-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 19,1981
BV DONNA TOMMELLEO
HAHKISBUKG - The big while
pup sat amid a pen ot Hampshire
sheep, his sad eyes peering into
those ot prospective buyers at the
Penn Slate Ag Arena Sale.
Almost invariably, the 7-month
old Great Pyrenees consigned by
David and LuAnn Sverduk caused
more than a tew double takes.
He had no name at sale tune but
responded to anyone with a kind
voice and a gentle touch.
The Hampshires moved easily
around him as the pup’s cold, wet
nose gingerly nuzzled each ewe. He
was no stranger to this pen ot
sheep, having lived with the ewes
tor almost six months.
David and LuAnn’s 10-month-old
daughter Ginger slept peacefully
m a corner ot the pen, nestled deep
m straw. The tall, gangly pup
moved about her with the utmost
care, aware ot his teel at all tunes.
It was only when the pup lowered
his shaggy head to give her a very
wet, very sloppy good-night Kiss,
that the little girl stirred tor a
moment and dropped back ott to
sleep surrounded by the sott, warm
breathing ot the gentle creatures in
the pen.
But the big pup with the sweet
disposition still bore the scars trom
head wounds suffered in a battle
with a German Shepard. The battle
resulted six weeks ago when the
Shepard entered the pup’s ID-acre
pen and threatened his sheep. The
pup rose to the occasion and turned
away one badly beaten Shepard
before it could damage the sheep.
"The Great Pyrenees are just
doing what they’ve been bred to
do,” noted David Sverduk.
Unfortunately, many sheep
producers tmd out too late that
such a watch dog may have saved
them hundreds ol dollars and
valuable animals lost each year to
dog kills.
The i-ackawanna County couple
explained their reason tor con
signing a dog to the Ag Arena
Sheep sale was to expose other
sheep breeders to the big white
breed.
don t think that some people
are aware ot what they can do tor
dog kills,' 1 LuAnn commented.
In the past the Sverduks have
tried everything trom goats to
guns in controlling dog damage on
their 150-ewe operation. ’
Although they still have a pair ot
Border Collies tor herding pur
poses. the Sverduks opted tor the
Great Pyrenees guard dogs about
three years ago.
They started with an older
temale but quickly tound out that
younger dogs adjust better to
training and began breeding the
Great Pyrenees dogs on their
Dalton, Pa. tarm.
This 7-month-old Great Pyrenees pup sheep since he was 6-weeks-old and has
spends a last night with his wooly buddy before protected the sheep against attacks from
both of them were auctioned at the Penn State other dogs.
Ag Arena Sale. The;'pup has lived with the
...it's a dog’s life
Man’s best friend
corrals other canines
David and LuAnn Sverduk extend a friendly hand to their
canine consignment. The Lackawanna couple are eager to
spread the word about the Great Pyrenees effectiveness in
guarding sheep.
"There isn’t really too much
training involved, ” David ex
plained.
The Sverduks generally in
troduce a guard dog to its pen ot
sheep at six weeks ot age, or ap
proximately alter it's weaned
where it will remain indefinitely.
The Great Pyrenees usually stay
within the contmes ot the pen
because they show little tendency
to crawl over fences, said David.
Eventually the Sverduks have
built up their guard dog stock to
enable them to keep a mature dog
in each ot the tour ewe pens. Their
puppies generally sell tor S3UO.
"No one can attord not to have a
guard dog,” said LuAnn. "It you
save one sheep, the dog's paid tor
itself.”
The young couple may now
have a dog in each pen, but before
they could increase their numbers
they ran only two guard dogs with
their purebred stock. They
recounted a pamtul incident when
a Husky entered a pen ot grade
ewes, killed one and molested
several others. David shot and
killed the predator but the incident
led to court case with the dog’s
Today the Sverduks are
sUir awaiting compensation tor
their loss.
•Thai's what convinced us to pul
a dog in every pen,' LuAnu ex
plained
Believing m Uie tulure ot the
Great Pyrenees as guard dogs,
David and LuAnn armed them
selves with literature on the breed
in hopes ot educating those they
encountered during the Ag Arena
Sale and especially the lucky new
owner ot the no name pup.
When the gavel signaled the
close ot the sheep sale the Sver
duks’ pup sold tor sl/u to Gregory
Strausbaugh, a purebred Uorsett
breeder troin V urk. The pup,
recently christened "Max” had
little trouble adjusting to his new
home and new wooly buddies
according to Strausbaugh.
And while many sheep producers
throughout the state keep a wat
chful eye and a loaded gun in
readiness tor predators, the
Sverduks and now Gregory
Strausbaugh can sleep nights
knowing dogs like Max teel at
home in a pen ot sheep.
See your nearest
HOLLAND
Dealer for Dependable
Equipment and Dependable
Service:
Alexandria, PA
Clapper Farm
Equipment
Star Route
814-669-4465
Annville. PA
B H.M. Farm
Equipment, Inc
R.D. 1
717-867-2211
Carlisle. PA
Paul Shovers, Inc.
35 East Willow Street
717 243-2686
Catawissa, PA
Abraczmskas Farm
Equipment, inc.
R,D. 1
717-356-2323
Chambersburg. PA
Clugston
Implement, Inc
R.D 1
717-263-4103
Davidsburg, PA
George N. Gross, Inc
R.D. 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
Elizabethtown. PA
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc
Rt. 283 - Rheerp's Exit
717-367-1319
Gettysburg, PA
Yinglmg Implements
R.D. 9
717-359-4848
Greencastle, PA
Meyers
Implement's Inc
400 N Antrim Way
PO Box 97
717-597-2176
Halifax, PA
Sweigard Bros
RD 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
PA
Hamburi
Shartlesvilie
Harm Service
RD 1. Box 1/U
21S 488 1025
Hooey Brook, PA
Dependable Motor Co
East Mam Street
215-273-3131
215-273-3737
Honey Grove. PA
Norman D ClarK
& Son, (nc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Hughesville. PA
Farnsworth Farm
103 Cemetery Street
717-584-2106
Lancaster. PA
L.H Brubaker, Inc
350 StrasburgPike
717-397-5179
Lebanon, PA
Evergreen
Tractor Co, Inc
30 Evergreen Road
717-272 4641
Lititz. PA
Roy A Brubaker
700 Woodcrest Av
717-626-7766
Loysvtlle, PA
PaulShovers, Inc
Loysville. PA
717-789-3117
t.ynnport. PA
Kermit K, Kistler, Inc
Lynnport, PA
215-298-2011
y*- £
Martinsburg. PA
Forshey's, Inc
110 Forshey St
814-793-3791
Mill Hall, PA
Paul A Dotterer
RD 1
717-726-3471
Nazareth. PA
Edwards Farm
Equipment
291 West
Moorestown Rd
215-759-0240
New Holland, PA
A B.C Groff, Inc
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
New Park, PA
M&R Equipment me
P.O Box 16
717-993-2511
Oley. PA
C.J Wonsidter Bros
R.D. 2
215-987-6257
Palm. PA
Wentz Farm
Supplies, Inc.
Rt 29
215-679-7164
Pitman. PA
Marlin W Schreffler
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Pleasant Gap. PA
Brooks Ford Tractor
W College Ave.
814-359-2751
Quarryville, PA
C E Wiley & Son, Inc
101 South Lime Street
717-786-2895
Ringtown, PA
Ringtown Farm
Equipment
Ringtown. PA
717 889-3184
Shippensburg. P.
R.B. Miller, Inc
N Seneca St.
717 532-4178
Silverdale. PA
I G Sales
Box 149
215-257-5135
Tamaqua, PA
CnarlesS Snyder. Inc
RD. 3
717-386-5945
West Chester. PA
M.S. Yearsley & Son
114-116 East
Market Street
215-696-2990
West Grove. PA
S.G. Lewis & Son, Inc,
RD. 2, Box 66
215-369-2214
Churchville, MD
Walter G Coale, Inc
2849-53
Churchville Rd.
301-734-7722
Rising Sun, MD
Ag Ind.
Equipment Co., Inc.
1207 Telegraph Rd
301-398-6132
301-658-5568
215-869-3542
Bridgeton. NJ
Leslie G.Fogg, Inc
Canton &
Stow Creek
Landing Rds
R D 3
609-451 2727
Washington, NJ
Frank Rymon & Sons
814-793-3791
Woodstown, NJ
Owen Supply Co.
Broad Street &
East Avenue '
609-769 0308
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