# Getting a Great Pyrenees



## Mike CHS (Nov 4, 2016)

We found a Great Pyrenees that needs a new home for sale.  Her name is Maisy and she is right at one year old.  She has been with sheep since birth and is losing her flock due to the owners getting out of sheep and moving back into town. Their sheep get picked up November 10th so we will pick her up that day or the next. 

She is a couple of hours away (just outside of Chattanooga) and we are going there to get interviewed by her tomorrow to see if she will accept us as her new partners.  

We don't want the first time she meets to be the time where her world gets turned upside down and she gets taken away from the only world she knows.


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## Baymule (Nov 4, 2016)

I am so happy for y'all and Maisy. You need her and she needs you. I hope the interview goes well and I hope she likes y'all as much as y'all like her!


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## luvmypets (Nov 4, 2016)

Im so jealous! I hope she is a good fit for you!


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## samssimonsays (Nov 4, 2016)

that y'all are a good fit for her!


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## Southern by choice (Nov 4, 2016)

That would be wonderful!


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## babsbag (Nov 4, 2016)

Hope that the interview goes well, she is sure a cutey in that picture.


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## Mini Horses (Nov 4, 2016)

Sure sounds ideal for everyone -- you, her, your sheep and the sellers.  Sometimes things just work out well.  She is a beauty in that picture.  Hey, a good amount of training is already done, too.    Maybe you should buy a lottery ticket!!    Things seem to be going your way.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 4, 2016)

We passed on several LGDs in the last year because we wanted sheep first.  We made our paddock super secure just in case but the timing worked out good.

Thanks all.


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## OneFineAcre (Nov 4, 2016)

That's great
Comgrats


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 4, 2016)

Hoping the meeting goes well!


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## Ferguson K (Nov 4, 2016)

Hope all goes well, she sure looks happy!


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## Hens and Roos (Nov 4, 2016)

Good Luck!!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 4, 2016)

We are looking forward to it and hopefully she won't be too stressed out by losing her flock and taken from her home.  I've been in PM with SBC and she has offered to help if we need advice on acclimatizing her.  That is assuming we get her but I don't think there is much doubt.

I think we have enough experience but both myself and Teresa put her number on speed dial this afternoon.


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## TAH (Nov 4, 2016)

Congrats


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## Latestarter (Nov 4, 2016)

Wow! Congrats! Looking forward to following this journey of yours! Have you already picked up your sheep? I thought that was about to happen too... What a lucky dog and lucky sheep and lucky new owners!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 5, 2016)

We are bringing the sheep home this week also.  Hopefully before we bring the GP home.


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 5, 2016)

Hoping it all goes well for you! and the sheep!  AND the GP!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 5, 2016)

We just got back from Chattanooga and both think the visit went well.  Maisy was a bit stand offish with me at first but I thought she was going to try and get into Teresa's lap.  

We still need to run electric wire on the top of the fence but other than that we are ready for her to take on her new flock.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 5, 2016)

I forgot to mention that she is a complete cutey.  From talking to the sellers we were a little concerned that she had very little socialization but she seems quite comfortable in her home environment.

We have a 10x10 outdoor covered kennel to use if she seems too stressed out.  What we want to avoid is putting her in a situation where she thinks to has to run and look for her other home.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 5, 2016)

Very important for them to transfer her to you properly.

1. Do not get her from her field.
2. They need to bring her up and up to you
3. They need to say good bye and tell her she is a good girl, they also need to tell her it's ok and that you are her new owners. They need to walk her all the way to your vehicle. Stand there while you load her up or better they load her up.

Transition is so critical

Very good for you to have the kennel. I strongly advise using that at first and taking her out to transition possibly on a lunge lead.
Harnesses are great for dogs that have no neck lead training.

Make sure you get her rabies certificate from the owners.
Also check your state's laws regarding this.
In NC you are required to re-vaccinate regardless of when last rabies was given upon entering the state. You have only so many hours to do so.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 5, 2016)

I'm glad you chimed in.  I was going to PM but felt what you just wrote would be good for others as much as us.  We are covered as far as shots but we have a super vet that is coming out to check out the sheep and will let us know what we need.


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## Baymule (Nov 5, 2016)

I concur 100% with what SBC said. Her owners have to give her "permission" to go home with you and be your dog.

When I picked up Polly, our Australian shepherd, I visited with the lady while we sorted out if we would be good dog parents for Polly. Upon seeing me, Polly left the lady's side and came straight to me. She stayed by my side during the "interview". When the lady concluded that I would indeed, be a good doggie momma, she said I could have Polly. I told Polly that if she wanted to go home with me, go tell the lady goodbye. Durned if that dog didn't go to the lady, the lady petted her and told her goodbye and Polly came back to me. We went to the car, Polly jumped in and we went home. I opened the front door and she ran to my husband and jumped in his lap. The lady had told me she was afraid of men, but she sure loved my husband from minute one. I called the lady to tell her how well Polly fit into our family and she was glad.


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## Bruce (Nov 5, 2016)

Wow @Baymule, that is amazing!


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## Baymule (Nov 5, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Wow @Baymule, that is amazing!


I saw Polly's picture on a poster at a convenience store, laying on the counter. I put my finger on her picture and said Tell me about this dog! I called my DH and he said No! No! No! He!! NO! but her eyes are looking at me.... He heaved a sigh and told me to go look at the dog.  What can I say? She was meant to be my dog and she told me so from her picture.


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## NH homesteader (Nov 5, 2016)

And told you so again when you met her.  Without  a doubt she was meant to be yours,  what a cool story!


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## Baymule (Nov 5, 2016)

It will be the same with Maisy, Mike and Teresa. She is meant to be their dog. Having already "met" Mike and Teresa, it will be easier for Maisy, as she won't be leaving with complete strangers.


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## NH homesteader (Nov 5, 2016)

My dog Lui (chow mix)  chose me too.  We went to see him and his sister,  she ran around licking everyone and he kind of stood back and watched.  After 10 minutes he came over and plopped himself in my lap. This dog is the best animal I've ever had. 

Maisy is lovely.  Hope the transition goes well for you and her!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 5, 2016)

I know I started this thread but it has been some fun reading and some really cool stories.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 10, 2016)

Maisy was not quite as easy to load as Polly was. The owner tried to get her to go in the truck in the extended cab and it was obvious that wasn't happening.  She then picked her up and put her in back and had to hold her to keep her from jumping out.  She is very social and does enjoy being loved on.  She whined a couple of times as we were pulling away but she settled down considering what was happening.  I walked her all around the areas (on a long lead) where the sheep are kept and she didn't seem the least bit stressed out.  We did a slow intro to the ewes and I'm not sure how long to give her to accept them as hers.  One of our ewes is the boss lady and she was pawing at the ground when Maisy started approaching them.  She did a half hearted lunge at the ewe but I'm not sure what would have been her reaction if not on the lead.  We have them separated (but in the same pen) for tonight and we will spend a lot of time getting everybody used to the routine as long as we need to.  After she got to meet the sheep we came out the gate and I was going to take her down to get fed.  She parked her rear on the ground and made it obvious she wasn't going away from a pasture twice in the same day and when I reopened the gate she went right back in and laid down. 

We will have to use a lead when not in the pen since we have way to much unfenced pasture and she looks off into the hills down from our place and you can almost see her interest in going to check them out.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow since by the time we got her settled in and fed the sheep it was full dark.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 10, 2016)

Teresa and I just went out to see how Maisy is doing.  I was concerned because we confined her where the ewes have been bedding down for the night and when we were last out, they were still leery of her and had not gone to their normal spot.  They were all in a bunch about 10 feet from where Maisy was sitting watching them and they seem completely at ease.  I don't think she has ever had as much petting as she got today so i hope we aren't doing too much.


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## Baymule (Nov 10, 2016)

That is good news! I hope Maisy's relocation goes well for her. She probably needs a little extra TLC right now.


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## babsbag (Nov 10, 2016)

You can't love on these dogs too much.  When my LGD had her last litter of pups she kept her head on my lap and moaned and groaned in-between each pup's birth; she wanted me there.  All that lovin' I have given her paid off. That was a good sign that she didn't want to leave the pasture. Good girl.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 10, 2016)




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## Latestarter (Nov 10, 2016)

Glad everything went as well as could be hoped for and expected! You're now the proud owner of an LGD!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

When I went out this morning the sheep were in their favorite spot and Maisey was just watching them.  I put her on a tether so I could let them go together and will try to see how she does the rest of the day.  She isn't showing any sign of lunging at them this morning so I probably should trust her but I'm not trusting us yet to know any bad signs.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

She has been loose for most of the morning.  We had a couple of things we weren't sure was normal but SBC soothed our concern.  They are doing a pecking order rearrangement right now but they all seem content to be in the same area.  I can probably go more than 10 minutes without checking on and get some chores done and ready to start fencing another section. 

We are going to try some High Tensile field fence on one of the perimeter section and continue with Goat and Sheep wire on the interior in this section.  We also have a couple lengths of portable netting coming for one section.


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## Bruce (Nov 11, 2016)

Moving on to checking every 12 minutes Mike?  

I'm sure you being out there working will help Maisey (pretty dog!) get comfortable in her new home, the sheep too!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

I actually quit checking on her Bruce.  I've been down at the shop putting together another hay rack and she positioned herself in the only spot where she could watch me and the sheep.  I'm not sure if she was guarding the sheep FROM me or guarding all of us.  I was making a lot of racket with saw and nail gun so I don't know.


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## Bruce (Nov 11, 2016)

Sounds like she is settling in really well.


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## Goat Whisperer (Nov 11, 2016)

I'm so happy for you! I don't post much but have been following your adventure. 

Is it all really sinking in now? Years of planning and work and now finally you have your sheep and pyr! 

Also… When are you getting goats?!?


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## Bruce (Nov 11, 2016)

And all at once too! Talk about a BIG life change!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

GW - I'm starting on the neighboring pasture this week since the pen we have the sheep in is really set up for a couple of dairy goats, complete with some woody areas.  

The when is up in the air and depends on the breeding schedule from the folks we are getting them from.  We want one bred Alpine and another doe in milk to start with but it all depends on the timing.

It has all sunk in but we still get a smile when we look around and try to remember how junky it was 4 years ago.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

I thought about you and your rocky fence line today Bruce.  We brought in a skid steer with a trencher to run water for a hydrant about 200' down to our shop and hit so many slab rocks that when we finally got the trench dug it was 30' away from where we wanted it and I have 4 ditches to fill in from the unsuccessful tries.


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## Bruce (Nov 11, 2016)

I think that will have to be my solution to my lack of water in the barn as well. It DID work until fall 3 years ago. It wasn't even freezing yet. Don't know what happened, I guess the black plastic pipe that leaves the basement failed somewhere.

However, unlike you, I need to go 4' down to avoid freezing the line on those "almost no snow" years. I don't even know what path it takes though I ASSUME it is 4' down since it worked in the winter for 2 years and therefore I SHOULD be able to get down to 4' on that path. Unfortunately the plastic pipe exits the fieldstone basement wall under the deck so I can't even dig near where it comes out and try to follow it. Problem to be solved another day (month, year).


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## Mike CHS (Nov 11, 2016)

We have a couple of Fox Squirrels that get into our potted plants.  I saw him this afternoon running faster than I thought a squirrel could run with this big white dog right on its tail.  

He may be less of a nuisance from now on unless it is suicidal.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 12, 2016)

For anyone that has followed this thread I just want to say that Maisy is proving to be an awesome addition to our family but this forum and the members that make it what it is are SUPER AWESOME.  We were pretty well prepared for what we needed to do but actually having her here made it pretty obvious that what we had was second hand knowledge.  You folks and in particular @Southern by choice  made our preps to be good enough but we had support that we would not have had otherwise.  We already love this big white bundle of personality and truly appreciate what they give to us.


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## Bruce (Nov 12, 2016)

Amazing how quickly and seamlessly she joined your family of people and animals!


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## Southern by choice (Nov 12, 2016)

I am so happy for you two! I see you have been touched by the magic of a pyr! 

Now you know why I wroye what I did in my signature line! 

As happy as I am for you DW I am even happier for Maisy.

It is so wonderful to see an active LGD placed on another livestock farm. Many do not fare as well as she. Sadly many end up at the pound, only to be euthanized because most rescues and the pound don't understand working outdoor dogs. Some dogs end up on farms that have no love or respect for the dog they are just a "disposable" animal. Maisy is very blessed to have you guys. You will love her, care for her, work with her, respect her and bring mutual joy to each other.

A great LGD really can change their human's lives.


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## TAH (Nov 13, 2016)

Glad she has fit inn good and I hope she will surprise you with more fun and joy on your two's journey.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 16, 2016)

I may be wrong but I think Maisy just taught me my first lesson in how to partner with a Pyr on a lead.  I wanted to let one of my herd dogs do some cutting practice because at least 4 of the ewes are looking like they could lamb in the next couple of weeks so I had her down at their daytime kennel to make sure they got along.  After they accepted each other we started to walk back up to the sheep pen (at least I started back up to the sheep pen because Maisy has this way of plopping her bottom and you aren't going to make her move until she is ready.  I said "ok" and sat down in a chair until she made up her mind what was the next move.  As soon as I sat down, she looked at me then up at the sheep and went trotting over to the gate so I could let her in.

It is probably my imagination but I swear she had this expression in her eyes like she was saying "Alright I made my point so I'll go back to standing guard now."


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## Bruce (Nov 16, 2016)

I'm the Boss, and don't you forget it.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 19, 2016)

We had some nasty weather last night and the first rain in two months but it had Maisy constantly on the go checking things out.  I doubt the sheep got much sleep with all the fuss she was making. Us either for that matter.  We built a 3 sided shelter that she could use if she was so inclined but she won't go into anything that blocks her view of the ewes.  We put this cattle panel and tarp over her favorite spot so at least she can get somewhat out of the weather and still see all around.  We just did a wind block not far from where she is to give the sheep some shelter.


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## NH homesteader (Nov 19, 2016)

Good girl,  Maisy.


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## TAH (Nov 19, 2016)




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## Latestarter (Nov 19, 2016)

Well, she looks quite comfy & content in there...  Don't know that it will do much to keep her dry if the wind is blowing though... could you maybe lower it a foot or so? Maybe keep some wind blown moisture away from the center... Seems you lucked into a sweetheart dog there Mike.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 20, 2016)

We messed with the tarp some before fastening it down.  This spot is one of the few that she can see all around without having to run around. She even barks when the neighbors are out in the yard and that is 1/2 mile away.  We had it lower but she sat outside of it like it was in the way.  She is going to get wet with blowing rain but there are multiple places she can go if she wants to.  Until we got her she had never been under a roof of any kind and didn't even know what to do with a piece of ham we gave her so we are getting there.


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## Baymule (Nov 20, 2016)

Our female Pyr loves her dog house. Our male Pyr loves to sprawl out in the open and only takes shelter when it is a pouring rain. We moved here when Trip was just a puppy and it snowed 3 times in the first month. This is my favorite puppy picture of him.






Your Maisy will soon know how good she has it now. Just keep up the spoiling, it ain't hard to do...... Ham...... oh yeah!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 20, 2016)

That puppy picture needs to be framed if it isn't already.


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## Bruce (Nov 20, 2016)

One of our cats loves ham, the other 2 won't eat people food (which isn't a bad thing!). I call Rascal my "lunch cat" (*). She comes as soon as she hears me getting a plate anywhere near lunch time (which could be 11 AM or 2 PM). She is nearly silent when she meows. "Do you want ham Rascal?" meooow

* she is actually my wife's cat but I'm home all day and she is at work


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## Southern by choice (Nov 20, 2016)

I really like what I am hearing about your LGD!  

I am not great at keeping up with everyone's journals so I may be missing something here. Don't you have a barn? Eventually she will want to be in the barn (or around the barn) with the sheep. She seems to have discernment about the sheep and their acceptance of her.
I love that she and you are developing that partnership. I like how you are working with her cues. 

LOVE that she doesn't take strange food. My field dogs don't either and I like it that way. They cannot be bribed.
They do know if they come in the house then that food is safe but even so some of them, like Amy, are still extremely hesitant. 
Our Pyrs are notorious for taking FOREVER to eat a little piece of cheese.

Badger being retired to the house no longer takes all day to eat chicken etc. As you might recall he ate an entire roast completely unnoticed. 

Maisy is a young dog and doing very well. This is what I like to see. I expect this from all my dogs.

Has she gone through lambing before?


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## Mike CHS (Nov 20, 2016)

She has been through a lambing before.  The folks we got her from got her at 4 months old (they were starting to lamb) and also a 3 year old at the same time.  It turned out they were mislead and the 3 year old wanted people and nothing to do with sheep.  I'm not sure what I would have done in the same situation but she was the only dog in a pasture with 60 sheep and their lambs by herself at 4 months old.

We are going to watch her but want to trust her.  She is still so much of a puppy but so far she has been perfect.  We are building a creep feeder in one of our shelters so their pen has been reduced in size for a couple of days.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 20, 2016)

I am sure she will do fine. 
I know you  have seen me post about this before but it really is best if you can tech her NOT to eat the placenta.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 20, 2016)

I had to go back in this thread to verify that we got Maisy o


 n the 10th because she has been with these sheep for ONLY 10 days.  Other than when she decides they need to move somewhere other than where they are she moves around them ignored.  In this picture you may have to look close but she is the bundle of white to the right side of the feeder.  When I went to get the camera there was a ewe laying down on each side of her but they got up when they saw me since it was close to alfalfa time.
I wrote this earlier today and evidently didn't hit Post Reply.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 24, 2016)

It looks like I need to add some electric wire to our fence.  We went out to feed everyone awhile ago and Maisy was not in the pen.  We don't know how long she was out or where she went but she came back home when we called her (finally) .  No digging spots were found and all the gates were still secure so we can only guess that she jumped the fence.  I was pretty sure she had the ability to jump the fence but up until today she hasn't tried.


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## frustratedearthmother (Nov 24, 2016)

OH boy....


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## Ferguson K (Nov 24, 2016)

Uh oh. Good thing she comes when called!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 24, 2016)

I can't blame her but we do need to get the bigger pasture finished.  You can tell by the way she patrols that she wants to guard everything she can see.  I am glad that we do all the loving on her or we might have seen the last of her.  Around here loose dogs get shot so I'll start working on electric and pasture fence tomorrow.

We got our lean-to framed in today so we can put up the exterior walls tomorrow and give her the rest of the pen back.


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## TAH (Nov 24, 2016)

She gonna get a shock, if she doesn't know what EF is.


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## Bruce (Nov 24, 2016)

How high is the current fence and what size is the pen Mike?


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## Mike CHS (Nov 24, 2016)

_It's 48" goat and sheep wire.  This pen is only about 2 acres and not big enough to keep her interested._


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## Latestarter (Nov 24, 2016)

When you run your wire, you might consider a sheep knee high one as well as the one up top. Zap two "breeds" with one charger so to speak... Might as well learn the sheep to not rub on the fence before they get started. So glad she like you folks and stayed nearby.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 25, 2016)

We kept her in the kennel pretty much all day while we ran into town and got siding for the shed and picked up the electric fence supplies.  We didn't get it finished until just about dark and since she came from a home that had electric above the field fence she hasn't challenged it yet.  We will see how the rest of the night goes.


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## Bruce (Nov 25, 2016)

Hopefully she will assume that top wire means "keep away" and not test it to find out!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 25, 2016)

When we got done she just walked the perimeter to see if it was all the way around.  It has a 2 joule controller on it so it has a kick.


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## Goat Whisperer (Nov 25, 2016)

Be prepared, when she touches it she will holler, scream, bark, & run. You will think something was killing her. Dogs are the biggest babies when it comes to the electric fence!


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## Bruce (Nov 25, 2016)

That is funny! Go for a walk, check out the work and ask "Did Dad leave me any escape hatches???"


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## Mike CHS (Nov 25, 2016)

I can only assume she got hit by the electric at her last home.  We watched her for about 1/2 hour this evening and she walked in slow motion around the electric looking for a hole.  She finally bedded down in the middle of the pen with the sheep and that's the first time in several days.

Bruce - we had her tethered in the pen with us while putting in the wire and you could almost see her expression saying "I know what you guys are doing and I DO NOT like it".


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

Our dog is smarter than we are.  We finally found where she was getting out but only found it because her muddy feet left paw prints on the tarp she was using for leverage to climb out.  While we are at it we are changing the fence to a hot/ground two wires above the woven wire.  

We now have two days of escape proofing a pen and zero time on the sheep creep feeder in the shelter we are making.


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## babsbag (Nov 26, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> We now have two days of escape proofing a pen and zero time on the sheep creep feeder in the shelter we are making.



Don't you just love the way our animals can change our priorities?  We call it 'putting out the fires'. Been there soooo many times.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2016)

yep- definitely always a step ahead

If we didn't love them and appreciate them so much I think we would be doing this-


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

We can't get mad at her for doing what she was bred for but we have made it more painful to get over that fence.  In her mind she is doing what she is supposed to be doing.  I can almost see her thinking "By George, I can see down that valley at least two miles and I need to check it out. "

When she finally comes back home she has a prance that belongs in a dog show plus she is all covered in mud and briars so no telling where she cut through the woods.


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## Bruce (Nov 26, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> Our dog is smarter than we are.  We finally found where she was getting out but only found it because her muddy feet left paw prints on the tarp she was using for leverage to climb out.  While we are at it we are changing the fence to a hot/ground two wires above the woven wire.
> 
> We now have two days of escape proofing a pen and zero time on the sheep creep feeder in the shelter we are making.



Pictures? I'm not understanding how a tarp aided her escape.

Oh, and I guess things in TN must be kinda like Texas - big! When I asked how large the "pen" was that she escaped, I was thinking something like 20'x40'. A small temporary affair. I can see how she would be bored in an area that size. 2 acres is a "pen"?? Gee and here I was thinking the 1 acre I'm fencing (in the cold and rain and snow) was a pasture.

I will also be doing a hot at 5' and a ground at 4.5' because I read that in very dry places and places where the ground freezes, the dry/frozen earth doesn't conduct very well back to the ground rods and it is best to carry a ground along the fence. Sure seems like it would be nearly impossible for an animal to not hit both the hot top wire and the ground 6" down at the same time if they try to go over.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2016)

I want to step in and say two acres is not small. 
If a dog was bred and raised on lots of land and never raised on small lots or acreage then placed on small land you are more likely to see run-a-ways and escape artists. On the flip. Dogs raised on small land or lots can easily go to large land.

2 acres is plenty large enough. I think Mike is seeing that this girl, like many pyrs especially, see farther out and in their mind as far as they can see is "their" property to be protected.

You will also see this if underdogged. Farms that underdog according to predator load and not necessarily land size will get out more often to push predators out.

I think I wrote a post on this I will have to check.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

Bruce - the tarp was put up as a wind break but somewhere along the line she pulled it down enough to act like a ladder.  I was testing the hot wire this afternoon and got zapped big time.  She must have sucked it up and took the hit because she got out again.  This time fortunately I was outside and heard my neighbors chickens fussing and went down to find her trying to get to a Bantam rooster that was fortunately in a cage she couldn't get into.  Not that she wasn't trying.  She is on a tether for right now till I can figure what to do with he.r

Southern described what we are seeing perfectly up to now but the chicken changes everything for peace in the neighborhood.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2016)

Mike- I did get a chuckle out of the tarp ladder. You are dead on with that. I know it isn't funny but it shows just how smart these dogs are.

Do you have chickens?  

Boy I wish you were closer.


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## babsbag (Nov 26, 2016)

We connect our ground to the fence itself, in addition to the ground rod. So now if the dog touches the hot wire and anywhere on the fence they get bit. That is tough about the rooster, disaster waiting to happen.


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## babsbag (Nov 26, 2016)

@Southern by choice  you aren't THAT far away.


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

We don't have chickens yet.  

babs - we ran a ground wire directly from the charger to another ground wire.  It knocked the heck out of me this afternoon but like I said she must have sucked it up and took the zap.  She isn't a throw-away so we'll work things out.  I shot a critter this afternoon and the shot got her really excited and when I looked in the pen she was gone.


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## Bruce (Nov 26, 2016)

"tarp ladder"  Smart dog! 

I can see how she might not have gotten zapped much if she hit the hot wire from the tarp ladder, not really connecting back to the ground rod. I believe carrying the ground wire below the hot one will improve that significantly. I THINK the only way she wouldn't get zapped is if she can clear 5' on the "run and jump", touching only the hot wire on top on the way over if at all. Of course I could be totally off on that having no personal experience in the matter.

Yeah bad news about the neighbors' chicken. Glad it was not hurt. I bet they are even less happy about that than you are and you are REALLY not happy about it.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> I shot a critter this afternoon and the shot got her really excited and when I looked in the pen she was gone.



What do you mean by excited?

Is she gun tested? Storm tested?


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

We haven't had a storm since we got her.  We tested her for gun fear when we first brought her home because there is hunting all around us.  We have shot around her with no reaction but this is the first time she saw the animal we were shooting at.  She started jumping up on the fence in what appeared to be I want to get it mode.  The same way she reacted the first time we saw her go after a squirrel that got too cocky.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2016)




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## Baymule (Nov 26, 2016)

Maisy is a smart girl. Fortunately for her, she has a loving family who will work things out with her. I'm glad that she came back home. Haha, ya'll are going on the ride of your life-trying to stay a step ahead of a Pyrenees!


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## Mike CHS (Nov 26, 2016)

At least I got the satisfaction of brushing all of the cockle burrs out of her coat for about 20 minutes but I swear I could see her smiling (like this is a small price to pay).


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## Baymule (Nov 26, 2016)

My husband didn't latch the front gate when he went to town. Trip pushed it open and was gone when he came back. I was in Dallas at a baby shower when I got a call from my husband, almost in tears, he was driving up and down the roads looking for Trip. His tone went from worried to delighted when he saw Trip prancing down the road, over a mile from home, coming back from wherever he'd been. He was coated in red mud, but my husband didn't care, he loaded Trip up in the back seat of his truck and brought him home. He was so relieved to find Trip that he didn't even mind scrubbing red mud off his leather seats.


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## Bruce (Nov 26, 2016)

Mike CHS said:


> At least I got the satisfaction of brushing all of the cockle burrs out of her coat for about 20 minutes but I swear I could see her smiling (like this is a small price to pay).



Yep smart dog:

Escape the fence, spend time with Dad while he works on the fence
Escape the fence, have fun playing in the cockle burrs, get brushed 

Escape the fence, TBD
Loving my new life at Shepherds Hill Farm!


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## Mike CHS (Dec 2, 2016)

I have a question about handling/too much handling of this girl so I'm just going to ramble about what I have been doing.  She hasn't tried to climb out for several days now but there is 15k volts pulsing over the top of the fence and I have reason to believe she has hit it at least once.  I know from personal contact that it HURTS (but only once so far).  She has become part of the family and she enjoys being loved on but we don't over do it. She comes when called unless she is alert on something, in which case we won't call her.  She accepts our herding dogs but everything done so far is under controlled conditions.  I had the Aussie in the pen today holding the sheep while I checked hooves since it has been so wet and Maisey just lay on her bed of straw.  I haven't let the Border Collie into the pen since he can hold them just by staring at them.  When he is there they stay on me which is the idea.  

Finally getting to what I'm wondering about.  Much of our property is in various stages of being  fenced and since I can't let her go out on her own yet, I have been walking our entire place with her on a leash.  She seems to be content doing this since she is getting to patrol and it's almost like she enjoys having me along for the event. The biggest thing is I'm trying to show her OUR borders so she will stick around. When we get back to the sheep she is ready to go back in and I let her off leash before opening the door to let her know I trust her and she seems to know what is expected. 

I have a tendency to overthink things but I'm trying to  keep things as normal for her as I can for this big white bundle of love without messing her up.  She accepts me as the Alpha since the rooster event (she found out she wasn't stronger than I am) and she got an involuntary ride on my lap on the golf cart going home.


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## Bruce (Dec 2, 2016)

@Southern by choice will have good advice on this but as I understand it, you can walk your unfenced perimeter all you like but she will not think of it as a boundary she should not cross. But that might be a generalization and there might be some dogs that will understand and accept the invisible boundary.


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## Mike CHS (Dec 2, 2016)

We will have a fence there in the next couple of weeks so that works.  I'm more wondering about the other things


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## Southern by choice (Dec 2, 2016)

She is not a farm-dog she is a LGD.
Truly, I warn LGD owners to NOT walk their dogs.
There are few exceptions to this.

This is starting a very bad precedent for her. Especially because she has escaped and gone on walkabout.

Socialize with her and love on her when you are in the field, go about your business. 

Walking those boundaries with her will do nothing in the long run of any real benefit.


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## Mike CHS (Dec 3, 2016)

That is what we will do then.


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