A good dog is a great asset to any farm. The right dog who is well trained will protect both your property and livestock. However, if any of you knew Christi well in Marietta, she was VERY opposed to getting anymore dogs. As she used to say, “When this dog dies (referring to Kimmie), I’m not even going to have friends with dogs!” Well, that has changed. She is now fond of saying, “I didn’t anticipate living on a farm AND these are outdoor dogs.”
We did some research and decided we wanted a Great Pyrenees. They are very large dogs known to be excellent livestock guard dogs (LGDs). We purchased Elgie Bear very impulsively in February when we went to shop for fruit trees at our local Trade Day. We weren’t really ready for any dog, but who could resist this adorable fur ball? She is a mix of Great Pyrenees and Anatolian Shepherd, another type of great LGD. At 8 weeks, she was 20 lbs. Now, at nearly nine months, she is 90 lbs. She started indoors at night since she was so little, but by 4 months, she didn’t want to come in anymore, so she has been outside guarding the property ever since. Her all night barking keeps the deer and coyotes away.
Christi noticed that Elgie really enjoyed playing with other dogs and felt she would benefit from our having another dog on the property. The neighbor’s 15lb beagle, Thomas, would come over nearly every day to play with this giant of a beast. We like to say he has “balls”. Little as they are, he truly does. As fun as Thomas is, he is not always here, and cannot help Elgie guard. When we decided we were ready for sheep, Christi heavily campaigned for another Great Pyr who could stay in with the sheep at night while Elgie kept the perimeter safe. Bob finally relented after Christi found Hank on the Great Pyrenees Rehoming sight. Hank was already accustomed to staying with sheep and other dogs. He has turned out to be a great addition. He is very sweet natured and has settled in quite well. He does his job with the sheep at night, but is very eager to get out and play with Elgie and get people loving each morning. We feel very blessed to have him.
Having outdoor dogs, building a house, and having a pond means that these two are a muddy mess most of the time. They also collect burs in the tall grass. We call them our bur babies instead of fur babies. But as muddy and messy as they are, we love them to death – outdoors. They both love us to death as well and are very gentle with the grandchildren.
This morning Christi was realizing that while she said she would never have another dog, now that we live on a farm, she will probably have at least one dog for the rest of her life. Never say never…