[goatfarmer4891]

I have 12 goats and will be kidding in the early spring. I have a German Shepherd/Collie mix, but she is too much of a pet to do any good protecting my herd. I want to get a puppy in the spring so I can raise it with my kids. So here is where all my questions begin....

*What breeds are the best with goats?
*How much training is involved?
*How do I go about finding people that sell the pups?
*What is a general cost?

Thank you everyone for your help

 

[goatfarmer4891]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I know that those weren't very detailed questions that I had so they are difficult to answer I live in Indiana with a herd of 14 goats and growing (yes the number has increased since I first posted this lol). I have a variety of breeds, but mostly ADGA Nubians. I will be kidding them in the spring. I have a 5 ft fence around their large lot, but Coyotes are thick around here and they will come over or under anything to get to livestock. They are pushing into the suburb areas too which shows how desperate they are getting. My German Shepherd is in a separate area than the goats and hopefully keeps most of them away by her bark, but I need a large dog that is in with my herd to protect everyone should a problem arise. I have chickens, ducks, and barn cats on the farm also so I need something that I can raise with everyone that will be gentle, but aggressive when needed with predators. I will be having kids within the next couple of years so I would also like a breed that has a good history with being gentle.