# Need some advice from more experience LGD owners



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Okay, Goose our Great Pyr/Komondor has been displaying some behavior both good and bad.

The good was today someone brought their dog over while I was at school and although Goose did not flat out attack the dog, he continued to redirect it and place himself between the strange dog and the poultry(the dog wanted to "play" with). So I'm glad he understood he is what stands between the poultry and certain doom.

The bad. When I brought my dairy goats home, they weren't used to seeing a huge white dog and would run or stand on alert anytime he came near. Goose started chasing them, figures the shock collar was charging when I needed it. So while I know some LGDs know the difference between "their" goats and "new" goats. BUT my worry comes when I saw him approach the goats, Cupcake(momma Boer) waved her horns and he backed off and let out a big bark(he gets sheepish and tries to submissive puppy play when cupcake reminds him of her authority). This sent the more skittish goats into a run and he went running with them, eliciting the whole prey/predator... Goats running from the dog, the dog running after the goats, the goats running faster, etc.. 

While I don't think he was "chasing" the goats in a predatory manner. More of a "oh, you wanna run around? let me run with you!"... Should I simply pen all the goats together with Goose in a smaller pen and let some mandatory bonding take place? He was never penned closely with the goats, more allowed to roam our 5 acre fence and visit whatever animal he desires. Momma Boer keeps him in line, she has sent him tumbling a couple of times when he didn't get out of her way or when he tried to lay with her kids. He is truly respectful of her, but the running after the more skittish goats that run, is a little more concerning.

He has access to all the animals all the time and we have baby goats and Goose is extremely gentle with everything. But, how do I end the goats fearful running and the pup's playfullness running after? The dairy goats have gotten a little more accustomed to him and have learned to hide behind Cupcake's horns, but the most submissive goat of the bunch(who grew up here, she's just a skittish animal) still runs frantically on occasion.

Trying to head off a potential problem... Is it just a puppy thing? Do I pen him up in a smaller pen with the goats, in hopes that they realize their running is futile, and in a small enough pen, Cupcake will set him straight if he get's to being to rambunctious. The problem occurs when a single or couple of goats break and run frantically. Even the 4 week old kids stand up to Goose and he won't bother them, it's usually just the one skittish doe in particular and only when she breaks from the herd in a breakneck run.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It sounds like you just need to give them all some time to get used to each other.


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## westbrook (May 10, 2002)

put a pen inside the goat area. Make sure the pup can't climb over.. make it large enough he can walk around... meaning not a crate!

put shade/dog house (year right.. never in all the years I have had LGD and they ever gone inside.. on top! the love on top! I use a bale of straw the dog can lay opposite the sun) inside, water and food away from the goats.

Put the dog inside. This gives the dog access to be in with the goats but not with them. This gives the goats time to get used to the dog.

You can also create a run along side the goats.. again the dog needs protection from the elements (rain, sun) and keeping his food away from the goat.

The idea is that the dog as well as the goats can get used to each others movements and behaviors.

If the dog chases and nips... use either bitter apple sprayed on the goats back legs and up around the tail. If bitter apple doesn't work, try ben gay lotion.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

How old is he?

Use the tools you do have, you have a shock collar, use it, use Cupcake. My goats taught my LGD about respect by beating the snot out of them, faster then I ever could  

The goats will get use to him if he stops chasing them. When you are out and about and he even thinks about chasing them, correct him right away. 
Chasing is simply not allowed, he wants to play, toss him a ball, give him some chew toys etc. Correction and redirection til he is older and learns.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks guys. He is 10 months to approx a year old. So he is still a pup and we have high hopes for him. He is a great dog and he doesn't chase them on a regular basis. He just runs after them, he's never tried to "grab" just run with them. 

He's our first LGD and I just wanted to make sure we're doing it right. He won't mess with Cupcake because Cupcake doesn't run for anything except supper. It was the new does a couple of times, I figure that's over now they've figured out to hide behind Queen Cupcake. We have a spotted mutt doe that we're in the process of selling, but every now and then she bolts in a panic even from herd and Goose runs after. Sometimes he'll run up to just her(giving Cupcake a wide berth) and try to elicit a response. Which is why I thought maybe a smaller pen would solve it, because then he couldn't give Cupcake a wide berth in order to chase the more skittish.

It is not a frequent thing, don't get me wrong. I have only caught him doing it maybe 4 times between him being 6 months old and now. We do give him a really good shock if we spot him doing it, it was only the couple of times that the shock collar was charging.

The other thing he enjoys that we've been correcting as often as we can is the duck herding behavior. He won't chase the ducks in the yard or coop, but if the ducks are on the shore of the pond he will come running down the hill and watch them scatter onto the pond. The ducks are wise to it and take to the water whenever they spot him heading their way. As with the goats, it's not predatory. He doesn't try to pounce or grab them. He just rushes them and they flee into the water. He doesn't display this behavior towards the ducks or any poultry anywhere else or at any other time.

As I've said before, it's not overly concerning behavior because I think it's a play behavior or a controlling behavior. (He makes the ducks on the shore stay in the water and any goats that jump the fence into the pasture get herded back into the pasture) If it were a predatory type behavior, I would be much more concerned.

*I was just checking with more experienced LGD raisers to make sure I wasn't ruining him.* I'll keep on with the shock collar and training and ready supply of dog toys, and trying to patiently await that two year birthday(What a joyous day that will be!). 

Thanks again guys.


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