# Adding new dog to existing herd



## jbreithaupt (Jun 24, 2012)

I am adding a 6 month old GP to my herd of goats and one 2 yr old GP, not sure he has been involved in a herd before. Anybody got a run down of how I need to proceed with the addition??


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

First I would start with having him on the other side of the fence. I'm not sure how to proceed further for your other LGD to accept him.


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## jbreithaupt (Jun 24, 2012)

Thanks Karen. I have brought him to the farm and put him in a small enclosed pen with a whether. The pen is inside the large fenced area and my other LGD can see him. I brought him out there and "introduced" him to the current LGD Lulu. I gave both attention and the new guy Mater, submitted to Lulu. It was perfect. So now Mater is getting to know the goats. He really is a sweetheart and I don't think he would be aggressive at all. I'm gonna leave him in the small pen and rotate a few of the goats in with him for a couple weeks. Then I think he should be ready to be let out in the larger fenced area. He did have quite a bad experience with the electric fence yesterday. I'm guessing he has never been around one but he figured it out quick.


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## kristinatucker (Jan 3, 2012)

Be careful they don't bond with you, you want them to bond with the goats first so that they want to be with them over you. Don't pet or be playful much at all, feed them where they will be staying. We have a runner by our goat house that we have our 6 month old LGD so that he learns to stay there. He did great and then found a spot in the fence to come out so back on the runner he goes to learn. Teach commands and don't let them put their paws on the goats back its a bad habit and hard to break.


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## fishin816 (Mar 4, 2011)

If you start with the younger one it would probably grow up with the goats and bond with them.The older one,I would take baby steps with it because if it has never been with a herd it will not think of them as family so take it slowly.Only turn the older dog out with the goats when you are watching them.Oh I forgot to tell you to put the younger dog in with baby goats then it will work with him/her.Once they get bonded with the goats they will put their life at stake for them. Hope I can help you


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## jbreithaupt (Jun 24, 2012)

Sorry if I wrote that wrong. The older LGD was raised with goats and has been in our herd for several months now. She is perfect. It's the 6 month old that we just got last week and was not raised with goats. 

So far, we have kept him penned with a doe and her young kid. He stays with them 24/7. He seems to be doing great. Just a little feeding issues. He tries to eat the goats food, which isn't a problem but he will run the goats away. I have been very stern with him when he does this, and run him back to his own food. We have been letting him out with the other goats for a few minutes a day and then it's back to the pen. He still has a lot of play in him. But he is starting to pay more attention to the goats than to me. I just really try to ignore him as much as I can but still watch him with feeding.


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## kristinatucker (Jan 3, 2012)

Thats what I had to do, basically just ignore him unless he was acting ou then of course had to correct him but after I was done with the goats then I would give him attention but only if he is sitting. they are great but not as easy as I was hoping!


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