Great Pyreneese Pup?

[ColbyNTX]

I am getting a 6 week old Pyreneese puppie today. My 10 year old 86lb lab was killed this fall by a pack of cyotes protecting the flock. Now I have cyotes comming 5 feet from my bedroom widow at night and when the start yepping, it will cause you to hit the celing! I do kill everyone I can but it can be tough at night because they don't always present a safe shot because of what might be behind them in the dark. So, when I bring this pup home, how should I introduce him to the birds and teach him that they are his friends? I also have trouble with coons and opossums but they are pretty easy to shoot at night. I live in the piney woods of East Texas so we have foxes, cyotes, bob cats' wild hogs and mountian lions. I even had a deer in the garden last night and me and my daughter hit it with a light and yelled at it and it came twords us! Crazy critters!

Thanks,

Colby

 

[scarter]

It sounds like you need two!

If I were you I'd start right now reading all you can on Pyr pups. Ours is definately a pet. She is inside with us but had we wanted to make her a guard then she would have been outside with the animals only to bond with them instead of us. Somehow your baby needs protection though if you have that much going on. I'd get on some Pyr board or something.

I do have to say that the other day all of my daughters fair birds got out of the pen somehow. They were scattered all through out the woods. We found 7 of the 9 but her fav was missing. We looked and looked and just couldn't find the other two. The next morning our Pyr was let out to do her business and wouldn't come when called. They are stubborn BUT we have really worked hard on come recall and she usually comes. My daughter set out to get her and the dog barked for my daughter to let her know where she was. My daughter tried to get her to come but she stood solid. Sooooo frustrated my daughter sought out in the woods for her and right by our dogs feet was THE polish! We were totally shocked because we've not trained her in any way to bond with the animals only respect them. She opens and closes them with us and we have taught her specifically NOT to chase the chickens.

Ours is a real doll. We got her from someone on this board. Enjoy!

 

[chick4chicks]

the only advice I can give is watch the puppy like a hawk. I have a 4 mo. old Lab and she tends to get to rough with the chickens, still a puppy so she is just playing but her size alone could cause harm. Best of luck.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I am getting a 6 week old Pyreneese puppie today

That's about 2 weeks too young to be weaned.

You're probably not going to be able to trust it alone around the birds for at least 6 months or more, and it will NOT be able to handle coyotes alone for nearly a year.

It will need to be contained near the chickens so it can see and smell them, and allowed to be with them every chance you get.
Don't make it a "pet" and don't let it in the house.
A shock collar will be a big help, as will LOTS of PATIENCE.

And you WILL probably lose a few chickens before the dog is trained


http://www.bountifulfarm.com/lgd_seminar.htm​

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
That's about 2 weeks too young to be weaned.

You're probably not going to be able to trust it alone around the birds for at least 6 months or more, and it will NOT be able to handle coyotes alone for nearly a year.

It will need to be contained near the chickens so it can see and smell them, and allowed to be with them every chance you get.
Don't make it a "pet" and don't let it in the house.
A shock collar will be a big help, as will LOTS of PATIENCE.

And you WILL probably lose a few chickens before the dog is trained


http://www.bountifulfarm.com/lgd_seminar.htm

Ditto. Plus, don't expect to just put the puppy out there and expect it to be perfect. Plus, it will be 8-12 months before it will be large enough to be able to defend itself against a pack of coyotes. Keep in mind that although coyotes are smaller, they have to kill for their food and are more aggressive and have a lot more experience in killing that your GP will.

Another thing you can try are Nite Guard lights. http://www.niteguard.com/

 

[ColbyNTX]

Thanks for all the advice. I do work in the animal health industry and am in vet clinics everyday. I know that a little puppie can not defend itself aginst a pack of dogs but just wanted to know how some of you introduce the pups to the birds. I will keep it safe but I do have children and I want it to be kind to them first of all. It will not be an indoor dog but the safty of my kids come first of all. So the dog will be around the kids and the birds will come second. I can't have a dog that large that could eat my 2 year old. I'm not looking for something to protect the birds 24/7, just something that will keep pests away at night. I have a 6 month old blur heeler that does a pretty good job but she needs a little muscle to back her up.

Thanks,

 

[scarter]

It will be fine with the kids but needs to bond with the animals. I would get a good book or use the internet as a source of info on how to train. The puppies are sooo cute. I miss our little fur ball as a puppy but would not go back to puppyhood for a second. I LOVE our dog. It was like after a year she "got it" and was a great dog somehow. It was hard work training though. The breed itself is kind of stubborn. But we have been firm with her and it's paid off.

 

[TheChickenNextDoor]

Hi,

I am a former Pyr owner, this was years ago. I was back in a remote place with livestock and children,just as you are. If your Pyr has a good blood line You will not have to worry about your live stock. I used to have mine come with me for the chores into the pens and pasture and without any training at all she adapted to her job.

She never attempted to harm the baby animals in her entire life, but she was death to predators and varmints. She would put her big head through the doors of the rabbit hutch and help lick the baby rabbits. She once helped deliver a new pony foal all by herself. When I saw her from a distance with the blood and after birth on the ground I was horrified, but when I ran up to her she was helping clean it and eating the afterbirth.
I had dairy goats and I always shared the milk with the Pyr and her pups, (she gave me 2 litters). This made her used to the goats and totally adopt them under her care. I never worried about her because this is what the Pyrennees is bred to do.

Her only vice was stealing any unattended eggs when I was'nt watching. She would put the whole egg in the roof of her mouth and conceal it then try to be casual, but she could not hide her guilty look because she always put her head down to do it. I would make her give the egg back most of the time. I think they were to her like chocolate is for me, she couldn't stop herself.

She once had a scuffle with a black bear, the bear never came back. Her bark was more like a roar.

She was as good as any human babysitter for my 7 an 8yr. old children.

She patrolled the boundaries of the property regularly, without training, even though we treated her as a pet she was independent in nature.
We moved from the farm when she was 7 yrs. and she was not very happy after that.

She died of cancer when she was 9 yrs. Telling this story helped me to remember the good time I had with her, Thanks. Her name was Sue

 

[fancbrd4me02]

With that kind of coyote problem, I think you need 2 GP's. I just think that you have a large, confident and cunning coy pack that your pup could use a partner. Could you get another pup?

 

[speckledhen]

I agree, you need a second pup. Best of luck with the training! How awful for you, about your Lab! Poor dog.