# Of pet Goats and pet Dogs



## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

I would like to hear of everyone's experience with their pet dogs and getting them to play nice with their goats. 
Has anyone had trouble with it? What have you done? With the good and bad - what breed of dogs are they?


We have 2 new baby goats and 2 dogs that will be living together. 
One of our dogs is perfect with them already and no issues. The other is okay, but I am not 100% sure about him and will take some time before I would trust him to be alone with them. Mainly he is just interested in playing, but they are pretty small still and I don't want them being chased around.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we do not allow our dogs to play with the goats...this "play" can end badly...goats and dogs play differently...while goats like to rise up and head bang down..dogs play with their mouth...bite and pull...better to set bounderies now..why every ones getting used to eachother..

we have rat terriers, a few mixed mutts, yellow lab, boxer/hound, and two great danes..


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## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

Not necessarily actually play, but be in the same yard without causing trouble then 
I assume we'll just be teaching them to leave the goats alone.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

I wouldn't trust dogs with goats unless they are trained guardian dogs. Goats like run, dogs like to chase. When my dalmatian/american bulldog has been around the goats, she looses it. She chases them relentlessly and hops on them, slobbering all over them. So far she hasn't hurt anyone, but I can only imagine how much it stresses them out. (Before we put up a fence for her, we had her on a run with the goats, which she frequently broke free from.) I'm positive one of our puppies which we kept would tear a goat apart. The stray dogs that come by pace up the goat fence too, until my dog chases them away. 

Anyway, pet dogs and goats don't seem like a good mix.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we have 8 dogs ( i know too many!), four tiny and 4 large (2 very large)...all run loose and have access to goats sheep chicken ducks ect....the dogs mostly stay in our back yard but have access to the whole farm...thats their job! to keep us and the animals safe..so they can be in with the goats, lay in the same yard as the goats..even share the duck pool ...but they are never allowed to chase or snap or play with them..bascally they are to act as though there are no goats with them...I have a few small goats who find their way in the back yard..my dogs dont care...same "invisable goat rule" My young Great Danes walk past baby chicks with out a second look...

Note: All our dogs with the exception of our Boxer/hound, Peggie Sue..came to us as a puppy...raised with the animals from day one...so they are not a threat or a toy...Peggie Sue had a natural mothering way about her...she took to the goats like her babies...she came to us at 7 months old..we never had to train her NOT to mess with the goats...it just came natural...
If your dogs are older..it may take a lot of training on your part to protect thegoats...I would never just assume they will be ok...
If I have a dog that shows aggression...then I have to step in...make a choice and most likely..rehome the dog...the farm animals are our way of life...protecting that comes first...rehomeing a dog BEFORE something bad happens is important..


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## mayia97420 (Apr 22, 2014)

Leaving a "pet" dog alone with a dog has the makings of a disaster. Goats will run and dogs will chase - at some point it will get out of hand and a dog will grab "bite" the goat. My dogs know they can not chase the goats, chickens, horses- and when I am out with them they all get along fine. I still don't leave them alone with my livestock. They are not trained LGDs. They do bark to let me know if something is going on outside that I should know about. ( my personal opinion)


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## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

We have Australian shepherds and they are much like Cathy said above. They basically ignore the goats. They have been around a lot of baby animals and know not to touch them. My little doe Lily likes to put her head down and push the dogs which we discourage but the dogs just walk away and don't react. Ours are all in the yard together too but seem to peacefully coexist but not play together. The only problem we have is if a chicken starts a real squawk and runs our male dog throws all his training out the window and puts the chase on them.


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## fuzyjack (Jan 10, 2014)

We have 3 very large dogs that when they met my two goats (they were at the time just a couple days old) they were really friendly and loved the goats!


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## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

so far one of our dogs is perfect with them - pretty much just ignores them. 
the other is getting much better and we are training him to ignore them, but so far its been only 2 days, so he is still curious.


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## takethelead (Dec 18, 2013)

Each dog is different but I learned my lesson the hard way. I purchased what I thought was a pure pyrenees but happened to be a mix with a mutt down the road but they didn't tell me that. Granted that her mom was a working dog and 4 generations behind her were working the dad's side of instincts took over and luckily I was there when she attacked. It took her two months before she did. Every other time she was great with them. Never bothered them followed them around and ran the fence line but as soon as she saw them running and playing when the weather was warmer she thought they were food.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

When I got my first "pet goats" about 5-6 years ago I had 3 dogs, all mixed breed but 2 were very young. They all did great with the goats when we were home and were not allowed in the goat pen when we were not home.. But where there's a will there's a way.. One day I'm assuming the goats were playing which got the young dogs riled up.. The two of them broke through the fence and attacked my goats.. Nobody was home so needless to say it did not end well, but I will leave out the gruesome details.. It was not the pups faults, it was my fault for assuming my fence could hold these dogs in.. I was wrong.. The dogs now have a kennel that is basically a prison for when we are not home. When we are home they are wonderful with the goats and mostly ignore them except when I use them for herding which they are actually good at even with their past history..


Moral of my story is I WILL NOT EVER leave a pet dog alone with my goats. One day I may have an LGD but I'm just not set up for one now.


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats! 2 nubian does, 1 Nubian buck, 1 Pygmy doe, and 1 alpine/ guernsey wether! Plus the rest of the farm pets which would take the whole page to list  
~Dee

Sent from my iPad using Goat Forum


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## Catahoula (Feb 12, 2013)

It is all depending on your dog/s. I have a gentle 90# dog. He can be trusted with my goats. On the other hand, I cannot trust my goats with my dog. My goats are 200+ lbs and they sometimes headbutt or step on the dog.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Mar 19, 2014)

Catahoula said:


> It is all depending on your dog/s. I have a gentle 90# dog. He can be trusted with my goats. On the other hand, I cannot trust my goats with my dog. My goats are 200+ lbs and they sometimes headbutt or step on the dog.


I totally agree, what happened to me happened with 2 large hyper pups and 2 very nervous goats.. The goats I have now would hurt my dogs before my dogs hurt them! The same 2 dogs I had back then are now older, slightly more mature and are terrified of the goats I have now. Unless there is supervised herding going on. Like if I am milking a goat and another is running loose the dogs will run from the loose goat rather than chase her. However due to their past history they will always be locked in their prison cell when I am not home.. But I don't want y'all to think I'm mean and I keep dogs in small cages, their "cell" is huge and when I am home they are house dogs at night and free range with me on 8 acres during the day.

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats! 2 nubian does, 1 Nubian buck, 1 Pygmy doe, and 1 alpine/ guernsey wether! Plus the rest of the farm pets which would take the whole page to list  
~Dee

Sent from my iPad using Goat Forum


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## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

We currently only have them together under pretty strict supervision, and will probably stay that way for quite a while, as our goats are still very small. 
Last night we did make great progress with the larger dog though.
Our smaller dog is still perfect with them - just completely ignores. 
The other is still very interested, but not obsessively so and you can get him to ignore them without too much trouble. 
Last night the little goat was actually climbing all over him and he just laid there and got ear scratches from me without much thought about it!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I will add to this thread saying , it depends on the dogs prey instincts , no training or supervision will change that , ever. Not enough that you can fully trust the dog in the pen with the goats , no matter how big the fenced area is and how small/big the goats are.
( omitting LGDs trained well )
To trust a dog alone with goats is a recipe for disaster IMO.
I also have herding dogs and they don't give a hoot about the goats , even when they run around like silly babies. But all it takes is one movement to spark their chase instinct , and its all over. The stress just by being chased is enough to send a goat beyond the point of surviving it. One of my dogs , is very trustworthy with the goats , but still , my conscience tells me never to leave him alone with them. What if a goat goes over to the dog and head butts him really badly ? Its natural for the dog to defend itself , even if the dog has repeatedly walked away from the goats , there is always that one time the dog wasnt in the mood for it and didn't feel like walking away. JMHO.
Giving the fact that the OPs goats are very small , it would be over in a instant. Climbing on the dog can surely end in fatality if the goat steps on the "wrong" place. Please don't allow this to happen , the dogs reaction can be so quick that you won't be able to help regardless how quick you think you can react . Just saying.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

More threads on dog attacks ( dogs in the same pen ) have happened , you can do a search and find them here I'm sure. No matter how much you think you know your dog , you really don't , cause we don't speak dog , lol. And they have boundaries we will never know


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

We have an Australian/german shorthair pointer mix. This is a mix that needed a lot of time and training as a puppy. We had to really work on her in the beginning to not chase the goats. Our dog is now so very loving with all the goats. Only the herd queen dislikes our dog since she had to put up with her in her punky years and she hasnt gotten over it but this dog of ours loves the baby goats. She is so loving. I think it would be harder if you have more than one dog. We just have one dog and she knows her purpose and rules well with the goats. They are her buddies.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

I still don't leave her alone with the goats. Mostly because the herd queen may hurt her and also if left alone for long time periods with the goat, she will spark some energy from them to either chase her or be chased. The german shorthairs that we have had, like to get other dogs, people to chase them.. An Aussie, will herd. This combination in our dog would surely get all the goats confused and worked up. Our dog does like to tease them by running by with a balloon and scaring them with it. -dropping it by them and barking at it watching them all panic. So if left alone- even our dog would tease them I am sure.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

We have 4 border collie working herds dogs a smaller sized mutt and I just got a mutt puppy that has some border collie in her but also a ton of something else.
All my dogs have access to all the animals and except for the puppy have even been used on the goats when they refuse to come in at night. The don't bother the goats. The worse they do is if a goat butts them they bark at them. And the 4 cattle dogs are very aggressive when herding cows. 
But like Cathy said above these dogs were either born here or I got them as small puppies. It has never been ok for them to try and herd or play with the animals till they were older and understood the command. Now they attempted it as puppies and every single one got their butt whipped. That is not something that is ok here and they either learn real fast because if they harm another animal I would put them down which I have only had to do once. I won't separate them I think that will only make matters worse if ever the dog gets out of their pen.


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## CaprineDream (Aug 22, 2014)

I just have Dachshunds, so they don't touch the goats. In fact, the goats usually run them off. Lol


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## fuzyjack (Jan 10, 2014)

We have 3 dogs and they are very sweet with our goats. We don't have a problem with leaving them all alone with eachother!


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Some breeds of dogs should never be allowed access to your goats...dogs with a strong prey drive like Alaskan Malamutes. Never trust them.

I have a those plus 2 Great Pyrenees, an English Setter and an Alaskan Husky.

The Pyrs are great with the goats. The Setter ignores them but would not hurt them. The Alaskan Husky loves the kids and helps me raise the bottle kids. 

My Mals would just as soon eat the goats.


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## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

Update on how they are doing now that we have had them a few weeks. 
Pictures say more than words...


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

That is adorable ! What a great picture 
I hope they are all doing well ! Thanks for the update Ziegen 
I *love* your Beagle !!!!!


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## Ziegen (Sep 22, 2014)

Thanks! She is the sweetest dog ever


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

So is my Beagle  Im a Beagle fanatic , lol..


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Neat, it's great they all get along. My farm dog loves the babies. She's very good at warming and cleaning the ones who need help.


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

Here are pictures of my LGD pup with the goat kids!


















You can see more pictures here: www.libertyhomesteadfarm.com/livestock-guardian-dog/


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Awwwwwww


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## LibertyHomesteadFarm (Feb 1, 2014)

LibertyHomesteadFarm said:


> Here are pictures of my LGD pup with the goat kids!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Trickyroo said:


> Awwwwwww


This was back in the spring.


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## Viola5 (Dec 10, 2013)

I have a Australian shepherd/border collie herding dog.... He loves the goats .... The goat's are for sure "His babies". He so good with them but I won't leave him in the small pen with them.... mostly cuzz my queen bee will chase him around pretty much the whole time.... And he might have enough of it and bite them though he would feel really guilty about it.

He cracks me up ... if I'm watching a show with a dog on it.. he'll just tune it out but if its a goat he has to run to the window and look out to make sure "his babies" are okay :laugh:


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## Viola5 (Dec 10, 2013)

I forgot to add :razz:

That's he's older... I think he's either 6 or 7 and a only dog

There's NO WAY if he was younger or his brother was still around that he would be any where near my goats


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Those are great pix!!! 

I think most any dog can be good wth goats if taught that chase is not ok..have a time to get to know them and such..but no dog should ever be fully trusted...My boxer hound will sit guard over moms in labor, she will clean off new babies if mom lets her...she is very affectionate and loving...but I still keep a close eye....all my dogs run free and have access to all the ranch...but we are here almost 24/7...so we watch...never had a problem..but I still will not trust them 100 %...They are dogs.....too many sad cases where a good dog turn crazy and killed the herd...its just not something I ever want to come home to. So yes..they can cuddle, and guard, and love and all the things we adore them to do...just keep watch


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I've seen way too many sad endings of dogs and goats left together.

I have 10 dogs-6 Alaskan Malamutes, 2 Great Pyrenees, and English Setter and an Alaskan Husky.

The Mals wouldn't hesitate to shred the goats of given the chance. All but 1 of them were raised around the goats and they would still kill them. The mother Mal loves newborn kids and will mother then until they are active, then they become prey.

The Setter ignores them. The Alaskan Husky loves bottle kids and mothers them, even teaches them to eat solids. They are never alone with the goats.

The Great Pyrs are fine. I trust them. 

So many times I have read where someones pet, who was raised with the goats, suddenly kills them. All it takes is once.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I don't trust my dog....or my daughters puppy...they both like to chase things that run. My weim literally shivers when she is close to my rabbits :/ but she knows better...do I trust her? NO WAY! She's 10 and acts like she's 3....


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