Great Pyrenees biting my goats - help!

[onedozenphyllises]

I'm going to give this arrangement until the weekend and reevaluate. There's been no further harm done thus far, but I won't say that everyone is nice and relaxed either. I want to see how much stress is dog-caused, and how much is simply the arrival of a newcomer, swapping pens and so forth (they HATE when we do that). If it doesn't resolve, the dog goes. If there are ANY further infractions, the dog goes. I love dogs, and he's not necessarily a bad dog, but I can't afford a dog that won't guard, nor do I want stressed goats (or worse).

FWIW, I did go out and give the new doe another thorough going-over, and I can find nothing whatsoever wrong with her. She's in outstanding health.

The only other alternative I can think of is to fence in a sort of "perimeter" yard for the dog outside of the goat yard, so that he'd be between them and the outside world, but not in the same yard with them. Since our barns back up to someone else's property (not our doing, they were already in place), it would mean fencing around the front of the barns, which doesn't thrill me.

 

[Roll farms]

Is the dog neutered?
Just pondering...
We have 2 pyrs and an Anatolian and the only time there's a scuffle is when there's a perceived "food" item around. I've got hoggish dogs and goats.
We neutered the older pyr and will be neutering the Anatolian if I can't find him a home soon.
(I want to keep a pup from him and the pyr and don't "need" 4 LGD's)
Hoping it works itself out for you, soon!

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Thanks! He is NOT neutered. We don't intend to breed him, but hadn't neutered him either, because we weren't sure if it would influence his "guarding" behavior either positively or negatively. Would you say that it helps? I suppose we will, since we have no reason to keep him intact.

On a positive note, everyone was very relaxed this morning, so I think things might be settling down. I am starting to think maybe it was just the confusion of adding a new animal and moving everyone around. I'm still on high alert, but I'm encouraged today.

Thanks to everyone for your input!

 

[homesteadingcowgirl]

Your last note made me think of something with my Pyr cross: Anytime we bring home a new critter he is very suspicious, needs to check it out etc... He is a great guarder and ALSO a love bug, so he will play with any of my critters. But until he knows that the new animal is "mom's" it is not okay with him. Once he knows that mom okay's this new thing and wants it protected, he is golden-from baby chicks to cow to vehicles in the yard. It doesn't take him long. The wierd th;ing with this is that he never barks at the same vehicle twice!! Once I " approve" he won't bark at it again as it comes up the drive!

Edited to say that he is neutered, but wasn't until he was older and haven't noticed any difference one way or the other

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Thanks Homesteadingcowgirl - that sounds exactly like our boy. I'm thinking maybe he's just going to be that way.

 

[cmjust0]

Ours isn't like that.. When he gets upset, he won't let up until whatever's upsetting him goes away. I can try to tell him that it's OK, or to hush, or calm down, or shut up...the best I get back from him is a sideways glance that just screams "DANG, DUDE! Can we talk about this later -- I'm working here!?!?!?!!!!"

Frankly, I don't mind that he makes a spectacle of himself...especially when people show up. It would be pretty much impossible for someone to surprise us with a visit.

Which is good... That someone could be this guy, afterall.

 

[lilhill]

Ours isn't like that.. When he gets upset, he won't let up until whatever's upsetting him goes away. I can try to tell him that it's OK, or to hush, or calm down, or shut up...the best I get back from him is a sideways glance that just screams "DANG, DUDE! Can we talk about this later -- I'm working here!?!?!?!!!!"

Frankly, I don't mind that he makes a spectacle of himself...especially when people show up. It would be pretty much impossible for someone to surprise us with a visit.

Which is good... That someone could be this guy, afterall.

Our LGD is like that, too, even with one of our best friends if he happens to show up and approach the pasture fence when we're not around. And Daisy has seen this man nearly every day for four years. She knows what her job is. Good dog!

 

[cmjust0]

 

[Roll farms]

Our first Pyr used to try and mount the does when they were in heat, so we had him fixed at 1 yr. He still hops on them sometimes, but it's more out of habit than need, methinks...
I neutered him for 2 reasons...I wanted his mind on the job, not on looking for love and I wanted him to stay home. Our idiot neighbors have females and when they go in heat I didn't want him leaving our fence to go make babies.
It didn't affect his guarding abilities one bit, and he still chews on the chain link if ANYONE not "us" goes near the pasture.