Had my LGD pup kill a doeling.

Ridgetop

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If a young dog is keeping your goats penned in an area near their normal night pen, it could be that the dog is worried about predators in the larger field. He can smell and hear predators which you cannot and if he judges he is outgunned by the predators will not want to try driving them off.

A young dog (yours is only 5-6 months old and a puppy) that realizes he is not able to protect his goats against a larger threat will be much more cautious about allowing th herd to spread out to forage. The larger predator threat may be anything from a couple of large dogs to a cougar, bear, several coyotes, etc. The young dog will try to keep the herd in a small group that he feels capable of protecting. In the larger field he will have to guard on many sides over a larger territory. If he keeps the herd grouped tightly in a small area (particularly if he can back them up against a safety barrier with which he is familiar - in this case the gate and fence to the night pen) he has a smaller area to guard to keep them safe. It is possible that the larger field is too much territory for him to protect at this age. He is willing but knows he is at a disadvantage and so he is keeping the herd tightly corralled is a space he feels he can protect.

Can you divide the larger field into smaller pens maybe with electro net or some temporary fencing?
 

Garciafarms1

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If a young dog is keeping your goats penned in an area near their normal night pen, it could be that the dog is worried about predators in the larger field. He can smell and hear predators which you cannot and if he judges he is outgunned by the predators will not want to try driving them off.

A young dog (yours is only 5-6 months old and a puppy) that realizes he is not able to protect his goats against a larger threat will be much more cautious about allowing th herd to spread out to forage. The larger predator threat may be anything from a couple of large dogs to a cougar, bear, several coyotes, etc. The young dog will try to keep the herd in a small group that he feels capable of protecting. In the larger field he will have to guard on many sides over a larger territory. If he keeps the herd grouped tightly in a small area (particularly if he can back them up against a safety barrier with which he is familiar - in this case the gate and fence to the night pen) he has a smaller area to guard to keep them safe. It is possible that the larger field is too much territory for him to protect at this age. He is willing but knows he is at a disadvantage and so he is keeping the herd tightly corralled is a space he feels he can protect.

Can you divide the larger field into smaller pens maybe with electro net or some temporary fencing?
Oh no the field is divided into 6 equal pastures. So he only does this with the yearlings with our older goats he would follow them out and would be out with them for a few hrs then would come back to the yearlings pasture and corral them up to the gate of their night pen which we found odd. So he doesn't do it with all of them just the yearlings.
 

Ridgetop

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Many LGDS will show greater care with younger flock members. It could be that he is more concerned about their safety and feels that the adults dont need as much protection from him.
 

Garciafarms1

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Many LGDS will show greater care with younger flock members. It could be that he is more concerned about their safety and feels that the adults dont need as much protection from him.
That does make some sense. I just need to get him ok with the babies. I don't want to loose anymore so I have started back from ground Zero and so far so good
 

Baymule

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My Great Pyrenees did the same thing as a young dog. He wouldn't let the sheep out of the barn lot to go to the pasture. He perceived garbage trucks going down the road as danger! As he matured, he grew out of herding the sheep. And the sheep got used to him running up and down the fence barking madly at garbage trucks and scarcely gave him a glance.
 

Ridgetop

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That does make some sense. I just need to get him ok with the babies. I don't want to loose anymore so I have started back from ground Zero and so far so good
Remember that your 5-6 month pup is still a baby himself. Without an older trained dog to show him the ropes he is trying to learn the job by himself. With your guidance he wil mature into a fine guardian.

When the LGD dog does something wrong we all need to take several steps back, investigate the behavior, and then start the training over. Good decision.
 
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