After only 2 weeks of lavender essential oil mixed with olive oil the dog was healing and now has a beautiful coat. I know that many here would not even know the devastation that advanced demo causes. The skin gets so thick and tough that I wonder if anything external can even get to the mites once it has reached this stage of the disease. Anne, Deb Livestock Guardian Dogs I would start with one dog at a time or get dogs that are not related as they will bond to each other instead of the livestock. We use a Maremma and an Anatolian Shepherd to protect our sheeps, goats, and free range broilers.
Temperament vary somewhat within the different breeds of guard dogs.
If you get your dog from a reputable breeder where the parents are used to guard some type of livestock your dog should have the natural instinct to protect animals or people that he is raised with. This information comes from a study done by the US and Canadian dept. Training a guard dog is not like training a companion dog. If you are unable to be there when the dog is loose he should be pen in a safe area close to the livestock he is to protect. Also you do not want to have to much contact with your dog otherwise he will bound to you and just become another pet.