Ok...got a question......running myself ragged here...lol
The new pyr, whose name is Snarfie, has been great with the goats. She is not a people dog at all....I guess that is typical of the breed but I'm kind of glad. I play with her each day, but honestly she could care less.
She has been very docile and calm since we added her in the goat pen a week or so ago. She just kind of acts like one of the goats. She does play with Ivan when she feels "doggy". They get along great.
My concern is that.....we got a day old Saanen (dairy goat) about a week ago. We've kept him in the house because its been so cold and plus we have to bottle feed him. Today I put him in the pen with the goats for some goatie interaction and Snarfie just keeps chasing him and biting him. She caught his leg and started chewing at it. The little goat was trying to get away and she would not let go...just yanking him back. I've never seen this behavior from her.
We have a 3 month old kid (goat) who she does not bother. Its only this new one. Do you think she could be picking up some agressive play behavior from Ivan? He is a VERY active, agressive playing dog. Maybe we should keep her and Ivan apart so she doesn't learn anymore of this behavior? Or is this typical of a Pyr pup?
She has never even offered to bother the other goats...just this little one. When I yelled NO to her it was like she didnt even hear me, of course, she tunes me out all the time and I took that for being normal in her breed.
I know that pyrnmom raises pets and I dont think she has goats, but was wondering if she had seen this behavior in her pet pups (remember, Snarfie was a pet before she came here). Do they do that with the other pups?
Any help would be appreciated. I need to nip this in the bud ASAP.
I have sent this post to Pyr on her board. She also said that you are more then welcome to go over there and sign up and post any questions you have to her on her board.
I honestly wish that I could offer some advice, but as you say... I have only had Pyrs as companions, not for their real breeding traits of LGDs.
I agree that there has to be some reason why she sees this kid differently than the other...human scent? Not sure.
I am a member of the LivestockGuardianDog ring. Many of the members breed, raise and show Pyrs as guardians for their livestock. Perhaps you can check with another member who has experience with using the Pyrs as LGDs?
If you go to http://www.lgd.org, you should find info on how to join the LGD-L. It is an e-mail list for people who have or who are interested in livestock guardian breeds. Lots of people on the list have working livestock guardians and are pretty good about answering questions. The list is worth joining just to read Robert's tales of Bagari the CO pup.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
Ok, i am probebly WAY off here but it sounds to me like she is picking out the weaker goat (this little one) so as not to be entising to preditors. Kinda like when an animal mother in the wild has a weak, runt baby she will kill it to give her other, stronger ones a better chance of survival. I am probebly wrong but i would guess that if the dogs acts more goat-like then she is being a dominate "goat". Not sure what it could be though.