Great Pyrenees Puppies How are they as a family pet?

[Diavolicchio]

Yes, she's an adorable puppy.

I just hope you're braced for 12 years of sweeping up a sea of dog hair. You're going to be swimming in it.




John

 

[Diavolicchio]

Quote:
He's a handsome boy. The next dog I get (I currently have two, one of whom is getting a little long in the tooth) will be for the same purposes you've got Nugent, specifically as a livestock guard dog who will live primarily outdoors within a fenced-in orchard. I'm leaning toward a breed called a Maremma Sheepdog (or Cane Da Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese, pictured below) which is quite similar to a Pyrenees, although their demeanor tends to be a little different. The Maremma is from the area in Italy where my family is from, specifically Abruzzo.

I'm sure I'd do just as well with a Pyrenees, but I just enjoy knowing that the breed is from the same area as my ancestors.


Here is my motley pair (a Whippet named Kip and a Dogue de Bordeaux named Babette):

John

 

[fordmommy]

I have heard that they are not the best dog to have with kids. BUT that said, that does not mean your dog will not be a good family dog. I believe it is how you raise them.

 

[Diavolicchio]

There are no bad dogs; just bad owners.



John

 

[cmjust0]

gonzo&hispeeps :

I would just hate the feed bill.

We have a Sarplaninac who weighs probably in the neighborhood of 150lbs, and he thrives on 8 cups of regular ol' Purina dog chow a day. We feed him twice, 4c at a time, and he doesn't always even finish that.

I know of at least one lab (ours..

) who would wolf that down in a day and be fat as a bear if we left food out all the time.. She gets 2 cups, though, and stays trim.

Maybe it's just a weird perception, but I think most people overfeed their dogs.

 

[lilwhispers]

Pyrs are great kids dogs very protective of their charges. We used to breed them when I was still living at home on the farm. Our first one we got was a purebred registered male and all he cost us was the gas to get him the 75 miles from the TOWN he lived in to our farm. We found some fellow farmers that had 2 females they brought their 2 dogs to our farm for a couple ofyears for breeding and we split the pups. Anyway one of their dogs was in their pasture one time with the sheep. Their Grandchild was playing in the front yard and some guy was walking down the road. The dog must have not trusted this guy because as he got close to the yard the dog cleared the pasture fence and pinned the guy to the ground biting his neck as the parents came out to see what the comotion was. When they called the dog off it had wraped its lips around its teeth so it wouldnt hurt the guy just make him wet his pants. It was protecting the child without hurting the guy.

 

[mypicklebird]

Be prepared to go lots of grooming yourself, or pay for a groomer on a regular basis. They have very thick coats. My dad had one for many years, and when he neglected her coat- she would turn into a dreadlock dog attached to random branches/leaves/ect. We ended up having to get her shaved on occasion (which you normally don't want to do with this breed) when he let her get too matted.

 

[Keenonf]

My Girlfriend has one and its a pretty good dog. His name is brutus, obviously cause of his large size. Hes really sweet but very dumb. He does his job to an extent. He keeps the coyotes and wild boars away but he likes to nibble on a chicken or two. The only predator problem they have is the dog itself. But thats because my father in-law is a crappy handler. " Bad Brutus, no eating roosters!" (swat on the head with a magazine). But if my father in law would have actually spent time with him and trained him to not kill livestock then he would have been an excellent dog. So if i were you, i'd get one but be prepared to train the heck out of it.

 

[chickenzoo]

They are great with children and other animals......

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

The true LGD breeds dont make great "pets"

They make WONDERFUL Livestock Guardian Dogs

I'm leaning toward a breed called a Maremma Sheepdog

I raise Maremmas. These 2 are nine weeks old

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/maremmasheepdog.htm