Great pyr

[Baymule]

I have a Pyr that was given to me when she was 10 months old. she killed chickens. Her former owners left her unattended on 3 acres with lots of chickens running around. What wonderful playtoys! She slobbered them to death. They "punished" her and she now has a deep hatred for chickens. That's OK, I keep my chickens in a coop. We have a small backyard, we raised the 4' chain link fence another 3' and that has kept her in the yard. She is not a house dog like our other 2 are. She gets along well with "her" doggie friends, but will attack any other dog that comes to the fence. The yard and everything in it belongs to her. She is very food posessive, even with our other 2 dogs and has even charged the coop when she thought the chickens were after her food. Silly girl.

She BARKS all night long. Every night. No exception. BARK. WOOF. BARK. BOOMING BARK. And sometimes a comical high pitched mirf sound. No bird, no squirrel, no cat, no NOTHING dares set foot, paw, whisker, or even think about being in our yard. My brain identifies the constant barking and tells me to keep sleeping. My DH's brain tells him, "ALERT! DANGER! WAKE UP!" then, "KILL THE DOG!!!!!" This can be a problem.

She adores our 4 year old grand daughter. She has never shown people agression, except the yard man with his scary machines, LOL. That said, yes, her size can be a problem for little ones. Grand daughter has been knocked down by 100+ pounds of love. Grand daughter is also just the right size for lots of slobbery kisses in the face. I can see how in the excitement of the moment a big dog could inadvertenly (sp?) hurt a little one in play.

I studied the breed before I got a Pyr. I knew I wanted one or two someday when we build on our land. I wasn't intending getting one living in town. But there she was, and DH even helped raise the fence. I knew what I was getting into.......sorta. She is a great dog to have. Just know that a Pyr is their own personality. I think you will love them.

 

[eenie114]

They're GREAT with kids..... Once they outgrow the extended puppyhood. If there are a lot of grandkids running around a puppy will get excited and start jumping around, not realizing that he weighs 2-5 times as much as the kids.
How big is your yard? They will claim a certain area as their territory to protect and patrol, and he might try to leave if you gave him too little to do.

 

[babyrnlc]

Quote:
The yard is 3/4 acre. There is a pool though that takes up a little bit. We would want her to guard the chickens so they could free range during the day.

I have a german shepherd mix and a lab now, this will be when they pass. They are both very old.

The kids are pretty used to big dogs. We also have a side yard that the dog can be locked in if the kids are over and she gets too feisty as a puppy.

Is their puppyhood about 2 years like a lab and german shepherd?

 

[babyrnlc]

Quote:
3/4 acre is "small" to a Pyr, and 100 lb puppies aren't the greatest thing to have around small kids.

Pyrs have been bred for thousands of years to guard LIVESTOCK, not to be "pets" or "yard dogs",or even to guard poultry

If your place isn't totally enclosed, odds are good the dog will be roaming far and wide.
That's a possiblilty even if it IS totally fenced, since Pyrs love to dig and climb

If you're "not in the country" then your neighbors aren't going to be happy if the dog barks all night, which is highly likely

Buying a specialized breed just because you like the way it looks seldom turns out well for the owners or the dog

So what breed would you recommend for the yard. Our shepherd mix we have is great, but I have read shepherds may not be a good idea. I think we just got lucky. We have hawks and I would love for the chickens to be able to free range all day, not just when we are there.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

So what breed would you recommend for the yard

I'd recommend rescuing most any MEDIUM sized dog from a pound, and forget the idea that a dog is going to protect your chickens from anything besides possibly other dogs.

Dogs are little deterrent to hawks. and a dog in the front yard playing with the kids is not "guarding" the chickens in the back yard anyway.​

 

[Pip's chicks]

If you are looking for a pyr...I would suggest looking up Tip-n-Chips Kennel. Best Breeder of pyrs in the biz!!! It is in Illinois but getting a life long family member is worth finding a great breeder that is dependable and has been doing it for years. I know the breeder personally and sometimes she does have adults which wouldn't be a bad idea because you can get a dog with the understanding of the personality. Sometimes as puppies you can't really tell what type of dog they will grow up to become. Good luck

 

[TDM]

Well, my purebred Great Pyrenees doesn't dig or climb fences. She doesn't even roam. She is also a good deterrent against wolves and coyotes, and not just other dogs.

 

[jenlynn4]

My girl does dig...she always has. My 2 sons wrestle with her regularly and they are teens...they say its good practice for them. And she loves it. you do have to keep the claws filed down or they can be dangerous. But the worst thing is the SLOBBER it gets EVERYWHERE when the boys come in after playing with her its all over them...its really quite comical. there hair will be all slimed and sticking up all over and its all over thier clothes and everything. They know the clothes go straight in the was and they go in the shower! LOL

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Well, my purebred Great Pyrenees doesn't dig or climb fences. She doesn't even roam. She is also a good deterrent against wolves and coyotes, and not just other dogs.

I'm guessing you have quite a bit more then 3/4 acre, with 2 houses and a pool already on it.

The OP isn't concerned with wolves or coyotes, but mainly hawks and daytime predators​

 

[TDM]

Quote:
My pyr didn't find her bark until she was about 14 months old. For a while there I thought I had a barkless pyr. She also didn't mature into a dutiful LGD until she was more than 1 1/2 years old, even though she was raised with livestock since she was six weeks old. She had no mentor, so that may have been a factor.