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It always sounds like a good idea to get a dog, doesn’t it? Before you have one, you envision all the idealized, feel-good benefits of dog ownership: effective training sessions where you always know just how to work with your pup, long Saturday runs with your loyal companion keeping pace by your side, and excited greetings after a long day at work.
The reality of dog ownership is obviously more work than it is in my imagination. Maybe you’re at the dreaming stage, though, and you’re considering which breed of dog is right for you. As for us, we went with the Great Pyrenees. If you’re considering bringing one of these dogs into your world, you’re going to want to temper your expectations for the first two years of puppyhood.
The Ugly
Samson, our Great Pyrenees dog, was born on Christmas Day of 2018, and he came into our lives when he was about four months old. He was always sweet and cuddly with his humans, but he did not show his bird friends the same kindness. He “played” two our chickens to death in his first year on our farm. It was awful, but it didn’t appear to be intentional. He wasn’t trying to eat them or anything. He just wanted friends…or chew toys. Anyway, we didn’t have hope for him for a while there. We thought maybe we picked up a dud Great Pyrenees. Maybe our dog would never grow into a true livestock guardian dog like all of those websites had promised. Maybe we’d have to forever protect our birds from the dog we brought home to protect our birds.
The Bad
The blasted dog is intent on exploring outside of his boundaries. To be clear, he has access to literally acres of land, and he gets a ton of attention from his well-trained humans. Yet, he still gets out whenever he can find an open gate or a weak spot in the fence. There’s a development across the street from our farm, and he bolts toward it any time he breaks free, which means Aaron, Olivia, and/or I can frequently be seen running through backyards to try to catch him. Our kindly neighbors are accommodating, but we imagine it must give them a scare to see a polar bear lumbering toward them.
The Good
When he was about one and a half years old, Samson turned a corner. He stopped chasing after the chickens and instead started calmly living beside them. He began investing his energy in barking ferociously at hawks (and other non-threatening birds) and scaring potential four-legged predators away from the property. He seemed to be falling into his roll as protector of his flock.
I love that Samson is mid-lick in this photo.
When we were confident he wouldn’t hurt the girls, we took down the fencing that separated Samson from our birds, and now chickens and Great Pyrenees live together in harmony. (Scroll to the bottom of this post to see video evidence!) In fact, the girls regularly hang out with Samson in his stall. They feel safe around him, and he no longer murders them accidentally. Talk about progress!
As for the issue of Samson escaping to the development, Aaron installed electric wiring to the perimeter of Samson’s territory. Samson’s common method of escape was digging underneath any loose spots in the fence, so the wire at the bottom of the fence posts is an effective deterrent.
The Takeaway
Raising a Great Pyrenees puppy (or any baby mammal for that matter) is never easy. We’ve invested hours in training and chasing and fence-securing. Having a dog can be an absolute headache, and our efforts seemed to take way too long before we saw results. When it’s all said and done, though, the services he provides and the place in our hearts he fills makes up for Samson’s antics.