# LGD questions



## Korita (Jan 11, 2018)

We have coyotes that like to come into our property along with ***** and other critters that like to go after our birds. So far, goats are fine and haven't been threatened by coyotes but I worry. We've been talking for some time now about possibly getting an LGD. We currently have 3 indoor dogs that are all fine around the livestock and fowl but they're inside most times and all night.

How did you all train your LGD's? Where do you start with training?

Kicker added, we are fosters for a rescue and recently got a new foster pup that's about 3 months old. We have decided to adopt her so she will be staying with us. 









This is Everest (my 3 year old - paw patrol loving- son named her ha ha 
She came from a reservation so not sure who the parents are or what breed. Im thinking possibly Shepard mix (usually chasers and not animal guardians lol), maybe some husky. Time will tell as she grows.

But now, my rescue just took in a 3 month old female Great Pyrenees. The thought of 2 puppies at once is a bit "hell no" for me since I'm home all day with my own 2 toddlers and daycare kid(s) too. But then I think.... if I'm alreasy training one pup, why not train 2 at once ha ha

Great Pyrenees is the breed we were leaning towards if we got a LGD as they usually have great temperaments, especially towards small children. I don't know if we will really adopt the Pyrenees pup too but either way, I want Everest to be trained to be great with the livestock too. Not just leave them alone, but also protective.

Where do I start? I've been taking her out around them and praising for good behavior. She wanted to chase the ducks and geese. Gotta break that habit. Ugh. But she's a young pup and the perfect age for training. I've never trained a dog for LGD or even to be good around livestock before though. Our other dogs were adults when we got the livestock and just learned.

Tips and trick welcome!!!


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## Deborah Haney (Jul 11, 2017)

I have never had an LGD either but...

I would go for it. I would get the GP and have Everest as her play buddy once in a while so that she has someone other than the goats to play with. From what I understand, LGD puppies should be kept in their own pen inside the goat pen with supervised interactions with the goats. They should not be trusted with the goats until they are about 2 years old (depending on how bonding/training is going) and should always be corrected when they try to play with or chase the goats. 

This is where another dog comes in handy, to get their energy and playfulness out in a safe way. I've heard it's easier/better to train 2 LGD puppies at once for this reason. I don't see why you couldn't just allow the LGD to play with another dog every now and then instead. I wouldn't let them both play in the goat pen, though. Everest might teach the new guy bad habits with the goats. You could let the GP out of the goat pen for an hour or so twice a day to play with Everest. As for training Everest, I'm afraid I only have experience training older pets to love the goats.

2nd disclaimer: never had an LGD... really want one though


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

SHE IS ADORABLE!!!!!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I would be a bit hesitant not knowing the parentage of the "pyrenees" pup - all rescues only guess on the breed of puppies and puppies can grow up to look very different! But even if she is pyrenees, her parents may not have come from successful livestock guarding. 

It may be difficult to train Everest to be protective of livestock & poultry. To be honest, if she does have husky in her, the best you can hope for is trained to not harm or chase them. And that alone would be impressive for a husky. Exposing her to them daily with fast loud corrections for any chasing or playing with the poultry & livestock is the best way to do it! I would reward her once she lays down calmly near the poultry after getting all her play out.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

I second salty if she has ANY husky in her! We had a husky mamamute.... beautiful 125 pound boy but until he was almost four i wanted choke the life out of him sometimes lol. They need space and lots of it to run and play. Think of an extremely adhd child... we had one of those too and these two were inseperable! He absolutely had be taken for daily long walks (at least 45 min) and we also had an acre fenced in for him to come and go as he pleased. He was not a digger but a jumper. We had put a row of hot wire atop our fence and he knew when it was off cause over it he went. That said when he hit four the switch flipped to these are my humans and i want to stay with them always. He was the absolute best and lived til he was 14. Now that it is gettin cool out i think of my boy so very often and sometimes i think i see him out of the corner of my eye jumpin in leaves or playin in the snow like he loved to do. This was his favorite time of the year and nothin i did could coerce him into the house much. He was my old man winter.


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## Madgoat (Jan 8, 2017)

I bred and raised Anatolians (Kangels) so I am partial to them. They are great with kids as long as they are introduced early and the child is respectful.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Madgoat said:


> I bred and raised Anatolians (Kangels) so I am partial to them. They are great with kids as long as they are introduced early and the child is respectful.


Did a child need be a daily occurrence with a toli? Right now we have one grandson that visits once a month is all. He is one a d half. They live in ky. Maybe in a few years we will have another that will visit way more often cause they live close by. I love the no muss no fuss fur of the tolis but have read several places and talked to a few people that have them that they are tempermental with small children and strangers. They seem to be great lgd but also act more like guard dogs from anyone who is not round them on the daily. (We do occasionally have a sitter come feed the animals) Plus i have a senoir aged mama with early dimentia here that is a small lady five ft two. She visits my goats frequently but on her bad days she is somewhat unpredictable of her moods.... she is never ugly to any of the animals but one minute she will be visitin outside the fence and everything is ok and the next she is harsh of tone, flighty and just unpleasant talkin. Right now she never goes in the pen without us but she does go up to it and pets and gives treats occasionally.


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

personally if she wasnt born with the animals and didnt get to watch her parents interact with them then I wouldnt trust her.


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## Madgoat (Jan 8, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> Did a child need be a daily occurrence with a toli? Right now we have one grandson that visits once a month is all. He is one a d half. They live in ky. Maybe in a few years we will have another that will visit way more often cause they live close by. I love the no muss no fuss fur of the tolis but have read several places and talked to a few people that have them that they are tempermental with small children and strangers. They seem to be great lgd but also act more like guard dogs from anyone who is not round them on the daily. (We do occasionally have a sitter come feed the animals) Plus i have a senoir aged mama with early dimentia here that is a small lady five ft two. She visits my goats frequently but on her bad days she is somewhat unpredictable of her moods.... she is never ugly to any of the animals but one minute she will be visitin outside the fence and everything is ok and the next she is harsh of tone, flighty and just unpleasant talkin. Right now she never goes in the pen without us but she does go up to it and pets and gives treats occasionally.


Depends. If you show that the child is part of your "pack" and allow the dog to do the greeting (chaperoned, of course- even though Anatolians rarely if ever attack humans, unless they feel their herd is in danger, they are holders/pushers, not fighters, unless there is no other option, such as being cornered or the interloper refuses to leave their territory.) As long as the child is respectful you should have no problem. My dogs LOVED kids as long as they didn't tease them. 
But don't think that just because you introduced someone to your dog (which I didn't do alot) and the dog "seems" to accept them, that when that person shows up again the dog won't be aggressive, we've had parties, introduced our dog to friends, had the dog lay down and not make a sound/move. But "we" were there. As soon as we went to bed and the "friend" went back outside, it was like our dog had never met him. He wouldn't let him off the porch steps. That's why you have to be a strong alpha. As long as we said it was ok, he let it go because he knew we were the leaders, but when we were gone (inside) HE was in charge.....

I would make sure no one could reach over or through the fence. And that the gate was securely latched.

Regarding their "coats" there are two types of coats, long and short. They all have double layers, one is hair and the other fur. They DO shed, alot! Especially when they blow their winter coats. They don't require alot of grooming, but they do love being brushed! At least mine did. 

I can't say enough about them, the only negatives I can think of are: digging (they'll dig to China), roaming (must have secure fencing/hotwire), jumping (I had a bitch that could clear a 6 foot privacy fence like a deer!) and bloating, which is typical in deep chested dogs. I lost an amazing stud to this before I was even aware of bloat. 

They are not your typical dog, they reason/think for themselves which is why they are great at what they do. So don't expect a fetch and retrieve dog. And you should NEVER have to hit one, they WANT to please. Just a firm talk will make your point.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Thanks! I did not realize they were suseptible to bloat. Have not read that one anywhere. I have an irish wolfhound... so i know about it amd how to try prevent and look for it but never had deal with it.


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## Madgoat (Jan 8, 2017)

Sfgwife said:


> Thanks! I did not realize they were suseptible to bloat. Have not read that one anywhere. I have an irish wolfhound... so i know about it amd how to try prevent and look for it but never had deal with it.


Any deep chested dog is prone to it. What's so devastating is how fast it happens.


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