The Peaceable Kingdom
Leroy and Sully, our livestock protection puppies, are doing so well. Experts advise that you need to
consider them in training for the first two years, and not trust them around your livestock without
supervision. However, meanwhile, you want to give them lots of experience getting to know the rest of
your critters to help them love and bond to them. Most of the time, Sully and Leroy inhabit a large
shaded pen in front of our house, central to our little farm. At twilight, once the chickens have retired to
roost, we turn out the puppies for several hours to free-range. They have grown accustomed to the
horses, the barn cats, the goats from a distance, and learned to be careful of electric fences. Periodically
I have put them in the pen with our rabbit hutches. Rather than lunging and barking at the rabbits,
Leroy and Sully sniff at the cages while wagging their tails, then curl up to take a nap.
I have heard of these breeds terrifying visitors, but from their first arrival ours have enjoyed meeting
and being loved on by visiting children and families. Although little Sara describes them as “too
gjrumpy” (jumpy) she loves to pet them and play with them as well. Truly, they are growing into the
gentle giants we hoped for, yet their deep barks indicate their growing capacity to fight off predators
such as possums and raccoons, coyotes and even bears (or so we have heard.)
Most of our animals take turns at free-ranging our property each day. First thing in the morning, I let out
our young buckling goats for a couple of hours to run and kick their heels and grab some fresh grass.
Then they go back in their pen while our 19-year-old pony is separated to the yard to eat the vast
quantities of non-GMO pelleted grain he currently needs to maintain his weight. When he finishes, I let
out the does (female goats) for awhile, put Shorty back with the other horses, and open the gate to their
pasture. At night, after the puppies were back in their pen, I would let out the bucks to graze until
morning, when I would return them to their pen before starting the cycle all over again.
Some time ago, after the puppies were big enough not to be traumatized by a head butt, I tried letting
out the bucks while the puppies were still loose. Although the puppies initially would chase at them a
bit, no one got hurt and within a few minutes everything would settle down again.
Then Eddie, our senior buck, decided the lure of potato chips was not strong enough to balance the
attraction of hanging out near the girls. He became more and more difficult to catch.
“I’ve got better things to do than mess around like this!” I fussed at him, to no avail. Finally one morning
I had to get DJ to help. Instead of returning him to the buck pen to face the issue yet again the next day,
I said, “Let’s try putting him in with the puppies, then maybe you won’t have to mow.”
Amazingly, they all did well together, although our son began to notice a freshly pungent odor when he
petted the puppies. We added another portable dog house, although so far the puppies had mostly
refused to go into theirs. Eddie demonstrated their use, and before long we would see the row of three
houses all occupied during snooze times.
“Have you noticed that when the puppies come for petting at the gate, now Eddie waits in line for
attention too?” DJ asked me.
Our new little turkeys Lyle and Larry are now three weeks old, gentle and docile with whispery vocals.
Sara loves to cuddle one, despite the availability of her new black feathered-feet half-grown hens,
Lollipop and Cupcake.
Although the puppies can’t get out to chase our free-range chickens, sometimes chicks and smaller
chickens will slip into their pen. If the puppies lunge at them playfully, the chickens scatter, squeezing
back through the fence.
Currently a small flock of half-grown chickens are pecking around in a cluster in the puppy pen. Sully and
Leroy raise an eyelid before returning to their naps. Beyond, the horses and a few miniature dairy goats
graze green pastures. Behind me, I hear cooing and soft chirps from the poultry pen.
I exult in our peaceable kingdom.