Puppies on the farm!

/ Puppies on the farm! #1  

Marveltone

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Location
Somewhere north of Roseau, MN
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Fordson Major Diesel, McCormick Deering W4, Ford 1510, John Deere L111
Okay, it's been almost a year since we moved on the farm. Isn't it about time we get a dog? m$y wife and I have been mulling over this question for the better part of the year and finally decided to do something about it. We've decided on a Great Pyrenees. Besides being beautiful animals, they can provide a certain degree of protection to humans and critters alike. But where to get one in northern Minnesota?

Enter Serendipity Farms.

I saw an add on Craig's List for Pyr puppies for $500 each. I had my wife make the first contact while I was at work. As it happens, about half a state away, (and this is a rather large state) is a small hobby farm called Serendipity Farms. They breed Great Pyrenees in a loving farm setting, complete with kids and critters. No puppy farm, no retail outlet, just a bunch of happy animals with a bunch of kids loving them all. Everything's legit. The dogs all have their papers, they've all been checked out by the vet and had the full regimen of everything they should at their age, and we get a full "puppy kit" with the papers, medications and lots of hints and tips for happy, healthy puppies.

Enough of that, let's get to the dogs. The owner of the farm had been telling us how excited she was about this particular litter. She had sold many puppies before, but there was something special about this litter. Both parents were livestock guardians. No show blood here, just good, honest working dogs. The dispositions were incredibly calm and the eyes were sharp and bright. We went to the pen where the 3 month old puppies were all being held for our perusal. I refused to pick one out, but rather, waited for one to choose me. One of the larger females made her way to my end of the pen and gave a cursory sniff, wag and lick. she ambled off, a few others came and went, but she kept coming back and eventually stayed at my feet, rolled over on her back and waited for a belly rub. "I think this is the one."

My wife, meanwhile had been completely enamored with the runt of the bunch, exclaiming what a little sweetheart she was. I reminded her that this "little sweetheart" would grow into something very large. She reminded me how I was in charge of picking the livestock guardian so she was allowed to pick a house dog. (Yes, the pampered family pet.)

"We'll take two."

They were absolute delights on the long drive home. No fussing or whimpering. They relieved themselves when we stopped for breaks and gathered attention wherever we went. We've decided to name the larger one Freyja and her sister Mina. I hav two pics at the moment. The first one is me and my daughter, stopping for ice cream on the way home from the kennel, and the second one is close-up of the two little ladies.

The cat may never forgive us!

Joe
 

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/ Puppies on the farm! #2  
Congratulations on your new puppies, our favorite dog was a runt of the litter, wonderful disposition and a real joy.
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #3  
Enjoy those pups! They won't stay small for long! Congratulations!
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #5  
That's great Joe! I hope you post as they grow up in the "Dog Pics" thread.

If these are your first dogs, you picked a handful. :laughing:

You can get a lot of helpful information at the Great Pyr Club: Great Pyrenees Club of America

The only thing I have heard about Pyr's is that they may not do well at recall. Some people have had success by training them to sit and stay on command, at least they are not getting farther away at that point. :)

Did the breeder give you any training advice on developing and reinforcing their guarding instincts?

They should be great, weather tolerant dogs for your location. Have fun!
 
/ Puppies on the farm!
  • Thread Starter
#6  
That's great Joe! I hope you post as they grow up in the "Dog Pics" thread.

If these are your first dogs, you picked a handful. :laughing:

You can get a lot of helpful information at the Great Pyr Club: Great Pyrenees Club of America

The only thing I have heard about Pyr's is that they may not do well at recall. Some people have had success by training them to sit and stay on command, at least they are not getting farther away at that point. :)

Did the breeder give you any training advice on developing and reinforcing their guarding instincts?

They should be great, weather tolerant dogs for your location. Have fun!

They're not our first dogs, but they are the first we've had in a few years. As far as commands, we'll just be happy if they learn their names and learn the allowable boundaries of the farm. Anytime we take them anywhere, they'll be on a leash, although, so far, they like to stay fairly close to us on the farm. We're exploring the boundaries, spending daily time in the pasture with the goats, and socializing them with strangers.

I've been reading lots of Pyrenees-specific stuff for several months by now and will continue to do so. Life is continuous education.

Oh yeah, the breeder is totally committed to happy dogs and customers. She's actually pretty selective to whom she'll sell. She's turned potential customers away due to "bad vibes" and told them they're not the right people for her dogs. She also told us to keep in touch and feel free to call about anything anytime.

Joe
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #7  
Congrats. Those are two beautiful dogs you have there.
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #8  
Love your pups they are beautiful and make great companions
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #11  
Congrats! :thumbsup:

New pups are always fun, but can be a handful at times!:confused2:
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #12  
We've decided on a Great Pyrenees.

Good choice for a watch dog. They have been breed to protect sheep from wolves/bears. They are very territorial and absolutely FEARLESS!
 
/ Puppies on the farm!
  • Thread Starter
#13  
Congrats! :thumbsup:

New pups are always fun, but can be a handful at times!:confused2:
I agree, but so can kids, and I survived three of them... well, OK, my 16 yr-old daughter is still in the house. Point is, I understand handfuls! :laughing:

Joe
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #14  
May I have one of them? Please?
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #15  
This is third-hand hearsay, so keep that in mind, but I've heard that goats will playfully butt dogs--cause that's how goats play I guess. If there is any chance of that, you want to watch for it. A butt to a young developing dog hip or shoulder could cause a chronic weakness in that joint. Large breeds aren't fully developed until they are at least two to three years old is my understanding.

A guy I personally know who raised boer goats, which are larger than yours IIRC, said it was the females that would try to blindside him when was working inside their fenced area. They didn't seem to be playing either.
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #16  
This is third-hand hearsay, so keep that in mind, but I've heard that goats will playfully butt dogs--cause that's how goats play I guess. If there is any chance of that, you want to watch for it. A butt to a young developing dog hip or shoulder could cause a chronic weakness in that joint. Large breeds aren't fully developed until they are at least two to three years old is my understanding.

A guy I personally know who raised boer goats, which are larger than yours IIRC, said it was the females that would try to blindside him when was working inside their fenced area. They didn't seem to be playing either.
Third hand as well, i've heard that they don't put young herding breed pups with goats so as not to get intimidated by them. We used geese to get them acclimated to moving animals around that were relatively docile.
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #18  
Nice dogs. A bit higher maintenance due to the need to brush them thoroughly at least twice a week. Smart, but stubborn. And unfortunately, they only live about 10 to 12 years. (I prefer breeds that can make it to 20 myself.)
 
/ Puppies on the farm! #19  
Nice dogs. A bit higher maintenance due to the need to brush them thoroughly at least twice a week. Smart, but stubborn. And unfortunately, they only live about 10 to 12 years. (I prefer breeds that can make it to 20 myself.)

That age range is true of any large breed dog. Our Leonbergers were (supposedly) begun with about 1/3 Grt. Pyr in the mix, along with Black Newfoundland and St. Bernard. Their bodies and coats are very similar to the Pyr. Any Leo that reaches 12, did well.

You do have to rake and brush heavy, double-coated dogs, not just for appearance but also to prevent the knots and undercoat mats that can be the source of "hot spots" which become open sores on the skin if allowed to develop. Below the head, down the front of the chest is a very prone area for that. If it gets wet, it tends to stay wet for long time.
 
/ Puppies on the farm!
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Nice dogs. A bit higher maintenance due to the need to brush them thoroughly at least twice a week. Smart, but stubborn. And unfortunately, they only live about 10 to 12 years. (I prefer breeds that can make it to 20 myself.)

We've had a Samoyed before. I know all about smart, stubborn and independent. Also very familiar with thick, dual coats. ;)

Joe
 

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