A few questions.../Which baby monitor?

[PJisaMom]

It's been a long day.... who am I kidding? It's been a long week... but curious... I have a ND doe who is due to kid at the end of June. I've been feeding her ADM Goat Power... and it was going well. She didn't like the original transition, but learned to suffer through. I just had to buy her a new bag (she's the only one on it) and she just won't eat it. I've tried adding things to make it more appealing, but she's just not willing to hardly eat it. Does the taste really change that much from bag to bag?

My LGD (that I've had since February and is two years old) apparently has been bothering my neighbors at night. I don't hear her from my vantage point in the house or I certainly would have intervened. However, I've checked with the other neighbors consistently and they've never had an issue... but today I got a call from the township. Dog nuisance barking violation. Seriously? Why can't you man up and just talk to me???? CALLED THE TOWNSHIP? I spent nearly the entire day in tears, heartsick over what to do (and I wasn't *exactly* sure which neighbor it was... we have one old bat that calls the township on us for every single thing...). I went across the street and found it was them. I apologized -- apparently they've been just plagued with this for months.

For tonight, I've closed her in the Pen, gave her a huge bone and it's storming. I can't produce a storm every night and I can't give her a bone every night.

I'm at a loss... any thoughts?

 

[20kidsonhill]

I am sorry. Sounds like you may need to consult a dog trainer, if she is really barking at night. which I am assuming she is based on your attempt of pennning her up and giving her a bone.

Never had any problems between bags of feed. Perhaps the manufacturer changed something? or made a batch error. We don't have picky goats, ours will eat any feed we put in front of them. but i have read other people on here with similar problems.

 

[RabbleRoost Farm]

Isn't it the guard dog's job to bark at night to deter coyotes and things? I don't know what else you could do besides a bark collar at night, but that defeats the purpose of having a LGD. :/
Hmm...

 

[PJisaMom]

Isn't it the guard dog's job to bark at night to deter coyotes and things? I don't know what else you could do besides a bark collar at night, but that defeats the purpose of having a LGD. :/
Hmm...

Yep.... pretty much my take on it... I'm just... perplexed what to do...

 

[Roll farms]

Neighbors....ugh.

Her / his purpose in life IS to bark. You're not going to stop it.
I'm sorry, there just is no way....it's not in the dog's nature to NOT bark when it hears something, and occasionally just to say, "Hey, I'm here...don't come messin' around or I'll get you."

A bark collar might work. But...man...what a pain.

Unless you can lock the goats / dogs up inside a building to muffle the sound at night, I don't really know what to suggest.

I keep a fan on for ambient noise / to block out our dogs. I don't care if my neighbors don't like it. We, and the dogs, were here first.

If they complained...I'd probably put a skunk in their garage.

I'm sorry you're going through that...

I've found the best thing to cure a persnickity eater is competition...if someone else is eating it, it MUST be good, and they really SHOULD try to get some, too.

 

[20kidsonhill]

You can tell I don't have a gaurd dog, what are the laws in your area? Around here dogs are allowed to bark, it is the country after all, and goats can make all the noise they want to, my neighbors cows bellow all the time.

 

[elevan]

I don't have an LGD. I live in the country with no restrictions on noise. That said I get annoyed just like everyone else when I just start to doze off and the neighbors start shooting off firecrackers, their dogs start howling or whatever. I do not call the authorities on them however. I just turn up the fan, put in ear plugs or whatever.

Maybe you could try explaining the job of an LGD to your neighbor and the township. If that dog can't do it's job then your goats are in jeopardy and the township looses a valuable resource (your farm). I'm sure your dog law was originally written about dogs who are chained and bark / howl all night long (someone in power got annoyed) and depending on it's wording and any livestock law wording you may be found to be exempt. You could also try petitioning for a waiver for LGDs.

Don't get upset - get up and fight.

 

[PJisaMom]

Maybe you could try explaining the job of an LGD to your neighbor and the township. If that dog can't do it's job then your goats are in jeopardy and the township looses a valuable resource (your farm). I'm sure your dog law was originally written about dogs who are chained and bark / howl all night long (someone in power got annoyed) and depending on it's wording and any livestock law wording you may be found to be exempt. You could also try petitioning for a waiver for LGDs.

Don't get upset - get up and fight.

I did explain LGD's to township.. they don't care. Neither do the neighbors. I have some legal homework to do, not expecting to find much. I *could* TRY to petition for a waiver for an LGD, but the township doesn't like us to begin with... I doubt it would happen.

Upset I am... first, that she called the township "... because I went to work this morning and was so tired I just wanted to throw up!" I live across the street from you, I am a nice person, we've always been friendly... and you couldn't just call me? She said she didn't want to offend me. UM?????

My second point is that the township dipwad had the gall to say to me that "there are plenty of goat and sheep keepers in this township that don't keep dogs and their animals are just fine. In court, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on... that just wouldn't FLY!" Um... seriously?

The ordinance specifies barking dogs... but nothing they can do about loud livestock... ANYONE HAVE SUPER LOUD NUBIANS I CAN RENT FOR THE SUMMER? The ordinance, created for non-working dogs, is for the people who tie dogs to trees and allow them to bark all night.

I am incensed, but need to keep the peace on some level. I CAN lock her in the barn overnight... but obviously I don't want to. It's not that huge of a space... and she will still bark. It will just be muffled.

I agree, she should be allowed to bark, but not constantly (of which I have been completely unaware). How to work on this escapes me... unless I, too, sleep in the barn.



I live in the country, too... just happen to have neighbors... and the way the property is situated, it's hard to have more separation from our pasture to their bedroom window.

shock collar if I must... sleeping in the garage from midnight to 6am? Defeats entire purpose. Guess I better grab my pillow... I'm sleeping in the barn tonight....

 

[goatsintheopen]

gosh I'm sorry to read about all that! Some people are so unreasonable! I mean really!

I hope you're able to find a solution. I wish I had some advice but I don't know what I would do. I do like Roll's Idea of putting a skunk in their garage though! LOL

 

[PJisaMom]

On second thought... not sure if there's an ordinance against ME yelling "NO!" and "Good Girl!" all night! But I guess we'll give that four months and see how it goes!