Livestock guardian dogs

[oakhollow]

Looking for ideas: we want to build a fence for our cow and possibly the goats too. But we want the LGDs to be able to enter the field and leave to be able to protect the animals inside the pasture as well as in the front area of our property. We also have a large chicken coop in the area we are
planning on fencing off. We don't want to limit either of the dogs to just one area. We like for them to be able to travel the entire property. However, we have been trying to brainstorm a passage or gate the dogs can use but the cow/potbelly pigs/ and perhaps goats cannot exit. Is this an impossible idea? Does such a design exist? Folks I need your brilliant ideas please!

Hmm, the cow is easy, a horizontal vee pass-through would stop the cow. I imagine a raised hole in the fence would work for both the cow and pig. A stile would, too. Goats are trickier. I have *heard* that a vertical vee shaped hole will stop a goat, but I'm not too sure. How big of goats? If they are bigger than the dogs, maybe a hole the dogs can just squeeze through?

Of course, you could tie nice long pipes on the goats, then they can't squeeze through anything...

 

[mossyroo]

Looking for ideas: we want to build a fence for our cow and possibly the goats too. But we want the LGDs to be able to enter the field and leave to be able to protect the animals inside the pasture as well as in the front area of our property. We also have a large chicken coop in the area we are
planning on fencing off. We don't want to limit either of the dogs to just one area. We like for them to be able to travel the entire property. However, we have been trying to brainstorm a passage or gate the dogs can use but the cow/potbelly pigs/ and perhaps goats cannot exit. Is this an impossible idea? Does such a design exist? Folks I need your brilliant ideas please!

I built a box with 90 degree turn for pop door to keep goats out of chicken coop - didn't work. Added V on goat side and that worked fine till the kids were born - they liked sleeping in the box. That ended after about a month but they had no trouble with it when very young. An elevated V might work for you as long as you don't plan on breeding the goats.

 

[adjduncan]

I built a box with 90 degree turn for pop door to keep goats out of chicken coop - didn't work. Added V on goat side and that worked fine till the kids were born - they liked sleeping in the box. That ended after about a month but they had no trouble with it when very young. An elevated V might work for you as long as you don't plan on breeding the goats.

We plan on just keeping them for friends and not breeding. Could you possibly send a photo? I'm having trouble picturing what the v or triangle looks like. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[aart]

Quote: bottom of page
http://www.bountifulfarm.com/DOG SELF FEEDER.html

 

[jtriathlete]

Dogs and chickens. Specifically Akitas and chickens. It takes some patience but it can be done. They free range together all day everyday. They share food and water. I have never lost a chicken. I have never physically reprimanded my kids (dogs). Life is good

 

[BantamTurkey]

Pitbull amazing and loyal, great protectors, and they keep you laughing 24/7

 

[Donna R Raybon]

I have seen passage between fields done using long sections of plastic culvert pipe. Train dog with food reward just like an agility course. You could substitute anything that gives you a small dark passage. Goats don't like crawl through the way a dog can do it.

 

[kiaa]

Azerbaijan Dag iti
Azerbaijan Shepherd Dog
Azerbaijani: Qafqaz çoban iti

 

[Hallock234]

A Doberman cannot handle predators. It doesn't take nearly enough power to take down a human being that battling predators requires. Coyotes routinely kill pet dogs the size of Dobermans & German Shepherd Dogs. A 40 pound coyote will kill an 80 pound Doberman easily. Dobermans are also highly active while LGD breeds are not & thus require a lot more space, attention, & exercise than an LGD. LGDs aren't large so they can cover huge areas, they're large so they can resist injury in fights with multiple predators at a time. Dobermans are meant for human protection only & lack the power, toughness, & instincts to guard livestock from predators. They also can't live outdoors in cold or inclement weather & have no instinct for bonding with livestock.

I don't expect a doberman to be useful as a dedicated LGD, but I very much doubt that a single or even a pair of entrepreneurial coyotes would be capable, much less willing, to take on even a half-decent doberman. These are opportunistic predators we're talking about here, they're not looking to get into a bloody fight and risk injury. I've seen 40-50lb hounds take down coyotes about their size...the size of the dog, while it matters to a point, is not the end-all-be-all. The grit and fighting drive is just as important, if not more so. I've seen Rottweilers and German Shepherds used to chase off and in some cases dispatch bold coyotes. It's true these dogs are more likely to be bred and trained for human protection work rather than animal control, but so long as the dog has been tested and bred for certain protection instincts, it should have no problem warding off and, if needed, eliminating predator threats (at least as it relates to coyotes).

Now I readily accept that a traditional LGD is much better suited for 24/7 livestock protection, simply because it is more inclined to stay with the flock. But saying that a doberman, or similar breed, doesn't have enough "take down power" or "toughness" to deal with a coyote is just silly. The working specimens of these breeds get put into high-stress situations that would make a gritty hunting dog or even a moderately tempered LGD (like a Great Pyrenees) totally fold over. Yes, these dogs get used for different working applications than a traditional LGD, but don't think that precludes them from warding off and defending against threatening predators.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I don't expect a doberman to be useful as a dedicated LGD, but I very much doubt that a single or even a pair of entrepreneurial coyotes would be capable, much less willing, to take on even a half-decent doberman. These are opportunistic predators we're talking about here, they're not looking to get into a bloody fight and risk injury. I've seen 40-50lb hounds take down coyotes about their size...the size of the dog, while it matters to a point, is not the end-all-be-all. The grit and fighting drive is just as important, if not more so. I've seen Rottweilers and German Shepherds used to chase off and in some cases dispatch bold coyotes. It's true these dogs are more likely to be bred and trained for human protection work rather than animal control, but so long as the dog has been tested and bred for certain protection instincts, it should have no problem warding off and, if needed, eliminating predator threats (at least as it relates to coyotes).

Now I readily accept that a traditional LGD is much better suited for 24/7 livestock protection, simply because it is more inclined to stay with the flock. But saying that a doberman, or similar breed, doesn't have enough "take down power" or "toughness" to deal with a coyote is just silly. The working specimens of these breeds get put into high-stress situations that would make a gritty hunting dog or even a moderately tempered LGD (like a Great Pyrenees) totally fold over. Yes, these dogs get used for different working applications than a traditional LGD, but don't think that precludes them from warding off and defending against threatening predators.

A Great Pyrenees does not fold over. They are fearless and will fight to the death. Don't let their appearance or gentleness fool you.