I have been offered a great pyrenees dog - 2 year old spayed female - needed a good home...with lots of room.....don't know anything about them ... do you have one? Is it a good dog to have on a small farm with chickens and milk cow to care for....would appreciate comments....G
great pyrenees dog - you got one?
- Thread starter Kingsfarm
- Start date
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
Find out how the dog was raised as far as farm animals go. They do need a fenced area too, as Great P's roam...it's part of their job, they are independent too. I would be on that dog fast if it has farm animal experience, good ones are worth their weight in gold!
k0xxx
Mr. Sunshine
We absolutely love our Pyr. However, being raised as an inside dog with very little contact with our animals, I wouldn't trust is near our chickens or the pig. That being said, as BBH stated, if it has been raised as an livestock guard dog, jump on the opportunity. They are truly wonderful animals.
My wife Mary, with our pyr named Fiona.
My wife Mary, with our pyr named Fiona.
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
She is beautiful!!!
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Is she mixed? Don't know that I've ever seen a pure GP with that build or coloring.
I had a mixed GP and she was worth her weight in gold. I rescued her from where she had been abandoned on a farm, she was 2 years old. She was fully trained~even would sit up like a poodle and beg! You never saw anything so funny as a big GP/lab mix begging in this manner~ and was a wonderful dog every day we had her until the day she went to sleep in my arms and left this world to wait for me on the other side. If ever a dog earned a place in Heaven, my Sweet Lucy did!
That being said, she had a wander lust and was kept safe at home with the use of a wireless electric containment system. Learned my lesson after paying for an $800 repair of a broken leg after someone hit her with a car.
I had a mixed GP and she was worth her weight in gold. I rescued her from where she had been abandoned on a farm, she was 2 years old. She was fully trained~even would sit up like a poodle and beg! You never saw anything so funny as a big GP/lab mix begging in this manner~ and was a wonderful dog every day we had her until the day she went to sleep in my arms and left this world to wait for me on the other side. If ever a dog earned a place in Heaven, my Sweet Lucy did!
That being said, she had a wander lust and was kept safe at home with the use of a wireless electric containment system. Learned my lesson after paying for an $800 repair of a broken leg after someone hit her with a car.
Rebbetzin
Almost Self-Reliant
My grandparents had one when I was a kid. She was great with kids, they didn't have any livestock, but she probably would have been great with them too. The little kids could hang off her ears and she would never even complain!
My husband had one. It was his favorite dog. He said he never had to teach this dog anything, it just seemed to know what he wanted and did it.
Most people I have known that have them think they are a wonderful breed.
But for sure ask how she was raised, and why they are trying to find a new home for her. You might have some "re-training" to do.
At two she is still probably very active and needs someone to faithfully work with her so she will be a GOOD dog.
My husband had one. It was his favorite dog. He said he never had to teach this dog anything, it just seemed to know what he wanted and did it.
Most people I have known that have them think they are a wonderful breed.
But for sure ask how she was raised, and why they are trying to find a new home for her. You might have some "re-training" to do.
At two she is still probably very active and needs someone to faithfully work with her so she will be a GOOD dog.
keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
Bee, I don't know about K0xxx's pyr, but Titan was a pure Pyr with markings. They are called badger markings, and are seen more often in Europe than here, according to our vet.Beekissed said:
keljonma
Epicurean Goddess
We adopted a Great Pyrenees from a no-kill shelter when he was over a year old. We were the third family to adopt him. He went from being an unloved, unwanted city dog to the guardian of our family members, home, and eventually 2 acres, a cat, another dog, and poultry flock.
Adults dogs have a history that will require patience and love and work to understand and correct, if needed.
They do bark......after a while you will be able to tell if it is the "Ok, world, I'm on duty" bark (throughout the day), or the "hawks are scoping out the flock" bark (as needed). They both sound differently from the barks and growls that alert you to people or animals near your fenceline or vehicles in the farm drive. The advantage was that most people did not venture beyond the drive gate....because who wants to test the barking, growling, 125 pound (looking 150 pound with all that fur) dog?
They can get along with other family dogs and cats....but a strange dog on the property will (ime) be treated as a potential threat. When our friends came to visit, they did not bring their dogs. If they were driving by and pulled in to say hello because we were out in the yard, and happened to have their dogs with them, their dogs stayed in the vehicle. It was Titan's property to guard, we did not allow other dogs to mark the property. We adopted a rescue Brittany Spaniel a year after we were on the farm. Titan added Maddie to his list of guard duties. He was the one who really alerted us that something was wrong with her right before she was diagnosed with cancer.
They do need fencing. If they don't see a border, a Great Pyr will consider anything within view as "property to be guarded". If your property is fenced, don't leave the drive gate open.
As working dogs, they do best when they have a job to do and our experience has been that if you don't give them a job, they will create one or get into mischief.
They are very intelligent and learn quickly. Whenever we moved to a new home, we walked the perimeter with Titan and talked to him about what his job would be. Sometimes that was more difficult than that sentence relays. When we got chickens, we let Titan sniff them and told him it was his job to guard them. We had no problems.
Our ds and dil also adopted a Great Pyr. They are currently living in a large apartment, but with walks 3 or 4 times a day and play time at the park, it seems to be working for them.
There are a lot of great resources for people considering owning a Great Pyr. Here are a couple I like...
http://www.greatpyr.com
http://www.great-pyrenees.us
Titan recently died at 12 years 8 months of age. While we had owned dogs before this, Titan was our first experience with the Great Pyrenees breed. We have decided we will probably get another Great Pyr when we are ready.
If you are interested, here are two links to my journal posts that describe in detail our experience adopting and living with an adult Great Pyr. Pictures are included.
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=18290#p18290
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=244616#p244616
Good luck with your decision...........
Adults dogs have a history that will require patience and love and work to understand and correct, if needed.
They do bark......after a while you will be able to tell if it is the "Ok, world, I'm on duty" bark (throughout the day), or the "hawks are scoping out the flock" bark (as needed). They both sound differently from the barks and growls that alert you to people or animals near your fenceline or vehicles in the farm drive. The advantage was that most people did not venture beyond the drive gate....because who wants to test the barking, growling, 125 pound (looking 150 pound with all that fur) dog?
They can get along with other family dogs and cats....but a strange dog on the property will (ime) be treated as a potential threat. When our friends came to visit, they did not bring their dogs. If they were driving by and pulled in to say hello because we were out in the yard, and happened to have their dogs with them, their dogs stayed in the vehicle. It was Titan's property to guard, we did not allow other dogs to mark the property. We adopted a rescue Brittany Spaniel a year after we were on the farm. Titan added Maddie to his list of guard duties. He was the one who really alerted us that something was wrong with her right before she was diagnosed with cancer.
They do need fencing. If they don't see a border, a Great Pyr will consider anything within view as "property to be guarded". If your property is fenced, don't leave the drive gate open.
As working dogs, they do best when they have a job to do and our experience has been that if you don't give them a job, they will create one or get into mischief.
They are very intelligent and learn quickly. Whenever we moved to a new home, we walked the perimeter with Titan and talked to him about what his job would be. Sometimes that was more difficult than that sentence relays. When we got chickens, we let Titan sniff them and told him it was his job to guard them. We had no problems.Our ds and dil also adopted a Great Pyr. They are currently living in a large apartment, but with walks 3 or 4 times a day and play time at the park, it seems to be working for them.
There are a lot of great resources for people considering owning a Great Pyr. Here are a couple I like...
http://www.greatpyr.com
http://www.great-pyrenees.us
Titan recently died at 12 years 8 months of age. While we had owned dogs before this, Titan was our first experience with the Great Pyrenees breed. We have decided we will probably get another Great Pyr when we are ready.
If you are interested, here are two links to my journal posts that describe in detail our experience adopting and living with an adult Great Pyr. Pictures are included.
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=18290#p18290
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=244616#p244616
Good luck with your decision...........
- Thread starter
- #9
Thank you for all the advice...your dogs sound like wonderful companions...Lady was owned by a lady in an apartment with apt. size yard, she had puppies and has been spayed...will look more into it, they sound like a good temperment ... something has killed half my chicken flock ---tonight, moved all to different predator proof coop (I pray) ...am hoping Lady will deter any racoon, fox, skunk, opossum, anything from coming in....her bark will scare them I hope... will introduce her to our 13 year old dog charolette.. we will all have much to learn... my husband is anxious to have her, she can go with him when he milks the cow, she will have a fenced in acre to run around in between the chicken yard and cow pasture... we have another section that is about 1/2 acre with only a electric fence, do you think that will hold her, the cows stay in?
Keljoma, I read about Titan what a beautiful dog, I pray ours will be the same temperment.
am understanding she will be good with our grandchildren... right!!!!! and visitors...right!!
thanks for responding....am looking forward to a GOOD experience with the gentle giant...G
Keljoma, I read about Titan what a beautiful dog, I pray ours will be the same temperment.
am understanding she will be good with our grandchildren... right!!!!! and visitors...right!!
thanks for responding....am looking forward to a GOOD experience with the gentle giant...G
k0xxx
Mr. Sunshine
Ours is very gentle with children. When we have her in our fenced yard and a stranger comes to the house, she lets out a couple of mean barks and then just stands there and watches them closely. Once we call her over and "introduce" her to the guests, she is fine, but she keeps a close eye on them until we do.Kingsfarm said:
