# Intro and Sad Story - long



## calmgentle (Jun 12, 2013)

My name is Karen and I live in Central Arkansas. I have raised Nubian dairy goats for about 16 years. 

The first week of March I lost over half my herd to neighbors unsupervised pit bulls. A friend had a litter of Pyrenees puppies ready to go and offered to select a puppy and hold it until I was ready to take on a puppy, and my surviving goats injuries had time to heal.

I waited a month before picking up my puppy, which my friend thought would be the perfect match for me. In the mean time I started reading here and other sources to learn about LGDs. 

She was 21/2 months old when I decided I was ready to bring her home. The good thing about waiting was that she was learning from her parents how to be a good goat guardian, but until the day I picked her up she had no socializing with humans and the first time she was ever touched was when she was tackled and stuffed into a cage which of course scared the puddin out of her.

I named her "Shaimira", which is a feminine Hebrew name meaning guardian, protector and "Shay" for a nickname. 

Although she would not let me touch her for a week, she took on my herd of traumatized goats which would panic at the sight of anything canine (including my yorkie!), and became a member of the herd, sleeping in a corner of the goats sleeping area in spite of my efforts to keep her separated from them. In that instance she seemed to know best. 

As she let the goats get to know her, I worked with her and soon she decided she liked being scratched behind the ears and under the chin very much, and soon I was able to run my hands over all of her to check for ticks every day. 

She became my dog, and to my surprise she was the best helper with the goats I have ever had. She would watch to see what I was trying to do, then jump in and assist. One time she backed the herd queen who was keeping the other goats from the milk room door during milking time to a corner and sat there holding her until the other goats were through the door.

Of course she was still a puppy, and chewed up and destroyed a lot of stuff stored in the barn, such as a whole bundle of sterile plastic milk jugs, my sun hat, and the padded car seat that I would set my youngest (baby) grand son in when I had him with me and needed my hands free for a minute.

She adored children of all ages, and became friendly with my milk customers. She would growl and lower her head if someone she didn't know came in the door until I said "it's ok!" and then she would approach them to make friends.

She would move the goats away from the fence by the road toward the barn when pedestrians, cyclists, and or other dogs were on the road. And of course she would bark and sound the alarm if she heard or saw anything at night.

This week she ate something that made her very sick, we think it might have been a mushroom or other poisonous fungus, and died of kidney failure.

I am devastated, and amazed that such a young dog could have such a huge impact on me and my goats in such a short time. 

I need to find another LGD to keep my goats safe and give me peace of mind. I know I want to find another Pyrenees, but I don't know if I need an older dog, or another puppy, male or female. Does anyone know of a Pyrenees near central Arkansas needing a herd of goats to babysit?

Karen Bailey
Calm & Gentle Dairy Goat Farm


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## mahnah (May 29, 2012)

I am so sorry you lost your girl.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

What a sad story. Are you sure someone didn't intentionally poison her?

Maybe your friend had a puppy returned to her that would work for you.


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## goatlady (May 31, 2002)

Sorry to say poison was my first thought also. Dogs, even puppies just don't eat mushrooms. The texture is nasty to them. Sounds like payback from your neighbors especially if you got after them about their dogs.


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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

antifreeze .... doesn't take much


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## calmgentle (Jun 12, 2013)

The attacking dogs were shot by my husband in the act of killing the goats or there would have been no survivors. When the Sheriff's deputy located the owner she said she was glad they had been killed so she wouldn't have to have them put down. I don't think any one had any ill will toward my puppy, although I have heard some not so happy comments about another owner of two Pyrenees that can't seem to be contained and are always out. My girl respected the boundary fence after I scolded her and returned her to her side of the fence every time she got out. After that she didn't try again even though she was capable of squeezing right through the livestock panels, and when I took her out to take her to the vet's office, she clearly felt anxious for being in the wrong place.

I may never know exactly what poisoned her, but something did, and I sincerely hope it wasn't by human intervention. She was always dragging up tree branches from the woods and I thought maybe she got a rotting one and chewed it up, but I won't ever know that for sure either.

Karen Bailey
Calm & Gentle Dairy Goat Farm


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Calmgentle, I am so sorry you lost your goats and that special puppy. She does sound wonderful!!


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

Sorry for you losses.
Unfortunately sometimes dogs eat things they should not, antifreeze, rat poison ect. 
$5.00 on a Turkey baster & 3% hydrogen peroxide administered as fast as possible, can make the difference between life and death. So I keep it around just in case. Yes they will puke hard, You want to empty the contents of the stomach as much as possible before the stuff _(whatever it may be) _gets absorbed into the system. Once it is in fully in their system the organs get overload and shut down/fail.
If you ID any rat bait chunks coming out, a vitamin K shot will help boost the blood, as most rat baits are anticoagulants.


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## calmgentle (Jun 12, 2013)

I hadn't heard of that remedy before. Sounds cheap and effective, and definitely a tip to file away in case needed. Thanks!


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I am so sorry for your losses! Your pup sounds magnificent.


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## yarrow (Apr 27, 2004)

Oh Karen... first the goats, now the new puppy... I'm so, so sorry... you will get good advice here.

susie, mo ozarks


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Heartbreaking. I am so very sorry.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Calmgentle, am wondering how you're doing...such loss must have been devastating. Did you find another LGD?


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## calmgentle (Jun 12, 2013)

I was planning to post my good news next week. If all goes as planned I will be picking up a 10 month old Anatolian-Pyr puppy this Sunday. The breeder describes him as "solid" on guarding, staying with the herd, and gentleness with small children. I'm so looking forward to bringing this boy home and introducing him to the doe herd. Then we'll have to brave the woods to walk the perimeter fences. I really hate ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, poison ivy and snakes, but I'm willing to do it for the next few weeks.
Karen Bailey
Calm & Gentle Dairy Goat Farm


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