Max - A Pound Pup Who Takes His Job Seriously

Max as a puppy, with his foster parent

In 2010 we adopted Max from a small rescue. We already had Izzy at that point, and as much as we adored her we knew our second dog could not have the same bulldog temperament. Izzy was only a few months old, but she was full of energy and determination; it seemed the walls of our small apartment couldn't handle much more puppy enthusiasm. The rescue was great, taking their time to make sure the new dog would be a good fit with Izzy and our lifestyle. At that point we hadn't even purchased our first home, let alone the 4.3 acres we have now.

Izzy, an Olde English Bulldogge,
the weekend we brought her home. 

The boxer-bulldog mix they suggested was big and goofy. He had a small amount of food aggression that lasted about 3 days. In no time, he settled in and proved to be a gentle giant. His new lifestyle wasn't one of patrolling the property, mostly it was about napping during the day and playing on the beach in the evening. He was six months old when we got him. From the beginning and even now, people ask us how old he is. Even as a pup they thought he was a senior dog because of his laid back nature and his propensity for taking naps to recover from a nap.

When we moved from the apartment and bought our first house we quickly introduced chickens to the mix. We had 4 Rhode Island Reds in a typical suburban backyard with 2 dogs who had never been around chickens. They started as chicks we hand raised in the house, partly for our benefit, partly for the birds' benefit, and partly to acclimate the dogs. Neither ever attempted to go after the chickens, and mostly Izzy ignored them. However, Max took it upon himself to protect them. When he was outside he would lie by their coop or follow them around the yard as they scratched and pecked for bugs.

Eventually our flock grew, we added rabbits and adopted another kitten. The time was coming to sell that home and move to a larger piece of land. Max has never looked back! On his watch we have never lost a bird to a predator. At dawn or dusk, the chickens are safe to roam the yard if he's outside with them. Both dogs know they aren't allowed in the enclosure, but Max makes his rounds and always has an ear out. If something sounds amiss he is at the door and whining to go out.



In our eyes, he is absolutely, without a doubt a Livestock Guardian Dog. His top 3 accomplishments:

• Racing down the hallway, whining and crying to be let out after a fox came around to terrorize the birds. 

• Heading off a wolf mix puppy at another person's house when the puppy made a run for their chickens. With a growl and a leap, the puppy learned the chickens were off limits. 

• Heading off other dogs who chase the birds. He doesn't just watch over them, he corrects the behavior of other dogs! 

There is no doubt that napping is one of his most favorite past times. Yet, there is also no doubt that he takes his job of patrolling the property and protecting the animals very seriously. One more example? The hermit across the street feeds stray cats, and there are probably 20 who roam free. Max knows they are not "his kitties" and chases them off the property as well as patrols the fence line to keep them on their side. 

Izzy and Max are both 6 years old now. We realize at some point we will need to get a younger dog who can be trained by Max. It's a stressful thing to consider given that Max came as he was, and we never considered he would be a LGD. Will we be just as lucky next time around or will he be able to train a replacement? Time will tell, but for now our homestead is well protected!