Looking for a goat-proof dog gate

[Andy Carson]

I am interested in any gate/passage designs that would let my dog (~120 lbs) patrol areas that I have fenced for goats while still having access to separate areas around the house that contain chickens. This would require making some sort of gate that the dog could get through, but that goats cannot cross. My goats range in size from ~40 lbs to ~150 lbs and the small ones are especially nimble and good at climbing. This seems like an impossible gate, but I thought I was ask and see if anyone had any thoughts… Please share if you do… I haven’t had any predator problems with the goats yet, but having a guard dog on the otehr side of a fence does them little good. Perhaps some sort of low, heavy flap, that would require the dog to wiggle under while pushing though? Like when dogs dig under fences… I don’t think goats are as interested in burrowing under things, but that’s a guess… I would rather copy someone elses design than go inventing.

[Robert MoonShadow]

My goats will lay down and crawl under ANYthing – they’re used to doing it on the wild roses & blackberries I rent them out on…and if they see me step over their electric netting, at least one or two will try it, to see if it’s “hot”…so anything your dog jumps, might teach them, as well. But me dogs roam around outside their netting (as well as the chickens’) and the coyotes don’t come near, so I’m wondering why you think having the dog(s) outside their area wouldn’t help?

[Andy Carson]

@Robert MoonShadow 39093 wrote:

But me dogs roam around outside their netting (as well as the chickens’) and the coyotes don’t come near, so I’m wondering why you think having the dog(s) outside their area wouldn’t help?

Perhaps it is sufficient, I certainly have no proof that the dog NEEDS to be in with the goats. If there were some type of gate, though, I would be interested in it. This is probably an impossible arrangement. The goats can already jump better than the dog, which eliminates “over.” It sounds like “under” is not going to work. “Through” might hold some sort of possibility if it takes advantage of a thing goats could not learn to do like a dog. Not sure what that’s going to be… It sounds like this might exist because it’s not possible… Again, please share any thoughts.

[CharlyBonifaz]

a door that will open only to a collar with a transponder?

[Jonathan Shively]

I can’t think of any solution. Whatever the dog can go under or over or around the goats will learn to do that as quick. Agile and nimble, a goat is like trying to keep in water without a gate for a dog!

[fogish]

There are transponders in collars that open pet doors for houses but I played around with the idea of a magnet in a collar to slide a catch bar and when the force is no longer pushing on the metal it slides back. Like a passive locking mechanism and it takes an active force to move it. When the gate closes it stays shut. It would take a couple rare earth magnets to produce the force needed and then train the dog to push the gate in one spot. I never built it, too many irons in the fire, I played around with the idea in my head. If you find it plausible and want a good magnets http://www.kjmagnetics.com/ have a huge selection at great prices.

[Eli]

I’ts been my experance nothing is goat proof. Eli

[Kevin Cunningham]

I was on a Great Pyrenese list for a while and somebody there said that they just cut a hole in the woven wire fence, this is assuming the standard four foot high sheep fence. Then the hole was covered with a slightly larger piece of wire. The effect was a large doggie door in the fence. It was one way, and the way back in was a bale of straw set out so the dog could jump back into the pen. Now, I have no experience with this but she claimed that the dog would pass through and goats wouldn’t because they didn’t like the wire banging in there faces. I think I can trust her experience too as she has been raising goats and pyrs for a long time, so this is time tested, at least on her property.

[near horse]

The magnetic switch/gate idea has been used for quite a while for individually feeding cattle in a group pen. Each one has a collar with a ball containing a magnetic key specific for their particular “gate” that allows them access to their feed. It does need electricity to power the bolt action on the gate but it works pretty good. That company was American Calan as I recall. Probably a good source for ideas.

[Andy Carson]

Ha! They make doggie doors that work off transponder systems. As long as I can install something like this so as to prevent “piggy-backing” (goat follows dog) this should work well. I do have electrical access where I want to put the gate.

Example: http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-SmartDoor-Large-100-lbs/dp/B000WJ0IGA

The “bonus” feature of a transponder system is that in making the door for my dog, I am not simultaneously creating a door for strange dogs and/or coyotes.

[j.l.holt]

I remembered that goats hate wet feet. So if you would put a kids swimming pool down,,half full of water then a flap gate, they just might not e get into the water to try it out.

[Anonymous]

Pets doors and other garage doors at http://caldwells.com/ are available, check that out, so you can get your type of door you need.

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