Pups & deer

We had our puppy for about a month before the fawns came that year. I would think any time from a month prior to same time as fawning should work fine.

We went with a Black Lab but that is because we just like Labs. Ruger is 4 this year and has been with the fawns each year. He learned very fast how to "play" with them. He knew that he couldn't chase so instead he would place his head on top of theirs and slowly lower his head to the ground. He never once was aggressive in any way. Actually just the opposite.

You will love it. Have fun!

Next pup I get will be a great pyrenees or an akbash. I've raised labs all my life and they are great dog, but I'm not sure if its the best dog for deer

TRIGGER said:

How did you keep him from wanting to chase the fawns when they ran around? And how much time a day did he spend with the fawns? Also how did the other deer react to him? sorry for all the ? just don't want to get a dog a him hurt one of my deer. thanks

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Hey Trig,



We may well have just been really lucky to have a smart dog. We used the same words to teach him not to chase. We would just talk to Ruger and say "no" when he did something we didn't want. We also said "be a good boy" when he looked like he was wanting to play. Tone of the voice I think is important as well.

Pretty much any time the fawns were out in the house during the first week, and anytime we were in the pens outside he was with us the whole time. So whenever we were with the fawns so was Ruger.

As to the other deer (the adults already here when Ruger came) reacting to him they were leery but tolerant. The key is the dog can have his area and limits to be in. The deer get used to the dog being in certain places but when he is in an area they don't normally see him in they get nervous.

For instance our deer see him east of the pens everyday. But if he would ever round the corner and be on the south side of the pens this would cause alarm to the deer.

In the past couple of months we have brought in some new deer as well. They of course were not used to Ruger. But within a week or so they have decided he is cool because he is always in his assigned area. Also he could care less about the deer. The only time he cares about the deer is when he can sit next to the fence and lean against the wire so the deer can lick on him through the wire. He loves the attention that way



I have no doubt that we have deer with a specially calm personality and I also feel very lucky to have the smart dog we have. In fact Ruger is so smart that when we are actually "working" our deer he senses and knows this. He then goes by the house and lays there until we are done. For instance the other day I was adding a new addition to the doe fawn pen. I had just brought her home from Ohio and the way I added her to the fawn pen was by opening the pen from the doe fawns to the alley and up to the corral where Dreamy the new addition was. A few of the fawns went into the corral and met Dreamy. Sniffed around on each other and then I walked them all back out of the corral and down the alley towards the fawn pen. This way I wasn't adding "fresh meat" to the pen so she would get chased around. While I did this Ruger knew something was up so he went and laid by the house and waited until I was done. Then he got lots of hugs and the "good boy" praise he loves to get.

I raised a shepard with mine and he was about 6 months old when fawns were born. I just made him behave and kept a close eye on him and he and my fawns got along great. I even used him to do all the but wiping at the same time i was feeding since he liked it so much. Cut down on the dog feed bill as well and he kept them clean as a whistle.

Well that had to really help you out Virgil since you told me you were the one that used to LICK them clean!! I bet your wife apprecaited it as your breath had to be a heck of a lot better!!!!!

I know what you mean Virgil, my dog used to do all stimulating and cleanup, like you said "clean as a whistle"........Dennis you're nuts

C'mon Jerry little sense of humor there........been called crazy but have not been classified quite Nuts yet........

i have had little jack russell's years before i had deer, I was nervous to show them the new fawns, but when i finally did they loved the fawns, they will play with them, and kiss them. although they were never really aggressive toward them, i still would not trust mine to be alone with the fawns for an extended amount of time. I always am close by in case they get a little rough with the fawns. I am sure raising the pup with the fawns would be a great way to go about it.

We have an female Elkhound/Shepard mix (Marley). Marley was 7 months old last year when we received our first three fawns Tinkerbelle, Minnie, and Lilly. Marley would walk with the fawns in the yard after each bottle and helped stimulate them. Marley would lay on the floor beside the playpen in the house while they were sleeping. When I moved the fawns outside into the larger playpen Marley was included all the time.



Marley did chase the fawns in the small pen which worried me but the fawns would hide behind the barriers that I had placed in there for cover. Marley was easy to call back when I thought it was a little more than play.



Now as yearlings it is funny to watch. The three deer are in an acre enclosure now and when playtime occurs you just standback and laugh. Marley will chase the deer as if she is trying to run them down and all of a sudden the deer turn and they are hard on Marleys paws. I could leave Marley in there all day and would not worry about anything going wrong even with the yearling buck fawn that is in there with the does. Marley does not try and get close to the buck and the buck does not really worry about her being there. The buck fawn was not bottle raised all natural off the doe.



I believe it is a personnal preferrence on what breed you choose as your best friend just as long as they are introduced to each other at a very young age.



Jeff & Tina Enochs

Hunters Dream Whitetails

Kimbolton, OH

An update to the kissing festival. Marley gave up.

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Jeff & Tina Enochs

Hunters Dream Whitetails

Kimbolton, OH

Well here is my Chihuahua's new best friend...

that second pic is hard to tell which one is the fawn....

We are new to rasing deer but have rasied, shown and hunted English Labradors for a long time. Our experience has been that these dogs are very easily trained for what ever you want them to do.

Check out this one on youtube 5 month old that we produced and the owners have trained.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOk2UP05Xr4&feature=player_embedded

I have 3 dogs in the pen with my 2 deer. A golden retriever, great pyranees, and a 1/2 lab 1/2 pit. THEY ALL GET ALONG GREAT!!! When I first bought Faline (1 wk old) home - I had 2 dogs, I kept her in the house and brought in each dog in 1 at a time and introduced them. She was fine - the dogs wagged their tails and sniffed her. Two yrs later, I bought Nina home (2 wks old), about 3 weeks prior I had purchased Kane (great py) he was 9 wks old when he met Nina. Nina and Kane grew up together - he was too small to let him run & play with Faline so I kept him and Nina in the fawn pen for a couple months. Two years later they are still BEST friends! When the other 2 dogs are laying together and the girls are laying together - he goes with the girls. He is an awesome guard dog. It's funny, he lets Nina do whatever she wants, but sometimes he gets bossy with Faline. For example, there have been a few times when he lays on the deck - when Nina walks onto the deck he doesn't make a sound he lays there and looks at her, but then Faline comes along and he jumps up and barks at her. Weird.....



Gail

Gail, we all know your deer are NOT normal though. They would go to the mall if they would allow deer.