Soo..We adopted a Great Pyrenees..Lost 9 chickens...

[animal nut]

Quote:
I agree I would never leave a new dog with my chicken alone. They must get used to everyone in the family including the human. I feel he did not have enough time to adjust to his new surroundings. I have had mine for nine months and I took along time before I would trust him alone with the chickens.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Quote:
Was going to ask the same question. Maybe the puppy let some racoons in and just watched? Are you sure he did it? I had a coonhound that sat and watched 3 other dogs kill my chickens and guineas several years ago. He was useless, didn't even bark!

Anyway....so sorry for your loss.

Lucky you dealt with such a wonderful breeder though. I have a 3 month old female Great Pyrenees that is great with the chickens here....however I do not let her stay in the pen, only accompany me inside when I feed.

She has been "attacked" outside the pen several times by brooding hens

, one chased her all over the yard and she never attempted to retaliate. Again I would not let her stay alone inside a pen with a bunch of flighty chickens now, she patrols outside at night. When she gets older, well that is a different story.

 

[speckledhen]

Ok, maybe this was said, but did the dog have any blood on him at all? I'd expect that if he killed 9 birds and hurt others. If he didn't, then I'd think maybe a coon got them or other predator and he just wasn't experienced enough. I agree that the breeder sounds very responsible.

 

[hippichick]

We just recently re-homed our 2 Pyrs. We got them as 6 week olds, brother and sister, and they were 4 months old when they started killing my chickens. They'd been with the chickens since we got them. At first I thought it was just the female, but the next day, I caught him eating one of my chickens. I was really disappointed, as I really wanted this to work out. But they were killing what they were brought here to protect. I was lucky enough to find someone to take them together, someone who doesn't have chickens.

 

[cmjust0]

I don't own a Pyr -- so I could be dead wrong -- but I've been stewing on something for a while now....

I'm really starting to think Pyrs are beginning to suffer the same fate as other "purebreds" these days....that is, being bred (and crossbred) indescriminately to the point of losing their working ability/classic characteristics.

Searches for Pyrs on craigslist over time have turned up a disheartening number of Pyrs labeled "Free, has killed ____________ [goats/chickens/ducks/etc]"..

I just saw an ad today for Pyrs that reads: "They are good with goats, sheep, cows, and horses. These particular pyrenees are not good with birds (chickens, ducks, turkeys, etc.)" -- which indicates to me that they've got more prey drive than they should.

Another ad has Pyr crossbreds for a mere $75/ea..

Another has pictures of "Pyrenees" puppies, but they're all white with black "mask" facial markings.... What's up with that?

Another ad reads: "I have 2 half great Pyrenees dogs for sale. One white female which is spaded and one red/white male" -- mean, "spaded?" Seriously? And, what's the other "half" made of? How do you even know it's half?

Another ad shows "Pyrenees" puppies...one's white with black spots, the other -- now, get this -- is tan with a black mask....$40/each.

The scary part is that these ads are from folks who know actually how to spell Pyrenees!!! God knows how many ads there are out there for "great perines" or "grate pirynees" pups on craigslist...

Yikes.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

"Pyrenees" puppies, but they're all white with black "mask" facial markings.... What's up with that?

The AKC breed standard for colors:

Color
White or white with markings of gray, badger, reddish brown, or varying shades of tan. Markings of varying size may appear on the ears, head (including a full face mask), tail, and as a few body spots. The undercoat may be white or shaded. All of the above described colorings and locations are characteristic of the breed and equally correct. Fault--Outer coat markings covering more than one third of the body. See for entire standard: http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_pyrenees/

I agree with what you are saying, however. To all the folks with limited experience with livestock: there isn't one quick permanent solution for predator control. There isn't one perfect dog. Most breeds originally had a job they were developed for. Modern breeding practices don't necessarily focus on the same things. In addition, individual dogs and personal training abilities will influence your success or failure.

As a former breeder of Belgian Tervuren, we'd evaluate each litter. Some puppies exhibited more herding ability than others. Some were alpha, some timid, some show prospects, some obedience/agility prospects, some pets. I've seen some absolutely fantastic working Tervuren (on ducks & sheep) and others that would kill livestock in a heartbeat.​

 

[Quack Shack]

My terrier female was taught by the girls to mind her own business but the ducks, well, if she got the chance she'd take them out because 2 of them are actually smaller than she is and she's a jealous little Cairn. My poodle mix is my herder who was caught Friday with a wandering hen in his mouth. He didn't draw blood but the next hen may not be so lucky. He won't learn from getting pecked so it's a strong trait. Is it a possibility that a dog is going to dominate or possibly kill any animal smaller than they and/or simply for sport? Would a female instead of male better see the job at hand? I don't know that you can guarantee that a specific breed will be the ideal flock guard. I think you have to take the personality of the dog and work diligently for the desired results. Having good stock is a start but that's just where you pick up a desired trait. After all, not every trained dog makes the cut to police officer. Have you considered a drake?

 

[Bizzybirdy]

>>"Pyrenees" puppies, but they're all white with black "mask" facial markings.... What's up with that?<<

Here's a photo of my pure bred Great Pyrenees female puppy at age 10 weeks...she has some brown and black on her ears. The one my parents had when I was growing up was pure white even as a puppy.

 

[Quack Shack]

Oh, she's beautiful. I adore seeing them at the doggypark and admiring their grace. There is a white GP that lives downtown here. I see him walking the streets with is owner. Very sweet dog and no amount of traffic noise fazes him.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Yes, Pyr's can have masks.

Most purebred Pyrs are not expensive, unless we're talking showing dogs. They aren't bred to make a buck, they are usually allowed to breed to make more inexpensive farm dogs. Most of them usually go about $150.

I myself have been considering a very young (8 week old) Pyr for my flock since I have had major fox issues this year. But I think this situation happened due to several issues.

They left the dog with his new flock on the first day. I personally wouldn't have done that at all!

They took a older puppy. If you want maximum good results you should get a young pup and raise it with the flock.


Yes, this should be a white dog. If he killed all of those birds he would have blood on him.