how to make my goats and dogs get along

[terrilhb]

Ok I have 3 1 yr old goats. 2 males 1 female and a 4 month old female. Actually my 2 males respect my dogs because they went after them and my dogs got them. Not bad a little scratch. My dogs avoid the goats at all costs. They will protect them. Had them do it very well. But my 1 yr old female charges them. I jump in between and stop it. My one dog is very interested in the 4 month old. I am not sure if it is because he thinks she is a toy or really wants to get to know her. How do I know what to do and how to do it?

 

[KellyHM]

Shock collar.

 

[redtailgal]

.........

 

[terrilhb]

Thank you KELLYHM.And thank you redtailgal. Consistancy. I got it. I appreaciate the advice very much. Will do it.

 

[helmstead]

My Aussie can be, well, overzealous, about his herding sometimes (he's a highly bred herding dog with cattle-bred parents). While he is not formally obedience trained nor formally herding trained...he knows a few important commands.

"Bring them" - go round up all the goats and bring them to me.
"This one" - he looks where I'm pointing to zero in on one goat.
"Get it" - use whatever force necessary to get in front of said goat and turn it back.
"Hold" - keep said goat(s) in a corner.
"OFF" - stop running said goat or stop running the wrong goat and look at me for further instruction.
"DOWN" - go to the middle of the pen and lay down, awaiting further instruction (this is the hardest for him LOL).

Goats are notoriously hard to 'herd' as they don't flock. A pushy dog is actually a good thing if you want to herd goats - so maybe your dog has a calling . Most get hit a couple times by a particularly forward goat and become scared of them.

I did use an e-collar to get these commands imprinted...it's a great tool.

 

[terrilhb]

helmstead will you come train my 4 dogs? LOL I have 4. I am going to start with the one that is the pack leader. My male goats don't go around the dogs. They had a squabble with them. The dogs were laying off by themselves and the boys decided to head butt them. Dogs growled, goats did it again and they got hurt. Actually they were scratches but scared me to death. It is actually my older female that wants to chase the dogs. The youngest dog does not mind to much. He puts up with almost anything. But the older 3 will not put up with it. I never leave them alone. Don't want anyone hurt. Thanks for all the advice

 

[20kidsonhill]

OUr lab can herd the goats, she is really good at it. But let me tell you she recognizes a mother protecting her babies and knows when to back off. The female goats have a lot more natural fear of dogs/preditors, our bucks don't seem to bothered by the dogs, a doe will take the dog out.


a couple of our goats got out while we had buyers here picking out their new goats and our dog went right around them and got them right back in. She could tell our visitors were impressed and started barking with excitement of a job well done.

Our smaller dog a mOuntain fiest seems more confussed around the goats, and we have to watch her closely so she doesn't get hurt. but honestly, alot of stuff seems to confuss that dog, she is just turning 1, and the other dog is turning 5.

I have the lab trained to sit at an opening if I need her to block an area so I can bring goats around. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

The last couple kidding seasons I have been trying to see if she can recognize a doe kidding and come and get me if she sees new born kids, so far I haven't had much luck, but you never know.


One more story, and I will stop, We get 3 or 4 show lambs every may through the summer, their pens are made out of those metal cattle gates. The lambs can all stick their heads out. We started noticing our dog would not be in the yard and when we would look for her we would find her laying by the sheep pen, One day I rounded the corner to find all 4 lambs lined up with their heads stuck out the dog laying on her back with all fourlegs stuck up and the lambs all licking and munching on her tummy. She was the happiest dog on the planet.

 

[Cara Peachick]

I love regtailgal's post.

I just want to add that I use a sharp, prod to the neck (Dog Whisperer style "bite") and my dogs totally respect that. Also, my dogs respond well to verbal correction. They are fairly trainable dogs, though. they both want to please - even the stubborn, independent Pyr.

We recently introduced my Great Pyr to my 2 does who were used to being with dogs. My queen doe butted and butted my Great Pyr to the point that we stopped her. MISTAKE. Then, my Great Pyr started licking the ears of the non-alpha doe, play bowing at them, and putting her front paws on their backs! We supervised for a long time and corrected EVERY time the Great Pyr even looked at the goats with interest. It only took a few days, and now she is good as gold with them.

Lesson learned, though. When we introduced the higher energy collie, we let the queen doe butt her all she wanted! The collie has never Yiped in pain (and she's a very "soft" dog, will yipe easily). The collie totally respects the goats now. Our doe did a great job of training her.

We didn't use a shock collar, but now we're training the dogs to not want to eat the chickens . I think I may buy a shock collar for that job.

Good luck!