# LGD digging under fence and getting out



## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

I have had my LGD for about a month now an have not had any problem till last week. 2 nights in a row he tore the boards off the wall in our barn and got out. Then The last 2 nights he has been digging under the fence and getting out. He lives with my 2 goats and before i got him he had lived with sheep. Is is just over a year old and is NOT fixed. Could getting him fixed solve the issue? I don't live on the property where he and my goats are kept so i am worried about him being out of the fence at night when im not there.

What could i do to help solve this issue


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

uprabbitry said:


> I have had my LGD for about a month now an have not had any problem till last week. 2 nights in a row he tore the boards off the wall in our barn and got out. Then The last 2 nights he has been digging under the fence and getting out. He lives with my 2 goats and before i got him he had lived with sheep. Is is just over a year old and is NOT fixed. Could getting him fixed solve the issue? I don't live on the property where he and my goats are kept so i am worried about him being out of the fence at night when im not there.
> 
> What could i do to help solve this issue


There are easier and cheaper ways to protect two goats.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Chief50 said:


> There are easier and cheaper ways to protect two goats.


What do you recommend?


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Is he getting out of the goat pen, or getting out of a kennel? He may be responding to what he perceives as a threat. If he hears or smells coyotes, or stray dogs he may be trying to chase them away. If he was my dog, and I wanted him to stay in the pen at night, I would tie him inside the pen. He could still bark at predators, but he couldn't get out. I have done this, to prevent a LGD from getting out and chasing coyotes. Tying dogs can be dangerous, you need to be at least as smart as a chain.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

muleskinner2 said:


> Is he getting out of the goat pen, or getting out of a kennel? He may be responding to what he perceives as a threat. If he hears or smells coyotes, or stray dogs he may be trying to chase them away. If he was my dog, and I wanted him to stay in the pen at night, I would tie him inside the pen. He could still bark at predators, but he couldn't get out. I have done this, to prevent a LGD from getting out and chasing coyotes. Tying dogs can be dangerous, you need to be at least as smart as a chain.


He is getting out of the pen not a kennel. If I tie him up do I untie him during the day or keep him tied all day? Do i keep him tied forever?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Do not chain any animal on property if you are an absentee owner.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

He perceives his job is to protect your animals from something outside.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> He perceives his job is to protect your animals from something outside.


OK. In the next couple of weeks we are going to be building them a new pen that will be 3 times the size they are in now. Is there anything i can do other then bury the fence in the ground to help prevent the digging?


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

Hotwire.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

uprabbitry said:


> If I tie him up do I untie him during the day or keep him tied all day? Do i keep him tied forever?


He is your dog, you choose. Is it safer to let him run loose, than to tie him up? If you don't tie him in a safe fashion, he might hang himself. If you let him run loose, he might get hit by a car, or shot by a neighbor.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

muleskinner2 said:


> He is your dog, you choose. Is it safer to let him run loose, than to tie him up? If you don't tie him in a safe fashion, he might hang himself. If you let him run loose, he might get hit by a car, or shot by a neighbor.


Thanks for the advice


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

The best thing you could do is get rid of the dog and the two goats.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

If he digs under the fence, toss a 12x6 paver in, or a concrete block when you fill the hole. When you pick up his poop, place it along the fenceline. Put a (short) inside fence about 2 foot away from your outside fence. Lay fence on the ground UNDER your fence. If he jumps or finds another way over the fence, put "coyote rollers" on your fence, 

Lotta more things to try.

Mon


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

We all make mistakes when we start out with animals, most often because we don't sit down and think through the natural ways of those animals. When we work in opposition to the animals' natural inclinations (the very reason we use them), we frustrate the animals and ourselves.

In this situation, it seems to me that the dog is suffering from two things: 1.) you are preventing him from doing his job, and 2.) he is bored. One LGD and two goats? Not much for him to do, especially since you keep the poor beasts locked up.

I agree with @Chief50 . The best thing to do is to rehome those animals, and don't acquire any more until you are able to provide the care they need.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Pony said:


> We all make mistakes when we start out with animals, most often because we don't sit down and think through the natural ways of those animals. When we work in opposition to the animals' natural inclinations (the very reason we use them), we frustrate the animals and ourselves.
> 
> In this situation, it seems to me that the dog is suffering from two things: 1.) you are preventing him from doing his job, and 2.) he is bored. One LGD and two goats? Not much for him to do, especially since you keep the poor beasts locked up.
> 
> I agree with @Chief50 . The best thing to do is to rehome those animals, and don't acquire any more until you are able to provide the care they need.


Thank you for the advice! 
But i never said anybody was locked up he has free range of the pasture where the goats are but they all have a attached Barn that is on the outside of the fence and the fence meets up to the barn and he goes in the Barn at night and gets out in there. I also have had these goats for 5 years they are worked with for hours everyday. These are show goats and I spend more time with them being on a separate property then other people I know that have them at the house. I also have a 70 plus animals on our own property and they are all perfectly fine so I don't think its a matter of me not knowing how to properly care for animals. The goats home may not be where i will keep them forever. My 3 uncles, my aunt, and my dad all recently passed away so the family farm is going up for sale so i had to what i had to in the short amount of time i had to get them off of the property.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Ah. We all were communicating based on our personal experience and the history of newbies coming to the board with awkward situations created because of the learning curve.

We didn’t know your experience level. It’s good to hear.

Sorry for your loss of family members and the farm. Huggs.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Ah. We all were communicating based on our personal experience and the history of newbies coming to the board with awkward situations created because of the learning curve.
> 
> We didn’t know your experience level. It’s good to hear.
> 
> Sorry for your loss of family members and the farm. Huggs.


Thank you!


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

If your goats are secure at night, do you need a dog to protect them?


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

altair said:


> If your goats are secure at night, do you need a dog to protect them?


They are just loose in the pasture. They have a barn that they go in at night but i never lock it. Do i not need to worry about predators during the day?


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

It definitely depends on your area. Some people only have to deal with minor things like skunks or hawks and others have wolves, bear, or cougars. We have goats and free-range chickens and have been fortunate to not lose a thing. But we also don't have wolves, bears, or large cats and are rural enough and with a leash law not to have loose domestic dogs. But everyone's situation is different, which is why I asked.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

uprabbitry said:


> Thank you for the advice!
> But i never said anybody was locked up he has free range of the pasture where the goats are but they all have a attached Barn that is on the outside of the fence and the fence meets up to the barn and he goes in the Barn at night and gets out in there. I also have had these goats for 5 years they are worked with for hours everyday. These are show goats and I spend more time with them being on a separate property then other people I know that have them at the house. I also have a 70 plus animals on our own property and they are all perfectly fine so I don't think its a matter of me not knowing how to properly care for animals. The goats home may not be where i will keep them forever. My 3 uncles, my aunt, and my dad all recently passed away so the family farm is going up for sale so i had to what i had to in the short amount of time i had to get them off of the property.


 I based my response on the information you initially gave us. 

Your losses are huge, and I am sorry for you.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

altair said:


> It definitely depends on your area. Some people only have to deal with minor things like skunks or hawks and others have wolves, bear, or cougars. We have goats and free-range chickens and have been fortunate to not lose a thing. But we also don't have wolves, bears, or large cats and are rural enough and with a leash law not to have loose domestic dogs. But everyone's situation is different, which is why I asked.


Thanks


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Pony said:


> I based my response on the information you initially gave us.
> 
> Your losses are huge, and I am sorry for you.


Ok! Thank you!


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## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

Maybe I missed it.... What kind of dog? You mentioned you've had the dog for a month and it is doing these things after a *whole* month? So I take it you didn't get a pup and raise it for its job. You got a 2nd hand dog and are trying to acclimate it to your place? A rescue dog? An adoptee? What predominate breed? _Where was it previously and what was its role?_

My gosh, breeds make a difference. At the same time some dogs, in certain cases, are mixed to the point you don't know what they are. But they can be wonderful buddies and workers and protect you depending on how you raised and trained them.

But you've had it for a *WHOLE* month. I could go on but this I can say: you might be expecting too much for the critter to acclimate and absorb that quickly. It doesn't know its job or maybe how to be secure or even where it is. A *WHOLE* month? Try 3 or 6 months while actively training and teaching a new home and what it is to do.

Grrr.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Predators don't punch a clock. If they are hungry, and prey is available it's dinner time. Day or night.


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## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

muleskinner2 said:


> Predators don't punch a clock. If they are hungry, and prey is available it's dinner time. Day or night.


Good point. But still the dog has to know its job. And tolerating a gunshot report is important too but a different subject.

*I'd like this guy to chime back if he would. I don't think new arriving dog to a different environment is unusual.*

One day our dogs at that time will need a home. We can't put forest dogs into a metro home. At the same time we can't put a metro dog into a forest. Acclimation and training. Training and acclimation. Gee, didn't we train our kids like that? How did they survive?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I'm curious as to the breed and past experiences of that dog too. I don't know how we can help without a bit more information about this.

That dog pulling down barn boards to get out tells a lot about its frustration level. It could be seeing that barn, itself, as some sort of threat. (Who know at this point what that dog has gone thru in its past.) So a little more information would be helpful.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Last seen 2 weeks ago. Never did give any real information about the dog. I doubt they will be back.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

JRHill02 said:


> Maybe I missed it.... What kind of dog? You mentioned you've had the dog for a month and it is doing these things after a *whole* month? So I take it you didn't get a pup and raise it for its job. You got a 2nd hand dog and are trying to acclimate it to your place? A rescue dog? An adoptee? What predominate breed? _Where was it previously and what was its role?_
> 
> My gosh, breeds make a difference. At the same time some dogs, in certain cases, are mixed to the point you don't know what they are. But they can be wonderful buddies and workers and protect you depending on how you raised and trained them.
> 
> ...


Sorry i have not answered in so long. He is a Pyrenees, Anatolian, and a sarplainac. He is a year old! Yes a second hand dog, I got him from a sheep farm they have had him since he was a pup he was living with sheep to protect them. They believe that he may have been abused as a pup before they got him he is absolutely terrified of men


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> Last seen 2 weeks ago. Never did give any real information about the dog. I doubt they will be back.


I'm Back!


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

What's your progress been like?


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

motdaugrnds said:


> I'm curious as to the breed and past experiences of that dog too. I don't know how we can help without a bit more information about this.
> 
> That dog pulling down barn boards to get out tells a lot about its frustration level. It could be seeing that barn, itself, as some sort of threat. (Who know at this point what that dog has gone thru in its past.) So a little more information would be helpful.


 He is a Pyrenees, Anatolian, and a sarplainac. He is a year old! I got him from a sheep farm! They have had the dog since he was a young puppy! They think that he may have been abused when he was a pup before they got him! He is totally terrified of men. When i got him he was living with sheep but for the last month or so before i got him they were keeping him locked up in a small shed inside of the sheep pen because he jumped their fence and ran down the highway.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

uprabbitry said:


> I'm Back!


All too often we get posters who ask a question and hang around a couple days, but never follow up with more information.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The possible abuse could be why he runs away. Did you get the dog and just stick it in with the sheep without any introduction or training period?


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Update! He has been doing really good! He has not tore anything apart in a while! He dig holes but not digging out of the area or even trying to get out! The only thing we have really been having to deal with is every night from 10:30-11:00pm he barks non stop. I don't know what it is that is bothering him at that time each night. I have gone out a few different time and didn't see of hear anything. 3 nights a go i put out motion activated solar lights and he has not made a noise in 3 nights! So im not sure if the lights are what helped or if something quit coming each night


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

A great update-- thank you for coming back and providing this!


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> The possible abuse could be why he runs away. Did you get the dog and just stick it in with the sheep without any introduction or training period?


That's what i was thinking part of it could be! I am the only person that can even pet him or go outside with out him hiding because he is so afraid of people. We introduced them several times and walked him around the perimeter several times before putting them together.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Pyrenees are supposed to bark at night. The bark warns predators away from the area, or that is how things are supposed to work. By barking all night do you mean an occasional "woof" or a continual "bark, bark, bark, growl, growl, bark, bark, bark"? The occasional woof is standard. If it's a continual bark/growl noise then most likely there is something there. I have found that predators get used to lights very quickly. Just be aware that there might be something prowling around out there.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

A guard dog that is afraid of people is a problem. Is there any way you can spend a bit more time socializing the dog?


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> Pyrenees are supposed to bark at night. The bark warns predators away from the area, or that is how things are supposed to work. By barking all night do you mean an occasional "woof" or a continual "bark, bark, bark, growl, growl, bark, bark, bark"? The occasional woof is standard. If it's a continual bark/growl noise then most likely there is something there. I have found that predators get used to lights very quickly. Just be aware that there might be something prowling around out there.


Its a continual bark for about 30minutes


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> A guard dog that is afraid of people is a problem. Is there any way you can spend a bit more time socializing the dog?


Yes! I am with him off and on during the day. My mom has been going to see him at least once a day. He will just go to the other side of the area now when she comes close by. Before he would run from her and hide in the back corner of the barn. So he is defiantly getting use to her! Now that it is warming up there will be lots of different people around him. In the next month i will be out there building there new fence so i will pretty much be with the whole entire day


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

30 minutes of constant barking means there is something out there. It could be a house cat, it could be a coyote. You don't know unless you check it out.

Do either of you offer him treats when you are there with him? It often helps tame an animal a bit if you have treats.


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## uprabbitry (11 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> 30 minutes of constant barking means there is something out there. It could be a house cat, it could be a coyote. You don't know unless you check it out.
> 
> Do either of you offer him treats when you are there with him? It often helps tame an animal a bit if you have treats.


Yes we both do! He eats them from me but will not take or eat anything from anyone else. If my mom gives him a treat he wait to eat it till she is gone back in the house


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It takes time and patience to earn the trust of an abused or neglected dog. As long as there is progress, keep working with him. Some dogs are damaged so badly that they never come around.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Sounds like a good dog for your stock; just needs quite a bit of socializing with humans....so it can discover for itself the humans living at his place are not going to abuse him. (It would help if every human would simply take a few treats, go out into the pen where that canine is and simply sit down and wait. With lots of patience your dog will eventually come over for the treats...if it is something it truly enjoys.  )


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## IceFire (10 mo ago)

uprabbitry said:


> Update! He has been doing really good! He has not tore anything apart in a while! He dig holes but not digging out of the area or even trying to get out! The only thing we have really been having to deal with is every night from 10:30-11:00pm he barks non stop. I don't know what it is that is bothering him at that time each night. I have gone out a few different time and didn't see of hear anything. 3 nights a go i put out motion activated solar lights and he has not made a noise in 3 nights! So im not sure if the lights are what helped or if something quit coming each night


Glad to hear he has been doing better. My Anatolian will often bark at knight...along with the Husky and Malinois. That tells you there is SOMETHING out there...even if it's just a TOAD! (We've had a few toads outside the fence, and the dogs go absolutely nuts.) He also sounds off whenever he hears or smells the coyotes or bobcats (and we definitely have those in the area) - or even the neighbors' cats. Even at 6 months, he has developed a very deep, intimidating bark. 

If yours was trying to get out, it's probably because he heard/smelled SOMETHING out there, and felt it was his duty to protect the goats from whatever it was (even it was a cat.) Same with the barking - if he's doing the sustained barking, he's probably trying to warn off whatever is out there. The motion activated lights could be scaring off whatever he had been barking at.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I have an Anatolian and she barks every night, from dusk till dawn. It's her job. I keep her on a thirty foot chain because she will dig under a fence and be gone for days. There is always something out there, and she is telling them to stay away. The coyotes are particularly vocal tonight.


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