When is a Donkey a Guardian

[kato]

I posed that very question on another discussion board a couple of years ago. I got lots of suggestions. Those nice people still help me name our new arrivals.

The winner was the person who went on and said "If I had a donkey, I'd call it Oatie." (Think about that for a bit ... it makes sense).

I bet the good Agri-ville folks can put those brilliant minds to work and come up with the perfect name.

And the winner is .......

[kato]

Donkeys like dogs tend to name themselves. Kato is right, donkeys grow on you and it isn't easy to settle for owning just one. I would love to have a spotted mini jenny but have to draw the line at too many of them around here.

[cakadu]

I'm hoping that she names herself and soon because the only other suggestion that has been bandied about around here is Eeyore and that is a male name.

With your donkeys, were they any particular age when the hatred of canines and the donkey dance came about? So far she is very watchful of the dogs, but I haven't seen any real aggression towards them. Having said that though, she has put her ears back and backed up many times, so I suppose it is just a matter of time until one or more of the dogs gets the shock of their lives.

[cakadu]

My first donkey was two when I got him and the first thing he did when we unloaded him was kick my old border collie who hasn't forgiven him !!!
The second donkey has never attempted to attack the dog, but he hates cats. The first winter the oldest donkey was here, the barn cats took a beating, several times I notices one or the other of them limping, so obviously they had gotten their paws tramped on.
Both donkeys will go after a stray dog, they get very uneasy if one is around and if the opportunity presents itself they will stomp the intruder.
My farrier usually brings his little poodle type dog when he trims the donkeys feet, and they hate the dog a lot more than the hoof trimming !

[kato]

Mine usually start on cats when they are a month old or so. Nothing serious, just give them a chase.

I have a really funny picture of a two month old foal running our German Shepherd out of the pen. They are almost the same size, and the dog is running for her life. Or at least she thought she was!

I doubt that much damage would have been done, but the little donkey had her psyched right out. It was good training for the young dog, too. It taught her respect without any 'real' danger. To this day, she behaves herself around the donkeys.

[kato]

The breeder that I bought my donkeys from advised that if a donkey foal grows up with a pup they will accept them and have no inclination to be agressive.

[cakadu]

This donkey is just over a year old and the breeder had no dogs at all, so she wouldn't have gotten used to dogs. She will actually sniff our dogs, but her ears are always back and from time to time she will throw her head around, so I don't know if that can be classed as aggression or not. What I'm wondering is if she will get used to ours and then if the coyotes and/or other dogs come around prove to be more aggressive with them?

Today I believe she finally went out with the sheep when they went to graze, so the real bonding looks like it is beginning to take place.

It's probably too soon too tell just how aggressive that she will be because she's only been here a couple of weeks and I would guess is still getting over the trauma of leaving the only home that she's been at - her donkey friends - and coming to a place where there is a lot more sheep than she's used to.

Because she was with other donkeys and sheep, I wonder if she was more bonded to the donkeys?