# Guardian Dogs



## goateeman (Dec 22, 2012)

Want some pros and cons from experienced goaters. Living in a rural area I know that there are coyotes all around. Is it imperative or not to have a guardian dog with my goats? And one other thing, do great pyrenees dogs scare coyotes away or do they fight and kill coyotes?

:crazy: Worried about safety

Goateeman


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Don't know about pyrenees, but we have an Ole English in with ours. We also live in a rural area and have coyotes, racoons and other other dogs that love to harass goats. Luckily our dog doesn't like any of them and keeps them away. Don't know if he would fight one if they got into our fenced areas though.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It really depends on how good your fences are and how close everything comes around your house. We have coyotes in our area but they really stay away from the fields since they have rabbits and feral cats to feed on. 

Do your neighbors keep their dogs at home? That would be a huge problem if neighbor dogs just come around when they feel like it.

I don't have an LGD but really don't need one at this time. I have the 4' no climb woven wire horse fence with the 2x4" openings and it is tight to the ground. So far nothing has tried to dig under. I do lock my goats up around the barn at night in a more secure area and will lock them in the barn when needed so that helps as well.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

goateeman said:


> And one other thing, do great pyrenees dogs scare coyotes away or do they fight and kill coyotes?
> 
> :crazy: Worried about safety
> 
> Goateeman


 They do both. Their first line of defence involves a lot of barking, a lot, all night long. My neighbors Pyrenees usually start up at about 11:00 and bark until daylight. Some nights even they can't stand it and lock them and their sheep in the barn. Those nights we all sleep well. No one in the neighborhood can keep a house cat either. I don't have proof that those dogs kill them, just suspect, having seen them chasing them through the brush behind my house.

I don't have those type of dogs. I put in good 5 foot fences that would be about impossible for a coyote to get through. The shelter is also very close to my house and my Eskimo dog would warn me of anything going on with "her" animals. If I needed a guardian, in my situation, I would probably opt for a yearling mini-mule jenny to raise with the goats.


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## pmckracken (Dec 22, 2012)

I have a great Pyrenees that we raised up among the goats since 8 weeks. He's a year now and evn though he a baby with the family he's constantly on alert. I lost a Nubian last week to coyotes because we had the dog in the house...our mistake. I should have known better. But incredibly the dog ran right to the scene of the crime across the field and just stayed there sniffing and looking across the hills for an hour. He marked every single place he found scent. He's 110lbs now and he doesnt play around with Coyotes. He chased one for at least two miles onto my neighbors farm in the middle of the day (rare) a couple weeks ago. We have marauding coyotes up here in the Poconos. Some say they are Hybrid Wolves. We trapped one last year 65lbs and his mane looked like a wolf. He was a mean SOB. My Great Pyrenees is the greatest dog I've ever owned, exceptionally intelligent, gentle as a lamb with the goats and 110lbs of Coyote nightmare if need be.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

We are actually going to buy a Karakachan dog. Unlike most livestock dog breeds, they only bark when they really need to -- not all the time. I have nothing at all against the other breeds, but our neighbors would not approve of constant barking ;D


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## pmckracken (Dec 22, 2012)

P.S. This guy doesn't even bother our chickens and ducks..except for stealing eggs! But I spent alot of time teaching him who was friend and who is foe. It's intuitive and you have to work closely with a big dog like this and you have to be firm...I don't care what people say, I used a newspaper on his nose when he needed it. He a safe, incredibly obedient, protective dog. If you don't have the time to train him forget it.


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## pmckracken (Dec 22, 2012)

Woodhavenfarm said:


> We are actually going to buy a Karakachan dog. Unlike most livestock dog breeds, they only bark when they really need to -- not all the time. I have nothing at all against the other breeds, but our neighbors would not approve of constant barking ;D


Pyrenees do bark. My dog Scotch really isn't that bad but he is worse at night. Maybe I'm used to it. All our neighbors are farmers so they could care less. If fact the first thing my neighbors said was "maybe he'll keep some of these damn Coyotes out".


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I wish my neighbors were as understanding


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## chapinranch (Apr 30, 2012)

We have two working pyrenese and we love them . Any yes they warn and kill Coyotes. They were bred to kill wolves and bears as well . Pyrenese bark warning preditors of their wear abouts

www.chapinranch.com


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## chapinranch (Apr 30, 2012)

Our pyrenese don't bark all night just when something is wrong . If anything that is not introduced to the LGDs they consider it doesn't belong in their domain . They are doing their job they were bred for


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## chapinranch (Apr 30, 2012)

this is our male Great Pyrenes he will be a year old in april 2013
our well house is 4ft tall that he is by


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

We have loose dogs in the hood & coyotes. The 2 Anatolians keep every one & everything out.
If they do get in they are dead meat.
We went about 2 yrs without LGDs. Then got our first one.
That first fall he was oh, 6 or 8 mos and a cougar was spotted down the road. While not big enough to take one on we had no loss, even to this day.
That fall we added another LGD.
They are worth their weight in gold.


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## geonjenn (Oct 3, 2012)

We rescued a Great Pyrenese mix puppy who was dumped at our feed store when we happened to be there. It was said (by my husband) "he will NOT come in the house" and the first night, my husband saw an opossum who was bigger than Buddy (the dog) so he brought him in the house. He was actually smaller than our Pomeranian puppy and she taught him who was boss. Well, now it's months later and he is HUGE (the pom is still the boss). But he is VERY protective. If one of the dogs barks or makes any noise that seems like something is wrong, he's there to protect her/him. The problem is that we never put him in with the goats like we should have and now he sleeps in the house at night. He knows the goats since they come in the back yard frequently and I think he would protect them, but I don't know how he would do in the goat yard all night.  Do GPs have to be raised with the goats from the time they're puppies? I would like to find one or two specifically for the goats (for real), but I've been looking for some adults that are already trained and used to goats. Every time there's one on Craigslist, they get snatched up quick. I think it's too late for Buddy to be a strictly goat guardian. He's the people/puppy guardian now. He does keep watch over all of us but likes his bed in the house a little too much.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I'll be getting an Anatolian Shepherd in about a week... he's still a pup, but I'll keep you posted.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

My dog is Anatolian/ German Shepherd she does bark quite a bit but is the biggest sweetheart ever. her and her pup actually caught a hawk a couple of months ago.
No idea how they did that. Wish I could have witnessed it.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

KymberLeAnn said:


> My dog is Anatolian/ German Shepherd she does bark quite a bit but is the biggest sweetheart ever. her and her pup actually caught a hawk a couple of months ago.
> No idea how they did that. Wish I could have witnessed it.


That's encouraging. The hawks will swoop over our tiny babies -- it's my main reason for wanting a guardian dog.


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## MsDachshund (Dec 15, 2012)

We had an Irish Wolf Hound. she just passed from old age. She hardly ever barked at all but when she did every one knew it. The coyotes did stay away from where she was. We a goat just before she passed and being as old as she was she didn't try to hurt my little fellow. Gandalf thought she was a funny looking goat though. I am thinking of getting more Irish Wolfhounds and raise then with the poultry and goats. They just don't live very long, about 7 to 9 years is the average. I've seen some live up to 11 years but not any older than that yet.

Sent from my iPad using GoatSpot


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

MsDachshund said:


> We had an Irish Wolf Hound. she just passed from old age. She hardly ever barked at all but when she did every one knew it. The coyotes did stay away from where she was. We a goat just before she passed and being as old as she was she didn't try to hurt my little fellow. Gandalf thought she was a funny looking goat though. I am thinking of getting more Irish Wolfhounds and raise then with the poultry and goats. They just don't live very long, about 7 to 9 years is the average. I've seen some live up to 11 years but not any older than that yet.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using GoatSpot


I don't think Wolfhounds are livestock dogs -- your boy sounded wonderful, but to be truly safe with the goats they have to be true livestock guardian breeds, who have been bred for that sole purpose for centuries


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

If you are a fan of the Wolf Hounds I'd suggest that you look at the Kangal Dogs. I think you might like them


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## MsDachshund (Dec 15, 2012)

I love dogs! All dogs! My absolute favorite are dachshunds with Irish wolf hounds as a very close second if not just about a tie. It gets pretty hot in the summers here so the good thing about the Irish wolf hound was we gave her a short cut and kept a baby pool full of clean cool water that she laid in. I'm afraid a Great Pyrenees would be too hot here.

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## MsDachshund (Dec 15, 2012)

Oh by the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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## goateeman (Dec 22, 2012)

Hey goaters, i have been getting info from neighbors who say the anatolians are a super lgd. Any thoughts


goateeman


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

My dog 1/2 Anatolian half German shepherd. I was a bit worried about how she would react with the goats because of the GSD half, but she is the best dog I have ever had. I had her in with my does and two week old kids the other day (one of which had an open wound on his knee) and all she did was run around giving everyone kisses.
She is in one buck and one doe full time, and I have never had to worry about her.


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## MOgoatlady (Oct 23, 2012)

I want to mention this just because I have not seen it mentioned on this post yet. Some people will keep fainting goats in with their dairy/meat herds as a form of protection for the more expensive animals. I have not done this and do not know how well it does or doesn't work, but in terms of training this is a lot less time consuming and less expensive than a LGD. I am not advocating or criticizing keeping "sacrificial lambs" I just wanted to alert people to this method.


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