Will Great Pyrenees guard chickens?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Yeah, I knew that they are big. The farm where the parents of these pup live is on my way home from work.

I love big dogs--or at least dogs with a big bark. I can't handle yappy dogs.

My biggest concern about a GP would be keeping it home, since I've read that they tend to expand their territories as large as possible. We only have 8 acres, and it's not all fenced yet. Once fenced, it still wouldn't keep a GP inside. If I don't think we can boundary train the GP, we won't get one.

E

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yes, they should be raised with the animals they are to guard, but they will also need some training to stick around and not eat the birds. It does occasionally happen that a pyr will decide that sticking around the house and guarding things isn't it's deal...

In addtion, you'll want to leave it outside. Get or build it a dog house down by the coop...they are loving dogs, but are serious about their job and unhappy indoors--not to mention it would probably bark ALL night!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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We have 10 acres and then an additional 120 that we lease. Our 1/2 Anatolian patrols about 30 acres. He knows not to go out of those bounds (which would mean to the highway). He also knows not to go too far behind our house because that neighbor is an insane redneck who has threatened to shoot him.

Oh and our 120 acres is fenced, but just with smooth, twisted wire for the horses, it's not dog proof. There will be some training with the boundaries and just make sure it's spayed/neutered so it doesn't have it's raging hormones as an excuse to wander away....

 

[Meesh]

Neighbor tries to use her Pyr to guard chickens, but it kills them sometimes. She raised it on the farm, but it's not completely reliable around chickens. It LOVES the goats, however.

And it does wander.

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[CUDA]

I think you will find they prefer to be outside. They are not good dogs for indoor pets IMO. Good luck with the wandering thing, but you may be surprised on how a fence will hold them if you work with them. If you let your dog run free, it will guard your animals, your neighbors animals, your neighbors neighbors animals....

 

[Ericasl]

I hava a great pyrenees/golden retrevier mix and he is the best dog in the world, he is very good with all of our animals, chickens, sheep, goats, cats, baby kittens. He does bark to let us know if anything is around and I can tell when he thinks somthing is not right. I have never had such a good dog. He sleeps outside in the summer, they have tons of hair but when it is very cold in the winter he sleeps in the house. He is a very big dog, but I will put out food and he will let the cats and our new golden puppy eat first before he does, and the cats sleep on him.

 

[Don B]

We now have 2 Pyrs to guard our chickens. After a supervised introduction period of a few days, the dogs have not harmed any of the birds. Dorrie is full grown now, and Gus is 5 months old. Gus still gets a little frisky, and may give a chicken a quick playful chase, but neither dog has exhibited aggressive behavior toward the birds.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9996

You MUST have a complete fence, though, because Pyrs are independant enough to go looking for territory and animals to add to their flock. We used a shock wire to fence-train them. After a couple of shocks each, neither dog challenges the farm fence nor the picket fence, so we disconnected the shocker. The shock collars with underground wire do not work with this breed. We built a large dog house, but they only use it during rain storms.
They shed a LOT, but if you brush them out once a week, they behave extremely well indoors (after the puppy chewing phase). Pyrs are by far our favorite breed of dog. They will bark at night, and keep any other animal away from their property (Possums, coons, even squirrels stay away!). If raised with your family, they are affectionate, loving, gentle, but will become instantly serious if they feel they, their flock, or their owners are being threatened. They will kill intruding predators (coyotes included). If they are turned out to "work the flock", they will grow independant, aloof, and sometimes even unaproachable, but will still protect the flock with their lives.

Get a Pyr for your chickens, but get a fence first.

 

[morelcabin]

Yup, shock wire works wonders...we have a boxer that we couldn't train or contain...she was just a crazy hyper dog. Well, this year we purchased a wireless radio fence. We've had to go get her once...she got caught on the boundry line and was whining so loud...she didn't know what to do. But when she hears that warning beep now she hightails to the backdoor as fast as she can! It changed her attitude completely...I was on the verge of giving her away, but now she is wonderful and much much more obediant to any command. It was well worth the money spent

 

[horsejody]

For the sake of your chickens and your other neighbors, make sure you train it. One of our nieghbors used to have a pyrenees that they kept out with their horses. It was fine with their animals but wreaked havoc on everybody elses' as it roamed. I know they can be great dogs, but just like any breed, training and lots of attention are important, and a fence may be necessary. Our neighbor's dog roamed and thought the whole neighborhood was its territory. It even chased and bit our horses. One day it disappeared (no, I didn't SSS & I have no idea who did), but life was better with it gone. FYI, I have met other pyrenees dogs that were better behaved, and they are beautiful. Please, don't assume that any dog doesn't need training.

 

[bkgoatranch]

I have a great Pyrenees that is now 18 weeks old. She is still vary playful and has injured a few chickens and a duck so far. I am not sure if she is playing with them or what but I do not trust her around them. We got her to gaurd the goats and she spends more time chasing them around than any thing. We have decided to part with her as she is really wearing the goats down. I hate to as I tend to get vary attached to animals and she is no exception but can't have her killing every thing here.
BK