jsluder wrote:The Weekenders wrote:Jsluder, we use those dogs to guard our sheep. Very fine animals.
Very fine animals, indeed. How many Pyrs do you have?
We'd love to be able to have more than one, but we live in the 'burbs. There's a small farm across the street from us with two Great Pyrenees on duty. Ours is just a pet, though he takes his self-appointed guard duty
very seriously.
Cheers,
John
We had a very fine male, Rambo, who lived to about 8. A very noble fellow, he kept his distance from people (you purposely raise them with the sheep and don't get too friendly). The valley where my folks live is filled with coyotes, including a field next door that the neighbor let overgrow and was a natural hiding place. He would bark and bark, with a thunderous effect really, all night. In the morning, he would be so tired that you could walk right up to him and he wouldn't even bother lifting an eyebrow, he was so tired. When you see them out there in the winter rains and even snow, doing their job, you tend to feel pretty appreciative . He died early last year basically from some kind of wasting condition, but he was old for a big dog so who knows. It was always a challenge trying to give him a shot or get an exam because he would almost never let you put hands on him.
About two years ago, seeing that he was getting thin, they got a female. He was big, but she is bigger, just huge really, approaching St. Bernard size. She was too babied by former owners at first and has taken the full couple of years to stay out with the sheep but she still comes in for some love sometimes. She likes being petted and such.
So the folks decided to get another one but couldn't find one and ended up getting an Akvash Miramar (sp?).. This is a shorter-haired breed but he shows signs of getting even bigger than her.
At any rate, working dogs are awesome in their own way, even though a pet version would be great too. And, Pyrenees are definintely fluffy cutie-pies.
Very funny, Tom. Actually, he hears that everywhere he goes. (It's probably the glasses.)
