# Advice on integrating LGD to goats



## Daxigait (Jan 4, 2021)

Good morning,. I could really use some advice as I have never had guardian dogs. also, my goats have never been around them, and are scared to varying degrees.  A further complication is 98% of these are bred with kiddings starting about the twentieth.  I have used llamas in the past and still have one. I have a 3-month-old Maremmas puppy that I got last Thursday.  I have been putting him in a cage in the loafing shed area at night and only letting him out when I am around. I have a 2-year-old Anatolian Shepherd who came the Wednesday before Christmas also, unfortunately she was sold to me and turned out to be pregnant of course so she's in a stall dealing with puppies.
What are the do's and don'ts?  There a way to help this process?


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## Mini Horses (Jan 4, 2021)

Looks like you had one if those computer corrects on the one line.  😁   so what's the deal with the shepherd....is that a toli/shep cross??    Or?  

Lot of threads here for breaking and training between LGDs and your stock.  Takes some extra work when both have to adjust.  You'll be busy!  I have no dogs right now.


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## Daxigait (Jan 4, 2021)

I just wish there was a way to help them not be so afraid. my goal is to put him in the little pig pen area that runs along their fence and has a little shed for him unfortunately one of the sections was for the mama pig and has cattle panel and he can just slip through a cattle panel so I'll have to make that a little bit more secure. unfortunately like everyone else we had winter weather this weekend and I was unable to do that.


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## Beekissed (Jan 4, 2021)

I'd put the 3 mo. old right in with the goats.   When they are little pups they cause a lot less stress and fear to the livestock and the flock/herd seem less likely to want to butt the pup.  The pup also learns very quickly what kind of body language helps them avoid making the flock/herd defensive.  

Could be that little pup will help form a bridge for when the older dog starts living with the goats.  By then they should be more used to a dog, though a bigger, strange dog may be of new concern, at least they will have been acclimated to dogs being in their midst.  

I've got a 3 mo. old Anatolian pup with my sheep that I put in when she arrived here at 2 mo. of age.  She bonded seemingly over night, though they hadn't really warmed up yet to my older dog that had been in with them for the better part of a year.  They don't seem to feel a bit threatened by the little pup and the relationship has turned out to be quite amazing to watch.  

I learned from this pup that I will always put pups right in with the flock from now on with no restrictions between them.  I've never seen a faster acclimation to guarding life and behaviors than I've seen with this situation.  

Her second day here....she started following the sheep wherever they went.  










Later on I'd see her moving through the flock, brushing her body up against the sheep as she moved through them...and these sheep, who don't particularly care for the older dog, was just letting her!  







She turned 3 mo. on Jan. 1st and I took the pic below around that time and she's still following the flock.  The other day she moved them to the top of this paddock and was barking at a neighbor she hadn't seen before that was walking the boundary of our land.  The older dog went down to face the threat, but this pup took the flock as far from the man as she could get them.  





This pup is teaching me quite a bit and I've had LGD breeds since 2001.  I've tried different ways of bringing in pups but this is the way it will be from now on.


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## Daxigait (Jan 5, 2021)

Beekissed said:


> I'd put the 3 mo. old right in with the goats.   When they are little pups they cause a lot less stress and fear to the livestock and the flock/herd seem less likely to want to butt the pup.  The pup also learns very quickly what kind of body language helps them avoid making the flock/herd defensive.
> 
> Could be that little pup will help form a bridge for when the older dog starts living with the goats.  By then they should be more used to a dog, though a bigger, strange dog may be of new concern, at least they will have been acclimated to dogs being in their midst.
> 
> ...


that's great to know. my biggest concern with just letting him out right now is I need to be around to watch him a little bit till he learns the boundaries and I'm also teaching him this is home on top of trying to integrate when I've had him out he goes and lays just a little bit away and watches them for the most part and he's been in the midst of them a tiny bit now but they're all still looking at him like he might suddenly morph into the abominable snowman. my friend does what you do she introduces babies in the beginning in fact she puts a Weanling pup in with the baby kids.  she says it forges a strong bond.

thank you for your help. and encouragement. I also have to wait until I'm around because I've got a llama still and not only to the goats not think much of the dogs but he I need to make sure except that this is our dog. he may just end up moving over to live with the box and the dogs will take over I'm just kind of in that in between where I don't have enough of anything there's not a pair of llamas anymore and the pups not ready. thankfully this time of year generally I have them up near the barn since I'm getting ready for kidding.


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## Daxigait (Jan 5, 2021)

for the puppy to feel like a single bark or a couple of barks and a goat he's not chasing or anything but it's like he feels a little bit threatened maybe Cajun or is he I'm not sure


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## Daxigait (Jan 5, 2021)

normally he's quiet and goes ladies somewhere or just watch his stuff and then comes back and lays down had a couple of times in a loafing shed but he's been up close with one of them he's skipped out of once or twice and I'm not sure what that is about or if it's behavior I should correct I have been but I don't know if it's normal. haven't got far enough in the livestock guardian dog book yet


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