Livestock guardian dog trouble

[Ridgetop]

That is definitely a frustrating situation. Have the two females, that fought been with all of the goats? If so, they should be bonded with all of them, and maybe you could rotate them between paddocks, but just make sure they aren’t together anymore.

Definitely try rotating the 2 females between the bucks and the does. If you rotate every couple of days, it should be ok. That way you can spend time with them as they alternate. By rotating their guarding duties neither one will feel abandoned or slighted. Once they are separated it might work out. I would also spay both of them since estrus hormones really make Anatolians cranky. One is an Anatolian Ovcharka mix too, and I have heard from owners that have both that Ovcharka temperament make Anatolians look like bunny rabbits. LOL

The older female has no need to fight with the younger females to establish dominance. She is already the alpha bitch and has proven herself the dominant dog since they were puppies. They acknowledge her authority. The reason they are fighting now is that they are both the same age - 3 years old. They are now mature bitches, the same age and I am guessing same approximate size. They are both dominant breeds. They are fighting now to establish who will be the dominant bitch. This is common with Anatolians, males and females alike. Anatolian bitches are very dominant in their own right. They will fight to establish their leadership. In extreme cases one will kill the other to establish dominance within the pack.

 

[AlaynaMayGoatLady]

The older female has no need to fight with the younger females to establish dominance. She is already the alpha bitch and has proven herself the dominant dog since they were puppies. They acknowledge her authority. The reason they are fighting now is that they are both the same age - 3 years old.

I had a very similar situation last year with one of my Border collie bitches and our GP/BC LGD bitch. They are about six months apart in age. Fiona (the BC bitch) was only about a year old when I started noticing that she was always bugging Flossie, the LGD. It got worse and worse, especially when Flossie came into season. Fiona would camp next to the kennel and bark/ growl at her. Fortunately, Flossie was very longsuffering and wouldn't try to bite Fiona in half, but she would eventually lose her temper and put her flat on the ground. There were a few other things going on with Fiona (she wasn't turning out to be the kind of dog I want for breeding) and the last straw came when she picked a fight with Flossie and bit through her eyelid, right above her eye. An overnight vet visit and almost $400 later, I sold Fiona to a pet home. NOT a good experience. I will now attempt to have a little more of an age gap between dogs or I will probably end up having to lock up one or other of my young bitches when they rub each other the wrong way.
I think it definitely has a lot to do with age and hormones. Both Fiona and Flossie are intact. They were both a couple of months out of season at the time of the fight, but Fiona never had a problem with another dog.

Going back to the original question:

Hello, I have had a dog named Bolt for 3 years. He is a Great Pyrenees think he is 3-4 years old now. He has been acting aggressive to the goats and us for a few days.

This might be totally unnecessary to mention, but some people hold to the idea that LGD's should not be socialized because then they will want to be with people instead of guarding their stock. That idea is really, really wrong and dangerous, in my opinion. An unsocialized dog is a hazard, and a big dog, like a GP, can be deadly. A dog that will be a good LGD will instinctively guard stock. Training helps a lot, but if they are so easily distracted from the stock that socialization takes them away, then they probably would not have made a good LGD anyway. Unsocialized dogs end up in shelters or getting shot because they are dangerous.
I hate to say it, but Bolt should almost definitely be put down, especially if his behavior has been iffy in the past. If there is some major cause for him to growl (like a broken leg or other severe, painful injury) that's some excuse, but him being that possessive over the kids is a huge problem. He knows you and should never, ever growl at you, unless - possibly - you are in the act of hurting him for some reason. Like if you accidentally ran his paw over and you were trying to get it out from under the wheel of your car, or if you had to give him a painful shot. In that case he would be growling at the pain, not really at you, and that is a bit of a different situation. Threatening to bite is a major issue and cannot be overlooked. A dog that size can kill a person in moments if they turn bad.
Of course, the above is just my opinion. I love dogs (we have 7 - 4 Border collies, a GP/BC, a BC/ Springer spaniel, and a GP)and I know how hard it is to put one down because it turns mean. But people are always more important than dogs and you cannot risk the lives and safety of people by keeping a potentially aggressive dog.

 

[Ridgetop]

@kikigoatgurl
Sorry we got off the subject of Bolt. What did you decide to do with him? Has he continued the aggression towards you and your mom? If he continues snapping and trying to bite you and your mom, you should really put him down. He is dangerous. Consider too, if he attacked a visitor. Big lawsuit waiting to happen!

 

[kikogoatgirl]

Thank you everyone for your advice. He has shown aggression towards the goats and us in the past, he has chased the goats repeatedly, and he has barked at and bit my younger GP dog. He has separated the mamma goats from the babies before, and I noticed that Curvehorn had cuts on her ears, I think that is from Bolt chasing her. We had to put Bolt down. It is so sad, but we did some research and it sounded like the best thing.

 

[Rammy]

Sorry you had to do that. Having to make decisions like that is never easy.

 

[Mini Horses]

I am sorry and know it hurt to do this. But it was the humane and only decision, considering his aggression. RIP Bolt. Hoping you are able to accept that you had little choice, even tho you loved him. These decisions are the hardest part of loving them.

 

[Ridgetop]

You did the right thing. I sympathize because you are obviously feeling bad about the decision you had to make. Bolt was dangerous to you, your mom. and the goats. That is not a livestock guardian dog. That is a tragedy waiting to happen.

It is sad for you right now, but think how much sadder it would have been if Bolt had attacked you or your mom. A large LGD has enough power to kill a human quickly. It sounds as though he was getting more aggressive too. It was necessary to protect your family. Bolt was not a dog that could be placed with a rescue or rehomed either. This solution was better for him and for you.

 

[Baymule]

This had to be an agonizing decision. Doing the right thing is all too often the hardest thing. I gave your post a like because you showed courage in making that decision.