sorted out. The good news is that the Kit Kat has already become aloof to the big guy . :D

Is really nice to hear that barking though ,sure have missed having a protector around .

How well does he run? ja you will have to feed a hound like that for sure.....:)

 

[1982vett]

I just bought him a really nice insulated dog house ,so he will have his own home warm and dry for the winter.

Spartan is certainly a handsome fellow. If he's like every dog I've bought houses for he'll sleep beside it and not in it.

I hope not Slick, he did use a dog house at his previous home. -40 weather ,I think he may want a warm place to lay in . But yes ,I have heard that about these dogs, they like the great outdoors. I do know that he sure as heck ain't coming in the house . :shock:

Ok......bookmarked......will revisit in a couple months..... :lol:

 

[Gale Seddon]

Oh HD, congratulations to you and to Spartan! Very handsome. As usual, I'm a little behind here, not sure what he will be guarding (sheep perhaps?) or who Nikki or Pinta are. But Spartan looks like he can handle just about anything. I imagine Kit Kat is a feline. Minus 40? Not sure what to say about that except no way. Anyway, happy for you!

 

[alisonb]

I want him HD, he's lovely! Think I would have called him Buddy or Big Guy ;-) . Tell us more about him.

just bought him a really nice insulated dog house ,so he will have his own home warm and dry for the winter.

Ok......bookmarked......will revisit in a couple months.....

That's exactly what I was thinking Vett :D

 

[hillsdown]

OK all of you smarty pants, will keep you updated on his house use when it gets really cold here. Hopefully not for a few more months though.

Thanks everyone. :D I sure hope he works out, he is not really familiar with cattle though and thinks it is fun to bark and chase my bull calves right now. I am not amused at all but I think with time he will get better with them.

Gale he will be mostly my guardian as my husband career takes him away from home for weeks at a time. Also need coyote protection here , especially during calving. We have a few black face packs that have moved in and are not scared of anything.

Nikki is our BC pup ,stock dog. Pinta is our blk lab rescue ,and yes the Kit Kat is my 8 year old polydactyl tabby that was a kitten when we moved here and adopted us.

3way , I sleep much better that is for sure. Even Spartan barking all night doesn't bother me .

The name will have to stay for now, he was a guard dog for an alpaca herd, but the owners were never home and he wandered alot .They were in an acreage village so neighbors were very close ,also his barking all night annoyed alot of people. Out here my closest neighbors are a 1/2 mile away and if he barks all night I don't really care what they think . :cowboy: I am hoping that with me being home all the time I can work with him ,he needs to develop alot better listening skills when off leash . I think he is deaf sometimes. :bang: Once Nikki's latest accident heals ,she had emergency surgery on her front paw last Sat. then she will have her right FHR surgery and will be out of commision for 6 months again ,so it will be nice to have Spartan out with me when I do night checks etc .

 

[TexasBred]

HD they are awesome dogs. Until it gets really cold up there I bet he stays outside the dog house. Watch out for the front legs. They love to put those huge paws on you.lolol. We give ours freechoice feed and they really don't seem to eat that much but in your colder climate he probably will eat more. He'll mark his territory, make his rounds, introduce himself to all the cattle and don't be surprised if you see the cows licking on him. :nod: They can run like deer too. I know you'll enjoy having him around and he'll definitely "own" you in time. ;-)

 

[Gale Seddon]

Hold on a sec, in the first photo, isn't that the back end of a llama I see on the left?

HD, what was Spartan's position before you got him? I hope he'll adopt the calves as his secondary "herd" -- you first, of course.

 

[hillsdown]

Thanks TB, fingers crossed that he figures things out soon. Pinta used to chase the cows too and now she lays in with them while they calve and no one pays any attention to her. Spartan does however have 80 lbs on her though . :lol:

Gale that is an Alpaca, the pic was taken at his previous owners. He watched over their herd , they raise purebred registered alpacas . I am hoping he will do what TB said and adopt everyone , and watch over all of us.

Hubby was home last Sat and Spartan barked when he heard his truck drive in ,I went to town Sun and when I came back Spartan was waiting for me in the driveway wagging his tail, not a peep out of him. he recognized my pick up right away. :D

 

[Gale Seddon]

Okay, an alpaca. Gad, they're up there now too? For a while I thought they were taking over VA! Maybe I shouldn't say that. Actually, I think they're probably better suited to your climate than ours.

I hope Spartan and your husband spend a little time bonding so that Spartan adopts him too! How nice that he was waiting for you and wagging his tail. Not having a dog now, I kind of miss that welcome wiggle. And my husband doesn't do that. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bigbull338]

his size should scare anything away HD.hopefully he will bond with everything on the place quick.

 

[MistyMorning]

Nice looking dog HD!