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NW PA | Afraid I have to agree with Goatwrangler...your GP has bonded with you and your home, not the livestaock. Very doubtfull it will ever be good guard for the goats/cattle.
I recommend you get a guard dog that was born and raised with goats/sheep. Bring it to your farm and put it right with the goats, don't let it come to the yard, don't ever let it come to the house, etc.
Now, I have to differ in the opinion of others on the roaming and barking. If you want a dog that stays close with the animals and only barks when it sees a threat (yes some guard dogs will seemingly bark all day and night at nothing), you need to buy GOOD dogs that come from parents that are that way. How do I know? I have 3 guard dogs with my sheep. One is a Great Pyrenees, the others are Pyrenees x Maremma. I do rotational grazing in 1/3acre paddocks and all 3 of my dogs stay in the paddocks with the sheep. Do they bark at night?..yes, when they sense a threat (which in our area is coyotes, stray dogs, foxes, etc.). I sleep with the window open and hear them once or twice most nights. I also hear the coyotes howling and have not lost a lamb that they were guarding. My dogs are 1, 2, and 11 years old.
If you are interested in finding another dog I can give you a few names of people that breed really good guard dogs.
Justin
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Great Pyrenees guard dog
