# Atypical breeds you have put in with goats?



## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

As I think I have mentioned on here before, I put my 10 year old bloodhound (nearly 11) out in the pasture with my does/doelings following an incident where I permenantly dislocated the dog's hip with with my car's bumper (dog is deaf as a rock, and laid down square behind my car nearly two months ago). It was safer during her recovery to keep her out in the barn, and I had been toying with the idea of keeping her out there for at least the protection of the scent of a dog. There are other dogs that roam around here, and I figured she would be safe in the pasture with the goats. 

This dog is very good with her mouth. When she dislocated her hip, we had no idea what had gone on, just that we needed to get her to the vet. We had to move her, and she never went mouthy on us at all. She would yowl, but never got her mouth near anyone or anything in her pain. When we got her as a seven year old from the shelter, she had front foot lacerations on both feet from being run over (hmm, see a trend here, I think the barn and pasture ARE the best place for her). One spot was infected, so my mom and I were cleaning it out regularly. Mom, being the nurse, would do the squeezing and prodding parts, and Maggie NEVER got upset at all about it, and would whimper, but never got mouthy.

Due to age and the hip (I would say that she is using that leg at 90% or more of its usual ability), Maggie is not fast at all. Another plus for an animal out with the goats.

So two months into this arrangement, and it is working out beautifully. Maggie lets the goats boss HER around, if anything. She yields to them, yet hangs out with them frequently in the pasture. If Bree tries to boss her, she yields, maybe yelps, but doesn't use that mouth for anything other than vocalizing. Last night I had to feed the goats later than usual, and it was dark. I see four sets of blue glowing eyes at the fence, and one set of bouncing gold eyes reflecting back at me. Mags was right there with the girls, waiting for her feed. Maggie just happens to shift from foot to foot a lot when excited, hence the bouncing eyeballs.

I wish I knew how a younger bloodhound would do out with goats, because while I know they aren't true LGDs, the fact that there is a predator's scent out there in the pasture now surely is some kind of deterrent for other creatures. Maggie tends to walk the fenceline (she likes her walks that she takes by herself), so that has to help too.

Has anyone else had atypical breeds of dogs do well out with the goats, living with them?


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I trust my husky/Shepard cross in the goat pen. He will nip them if they try to fight him, but other than that he's great. He'll lay down and hang out with them, eating whatever they leave lol.

I DON'T trust him with the babies, he doesn't like them bouncing around and will bite them if they try to play.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

The strangest critters I had with my goats were, 1. my young buck had to live alone for a year because we had no wethers or anything else, so I got 3 young rabbits to live with him, he would chase and play with them, never hurting them, they finally went to the freezer when I got him a friend (they dug out every darn day). 2. That same buck's new friend was my Argentine Dogo- a 115lb mastiff, they LOVED each other, the buck would head butt the dog, and the dog would slobber all over him, best buds until I FINALLY 2 years later, got another buck and another dog for the mastiff!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

First I would die to have a blood hound...so lucky 
And with her age if would really really watch the goats with her. When my Weimaraner wasn't in the house he was out with the goats and he got nailed by a new goat and got sick. Took to a vet and ended up being he had cancer of the spleen and she caused a bleed. Cancer of the spleen is very common in hounds and I know cancer no matter what means death but I think it knocked some months off his time.
But for your question  I trusted him with my goats. Even when they would butt him he would run off like a big dork. The only time he nipped was when one had him in the corner and it wasn't a bad nip just enough to make her back off. 
I have a little rat dog that swears she's a goat and will lay with them and they don't mind her at all. 
Even the cattle dogs (border collie Queensland) I trust with my goats. They no better then to nip at the goats no matter what. And it's kinda sad because I got 2 alpine bottle babies and they hate dogs and will chase the dogs around trying to beat them up and the dogs walk off. The babies are a month old lol. The only time I have to watch the one dog is when there's a new baby. She will adopt any baby and I had a doe reject a kid because the dog cleaned the kid off.


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## Cactus_Acres (Sep 24, 2013)

Lol, yeah, I do keep a close enough eye on her. I always joke I could transplant an ear from one animal to the other if I have bloodhounds around. I really do like her lazy temperament, especially with three kids around. I hesitate on herding breeds due to my kids (we have had BAD luck finding just the right dog or puppy for us, as others either chased chickens or nipped at kids). Maggie has been the only one that was just the right fit all the way around.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

For a while I was putting our three dogs in the pasture every night, to chase away a fox that was after our chickens. The dogs are husky/lab, Aussie/Lab, and Aussie/GSD. They are all good with the animals, though just yesterday I caught the last one nipping at one of the goats through the fence - not sure if she was trying to play or what. The husky/lab never was very trustworthy with the animals until he was about 4 or 5 years old.
Our redbone coonhound (mix?) puppy, on the other hand, is NOT good with the animals; she play-chases the poultry continually. I'm always yelling at her, because spanking is completely ineffective. The goats can't stand her, because she tries to play with them. She's the most stubborn, persistent dog I have ever had to do with. I'm hoping she grows out of chasing the animals before she hurts one.


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

^^ maybe a shock collar would help?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

canyontrailgoats said:


> ^^ maybe a shock collar would help?


Lol I always say shock collar and a hound go hand in hand. I loved my dog and he is my favorite dog I have ever had but he could be stubborn and selective hearing lol. But he probably would have been a runner if not for the chock collar. He got to the point real fast that just putting on him was enough to make him behave.

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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Hey, good idea...I never did like shock collars, but this girl is SO STUBBORN!


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## Kupla (Aug 1, 2014)

I trust my Lab/ Great Dane with my goats. If I introduce him to even the tiniest baby and tell him to "be nice" he accepts them. He also keeps any animals or people out of the yard unless I let them in.


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## GreenMountainNigerians (Jul 3, 2013)

My aussie boy is trusted with the goats. He loves them and treats them like family. They don't enjoy the licks to the face much.we have a new aussie/german shepherd pup. He is now three months and is doing great. The hardest lesson is no chasing. And no running around them playing with the older dog. He's going to be fine with them. We had a female aussie that the goats never learned to trust. I value their opinion. They read the dogs body language better than we do. I shepherd the old fashioned way ,walking my goats in the woods to browse. The dogs are my guards. We have a lot of big predators interested in us ! LOL! Free meats. 


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