Warning!!!! Some of you may know this, I wish I had. In December we brought 6 bred ewes. In February We brought a Female Great Pyrenees pup 8 weeks old.( We have a year old male but he was not raised with sheep) I have heard for the dogs to become good guard dogs they need to be raised with the sheep. One person told me to raise them just like they were sheep, even feed them with the sheep. I took this to mean feed them sheep feed. I was told by another person "No you feed them dog food but just keep them in the pen and treat them like sheep." This made more sense to me so when I fed the sheep in their feeder I fed the dog in another part of the pen, puppy chow. I had to do it this way to keep the sheep out of her food. I have said all that to say this. I lost a lamb yesterday, why I don't know. Today I find the ewe Mother of the lost lamb and the only sheep that gave the pup trouble and wanted to eat the pup's food, down. Then it dawned on me THERE IS COPPER IN THE DOG FOOD!!!Warning. I do not know if that is what is wrong with the ewe and the lamb but it was an eye opener to me Grant

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), March 18, 2000

Answers

Grant, I do appreciate the warning. I have never fed my Pyrs in with my sheep, but I could see myself doing it quite easily. I will never make that mistake now! Do you have any more information. Did you lose the ewe? Did you consult a vet? Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), March 21, 2000.

Yes I lost the ewe today and her other lamb. Vets around here think sheep are a waste of time Grant

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), March 21, 2000.

Grant,

I am so sorry to hear about your loss....I love sheep and think they are noble creatures, and I truly hear your saying that vets think sheep aren't worthwhile....why, I don't even try to understand anymore. Maybe because they are such an appealing creature to those of us who like to live independently...they aren't too demanding. And yet they give us so much...

This could have happened to any of us. Yes, copper is toxic to sheep, but who could have imagined that it would be in dog food. Thank you for an important lesson.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), March 21, 2000.