Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Great Pyrenees Dogs???

I kinda hijacked another thread on these dogs . Anybody know the "pros and cons" of these dogs?

Beautiful kind dogs. Very hard to train.

Just curious RAH, what type of training are you talking about? To tell you the truth, I don't think I've ever seen one before .

Great livestock guard dogs. They like to roam. If you have a problem with coyotes, it usually takes more than one. Their thick fur act as protection when around coyotes. They can get quite large. My uncle's averages about 180 lbs in the winter and 150 lbs in the summer.

We use them to guard the sheep. They are very independent and love to roam. I live out in the country and it is not uncommon to not see them for a few days, or to find them over a mile away. But when they have cattle or sheep or even people to guard they stay closer. I have one that stays with my sheep so well that I have not touched him since I brought him home about 7 years ago as a pup. We have some others that stay around the house and have been broken to people and they stay close. They do bark quite a bit at night, but this can be a good thing to alert if coyotes are close or if people pull in the drive late at night. They are hard to train, and shed heavy.

If you need a gentle giant dog that is great with family or kids I highly recommend them. You also need a very large yard, or a considerable amount of land. They are not dogs to take on a run at the lake, or to catch a Frisbee in my experience.

I thought I remembered George having them. Perhaps if he sees this he'll chime in too!!!

Here is a link to an old post of his.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post299980

My son has used them for livestock guard dogs for some ten years with great results. Never lost a goat to a critter and in area with coyotes, bobcats, foxes.
I don’t know any cons unless intend for a pet - they are bred as work dogs.


Not hard to train at all if intent is for work dogs.
The mama dogs have pups in the goat pen and eat the placenta.
They think they are goats…ours are not pets but Bruno and Uno always come to me to raub their heads and then go back with the goats.



Ours do not roam - they stay with the animals.
Recent mama goat died with twins - one survived.
He was bottle fed and Bruno was left outside of goat pen to care for the baby between bottle feeding. He sleeps curled up protecting the baby.

By the way, Great Pyranese guard dogs are death on otters and pit bull dogs.
A stray Pit Bull got one of the goats by the throat - Bruno grabbed the PB by the throat and shook it until almost dead - the goat and PB had to be put down. Males shold be kept in separate pastures - they will fight - it is not apretty sight!

They are great dogs and are gentle giants - don’t know about training for pets - they would be a lap full!

Goats are great with ponds - they mow the grass and love water primrose!

FnC - you type faster than I!

Great pics George. I have also seen donkeys used to protect goats.

That's the reason my neighbors say they have donkeys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8oO-GypOLA

Basic commands take a lot of work. "come" "sit" "Stay". We lost one after 14 years and now have a German Shepherd. They are natural at obeying commands.

If they don't have animals to guard otherwise they know their job. My uncle's Great Pyrenees roams the section.

Mine was a rescue and developed a trap line of neighbors who bought dog biscuits to feed him when he visited. He did chase coyotes all night and was amazingly fast when young. He would even chase soaring turkey buzzards if they flew over the farm. Just not obedient.

Are they normally an outdoor dog? & are they friendly with other dogs? Don't know if I want to go with a female or male... By the way, probably next year if I do get one.

Is white the only color they come in? I love light colored dogs (a lot easier to find at night ).

George is right and maybe I should clarify my post, but mine only roam when they have nothing to guard.

HL, the thought has crossed my mind to take a puppy home, groom it and "housebreak" it but Mrs.G. had a fit when the subject came up! They are gentle giants, but when still pups they can knock you down wanting attention - I love our dogs - Great Pyrenees are my favorite breed.

I have only seen one "housebroke" - guy in camera shop kept his and all customers wanted to pet - I can't imagine his grooming bill.

IIRC, Bob Lusk has a beautiful "housebroke" GP.
Maybe he will chime in.
George

These are working dogs. Consider what you want out of a dog, and select a breed accordingly. A dog is a long-term commitment. If you do not have animals for it to guard, you may end up unhappy and have a frustrated dog. My wife fell in love with the GP at the pound and we spent 14 years with him. He needed to run and guard or he was unhappy. We were fortunate that we had the space, but I will not have another one unless we raise it with livestock so it has a job. This is what they live for.

Thanks George1 & RAH.... A lot to think about now . I have a 3 acre fenced in back yard with a 1/2 acre pond in it. Will they guard chickens also ( I don't have any yet)? (by the way, I have 5 large dogs).

George, I can't see a GP in your house (not that your house is small). I think the Dachshund you had was about the perfect size for you and Mrs. G for an "in-house" dog for the city.

Scott, I miss my little Sweetie dog - we lost her a couple of years ago.

Greetings!
Yes, we have a "house broke" Great Pyrenees.
I'll start this story by saying that Dakota (Debbie named him)and I have a mutual respect...now.
It didn't start that way.
Actually, I've never really looked at myself as a dog person. I've always been someone who has a dog.
This dog, this Great Pyrenees, Dakota, changed that.
He gave me no choice...and I'm so glad he did.
Here's our story. (If you want to skip down to how the dog is, you can forego the entertaining part of this tale by scrolling down about ten paragraphs)

Back in November, 2009, I got an email from Betsy Freese, editor of Living the Country Life magazine. She asked if I had an article about building a beach. I did, so rewrote and edited it and sent it on in about 20 minutes after receiving the email. She emailed right back, wanted to run the story and needed photos. I sent photos...and she sent a message explaining that she didn't have a budget to pay, but she'd gladly offer a subscription to the magazine.

The first issue was January, 2010. On the cover was a beautiful snow scene with a huge Great Pyrenees bounding down a snow-blanketed hillside with his owners behind him. I looked through the magazine with an editor's eyes, looking at the layout, ads compared to articles, how it was laid out, that sort of thing. It was a nice looking magazine. I gave it to Queen Debbie and forgot about it.

February 10, I asked my bride what she would like for Valentine's Day, a short 4 days away. She disappeared for a few minutes, came back with a furled magazine, unrolled it, pointed at that big dog and said, "I want one of these."

I felt my face contort a little bit, especially since I was thinking about flowers, maybe a nice dinner or something of that sort.

I said, "Why do you want a big dog?" After all, we had little Romeo, a six pound Yorkie.

Her logic was hard to argue. "With the kids grown and gone and you traveling a fair amount, I'd feel safe with a big dog. Besides, John and Karen have two of them in their house and it works pretty good."

I said, "Neighbors Keith and Deann have one...I'll ask them where they go it."

Before I finished the period at the end of that sentence, Debbie said, "Nope..." She pointed at that magazine cover and said, "This is Bob and Sarah Lea, from Minnesota and that dog is Asher. I want Asher to be the father of my baby."

Of course she did.

I felt that funny look spread across my face again. "All we have to do is send them a check for $100 and that will hold a spot for the next litter...and they said I could have first pick."

I remember uttering, "For Valentine's Day, you'd like me to send a check for $100 to some people in Minnesota that we don't know for a dog that hasn't been born, yet?"

She looked bewildered, like I only had one eye in the middle of my forehead. "Uhhh....YEAH!"

I asked, "How will we get it to Texas?"

She didn't miss a beat. "We're gonna go get it."

She'd been talking with these people, getting to know Mrs. Lea and working her way toward a puppy.

On July 2, 2010, her baby was born and in August, we drove west of Minneapolis to get him.

He was a basketball-sized bundle of snow white fur with a spirit. Boy, did he have a spirit.

He went to obedience school...not once, but twice. As he grew, he had this innate sense to protect our property, without any respect to the boundaries.

I continued to do what I do, traveling, working on lakes, putting the magazine together. Dakota continued to grow.

Since Day 1, he's slept in the house, on a giant bed, near the foot of our bed.

Year 1 wasn't much fun because the only commands he would respond to were for dogs on a leash. You can't easily leash a Great Pyrenees. They want to roam and protect you and your property from all evils.

Dakota would bolt out the door, chase the squirrels, make sure they were in the trees, chase the ducks, makes sure they are on the water, swim, run, chase, and then go make sure all the neighbor's dogs knew he was the alpha, and make sure all the neighbor's other animals knew he was in charge. I'm completely surprised he didn't get shot by a neighbor during his first two years of life.

He'd show up at the door at his discretion, usually muddy, smelly with sticks and stickers in his fur. Important note about this breed of dog...they magically become clean after filthy. Their hair has some sort of oil in it that allows the dog to be self-cleaning. That's pretty cool.

He's cornered several deliverymen, including the FedEx people, UPS people and the school bus. The FedEx man throws a treat out the window, waits until Dakota picks it up and then heads to the door with that day's box. I didn't know he did that until I saw it first hand. I gave the guy $10 to buy more treats, but told him to make Dakota "sit" before giving it to him.

Little did I know all the things I was doing wrong for that dog.

Fast forward to six months ago. We had figured out that Dakota doesn't like loud noises like thunder or gunshots. We have several neighbors who like to take target practice several afternoons each week. Dakota heads straight for the house when shots are fired.

All we had to do to get him to come home was go get the .410, fire off a shot and he'd be at the door in less than a minute.

We met several trainers, listened to them, looked for info online for the last three years...tried the shock collar. Dakota was the alpha.

One day, back in March, we met a trainer who works with labs. He gave me several subtle techniques, showed me how to get my dog to obey, and I went straight home and tried these techniques. I was stunned at how effective it is.

I had no idea that Dakota wanted some rules to obey and that I wasn't speaking his language. Now, at four years of age, he's obedient, responds to all my commands and does exactly what I ask him to do. He wants to please me.

I started with him on a leash. He already knew how to sit, lay down and heel. But, what he wouldn't do was "come" or "here". Before, his natural instincts were to bolt, chase, and terrorize the neighborhood. One day, about nine months ago while I was away, a sheriff's deputy pulled in the driveway and honked his horn. Debbie went outside and immediately had a sinking feeling. She figured there was a wreck or something. He said, "Ma'am, do you have a big white dog?"

"Yessir, I do."

"You need to keep him on your property, ma'am. Your neighbors are complaining about him and animal control can't catch him, or we'd already have him locked up."

"Yessir, I will."

At that point, when he went out, it was on a leash and on a cable-run. Period, end of story.

After the dog trainer gave me the tips, I started doing what he said. Here's what he told me. "Put him on a leash every day and go for a walk. Make him heel...you walk a step ahead. If he tries to get ahead of you, give the leash a gentle tug and then a quiet command of 'no' and he'll soon understand that you want him to walk beside you. After he's confident and you're not yelling at him or continuing to voice the 'heel' command, he'll calm down and do what you ask."

He was absolutely right. Dakota and I went for several walks a day, on a leash. Then, after a few days, I could drop the leash, ask him to heel and he'd do it. Then, I ask him to "sit" and "stay" and he'd do it. Then, I'd back up a few feet, tell him "here" and he'd walk to me and I'd give him some love. Today, he looks me in the eye and I can tell he wants to please me. I've actually let him out of the house to run, but he responds to my commands now...he never did before, if he was out. He'd look at me, I'd tell him, "HERE!", he'd look at me, look away, look at me, look away and then bolt. It would make me mad...

I think a series of things have happened that have changed his attitude. Being kept on the cable run, time on the leash, his age, loud noises...and me spending time learning how to become his master have played the roles for him to become the dog he is now.

I'm no longer complacent with him, angry at him...none of that. He and I work well together and have a mutual respect. I love that dadgum Great Pyrenees, Dakota from Minnesota.

Some additional tidbits about this dog: We shear him twice yearly at $50 per visit. He eats 4 red solo cups of Victor Rice Meal and Beef dog food every day. Any grain-based foods upset his stomach and pukes it out...vet says to stay away from food with GMO corn in it. He can act vicious to people who are obviously fearful. He's torn shirts, jackets and made people pee in their pants. But, he's gentle with those who understand what he is. He'd be much better in a field, protecting sheep or goats. He's a protector, at all costs. God help anyone who tries to mess with Debbie or I or anyone of us in his close circle.

Bob:

You mean he's even better than he was when I was down there? He was pretty durn good then!

re: electronic collar. There are different brands on the market, and some come with different length probes so they can make contact with the skin. Sometimes with long hair dogs, you have to shave the hair where the probes will be so they can make contact with the skin. Tri-tronics and Innotek are the 2 brands that I'm familiar with.

Jim Dobbins has a great training library on how to properly use the e-collar. I can't stress enough that they are NOT to be used to punish the dog, and they take some learning on how to use them properly. They aren't a solution to training, they are just another tool in the toolbox. I'd say she wears it maybe 10% of the time when I'm training her, and only after she knows what the command is, and starts to ignore me when she's at a distance away.

http://www.dobbsdogs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25_32

I have a bookshelf that is almost completely full of dog training books, and Richard Wolters has some good books out there.

Bob - As a scientist that has spent 15 years researching the safety of GMOs, I recommend that you consider finding another vet. The reason is that he is not making decisions or giving recommendations based on scientific evidence and this may put your dog at risk.

RAH...I appreciate your thoughts. I am not on the anti-GMO bandwagon, either. Here's what I know...when my dog ate Brand X(very well known and trusted manufacturer), he'd not keep that grain-based food down. He lost 15 pounds over three months. I thought he was over-eating. We sheared him, I saw how thin he really was and thought something was physiologically wrong. Took him to the vet for tests...all tests negative. He asked me what I was feeding. I told him. He said, "That's the problem. That food is incompatible for your dog. Go buy this food...and let me see him in a month."
He also told me to give him a Prilosec every day for about a week, so I did.
Now, three months later, he's regained his weight, plus some.

I do not doubt for one second that many dog food brands are a poor diet for many dogs and can make them sick (we feed a lot of venison since dogs are carnivorous). My concern is that your vet is giving you information and advice that is counter to the mass of scientific information, and that this silly advice may extend to other recommendations. If you consult the American Medical Association, National Academy of Sciences, Food and Drug Administration, or American Association for the Advancement of Science, they have all issued statements confirming that GMOs are as safe and nutritious as non-GMO varieties of the same crop. While the public can be forgiven for being swayed by popular media, a care giver (even for animals), is dangerous when they ignore science in favor of sensational headlines.