# GSDs and Goats?



## royals17 (Feb 15, 2015)

Hey all, 
I have a friend who wants to get a GSD, but this friend has 2 pygmy goats already. They asked me how shepherds are with goats, and I had no idea because Apollo has never met a goat. So I thought I'd ask on here. Any experience with your/other GSDs and a goat? 

Thanks in advance!


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

Mine herd them


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Ask Rosa & Nico's mom (GSDs). She has Totes, a goat. I forgot her name on here. But I think Totes is kept separate from dogs when not supervised


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

I don't specifically know the answer to this, but I would THINK they would need to be raised with them from a very young age to desensitize them. I say this because an acquaintance of mine had a GSD (he was a family dog) who got into a pen with a small herd of goats and killed every one of them. 

Moms


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I know one who keep her goat in with her GSD and bloodhound because goats resemble deer. The dog did herd the poor thing but they got along well. Beau now ignores them thanks to a teammate who has two goats and we spent time in the pen. I would so have goats if I had a good place. What neat little animals.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

My two do fine with goats, with some training. Neither of them were "raised" with livestock (we now have chickens and horses, and our neighbors have goats), but we spent a lot of time on learning impulse control and working on obedience around the animals. Now they're not very interested, though will occasionally try and herd (we have NEVER had an incident where any animal was bitten, though). They can usually be carefully introduced to livestock without turning into killers


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Momto2GSDs said:


> I don't specifically know the answer to this, but I would THINK they would need to be raised with them from a very young age to desensitize them. I say this because an acquaintance of mine had a GSD (he was a family dog) who got into a pen with a small herd of goats and killed every one of them.
> 
> Moms


My dogs were raised with a bigger goat (Nubian) and a sheep and they were ok. But after the old goat passed away we got a new one who was much smaller and made the most annoying noise. (it might have been a pygmy) This drove the dogs crazy and one day the kids managed to let the goat out of his pen and and the dogs killed it. After that no more goats for us. They never touched the sheep or the guinea hens or emus.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

mspiker03 said:


> Mine herd them


Mine too. 

I have goats (two pygmy crosses and a nubian, all three does). There can be polite co-existence, but it takes training. The dog needs to learn, as early as possible, that all livestock is "MINE" - just like a plate of human food set on the floor is "MINE" - and she can interact with them only with permission. In my opinion, this is key, whether you want to teach herding or not.

My goats are in a fenced area with their own shed, we don't allow free access. It's just asking for a disaster and injuries on both sides. Both my shepherd and the Australian cattle dog I fostered for a while learned that when the goats were inside the fence, they were off limits. At lessons or if a goat is outside the fence, it's time to go to work. It extends to other animals as well... my GSD learned that chickens are "MINE" (no exceptions), she can enter the chicken coop with me and nothing gets chased or hurt. Would I let her in there without me? Heck no. 

A few other thoughts.... if the goats have been disbudded (no horns), they have zero natural defense against a dog, especially a big powerful shepherd. Be extra, extra vigilant. Goats vary in personality just like other livestock. There's a big difference between "dog broke" goats (and sheep), vs. stock that has no exposure to a herding dog. Their behavior can be erratic, unpredictable, and even aggressive (especially if you have a buck, or a mama with kids).

I know of a few folks whose livestock share the yard/pasture with their dogs in a more casual manner, but it wouldn't work for me. Just my $0.02.


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

I have three goats (a pygmy, a mid sized mutt goat and a large Nubian/boer mix) and three german shepherds. The goats came after the dogs. I can have the dogs in the goat pen with me and everything is ok. The dogs have been trained to leave it and down stay. Outside of the pen the dogs 'tend' the goats and will run the fence line unless told to stop. They do try to herd them if they can.
My biggest issue is that goats are really hard to contain. So even though you spend a ridiculous amount of money goat proofing their pen, they will likely find a way out. And if they get out while my gsds are out and I'm not there to control the dogs, things get interesting. I haven't had any disasters but it could happen if I let my management slide. And my biggest goat would kill a dog I think. If I leave a dog in a down stay in the goat pen, she will stalk it and attack it. My dogs are big, this goat is much bigger and she has horns. I feel secure knowing she would probably take care of a coyote, but I have to be really careful with her and the dogs.


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## River-Otter (Jun 1, 2015)

I have a small, mixed farm that includes dairy goats, and my GSD is fine with them, and, at 18 months old, learning that it is her job to look after and protect them.
But, I did choose her for her lack of prey drive. I can see a dog with higher drive having trouble resisting.



WIBackpacker said:


> A few other thoughts.... if the goats have been disbudded (no horns), they have zero natural defense against a dog, especially a big powerful shepherd.


A word on this - horns are no defense against dogs. None. Feral dogs are the main predator where I live and I promise you from sad experience, both mine and others, goats, with or without horns, have NO defense against dogs except running for the house and screaming loud enough to alert their owner and their owner's dogs. Many goats have been killed or horribly maimed when their horns have gotten caught in fence (goats will always, always stick their heads through a fence!) and dogs have happened by
So for the folks on the thread who would like to own goats one day, go on and get them disbudded and get a STRONG electric fence. It is overall safer to have a disbudded goat and that fence will be more protection than horns.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Mine herd them as well.


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