My mother called me this morning and asked if we still wanted a Great Pyr.....we had planned on getting one in a few months to protect our goats.
This lady she knows had one (a female) who is 5 months old. She was having to give it away because the allergies were so bad she couldn't keep it. She wanted to make sure it went to a good home and of course, mom suggested us. I have met the lady several times in the past so she knew who we were. She knows how we spoil our animals and was so excited to hear we were looking for a Great Pyr.
I don't know what to expect because she has been an indoor dog the whole time and here, well....she will be with the goats in the field. I hope her instinct kicks in. I have lots of research to do because I really don't know anything about this breed. Like I said.....we hadn't planned on getting one for a few more months...lol.
JT is gone to get her now. He should be back in a few hours and we'll post pics. I'm not so sure we need this transition right now because of me just having surgery, but somehow we'll make it work. I just couldn't pass this up and it is a dog that we need (for the livestock).
Any of you here own one? I know Prynmom breeds them but I don't think she is a member here. I suppose I should plan to buy stock in a dog food company...lol. I do know that they get HUGE.
Ivan will have a play buddy once again.....at least we hope it turns out that way...lol.
(BTW, will get to my PM's soon. I've been popping on just long enough to post. Still hurts to sit up so Im laying down alot....but I'll get to them I promise)
Great Pyrs are a magnificent breed! I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of them at the obedience school we go to and both of them are wonderful!
One of them is a certified therapy dog that works at one of the major medical centers in the pediatric onocology unit keeping the kids company while they are having their chemo treatments. He also makes visits to local nursing homes to bring smiles to the residents' faces.
The other is strictly a family pet and is a sweetheart. She hadn't had much exposure to anything other than her home and her family so she was a little on the timid side when she first started in class but she slowly came out of her shell. Although she is still scared of the two posts we used for the figure 8 exercise!
I guess you & hubby will be looking for a herding class sooner than later!
Congrats on the new family member! First of all, the food won't require a major investment ~ grin. My three eat Canidae and go through about 20#s (give or take) a week.
As for her guardian instincts, if she hasn't been exposed to livestock before this, I'd go very slowly. Most Pyrs who are used as the LGD they were bred for are raised with their flock from a very early age.
There is a big debate over socialzation for LGDs. Some prefer no human socialzation, others disagree. Since mine are strictly pets, I can't help you there, sorry.
I can suggest the Pyr-list as a great resource though.
I'd also warn you that Pyrs are a bit, um.. independant. While they are wonderful, loving and gentle giants, they are not Labs with the eagerness to impress those of us who are mere humans.
Congrats. I'm sooo jealous. I really want an LGD, but I'm just not going to be in a position to get another dog for some time.
Over the summer, a pyr named JP basically lived with me during the workweek. His owner had a fence issue, and while she was waiting on the contractor, he stayed with me (well, technically at the kennel) except on weekends. He was, with the exception of my dogs, the coolest dog ever. He didn't make fast friends with humans, but once you earned his respect, he was incredibly loyal and protective. At night, he would hang out in my apartment with me and my crowd. I would open my door because the air conditioning system that went to my place was broken, but two others in the kennel still worked. My cats would sometimes go for walks around the kennel. All of the other boarders were locked in an area that prevented them from getting to my cats and prevented my cats from getting to them. Nevertheless, JP always went with them on their walks to ensure their safety.
You'll have to post lots of pictures and tell lots of stories.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
