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Posted by GoatWorld on September 15, 2002 at 06:46:38:
In Reply to: Guard Dogs how young is too young or old posted by Kerrie on September 14, 2002 at 14:43:18:
Hello Kerrie,
We have a male Great Pyrenees that we got when he was well past the puppy stage. He has become one of the best dogs we could ever have - either in or out of the goat pen.
We had a female Great Pyrenees that was rather young when we got her and at first, she liked to play with the goat kids - by picking them up and shaking them a bit. Of course the kids did not know she was playing so it took quite awhile to train her out of that habit. When she got older, she still had a habit of fighting the goats over food. I think had she been raised differently and with working parents (before we got her), she would have done much better in the longrun.
But back to the male GP - he has never once harmed any of the goats. From time to time a chicken might get defiant and try to get his food - he sends the poultry packing at that.
His history as far as I know is that he was raised in a working LGD family with goats. He travels the property at night, barking at predators. And while I'm on a roll here, he has proved his worth more than once.
We have our goats and sheep separate right now. One night I heard him barking with a bit more fervor than usual. I went out to check what the matter was and he seemed to be signaling that one of the sheep was caught in the brambles and could not get out.
Then, a fox or two will make its way toward the chickens and ducks. He seems to sense when and from what direction the fox will be coming because he waits at a spot kind of keeping guard. Since that time, I have not seen any more foxes or lost any more poultry to foxes (that I know of).
Best regards,
Gary Pfalzbot
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