# new guard dog puppy



## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

I posted this under Goat Frenzy before I realized this forum existed.

I just brought home my first goats and guard dog. Two boer kids, 4.5 and 2.5 months old, and two pygmy kids, whethers, a few months old. I also have a 10 week old pyrenees / maremma cross puppy. Until we picked him up, the puppy slept in the barn with the goats but basically had free run of the farm, and followed the farmer around on his chores.

I don't have fencing up yet (ground frozen) so the goats and the dog have been in a 10 x 10 pen in the barn. We have been letting the dog out to eat, potty, and he follows us around while we work around the barn. At intervals, we put him back in the pen. He seems fine with the goats, a little too playful at times but nothing serious.

Are we being too indulgent with the pup? I know his job is with the livestock, but we want him to love and respect us also.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

the pup needs to be with the goats as much as possible and watched... so corrections can be made......just make sure that he doesn't have more fun with you and thrive for your attention over the goats........they are bred to think goat.....without actually being one..... :wink: :greengrin:

I deleted the other post from "Goat Frenzy" :wink:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I do not have a guard dog, so I can not help you at all. I just wanted to tel lyou to keep us posted on how it goes.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

I too think it's very important that the lgd be socialized to people, however, I do not give Athena, our LGD, attention of any kind while I am in the goat pens w/the goats. Otherwise, the LGD may compete for attention with the goats and that's a bad thing. When she's out of the pen - and done eating (key words there cause Athena used to forgo her food for a chance to get attention) - that's when we have "Athena time." She even knows those words and gets so excited it's just cuter than heck. 

She got extra "scratchies" last night.... she was barking up a storm while I was doing chores, then let out a fierce growl.... I walked outside the barn to see what she was so upset about and there was a huge German Shepard - OMFG - I screamed so loud it scared the dog off. I should've listened to Athena's warning & let her out to take care of it.


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

No experience, but good luck. I could not help but give a LGD attention so it is just not a good choice for me. I hope that it works out really well for you. I will look forward to hearing about how it goes!


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## mistyblue (Nov 13, 2008)

billmac how is it going with your LGD puppy? I will be bringing Ginger home on Saturday and was wondering on how you are doing with your puppy.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

yes ..billmac...how has it been with your puppy?


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## Suellen (Mar 9, 2008)

I have a 5 month old Pyrenees/Anatolian, Henna. She is going to be a big girl. When I have the little goats out she has to be contained or supervised. 
We are working on No Mouth. She wants to play with them like they are a dog by putting her mouth around their legs. We are also working on the 
basics sit, down, stay and come. During the day she can't roam around but the goats have the choice as to wether they want her to be able to touch them. 
She gives Guy (wether) kisses on the nose. She spends more time with the goats than me. It kills me but I know this is what I bought her for. Late afternoon 
we put the little goats away and Henna gets to run around. She is s l o w l y learning that she needs to stay with her goats. The queen goat is warming up to her. 
Also we have an orphan doeling that thinks Henna is mom and hangs out with her part of the day.
Good luck keep us posted. I have other dogs but this is my first LGD and my first puppy. I have always adopted adult dogs.









Brisa tries to find milk while Henna cleans her butt. Noone else has volunteered for the job. :yum:

Suellen


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## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

It is very important, as stated, that your puppy bond with her goats... not you. That doesn't mean that you never pet her or such... you want her to interact with people well also. It just means that she stays at the barn/goat area and not up at the house with people. She shouldn't be played with by people; just talked to and occasionally petted. This is actually really hard for many people as we are so accustomed to 'lovin' on our dogs. And, we feel guilty when we 'ignore' them. But livestock guardians have to know their purpose... and that is to be with their herd almost all the time and not out with the humans.

I've seen people be too interactive with their guard dogs and the dogs never really learned their true jobs - they preferred to be with people. I've seen people completely ignore their guard dogs and have them become 'difficult' around people. There is that fine line of needed interaction but also leaving them alone to focus on their charges.

Good luck.


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## brian1234 (Sep 7, 2011)

We need to provide special training to the dog so that the dog can learn how to control the animals.It can watch them at the time of grazing in the field.Also we have to proper care of it so that it can do it's work properly.


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