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[Marta]

just a thought about this guard dog thing, everyone asks me if I want to use their orchard and gardens for grazing (for want of a better word) the goats, I point out that they have a guard dog so it would not be a good idea as they are so close to the doors or gates so goats will not be able to get past them into the orchard, their first response is "oh the vicar has an Alsatian and you let that dog near the goats" lol until I point out that the vicars dog was born around goats and herding is instinctive for it where as your dog is on a leash and is trained to protect the property not the goats they dont know, they see other animals as predators and or food,

I am totally against putting any animal on a leash but some times its needed for the safety of the animal and the security of the premises and its occupiers, as well as not allowing it to breed with other dogs....but I shall not go into that on this thread lol

we have to be responsible as a guardian and let them be responsible for guarding the house, in other words we guard them and they guard us.

 

[no nonsense]

For me, the subject of protecting your animals (not this thread, just the general subject) isn't just an afterthought, or something to worry about 'when the time comes'...It's a main part of having them, as much as feed and care is.
I feel that a lot of folks don't realize what it entails until they have lost animals...so animals suffer for a lack of human consideration.

Bravo! IMO, rather than rush to enable the owner with an outgushing of sympathy when one of these events happens, I wonder why people don't question the carelessness which allowed it to occur in the first place. Luckily the OP had a close call, a wake up call. Hopefully she will learn from the experience. Many animals don't get such a second chance.

 

[FarmerChick]

Only thing is a human is not a prey animal. We can explore relatively safely. Prey animals can not.

Putting "want" of "freedom" in human terms onto an animal doesn't work. Animals live in the present moment and do not have human reasonings.

Everyone sure has to be reasonable in their care with livestock.
When incidents happen it is never nice, but at least the owner has the chance to correct it. Live and learn thru life is best we can do.


(remember, I BELIEVE that the OP is an older teenager.....(if I can remember my people right on this board yet...lol) So learning is part of the farm experience....everyone has to learn at some point.

 

[norcal]

Only thing is a human is not a prey animal.

?? Can you say that to those who are seriously injured in auto accidents, or to those of violent crime. We all take a risk walking out our front door. My sons school (in a fairly small town) was on lockdown the other day. I was there, felt kinda like prey.

Bravo! IMO, rather than rush to enable the owner with an outgushing of sympathy when one of these events happens, I wonder why people don't question the carelessness which allowed it to occur in the first place.

What about the folks whose goats are penned safely, yet they get a collar stuck & hang themselves, or they get stuck in their hay bag and die. Or they get some disease or illness. Should we all come on the board and shake our fingers at them. Your responses are narrow. Your ideas are not the finale.

I had a friend who had her goats penned up their whole life. No jumping on rocks, no running and chasing. Too small. Would not wish that on my goats.

obla di obla da, life goes on....

live & let die....

 

[Cottage Cheese]

Thank you all for your responses; I never get this many!!! I did not make this clear; our property is COMPLETELY enclosed at ALL times, when the animals are freeranging. We have a front gate that is always closed; but that night my dad left to go do errands, and the gate was open. I said " LGD" for fun; yes I should have looked before I leaped into posting that. He is a pitbull, labrador, border- collie mix, and protects all of the animals, chickens and goats, at all times. This was a freak accident that will NEVER EVER happen AGAIN. Norcal: I am glad you saved yours just in the nick of time ! FarmerChick: YES, I am just a teenager hahaha. To the monitor; I would like this thread closed, we have discussed enough here.

 

[FarmerChick]

FarmerChick wrote:
Only thing is a human is not a prey animal.

?? Can you say that to those who are seriously injured in auto accidents, or to those of violent crime. We all take a risk walking out our front door. My sons school (in a fairly small town) was on lockdown the other day. I was there, felt kinda like prey.



I understand what you are saying definitely....but humans are not on the food chain in a normal and natural state in life. There are predators and prey. Mainly prey is just that and almost never moves up the food chain to compete.

auto accident. I don't think a car accident is making a human prey----only other humans can prey on others and it is not in the natural order of everyday life for most. Not in terms of an antelope or rabbit etc. is on the food chain.

So while humans can be prey by other humans and some big cats and other big predators, NO, we are not everday prey on the food chain.


of course each would lean more towards their own feelings in general on that subject and I understand.




One thing you have to remember, animals are animals....and not everyone will ever put the animal on the same pedestal as another.

So while some cry inhumane, it might be just normal decent treatment of an animal in your homelife. Some people call tu-tus and dressing up poodles in sunglasses is inhumane, or carrying a small dog everywhere and never letting it walk, or never letting a pet out of the house, like cats who are de-clawed is all inhumane actually,,,,,,,while others say---oh it is my baby and a family member and is treated divinely.