Good idea or bad idea?

I've had dogs all my life.

Anatolian/Great Pyrenees dogs are bred to be livestock guard dogs. They don't herd, like Border Collies, they're just there to protect the livestock. Like in the video, Roman wouldn't let the child wander off too far. This kind of thing is instinctive behavior for them.

These dogs stay around the livestock, even the newborns who get their special protection, 24/7 with no human intervention most of the time. That's complete trust.

You don't leave babies and toddlers totally unattended by humans. But you don't have eyes on them 24/7. When introducing a dog to a baby/toddler you keep a close eye on them. Once trust is built they don't need constant attention.

Not all dogs are as trustworthy. Jojo (I didn't name her) the Blue Tick Racoon Hound thinks killing chickens in the best thing in the world. So she's kept away from chickens. But she's never hurt a cat and we've left her alone with them quite often. I trust her completely around cats. 

Hook

PS. Videos about Anatolian/Great Pyrenees as livestock guard dogs are funny. "What kind of guard dog is he if he sleeps all day!?" These are big dogs with a powerful bark that will scare off most predators, typically at night. We don't have much problem with coyotes coming around, although we hear them a lot.

H.