great pyrenees question

[agnes_day]

how good are they at guarding chickens and goats?
i have one now, and he does "guard" our yard, barking at any cats or anything that even attempt to come in and he likes to follow them around and sort of sit there by them, watching over them but i wonder how they are in a more rural setting. will he keep them safe? i am not anticipating anything hugely threatening but still.

 

[bgelber]

we got our great py 3 weeks ago from a guy. He had her in a pen with between 20 and 30 chickens, she was just laying there letting the chickens do what they wanted to her. He told us that all she ever did was go up and sniff them.

He also had another one guarding his goats. He was getting rid of one as he said, he didn't need two. I'm glad we got her as she was being under feed, the poor dog was about 20 pounds under weight. In the time that we've had her she has gained 15 pounds just by being feed a proper diet. I HATE ANIMAL CRUELTY AND NOT FEEDING THEM IS CRUEL!!


But it is all in how they are raised so no two are ever alike.

 

[agnes_day]

im just wondering if he will chase off racoons and stuff or would he be scared?

 

[Brindlebtch]

He should defend his flock from all comers.

 

[ametauss]

I have two and it is true each is different... I have my chickens and goats in a fenced in area around my barn.

My female leaves all the animals alone and will bark when something is near....

My male (which is now on a 25' tether inside the barn) chases and wants to "play" with the chickens (scared to death of the goats)... his playing with the smaller chickens has lead to a few deaths and he LOVES to get into the chicken coop to eat eggs....

He will bark his fool head off at the slightest sound/smell etc....

Because he's on a tether he would not be able to defend the flock but his bark surely would scare away anything.... I like the idea that the female is loose and could defend her pack....

The male is 10 mths old and the female is 5 mths old... so it may change the older they get... I hope the male will end his silly wanting to play with the barn animals.... He's too big now to get into the coop to eat eggs.... one issue down and two to go but I don't think he'll ever stop barking... This has caused issues with a neighbor...

 

[mekasmom]

The majority of pyrs have no prey drive, so they never hurt the flocks of poultry or livestock. They have a strong guarding instinct, so they protect them well. Pyrs work better in pairs or groups rather than one at a time. One will stay with the flock while the other goes to the border of the property to take care of the "intruder". We have several of them. They do not hurt chickens or livestock at all. They don't really become aggressive to strangers (humans), but do bark at them. They will take care of any intruding animal quite well.

 

[wombat]

They're not afraid to go after bears, so I doubt a racoon would scare one off.

 

[agnes_day]

is it normal for them to want to be outside? this dog is just a huge lovable guy but he prefers staying outside with the goats and chickens..he even sleeps with them! i dont mind too much though because he is a giant. he also drools alot..i have never seen a dog slobber like this in my life!

 

[texaschickmama]

Quote:
They are supposed to be outside. They are working dogs and if not given a job to do, um, they can be destructive. I find it cruel when people get them and try to keep them inside their apartment or some small area. My Diesel loves his chickens and his people. He is the best dog ever!! He barks a lot. I guess he is just warning any predator to not even think about it.

 

[agnes_day]

well good then! because this dog is just unhappy if he is in for very long. he does bark a lot but his bark is real deep and i think it would deter anyone or anything from coming in our yard.