I know a lot of people think goats are un-herdable or one can't use a herding dog to help with goats, but I have to share a different story!
I take my herding dog - Mick - with me to the farm every morning and every night. I like to separate out certain goats to do different things - he makes it incredibly easy. I ask for a tiny walk-up and the goats go from thumbing their noses to my suggestion to trotting nicely to the correct pen. No reason for me to fumble around with food to get the goats to go somewhere and mine don't wear collars most of the time - so this makes it simple.
At night - when things can get a bit busy with food interests - he calmly and quickly tucks all the goats into one pen - so I can place food, change water, etc - without any "helpers".
I can use Mick to sort out goats at the gate, and if I don't need him for a bit - he just lies around comfortably and the babies go sniff him through the fence.
Once in a while I go without him - what a difference.
So don't assume that goats won't listen to a nice dog - what I've "seen" is they won't move for heavy duty eye (border collies and kelpies) who rely upon intimidation via their focus. It seems to make goats want to fight them since goats have their own method of eyeing each other. Once a border collie learns other methods to move goats - they can do wonderfully, but many have owners who ask them to bite and that doesn't go well either.
Nice herding dogs are not bothersome to the goats - they just round them up and help aim them in the right direction. In fact it is very much fun!
My dog is an Old English Sheepdog and he just loves his goats!
Judy
Replies
This is all very interesting. :) We have a border collie/lab mix who helps us with the goats. Too bad her trainer (myself) knows next to nothing about training a herding dog. However, she is gentle and obedient, and sometimes using stay, down, back and come is sometimes helpful in getting the goats where I want them. This dog is also great at finding eggs, and has brought them to us in her mouth without breaking them, and gently laid them down at our feet. She's an excellent chicken guardian, patrolling the property, and the air space, and responding to every cackle of alarm. Crazy, wonderful girl. :) What would we do without them!?