What would you do if your dog(s) did this?

Hey Stonefield....been there done that.

Unless people have experience living on a farm, they don't get it. I had a GSD that killed a baby goat, was really just playing, but that wasn't the point.

What people fail to understand is that now your dogs *recognize* what is nature to them. The understand they are hunters and there is prey, they cannot be trusted once they have the taste of blood, especially on a farm.

I was suppose to put my GSD down, took him to the vet and had the first shot given to 'relax' him, but my brother couldn't stand my sobbing and so he agreed to sneak us both over to the next county who has an ASPCA, we left them there with strict instructions that he should be a womans dog, a working dog (police/S&D/etc) but could not be adopted out to farmland or young children b/c of the history.

He was adopted to a woman whose GSD had just passed after 13 years and lives a wonderfully spoiled life. WE GOT LUCKY!!!! Its rare that an opportunity like that comes along for any dog in the shelters...which is something more to consider.

People may wonder why I added the young children to the restrictions, but I couldn't ensure the safety of a small child from being mistaken as a small goat now could I? And what would I have done to make up to a family whose 6 year old son/daughter was mauled to death by the family pet?

People have to understand that sometimes, putting a dog down is the best choice -- when aggression is the main culprit in the behavior. That wasn't the case with Buck...but he was young and it very well could've evolved into such. He could've started running deer and that is a death sentence in hunting area's/farm land!!!

You do the best you can, and no you won't please everyone all the time....but unless they've been in that situation they can only guess at what they'll actually do....if your gut says putting them down is best, you know the dogs and you'll have to trust that. If you believe they were only playing, remember to think futuristically.....kennel the dogs when not in your supervision, work them into a job rather than just 'pets that have too much play time'.....or place them at the shelter with full disclosure of their history so they can work toward finding the most suitable home for the dogs.

Good luck to ya sweetie.....its not easy, but thats what makes it so rewarding.

They don't deserve euthanasia, they acted on instinct, when people have animals they have to understand them, dogs are hunters I have greyhounds & a Lab gentle as lambs but I see how they REACT around what they consider prey and keep they away from any temptation, I do understand farm life, members of may family have farms and livestock & dogs, they don't leave the dogs unattended around the livestock, even though no one has ever had a problem they just know it not a good idea because they are not dogs bred & trained to be around the livestock and even on a farm the dogs are not let run free all day and they are not kept outside, they are pets, give the dogs to a rescue or someone you know well that wants a pet.

Prey drive in dogs is normal. What kind of dogs are they? Bigger breeds would be more of a danger to goats.

I wouldn't be too concerned about it yet. If that goat had been in the pen with her Nanny, the dogs would not have gotten near without a fight. But I do understand your concern. You can't have dogs killing your livestock. You just have to wonder if they knew it was your prize kid. Dogs don't think like humans.

New here and not at a level I can vote yet but JO's answer is perfect....not all dogs live the "city" life. Dogs in the country on a farm have more responsibility/rules, but also great dog freedom. I feel sad for your dogs losing that, and sad for you that this had to happen on your birthday of all days.

I really hope you have the time and resources available to re-home them where they won't be faced with that temptation. Not their fault (dogs will be dogs) and not yours (all those years without incident). Sometimes things just happen.

Don't euthanize the dogs. They did nothing wrong, it WAS pack mentality, and they don't deserve to die.

I think you should, however, look into finding a new home for them. I totally understand that in your unique situation you really do need dogs who will never go after your livestock.

If you get another dog, please look into a breed which is bred to live around livestock, and be sure to expose it to the goats from a very young age and make it well known that they are not to be interfered with at all. You don't want something like this happening again.

Its called prey drive!!

If my dogs did something Like that It would be very understandable since I own a breed with a very high prey drive.

What I would do is never leave my dogs and an animal that can be seen as prey alone! EVER!

This is not the dogs fault!

Don't even think about putting this dog down!

I agree with Jodester, find another home for your dog..

What breed do you own?

You say that you are the Alpha, this is wrong. The Alpha dog is the one in control and obviously this isnt you. Rehoming dogs with this behavior might be dangerous to the people that you would be giving them to do. The dogs don't deserve to die and perhaps you need to have them locked up in a pen when you arnt there.

Well, you yourself said they must have been playing with it which indicates no real "aggression" on the dogs' part.

My wife's German Shepherd killed a bird of hers that we had just bought and brought home. It was a diamond dove and was a mate for her other dove to replace one that had died. We had it in a box with the top folded closed. He just walked into the bird room without her seeing him, used his nose to open the box and that was it. I heard her scream and ran upstairs to find bear (the GSD) in the hallway with a pile of feathers and a bird leg. It was HORRIBLE. But...we didn't get rid of him.

I would just do more to keep the dogs seperate from any livestock young you are caring for.

i totally agree with Jodester you need to find new homes for your dogs, a place where they have no prey to get hold of, its pure instincts in dogs to do this

you dont want any more livestock killed, its more about the stock then the dogs you can find a new home for the dogs faster then you can for the livestock and probably your livelyhood

You can either have the livestock or your dogs. They just did what nature told them to do.

Consider a different breed, like a Blue Heeler, or Australian Shepard that are livestock dogs and are bread to not kill.