I don't have any input for your answers... Sorry. However, I'm surprised to find someone else from Western KS on here. Whereabouts are you? I'm in the Goodland/Colby area.
Thanks... Yes, I can't believe it. His one eye looks a little shrunk/wrinkled around the edges, but its open, and the eye is tracking. The other one is less red now, too. He was out and about with the other juveniles today like nothing had ever happened.
Hi Chicken Danz - I respect that this is your perspective and experience. I think I used to think the same thing, until I began to interact with other "working LGD" and specifically pyrenees owners and breeders on several yahoo lists. I did so not only for more insight into my Danny, but in preparation for choosing a female partner for him and breeding/raising at least one litter of puppies. There are several things I can respond to in your post. One of them is that you have adult dogs. When you have adult trained dogs, THEY train the puppies - including to listen to and obey you. Yes, instinct is important, and most pyrs have the guardian instinct - but some more than others, and some more inclined towards certain guardian tasks - ie chickens versus goats. If someone purchases a pyrenees and doesn't realize that once the parent and/or alpha dog on the breeder's farm is no longer present, they need to become alpha, then there are going to be problems. It is because people don't realize this that pyrenees have gotten a "bad" name as chicken guardians. They can be excellent - some more than others. But any of them can be trained. If that training is not provided - including the consistent "NO" you give your puppies when they are behaving inappropriately - then there are likely to be problems - particularly with chickens. Pyrenees were bred to guard goats and sheep. That is in their genes, bred over hundreds if not thousands of years.. And guarding "their" human folk, particularly children. But working with chickens is not inbred in them. They can easily learn to transfer their innate instincts to whatever animals you choose to have them guard. But it does require learning. MUCH less training and intervention when an adult alpha working dog is present and involved, modeling and demanding appropriate behavior. The heartbreaking thing about all this is that there are so so many people puchasing pyrs (and other LGD's) without knowing what is involved. The result is the dogs being abandoned or turned into shelters, where more often than not they are put down, since it is not deemed often prudent or successful to place a former/failed "working dog" into another working farm. And most family homes are not set up for a pyr's needs. They can make excellent pets, making the family members their "guardees" - but pyrs are not happy without a job. And if the family members are working out of the home, as is the case with many/most families these days, the dog gets lonely and bored and can become destructive. So people on the lists I am participating on who are involved in the rescue process with pyrenees BEG that people do their research first, that they find breeders who understand what is involved in training a pyr when it comes to poultry (biggest reason a pyr is turned in at a shelter is that the dog has killed a chicken). Almost any pyr can be taught how to work with poultry - but if not taught it is the luck of the draw what will happen. And way way way too many pyrs are being put down needlessly. So, yes, I do feel strongly about this. That being said, it sure sounds like your dogs are being introduced to poultry guarding in a best possible way - with you reinforcing the training provided by the parents. And I think folks getting your puppies are lucky to be getting ones so well exposed. But even with all that, there could still be later issues, if the purchasing farm does not have adult working dogs to keep the puppies in line when they are no longer under the parent's supervision - and particularly as they go through the adolescent stage that almost all pyrs go through. I'm not making this up - there is a ton of information out there, whole books and training guides, and lots of information available online as well. I guess I really really want folks to know that pyrs can be GREAT poultry guardian, but that it requires knowledge and work on the owner's part. I don't want any more pyrs needlessly being put down for killing a chicken, when noone taught them not to....
