# Help!!! LGD thinks our goats look tasty!!!



## Beckygoats (Oct 22, 2011)

We got Gus our intended LGD in January. He's a great dane and great pyr cross (not ideal, but the right price.) He is 4 mos old and we've been keeping him in a kidding pen within the goat pen. Started weaning him in with the goats with us present for a few weeks, then the lastcouple days we have let him be with the goats alone. Tonight during evening chores he grabbed Jillian( one of the yearling goats) by the back leg and just started chewing. Not yanking or ripping, just chewing. The gate was locked so by the time I got in there he was interested in me and waiting to be petted. So I pushed him down on his back and shook him and said "no!" in my don't mess with my goats voice and put him in the kidding pen for the night. How do I teach him not to eat our goats? He has left the ducks alone, but he is going to be in charge of ducks, chickens, and goats. :hair


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

Not a real good mix for a LGD.


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

First, he is WAY too young to be alone with any animals. He still needs supervision every time. He is a puppy and going to act like a puppy. It could be a year to a year and a half before he can be left unsupervised. It could be sooner but every dog is different.

Second, since he had left the goat and was just happy to see you, he didn't make the connection that you corrected him for chewing on the goat. 

Third, he might not ever make a LGD. Great Danes are a hunting breed. It's very possible he will take after that breed rather than GP.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

He is not a true LGD and never will be. He can be an all around farm dog but he is a mix and sorry but the price is not right if he is going to chew, harass or maybe kill your livestock. 

Real LGD have a low prey drive, follow the stock out when they graze, do not chase or otherwise harass the animals. 

Make him an all around farm dog and use him as a barking/warning system, have him follow you when you do chores, correct him when he misbehaves. Also make sure you secure your poultry or make it so he cannot get to them. I have LGD and at around 4 months or so they each killed a couple of adolescent chickens. They left the chicks alone and the adults but went after the mid-sized ones until they have been corrected and taught it was not ok. 

With mixes you never know what you are going to get and you cannot trust them with the livestock 24/7. You can get a mix of LGD breeds but when you toss in a high prey drive dog, herding dog and etc you cannot expect them to behave the way an LGD should.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok....you have a couple of problems. First and foremost, your dog is not a livestock guardian dog.....he is only half. And the other half is not a good breed to be with stock. If it were me, I'd cut your losses now and either rehome him or keep him as a pet and get yourself a real LGD breed. Also, even if he is a LGD breed, he is too young to be unattended with livestock.


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## Jayfl77 (Jan 12, 2008)

Great Danes aren't really a hunting breed anymore, that aspect of their breed has been almost bred out them. They used to be used for hunting boar but that was ages ago. The breed was then developed to be companions and estate guard dogs. Watching our Danes and Pyrs growing up, the Pyrs did much better against animals while the Danes were better keeping unsavory characters off the property.

The dog's a puppy and puppy's chew. Sometimes on toys, sometimes on other animals, sometimes on you. Only allow supervised visits until he's at least a year old.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I wouldn't trust that mix with your goats at all. He can just be a pet farm dog. You need a real LGD to stay with the goats.


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## Chaty (Apr 4, 2008)

I agree with the others as he is way too young to be left alone with your goats. I did the same thing when my first 2 LGD's were young and they are puppies and will chase and chew or even hunt. Not good so I had to take mine out where they could see them but not reach them. When they were let out I was there. Some will do their jobs and some wont. Good luck!


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## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Regardless of breed or mix, this is a puppy problem.
It's just perfectly normal puppy behavior and exactly how he would play with another puppy. 

Just like you taught him that you don't get played with be being chewed on and chewing back, he has to learn that goats don't play that way either.

Puppies, don't do an awful lot of thinking ahead or behind. So I'm sure he didn't associate the correction with the rough play.
Go ahead and yell NO _right when you see the bad behavior_, even if you can't get to them right that instant. 
And please, even though you want him to be an LGD, or at least an outdoor farm dog (which is all that most folks need) go on and train him.

At my place, NO BAD DOG _means do that again and you will be lucky to live through it!!!!!_
I mean it strongly and I don't use it often.
Instead, I use Leave It - _whatever you're looking at/thinking about just quit right there before there's trouble_
Drop It - _spit it out of your mouth like it's on fire_
and Off - _all four paws on the ground_. We get Off the hood of the truck, Off of me should they jump up, Off the couch when they're inside, etc
I treat them like commands, which means that when they comply, they get a _Good_ Dog!

For example, when a pup is looking at a chicken/wanting to "play" with a goat/sniffing at some poo that will be perfect to roll in, I give the command Leave It, and expect the dog to turn his attention back to me and away from whatever he's focusing on. 
I will correct with a harsh sound (Eh, Eh, Eh, or even a doglike growl for very young pups, but whatever works that isn't as harsh as NO) or a leash correction to get their attention away from the now forbidden item and make a fast movement (like a quick step backward) and a kissy noise to bring the dog's attention to me, and then Good Dog!

If the pup is already in full chase mode and running the chicken down, or has the goat between it's teeth, that is the time for that uber-strong NO and for me to do some running of my own - to get to that pup! 
And that is also my signal to keep my eyes on that pup more so that it doesn't get that far again.


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## peteyfoozer (Nov 23, 2012)

I'm inclined to agree with those who said the breeds that are crossed are a problem, and being a puppy is secondary to that. LGD's are a GENRE of dog, not a title for any breed that lives with livestock. There are specific breeds that were selectively developed to have behaviors unlike any other genre of dog. The no/low-prey drive and independent thinking are just two of those qualities. Crossing an LGD to a breed outside of that genre can be a recipe for disaster if the resulting pups will be used to guard livestock because there will be conflicting instincts. The dog may make a wonderful pet, or farm dog, but I wouldn't count on having it guarding livestock unsupervised. Also, yes, 4 mo is way too young, even for a legitimate LGD. These dogs are not mentally mature until they are close to 2 years old and will still exhibit puppylike behaviors such as playing with the stock and need supervision when loose until they are old enough and mature enough to do the job dependably. I hope your little goat is going to be ok


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## Beckygoats (Oct 22, 2011)

Thank you all so much for your help. We have decided to try and find him a more appropriate home very soon while he is still so young. Next time we will save up and invest in the true breeds that will better suit our neeeds. Guess it's just one of those Get what you pay for things. Great dog though. Will miss him. 
That said: Any one want a Great dane crossed with a great pyr?


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I think you are doing the right thing. And I am glad you are doing it while he's young enough to get himself a nice forever home. That cross actually could make a pretty nice pet....just not a LGD. So kudos to you for giving that pup a chance and seeing the truth about him now. So many people are unwilling to accept that truth and want to keep on trying...until stock ends up dead and the now adult dog is too old to get a new home.


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## Hollowdweller (Jul 13, 2011)

pancho said:


> Not a real good mix for a LGD.


Totally agree. I think you are setting yourself up for tragedy.


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## CageFreeFamily (Jul 19, 2012)

Beckygoats said:


> That said: Any one want a Great dane crossed with a great pyr?


There is someone on the Santa Fe Craigslist that is looking for a Great Dane. You might try them.


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Good decision. One thing though. ANY puppy you get cannot be left unsupervised. If you are going to get a puppy, know that there is work involved in getting him/her to the point she can be trusted with the stock. After that, it's easy. Be sure and get the next pup at that point so your LGD can train the new pup. 

Or, get an adult to start with! They do cost more but know their job. You do have to introduce them to their new charges and supervise for a short time but it's not the months and months a pup would require.


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