Guard Llamas!!

Well, I've been reading fellow llama owner's posts on a message board called "Llama Talk" on how wonderful their llamas are at guarding, and even though I was aware that my gelding was previously used as an alpaca guard, I hadn't seem him or my female guard anything around here. Or they had no reason to, I suppose, until yesterday!

Right after we moved into this house in the mountains of central New Mexico, we held an Open House for family and friends. During the party, two stray dogs showed up and everyone gave them treats and pettings.

A little while later, someone came up to me and asked me if we owned a white rabbit. I asked, "Why?" and she answered, "Because that stray dog is carrying a white rabbit in it's mouth, across your pasture" (!!!!Ack!)

Everyone went running up to the barn, except the llamas. They were in a pen next to the house so everyone could get up close and admire them.
But by the time we got up to the barn and captured the dog, it was already too late. Our 3 year old bunny, we had had since she was only a few weeks old, was dead.
My children cried. I cried. Our friends and family cried. I wasn't in much of a partying mood after that.

We called Animal Control, who came and took the stray dog away asap.

Unfortunately a neighbor had heard that the dog was picked up by animal control and told the owner of that dog. Within a week the dog was back on the streets again. And on our property.

We hadn't seen it go up to our pasture, only standing on the outside of the fence to annoy and bark at the llamas.....until yesterday.

You see, a few days ago we adopted another rabbit, Sage, (actually took back another rabbit that we had given to an old couple a few months ago, in hopes that she would ease the loss they felt from losing their own bunny not long before. Unfortunately, it didn't work out because they really wanted a little bunny, not such a big one.).
But I digress.

Yesterday, I happened to look out my bathroom window and saw that same stray dog in the llama pen trying to figure out a way into the barn (I had reinforced the barn like Fort Knox, since the dog had broke in the first time), but that dog was really trying hard to get in there and get our rabbit (again).

I felt sick and knew there was no way that I could make it up the hill to the barn in time to save the bunny, if the dog managed to get in. And just as I turned around to try anyway, a flash of white caught my eye!

It was our large white gelding Catlinite, barreling across the pasture towards the barn....in break-neck speed! And our female, Cataleya was right behind him!!

They turned on a dime and galloped right into their pen and started rearing up and kicking at the dog, who was at that time trying to escape the llama pen. After a bit of a scuffle, the stray dog was out of the pen and on it's way down the hill of our pasture....tail between it's legs, howling.

And the llamas were close behind!!

I was amazed to see the llamas rocketing towards me, both of them with necks low and snaking back and forth as they chased the dog out of their territory. And I was elated, too.

My llamas really did come through. Whether or not they were guarding our rabbit, doesn't even matter. In the end, they probably saved our rabbit's life and also seemed to make an impression on that stray dog.

And I was impressed, too.

Ever since the dog started coming up to the fence and barking at the llamas, they've both been standing guard at the same fenceline. When the dog has shown up the llamas snake their necks, lay back their ears and sometimes spit. Now they are both on High Alert.
Catlinite really takes his guarding job seriously.