# Water trough issue



## wwfarm (Jan 27, 2014)

Tragedy struck my herd last November when a pack of dogs jumped my perimeter fence and my goat pens and systematically went from pen to pen killing my precious animals. It was heartbreaking and emotionally and financially devastating. I invested in three Great Pyrenees pups-two puppies and a trained adult that took to me and my remaining herd immediately.

I have read and studied as much as possible about this breed both before I chose this particular LGD breed and since acquiring them. I need some help!

The pups are 9 and 10 months old now. They are water loving fools! I cannot keep them out of the water troughs! I am wasting so much water dumping and cleaning the troughs everyday. They get the water very muddy and my goats do not want to drink it.







I bought them a large swimming pool and redirect them to it every time I catch them in the troughs. It is not working!!!

I need someone who can think outside the box. I cannot fence the troughs off with access holes for the heads because the majority of my goats are horned. It is very hot here and I need to use the troughs as opposed to buckets hanging on the fence. I cannot fence the dogs because I need them out with the herd. Any ideas??!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is nice of you to put out so many pools for the dogs. 

Are the dogs not using the pools at all? Why not use them for goats?


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## wwfarm (Jan 27, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> That is nice of you to put out so many pools for the dogs.
> 
> Are the dogs not using the pools at all? Why not use them for goats?


Yes-the dogs use the pool also! The goats will drink out of it also before the dogs get it muddy.


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## ETgoatygirl (Mar 23, 2012)

Would it be possible to fence off part of the water? Could you leave enough space for your goats to drink, but not so much that the dogs would want to lay in it?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Maybe you could try a keyhole type design with an open top? They should be able to get their horns through that.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

ETgoatygirl said:


> Would it be possible to fence off part of the water? Could you leave enough space for your goats to drink, but not so much that the dogs would want to lay in it?


^ That's what I was thinking too, or maybe you could get a bunch of 5 gallon buckets for water? But that would mean cleaning all of those every week or so.

I'm so sorry about your herd last year.


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## shoafplantation (May 18, 2018)

Simple solutions. 
Lay cattle panels or rebar flat across top of the water tubs. Goats will only stick their snout through to drink. Dogs can't get into tub. 
Or cover the tub tops with plywood only leaving hole big enough to drink from.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Make sure goats can't get heads through holes of panel. If they can, they will go through to reach lower water, pull back and get horns stuck and drown.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

What about cutting and gluing floaties or anything really that would float together and laying on top of the water in the trough. Keep a open spot just big enough for noses to fit in. That way as the water goes down it will float down and of course full it still stays on it. But then it looks like to the dogs that it is not big enough for them to get into it. If that doesn’t work though I say 5 gallon buckets too :/


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## lifesabtchlearn2deal (Mar 26, 2018)

I've never worried about my dogs in my goat water...i give fresh every day anyways but I've worried about my geese n ducks getting in it. That's why I do the fresh every day. Sometimes twice a day


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## camooweal (Jun 27, 2015)

It is very hot here and I need to use the troughs as opposed to buckets hanging on the fence. I cannot fence the dogs because I need them out with the herd. Any ideas??!!

As it's very hot your dogs will need water to jump in and cool off in, particularly being long thick hair. Can you, as others have suggested, put some sort of cover on some troughs that will allow the goats to drink but stop the dogs from jumping in, and just keep a couple of tubs for the dogs to use?
camooweal


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