# how to train a dog to herd or protect?



## ohiogoatgirl

i have a young female dog and i would like to train her to be better around the goats. i'm not familiar with this type of thing. got her for free and the lady said she's 1/2 husky, 1/4 lab, 1/4 beagle. she's a few months old and i'm also training her to pull. what should i do to get her to be better with the goats? she's not mean just acts like a puppy. but the goats butt her and i'd also like to get them to stop that. any tips would be appreciated.


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## nancy d

Simple. Keep dog out of goat area.
Seriously, this mix is not bred for herding. And she is not going to protect goats either.
Beagles run rabbits. They are hounds. Labs retreive. Husky has prey drive. SHe'll probably be a great pet but not bred to protect livestock.
Your classic LGD's guard protect & nurture their charges with minimal training as it is their instinct.
Throw a stick & observe the lab in her. Put a caged rabbit in front of her & that Husky will take over. Set the rabbit free & you wil have mauled rabbit.


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## toth boer goats

I have to agree with nancy d on this....that is going to be an accident waiting to happen....and you really need to be careful.... if you leave the dog out with your goats unattended....it isn't... going to be pretty...  .... I hate to say this but.... to do it right... you will have to get a LGD.... that is bred to protect goats..... :hug:


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## KW Farms

I agree with nancy as well. Just keep them seperated. You should teach your dog to stay out of their pen and wait for you while you are feeding. I don't let my dogs in with my goats, it's just added stress for the goats. I have a heeler that comes with me to feed every day and she just waits at the gate while I check the goats.


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## citylights

I have a heeler X, a sheperd/border colli X, and a doxie. They all listen to me and don't bother the goats while I'm there, but I'd never leave my heeler X unsupervised, esp with babies! My sheperd is 12 and is [erfect -- she woulnd't dream of doing anything wrong! LOL


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## ohiogoatgirl

i'm training them all to pack and harness and they do good on walks. and i'd never leave her in with the goats alone! she's very good and when i let her run in the goat pasture i'm always there. and she doesn't nip at the goats or anything. she seems to think she's a goat too and wants to play. the goats don't wanna play though ;D


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## Graffogefarms

We have a golden lab/golden retriever cross - and the baby goats tend to curl up with her in the sunshine, the chickens all walk around and the ducks no fear. But the last couple of weeks she has been going crazy as there are two foxes and with the big freeze they came up to the fence in the field beside the house. One came up that is - it was so intent - on watching our ducks from the other side of the fence - that it didn't realze my son had snuck into the field with the dog - and dog came within 5 feet of it! Cara is a great guard dog, so much are we impressed that I just got another Golden lab/retriever cross puppy! (Cara has had 4 seizures - in the last two years - though I suspect that is from stealing eggs) We are crate training indoors at the moment - forgot how lively they can be!


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