# Our first LGD puppy coming home tonight!! **update**



## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 1, 2010)

We're so excited to be picking up our Pyr pup tonight!   He's out of working parents and has been around goats and chickens since birth.  

My newf is the best puppy raiser I could ask for, so he'll have an adult dog to teach him manners around the other critters.  As "playground monitor" she even breaks up scuffles between roosters!  We wanted to bring home a puppy while the old girl is still in good health and can knock him around when he needs it.  

Of course pics will be posted soon.


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## BetterHensandGardens (Nov 1, 2010)

Yes, please post the pics..........  just a little jealous here


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## Beekissed (Nov 1, 2010)

Could you post pics of your Newf as well and tell me about his skills as a LGD?  I've been told they are too laid back to guard livestock.

Just got two half Newfie pups and am hoping they can fill the shoes of my dying Pyr/lab mix girl.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 1, 2010)

Here he is!!!  







We've named him Elbert.

My newfie was never intended to be an LGD.  We adopted her in 2005 from the Southeastern Newf Club's rescue group at nearly 4 years old so I've no idea what her socialization background is.  She's been a super dog and has zero (seriously, she could not have less) prey drive.  The only time she really switches on is in the water.  She's attempted to "rescue" lots of swimmers who were clearly not drowning.

She's travelled with us from Atlanta to Seattle and back (in the car) and swam her heart out in every lake in between!  We bought our first home last year and now that she's getting to be an old girl she's just enjoying "retirement" outdoors and barks at night when she hears something.

If someone were looking specifically for an LGD I probably would not recommend a Newf.  It's really not what they were bred for.  Her drive is to be in the water and with her family.  She's trustworthy around the goats and chickens but she doesn't have any real attachment to them.  Now that she's moved outdoors (she lived in an apartment with us for several years) she refuses to sleep anywhere other than below our bedroom window.  From there she can still access the chickens.  

The "playground monitor syndrome," as a trainer friend of mine referred to it, is common with newfs though.  She'll break up any rough stuff whether it's between people, kids, other dogs, or chickens.  She's the perpetual "mama" to everyone.  You couldn't ask for a better family dog, but they'd probably always be breaking out of the pasture and working out a way to get on the couch (or the neighbor's Koi pond- ask me how I know...)


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 1, 2010)

Here's our newf: this girl's skills are in the water!


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## Mea (Nov 2, 2010)

What a cutie !!!   

   The ole Gal looves like a luv too.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 2, 2010)

What a cutie!


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## helmstead (Nov 2, 2010)

He's adorable!  

Remember, make sure he can't get into any medicated goat feed...puppies just don't know any better than to hoover everything up.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 2, 2010)

Absolutely.  There's not a crumb of medicated feed on the farm right now.  I'm sure he'll find trouble somewhere else though...


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 2, 2010)

Whoops!  He can still just barely squeeze through the field fencing... I'd better feed him a big dinner.


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## Beekissed (Nov 3, 2010)

Beautiful dogs!!!  Thanks for the info on the Newf breed....just what I expected and wanted in a dog.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 6, 2010)

Our little Elbert has his own stall inside the goat pen with a cattle panel across the front so he can see the herd.  One of our puppy-tolerant junior does has been spending several hours each day in his pen, then at night he goes into an XL crate inside the stall and other (not so puppy tolerant goats) are rotated in to spend the night with him safely.  The chickens spend some time locked safely in his crate while he's loose in the stall.  

After just a few days he runs to submissively paw and lick at the mouth of our puppy-tolerant doe when she's reintroduced.  If that's not the cutest sight I don't know what is!


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## Roll farms (Nov 6, 2010)

You probably know this, but please....please...please...don't leave the pup where he can access kids, or close-to-kidding does, until he's well past the puppy chase-and-chew phase.

Congrats, he's a cutie.


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## Grillo (Nov 6, 2010)

Excellent Smithurmon.  God willing, under 12 months you'll have a trustworthy LGD for years.  They really are great protecting your stock.  There's nothing like going over to do chores and take care of your stock and have that sense of confidence that your stock was safe through the night.  I remember when I still didn't have the dogs, it was an  awful feeling going over to feed and thinking "god I hope there's nothing missing today".


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 6, 2010)

Thanks Roll, that's a warning that can't really be overstated.    We're going to do our best to set him up for success the first time around and not just hope for good luck.  That definitely means no unsupervised access to kids until he's good and ready.

12 months is a little more optimistic than what I had in mind!  If he's done with his puppy antics and adolescent frustrations by 18 months I'll be a happy camper.


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## Grillo (Nov 14, 2010)

Smithurmon,

Both my Great Pyrenees were trustworthy by 10 months, with chickens!  Now My Pyr Mastiff is another matter


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## ChickenGirl11 (Nov 16, 2010)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c381/nickismith/2-2.jpg

Awwww he's soo adorable....I want one but they shed soooo much, my mum and dad have had one before. But I don't think that it would shed as much as my two labs


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## dianneS (Nov 16, 2010)

My Karakachan/great pyr, started giving me major headaches around 9-10 months old or so and we had a rough winter with him.  Lost a chicken or two and he roughed up a baby goat by "playing" too rough with her.  By spring he had really come around!  He's about 19 months old now and he's just awesome.  He's totally trustworthy with all the animals and has no interest in chickens anymore.

I just had an escape recently (due to my airhead SIL leaving a gate open!) and the dog got out with all of the goats.  He didn't run off at all, he stayed right with his goats and came right back in the pasture when I called all of them in!  He's just great... _now_!

Your pup looks like my dogs mom.  She was 1/2 Karakachan 1/2 great pyr with the same markings as your dog.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 27, 2010)

Update!  Elbert is 12 weeks old today and doing great!  He's growing like a weed and is a lanky 25 lbs.  The herd has really accepted him.  He's still not allowed to be penned with the ultra bossy herd queen unsupervised, but they do well enough together that once he puts on a little size I'll be comfortable with their interaction.  So far so good!


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## Mea (Nov 27, 2010)

Talk about Photogenic !!!    

  His eyes seem wise far beyong his young age !


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## Emmetts Dairy (Nov 28, 2010)

What a beautiful boy!!! How sweet!!!    What a face!!  Awww!! Love his name too!!!  Such a cutie!!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 28, 2010)

This little guy learned an AUTOMATIC sit after one 20 minute session.  He will probably NEVER learn a speedy recall as long as he lives...


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## Mea (Nov 28, 2010)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> This little guy learned an AUTOMATIC sit after one 20 minute session.  He will probably NEVER learn a speedy recall as long as he lives...


Long ago, at an Obedience trail... i watched a Great Pyr.  doing a recall in the Novice class.  The dog came full bore, like a freight train... and the handler was actually visibly flinching !    The dog's bottom hit the floor and he skidded right to the man's feet !   It was Awesome !!!


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