Dog took off half my goats ear.... help!

[redtailgal]

If you can get a crate, that would be best. Expect some hollering and expect to have to PUT him in the crate the first few times. (hint: put a treat in the crate, without the dog seeing you put it there. He will find the treat AFTER he is in the crate, and will become eager to crate. Another hint: each time you put the dog in the crate say "CRATE". With the treat and the word "crate" soon enough all you will have to so is say crate)

ANyway expect some hollering. Ignore it. Dont let him back out until he is quiet.

If you cannot get a crate, choose a bathroom or laundry room, or another smaller space where he will be SEPARATED from the family and the rest of the dogs. (if you get a crate, be sure to place it in a SEPARATE area.......he should not see people while he is in the crate)

 

[bonbean01]

When I did this with my little Molly, it took only two days to see a huge difference...it was so worth it...I miss her...turned out to be one of my best dogs and she died of old age several years ago.

 

[quiltnchik]

Do yourself a favor and put the dog down. Once a dog starts, they don't stop. Sad but true...

 

[Lupa Duende]

i started my farm animal thing well after getting my children, dogs, and cats and it is the children who need to be reminded how NOT to play with the goats more often.
one dog, Ulysses, we just adopted last month from a rescue in Montreal.
Ulysses is a big slobbery St Bernard who has been in a kennel waiting to be adopted for six months. No idea what he was surrendered for and there is no point asking as no one tells me the WHOLE story.

Anyway. Uly was pleased to meet my other dog and the children and the husband but he really wanted to CHASE BARK at my goats, pony, and various birds.
Uly scared the bejeezus out of them as they have ovbiously forgotten how psycho Gypsum was (our Newfie) when she met them. simply put, the farm animals had no fear and were not about to stop free-ranging even if a 200 pound two year old came running at them frothing.

with the help of a friend i had Uly submit to every bloody animal: one his back while chooks and goats were intentionally fed around him.

I tied him to my waist (since I need my hands free to clean the barn; carry buckets; wrangle children....) for the next two days excepting a twice-daily romp (while my barnyard critters are still locked up for the night) with Gypsum.

He is a doll now.

it takes a great deal of patience but it is no where near as difficult as when children's friends come on play-dates

 

[finns&fjords]

Redtailgal's advice is rock-solid. I'm a long-time dog owner/groomer/breeder, and basically you are teaching your dog that you are GOD to him. Without question. We have 5 dogs; 3 Heelers, old doxie, and one busy GSP. They all live in the house together, will all slurp out a pan of leftovers together and can be trusted with all other critters-chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs and barn kitties. The exception is our pigeon that I used in training the bird dog. It's okay to chase him though Dilly just freezes, points and stares. Anyway, I'd only add that when you get to the point where it's time to set him up-when teaching "leave-it", go so far as to put the temptation on the floor so there's no doubt dog will be very tempted. I'd start with something blah, like a piece of bread, and work up to fresh meat. I can buy groceries (meat included)put in backseat with the dogs, then stop somewhere else and not worry about my bags getting raided. Hope this stays public-we can all learn!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

The problem is that he is perfect around me. Sits, stays, heals, etc. I can put a chicken on his back and he won't touch it. Can go in the goat pen with me etc.

It's when I'm not around that he gets bad.

We decided to keep him since he does such a good job of keeping the coyotes away. We put him on a 100' overhead cable run away from the livestock.