# Guardian dog bit my sheep!



## WindyIndy (Apr 17, 2016)

My dog is very protective over her food towards other animals, she will growl, and even nip if her warning doesn't get through.  She never growls at me though and I can pet her and take away her food no problem. There was one time that one of my ewes wouldn't back off and she nipped her a little, no big deal. 
The sheep (mostly the goat, he never learns ) will sometimes still try but tend to back off now with her warning . I wen't out there one morning and noticed one of them got bit on the nose. Her babies were in the dog house though and later in the day found her and the babies in there laying down. My guess was that over night the babies slept in there and then when mama went to get them my dog (Maggie) thinking she was protecting them wouldn't let mama near. She usually doesn't seem to mind when they're in her house. But of course I wasn't there so I have no idea.
But then just two days later I fed Maggie in her house and left her to finish up other things (one of my other ewes were in the main sheep shelter). All of a sudden I heard this nasty growling/fighting noise. I figured someone was after her food as usual (she's usually all sound), but then I noticed Maggie was in the sheep shelter. Panicking I ran over there yelling at her. I saw a lamb run out, then mama with a bit ear fallowed by Maggie and another terrified lamb in the shelter. Maggie ran into her house and I scolded her. Again I wasn't able to see the full scene, but my guess is Maggie wanted to go into their shelter and mama wasn't going to let her (protecting her lambs) and Maggie didn't like that and so tried to 'put her in her place'. She does that with my ram and I let her being he's a ram. 

Is this normal? Should I still keep her? My sheep just got infections because of those bites, but I should have kept them cleaner too.   My goat is always stealing her food, even gets mouth fulls and she has never bit him that I can tell! Even lets him eat it sometimes!  When I first got him as a kid she kind of 'took him in' though as the others would pick on him, not sure if that makes a difference or not.


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## Latestarter (Apr 17, 2016)

@Southern by choice ? <--resident LGD expert


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## Southern by choice (Apr 17, 2016)

Yes, it is normal for LGD's to be protective of their food and they should not have to be put in a position such as this. It is not fair to the dog. 
Most LGD's are highly protective of food. First, food should never be left out but given and within 20 minutes picked back up. Either lock her up to eat in peace or lock the livestock up... whichever way you should separate her.

Livestock can be super stupid about food. 



WindyIndy said:


> but then I noticed Maggie was in the sheep shelter. Panicking I ran over there yelling at her. I saw a lamb run out, then mama with a bit ear fallowed by Maggie and another terrified lamb in the shelter. Maggie ran into her house and I scolded her. Again I wasn't able to see the full scene, but my guess is Maggie wanted to go into their shelter and mama wasn't going to let her



I am not understanding this part. 
Why doesn't the dog live with the sheep/goats? Why is she having a separate doghouse?


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## WindyIndy (Apr 18, 2016)

Sorry, let me try and explain this better. I quick typed that up before going to bed. I know they shouldn't be put into that position and I feel bad for her. I do pick up any un eaten food yes, but she usually eats it within 5 minutes. I do try and 'guard her' and keep the sheep away, but she doesn't start to eat it until after I walk away and the goat takes one bite. Then she will start.   It's like she wants me to sit and pet her or something, sometimes she will follow me around and I have to tell her to go eat. I can't lock her up as she won't eat then. I've only had her a year and am still 'learning' about her. It took  me two months just to have her trust me, and it took almost a year for her just to take treats! Poor dear didn't know what it was, she must have never been given them 

She does live with them. I just put another house out that way there isn't any 'over crowding'. I noticed over winter that she allowed all for sheep to stay in her's. Must have been warmer


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## WindyIndy (Apr 18, 2016)

To expand on the locking up thing. When I first got her I had her in the adjoining ram pen that way she could see the sheep without being bothered by them. I did try during that time to get her to eat in a kennel. I put one in there with a bowl of food and she wouldn't go in, so I walked away hoping she would later. I left it like that for 3 days and she never went in. I took the food out and she started eating right away. I felt bad since she was hungry. Also, sometimes she will carry her bowl out of her house and eat it outside. Spilling most of the food in the process. And when I try feeder her outside of the shelter the next day she wants to eat inside.


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