LGD Questions from a First Timer

[Stephine]

Premier 1 electric goat fence

Not cheap but a 164' roll costs the same as just two 16' goat panels at TSC, you might need 2 rolls for the number of goats you have. The solar energizer will be another 3-4 panels equivalent. If you go this route pay the extra $20 for the double spike posts.

This is much easier to move than a goat panel fence since you only need T-posts on the corners because the stepin posts the net is connected to need to pull back to a sturdy post at those points. Premier1 has a "FiberTuff" post that can be used on corners.

Second that recommendation! I have the premier1 poultry fencing for my sheep, with driveable posts and pos/neg option (to get a shock going in our super dry summer soil). Get some extra fibertuff posts if your terrain isn’t completely flat and straight, helps to keep fence from sagging, lets you make extra turns between fence posts and keeps the fence taut through corners.

 

[Goatsincoats99]

Hey everyone! It’s been a few months and I thought I would update and ask for some more advice. The puppy is now 15 ish months. She settled down briefly and the barking subsided. I took Baymule’s advice and angrily marched to the pen and smacked the fence with a newspaper. It made a big commotion and the behavior stopped. Still no night barking save one or two “alerts” every now and then which I will go outside and look around and tell her “okay, go to bed” and she will.
She was able to roam the pasture for a while and it was so rewarding to look out the window and see her lying down in the middle of the grazing goats. Now with the winter weather, things have become more chaotic again. I am able to spend way less time outside with her, as I did in the summer when I was working outside all day. She is generally cooped up in her house to get out of the weather, so she has a lot of energy when it clears up. I think she has hit another naughty teen phase—at least that’s what I’m hoping it is. We found bite marks on two of the goats and immediately separated them. She can see them from her dog run but she is not in with them unsupervised (mostly—will get to that). I know this causes her boredom and I’ve tried to give her bones and toys to help. She will generally just bury the bone anyway.

She is VERY clever and knows when we are watching and when we are not. She will ONLY “play” with the goats when she thinks we are not watching. She will not do it when I am outside with them. She clearly knows it is bad behavior and will sulk and pout when she gets caught. She looks up at the house windows and searches to see if anyone is watching. I am sometimes standing in the window (if she sees me she’ll act nonchalant and lay down or sniff around). I am a sometimes hiding and watching, like a lunatic—this is how I know. If she doesn’t see anyone watching she’ll start to harass the goats trying to get them to play. We have a vibrating collar on her and I will buzz her when I catch this behavior. She will immediately stop, go lay in her house, and sulk.

The problem is I know I am not catching all of this behavior because she has started digging out of the dog run when I leave the property. This has happened 3 or 4 times since Christmas. I know she is bored and wants to be with her goats—but it was after she dug out that I found the second bite marks. Obviously this is unacceptable behavior but the challenge is stopping it when it only happens when I’m not home. I have never even seen her dig when I am home.

Just yesterday, I left the house for a few hours for a dr appointment. I had filled in her latest hole with a massive log that I could barely lift. When I returned, she had moved the log and dug out and the neighbor had left a note on the door saying she is barking for hours and I need to stop her barking as it is very annoying. She does not bark when I am home (maybe one or two barks over the course of the whole day) so this behavior MUST be when I leave. I assume she dug out of her dog run and stood at the far end of the pasture barking. I do not know what she is barking at or why. The goats were locked in their barn the whole time, so no biting thankfully. Just to clarify she has never left the property or tried to dig from the pasture. But I am anxious she will escalate soon.

I know I need to put up hot wire to stop this digging entirely and that’s my next step. Problem now is getting to the store to purchase a charger because the nearest store will be over an hour long trip and I know she will bark while I am gone and annoy the neighbor. I can order online but I’d like to take care of this today or tomorrow, not in a couple weeks.

I’m not sure what to do beyond that. Do you have any advice? I really want to quash this and get through this teen phase. I am hoping to set up a “sting” and get a friend to drive away in my car while I hide in the house so I can catch the behavior and use the buzz collar when she thinks I’m gone. But it’ll be a little while before I can recruit someone to do this.

95% of the time she is behaving very well. Her other behavior has stopped and foxtails have not been an issue lately. As I’ve said—when I’m home she rarely barks and does not dig. But this other 5% will be a real challenge to break.

 

[Baymule]

Bark collar when you are gone?
Clue the neighbor in on the challenges you are experiencing and thank neighbor profusely for letting you know what is going on when you are not home. Tell the neighbor your plans and that you are working on your dog not being so annoying.

You may have to wire the bottom of the kennel she is in.

Watching the windows! Oh what a smarty!

 

[SageHill]

Bark collar when you are gone?

If you do get a bark collar get a good one. Don't waste time and $ on cheap ones - they don't work or only work a little and quit. A reliable brand is Dogtra. Just sayin'.

 

[Goatsincoats99]

Sounds like a plan. Thank you guys for your help and encouragement. I really appreciate it!!

 

[Goatsincoats99]

Hey everyone. Just got the hot wire hooked up this afternoon. It’s about a foot off the ground. I grabbed it a few times and it’s a shock, but not as strong as horse fencing, in my experience. One goat touched it and trotted off, no big reaction. She sniffed it and shocked herself shortly after and has since been upset. She is hiding in the far corner and seems sad and scared. I’ve gone out to play and cuddle and give her some chicken. But it makes me really sad to see her so upset. Has anyone else experienced this? How long did this last? I don’t think she understands what is shocking her or why it happens. I know that it’s necessary because she cannot disrespect fences, dig out, get hit on the highway and get hurt, or hurt someone else’s livestock or animals—god forbid. But I just really hate to see her so dejected.

 

[Baymule]

My female Great Pyrenees got mad the first time she got shocked. She blamed it on my husband, standing outside the fence, because he called her. We believe she would have bit him if he had been inside the fence. She snarled, barked , picked up a piece of rebar and flung it. But she was psycho crazy anyway. She learned to respect the fence. He went out later and loved on her, she forgave him. That ended her digging out.

Your dog is confused, she doesn’t understand the hot wire. Give her extra attention and praise. You can build her confidence while respecting the fence. You might even touch or pretend to touch the wire and yelp like a puppy. Then go to her for comfort. Lead her into the pasture and play in the open. Teach the fence to her.

 

[Margali]

@Goatsincoats99 Love on her till she perks up some. Then take her on a walk with you (leased or not). When she gets close to fence warn her verbally and call her back. If she ignores you and get ZAPPED, say no and call her back to you. That's what I did with my farm dog and it worked pretty good.