# Thinking about a GP



## sbaker (Nov 11, 2012)

So, I'm thinking about getting a GP. I have a few questions.... How are they with other farm dogs? We have another dog, and I want to make sure that they will get along together, but that the GP will not be so friendly that he lets other dogs in the yard as well. And cats? Do you have any problems with aggressiveness towards them?


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## SCRMG (Oct 24, 2012)

Other farm dogs can create a bit of a debate among LGD owners. For the most part, GPs are not naturally dog aggressive and they tend to get along great with other dogs as long as they are not a threat to something they have guardianship over. My LGDs enjoy "play time" outside of the goat pens, and during this time they frolic with my house dogs. Now I've noticed that even while running and playing, my LGDs are careful to always remain between the house dogs and the goat pens. I'm careful to make sure that the house dogs never get too close to the goat pens. I think allowing non guardian dogs to intermingle with the goats while my LGDs are on duty could create confusion, so I make sure there is a clear delineation there.

I do know that raising a puppy with a herding type dog could create a problem. Puppies learn a lot by emulating the older dogs around them. If you raise an LGD with a dog who is prone to chasing livestock, you may end up with a very confused LGD. For the most part, I try to stick to an 80-20 rule. My LGDs spend 80% of their time with the goats and other LGDs. The other 20% is spent playing, training, and socializing. (This is for my GPs, my Sarplaninac actually gets a little more socializing time). This has worked well for me.

As far as cats go, I don't have any. A friend of mine has several that she loves dearly. She gets all of her LGDs as young puppies and doesn't have any problems. When she first started, she got an older, working GP, and this dog viewed cats as little predators. He would kill them if they got into the pen with the goats. If you have cats, it would be best to either start with a puppy, or make sure the dog you get is used to cats.


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## motdaugrnds (Mar 20, 2013)

SCRMG always has valuable information!

I'm wondering how old the dog your getting will be. Puppies are easier to socialize.


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