# Can an adult Pyrenees be trained to be a LGD



## tcwells23 (Nov 23, 2012)

We acquired a 2 yr old male Pyrenees that was never claimed after being found and brought in to a vets office. We were told we could try him and if he doesn't work out, bring him back. 

I'm not sure he has ever seen a goat. When we bring him around the goats, he turns his head away from them and won't look at them. He isn't aggressive, just seems scared of them. He will stay in the general area with them but he will not go close enough to pass by them. He also chased my chickens. We held a chicken close to him and told him "no" and let him sniff it. Then he took a big bite of feathers!

He is super sweet and we like him a lot but I need a LGD, not a pet. Is it possible to train him to be a LGD? I'm willing to take the time if it's a good possibility but if it's not likely, I need to take him back.

Also, I had found a 1 yr old female with some working experience. Her owner said she had to have electric fence, which I don't have. We have field fencing. The owner told me I would never be able to have a LGD without electric fencing. Is this correct or is it possible to keep a Pyrenees in regular 4 ft field fencing?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Take the dog back. You can't train them to guard.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

There might be a dog out there that could learn to guard as an adult, but I doubt many will. Since he's already trying to eat the chickens, I don't think you'll have any luck training him.


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

Totally agree...take the dog back. 

And as for the fencing...in my admittedly limited experience...the males go over and the females go under! I've heard others express this same sentiment. That said, not all "truisms" are true, but just be prepared!


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

If you have Facebook there are several groups that give excellent training advice for LDGs. Livestock guardian group and learning about livestock guardians are two of them that I am in. As for training an older one, it can be done but without knowing his past experience it will be more difficult. I have had LGDs for several years now and it doesn't matter the gender or the breed, some dogs are just more difficult to contain than others but a 4ft fence is not going to be tall enough. We have a three year old female that has never gotten out until we moved. The fence in the front was 4ft and one day she just realized she could jump it. I saw her fly over that thing and take off after a strange dog without a problem. A string of electric on the top fixed the problem.


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## tcwells23 (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks...My husband said we can run of a string of electric if we need to. Last night I didn't get home until about 8:30 and it was almost dark, the goats were standing up near the gate at our back yard and the Pyrenees, Olaf, was laying just a few feet from them. It gave me some hope that maybe he could work out for us. My husband also took him in the chicken coop yesterday. He did try to lunge at the chickens and my husband would pull on his collar and tell him no. He seems to understand "no" and stopped trying to lunge at them. By the time they left the coop, my husband would actually have to make him go near the chickens and then he would just sit there and look up at my husband.

They said we could keep him until the end of the week and then bring him back. If he doesn't do what we need him for then I will definitely take him back. 

Thanks again!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

If he's not been raised with livestock from the beginning, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to get him bonded to them. They generally need to start out with livestock from a young age and learn to bond to them. If he's been raised as a pet, bonded to people instead, he may not enjoy being with the livestock at all. What would worry me most is if he's not actually purebred Pyrenees and has something else mixed in him....with an unknown background, you just could never be sure.


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## tcwells23 (Nov 23, 2012)

He's actually warming up to the goats. At night he lays just a few feet from them. He also makes his rounds around the fence line and barks occasionally. During the day, he doesn't necessarily stay right with the goats because he stays in the shade to stay cool. He also warns off our house dogs and my husbands police dog when they approach the fence.

We were told he was about 2-3 yrs old but I think he is younger than that. I do think he is full blooded but I could be wrong.


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## Aunt_Maf (Apr 8, 2016)

Oh my gosh, he's so cute!

If I were you, I'd ask on a Great Pyrenees forum if you can find one. Different breeds have different characteristics - and of course individuals within that breed have different characteristics.

I have an Old English Sheepdog. I have no doubt that he will protect my goats from predators, even though we're both new to these goats. But I also have no doubt that he would chase and attack my goats if they run from him - his prey drive is so strong for an Old English Sheepdog, it would kick in the moment he sees a goat running from him, and so I would never trust him. But that's the breed - and the individual within the breed.

As for fences - my Old English Sheepdog respects any kind of fence. He just seems to intuitively know that he stays within the fence line, even a short picket fence works. I suspect a rope dangling between two trees would work for him, lol. No fence will contain my American Eskimo, on the other hand.

Good luck - I hope it all works out.


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## Retiredokjusttired (Jun 26, 2016)

I have had 2 adult female Pyrs and I acquired both at age 1. They were not raised with livestock. They have learned to guard the entire place..not the actual goats/sheep/chickens. I have one that will stay with the herd during the day on most days. She wants to go into their pens. The other is bonded to an old dog that I bring in at night and she and old dog run the territory throughout the day. At night both Pyrs team and work. I bring the old dog into the laundry room. The 2 Pyrs have a complete territory they cover. I have seen one young LOST HUNGRY coyote my husband chased off with a truck the 4 years we have had the 2 Pyrs. Lucky my husband saw the coyote and not the dogs. Before we got the first one we had coyotes with dens on our property in the pasture. They have ran them all off. Currently we are over ran with bunnies...the wild bunnies have figured out there are no predators here. 

On topic of the LGD dogs..in my experience the adult not raised with livestock MAY or MAY NOT bond with a small animal herd. If they have a job though they will work. I like that ours cover the territory instead of just the herd. We have never had loss from coyotes or dogs or flying predators. I DID have a feral cat take out 6 of my chickens. 
Once I figured that out I put the 2 dogs in the pens for 2 nights. Night one there was fight but no blood on the dogs and no dead cat. Night 2 nothing. A few days later hubby shot the cat down at another barn. SHE was HUGE. She weighed about 15 or more lbs. 6 chickens later of course. 
If the dog is bonding keep an eye on him and look for signs of him separating himself from them...he could go either way and if you have a territory for him to cover he may do that if he has roamed before. If you live more local that may be a problem..the roaming that is.
Good luck


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