I did a lot of research on LG's before we got Tundra & decided that the Great Pyrenees had everything I was looking for in a guardian. I did just as much searching for a pup that was affordable & came from a background that I thought would suit us. If you are considering an LGD for your animal herd or people herd, and think the Pyrenees might be for you, I'd say good choice! Tundra came from Louisiana. His parents both full-blood, did not have a herd of their own to guard but kept an "eye on the neighbors cows" and kept "coyotes and stray animals away". Tundra is an excellent LGD & though we had troubles with him slipping through the fence & hot wire when he was a pup, he has bonded with his goats wonderfully. He leads kids to mamas when they wake from their naps & the herd is out to pasture, cleans butts, provides kids with a fluffy white hill to play on and protects his herd from anything he sees as a threat. He is also very good with people and most excellent with our 2 year old granddaughter. I couldn't ask for a more gentle, loving, caring, strong, bold, fearless dog.
We bought she & her brother because they were "to much to handle" for the original owner. They were approximately 5 months old when we got them, so we have had quite a different experience with her than Tundra, but then like every child is different, so are dogs. Lily has a very deep bark and sounds pretty scary at night. She is as gentle, loving, caring, strong, bold, and as fearless of an LGD as Tundra but a bit more human needy. I think that is due to her first 5 months. That said she is an excellent guardian with great instincts. She and Tundra work well as team. When you have more than 1 LGD it is so interesting to watch them work together and see how they balance each other out. You can see some awesome video of Lily getting a bath on my Goat Granny Facebook page under videos, find the link at the bottom of this page! It is hilarious! Lily's brother went to live on a sheep farm and is doing great. Reports say he is excellent with kid lambs.
More on the breed: Be sure that you do thorough research. Pyrenees are wanderers, they require good fencing as they will test, crawl, squeeze through, dig & even jump. We use hog wire fencing with an electric fence wire top & bottom. We also cover all gates with hog wire! Pyrenees are nocturnal & it is their nature to bark, to let anything lurking in the dark know that they are there, alert, on duty and will not hesitate to take on a predator if necessary. So understand, they will bark & that can be annoying to neighbors & even you. It's something you have to get used to. Please consider your layout, neighbors and surroundings in general before getting a Pyrenees. Pyrenees are independent thinkers by nature. It runs in their blood. It only makes sense that if they are to guard a flock, they must be able to make split decisions that are best for the herd and their safety. You may not always understand all of their choices or disciplines, you have to trust and allow them to do their job. It is not at all abnormal for an LG to tend to young, clean butts, clean mamas and clean up after birthing. They will eat still born or expired kids. This is done to keep predators away, to protect the herd. It is important that you spend time with your pup and teach them who their ultimate leader is. Never by force but rather by firm demand of respect through repetition and off hands discipline. It is not necessary to hit or scream at a Pyrenees. You can firmly correct. Be consistent and in cases where they are not getting the point or need immediate & serious correction (such as if they are chasing a chicken) run them down, roll & straddle them and firmly tell them no. Like a mama dog would her pup. You are the teacher for acceptable basic behavior and boundaries. Spend time walking them around their boundaries and never let them go past it. All puppies reach an age where they want to run and play with anything that moves. Your Pyrenees will be no different and it is important during these stages that you are aware of what your pup is doing most all the time. It may be that you have to separate your LG from kids, chickens and other "flight" animals, when you can not be right there to watch, until the stage passes or your pup has understood that the animals they guard are not play toys just because they run when provoked or startled. Pyrenees grow very fast and are very large while still "puppies". They can unintentionally hurt kids from play. Hard as it can be you must be patient and remember that they are puppies and not all knowing adult LG's. If you are wanting an LG then you must treat your pup as such. Do not play with your pup, pet, cuddle or treat you pup as you would a house/yard dog. Pet your dog when you are out with the livestock, within their boundaries, in their element. All work done with a LG should be done within their boundaries in their element. They should not be allowed to "play" with your house/yard dog. A LG needs to stay out with livestock, live with livestock so that they can bond with and become a part of the herd. Many people think that this is mean but it is vital, so that they do their job and protect and take care their herd. Here are some good resources to start your own research: http://www.lgd.org http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_pyrenees/index.cfm http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_pyrenees/index.cfm There are many farms out there that have GP as their flocks guardians and share their experience with the breed on their websites. They are great resources for research! |
