# Little pup and aggressive/territorial sheep?



## secuono (Mar 18, 2012)

So I found out my sheep are not ok with a pup walking by or anywhere near them. They will stomp their foot and charge her. 
This is our bully pup, not a lgd, but it got me thinking.
What do I do in this situation? How do I get the sheep to accept a dog if they see them all as a threat?


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## BrownSheep (Mar 18, 2012)

They'll get use to him adventually. our sheep and dog pens are right against eath other. Actually sharing fancing. So the sheep get use to the dogs and don't really mind them.
Edit: just remember it might be better if your sheep dont get use to all sorts of dogs. Our sheep will still try to stomp the new neighbor dog.


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## SheepGirl (Mar 18, 2012)

Just be careful...my ram (as a lamb) rammed into my 15 lb cockapoo when she wanted to play with him...sent her flying seven or so feet and made her yelp like no other. Luckily no damage was done to my dog. A ewe will do the same thing, too, trying to protect her lambs.

But the more they're around your dog the more they'll accept it. My ram (now almost three years old) will come up and sniff my dog through the fence or gate and lick her as though she's a ewe in heat but my poor Maggie just hides behind me and tries to stay as far away from him as possible lol. I also will always have her in my arms if I need to go into the ram pasture when she's with me...I never let her touch the ground because I'm overprotective and I don't want her to be killed by him 

As long as you teach your dog to be respectful of your livestock, then the livestock will learn to be more trusting of your dog. But once your dog loses control, all trust the livestock have in that dog is broken.

When I bring my dog to the barn, I always have her on a leash. She listens to me perfectly and I have no fear that she won't come when I call her, but it's just the sheep I don't trust. They are animals that act upon instincts with no "override" command--whereas my dog knows to "override" her instincts by listening to me and what I tell her to do. And especially now that your ewe has three new lambs on the ground, her maternal instincts will be even more heightened to try to protect them from a predator (your puppy). 

Good luck!


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## carolinagirl (Mar 18, 2012)

My dogs (Anatolian shepherds) were kenneled next to the sheep for months and loose with them for month more before the sheep finally relaxed.  And then it was only because the dogs were very submissive to the sheep.  Sheep are not too bright and panic easily.  they know they are prey animals and they know dogs are predator animals.  And you have newborn lambs now too, which just compounds it.  You are going to have to be very, very patient.  Protect that pup too.....the ewes that have the kids will not hesitate to charge at that pup if they feel threatened.


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## MonsterMalak (Mar 19, 2012)

Carolina Girl has the right strategy.  Get them familiar with each other first.

Then take the pup in amongst the sheep when you are thee to supervise the introduction.

slow is always better.  If a LGD pup is abused by the livestock, it will slow the bonding.

The breed or type of livestock also has bearing on the outcome.  Flighty or defensive stock will cause problems.  

I recently bought some St Croix hair sheep.  Penned them with the Boz Shepherd LGDs (3 months to 19 months old).

For about 10 days, let them see and smell each other through the fence.  Brought the adults in for a nose to nose introduction one time.

Then turned them out.  Luckily, not a single witnessed act of aggression or play.  

I started by putting the sheep up at night for the first week.  Just wanted to make sure things were good.  











Good luck


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