# Look what hubby brought home



## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

She's 6wks. old. Half Pryneese and half Australian Shephard. Her mother was Pryneese. The lady her got her from said she has goats and they have already been around goats. Had her first shots.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

How old should she be before putting her in with the goats?


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

THIS is why I could never have an LGD from a baby. I would spoil it's fluffy baby polar-bear self into uselessness. 

Too impossibly cute. Did you know he was looking for one?


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

We had talked about it and sorta looked for one for the goats. But the only one we found was mixed with some breed that would have clashed with the Pyrneese in it, so was afraid to go for it.

She sure seems laid back. When the other dogs started sniffing she just layed on her back and ignored them. 

We have her in a kennel right now. She would go through the fence that the goats are in right now.


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Actually that breeding does clash as well and I would not put her in with the goats 24/7 unattended. An all around farm dog sure but a guardian no. 

Aussies herd, chase, nip at livestock's heels. LGD should not have a herding instinct nor a chase one. Goats run, babies bounce and a herding dog can run them till they die which in the warm months can take less then 15 mins. 

I have seen this breeding before on Craigslist as well as Border Collies with LGD and do not understand why people mix two opposing breeds. It can make for quite a confused dog. I think she is adorable but I would not trust her as a guardian IMO.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I have to agree with Thaiblue.....

You've got a very confused pup - cross between a LGD and a dog that has had its instinct to chase channelled into the desire to herd.

Not going to make a good LGD for you, I'm afraid.....


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I've seen litters of aussie/pyrs 2-3 times just this year around here(NC). I don't understand what they hope to achieve by crossing these two breeds. They are really cute puppies and might make great pets, but their working life is a gamble. Will they take after the herding/chasing/high energy parent or the laid back, low prey drive, protectiveness of the great pyr?

You will need to keep a close eye on this pup for a while. While aussie's make great farm dogs "when their owners are around", they have high energy and high prey drive and may randomly decide the poultry needs to be rounded up. Our's took great joy in herding the horses and poultry, it's instinct, they'll do it even if they are raised around the livestock. We raised our aussie on the farm and we had a couple of turkey poults we were raising for Thanksgiving. None of the dogs messed with the turkeys all year long, and then a week before Thanksgiving(8 months later!) we went out to find the telltale feathers all over the yard and a dying turkey with a dog standing over it. We harvested the bird, but it was an eye opener that this dog who didn't bother these turkeys for 8 months just decided one morning she was going to target them to chase. The turkeys weren't mauled, only a couple of scratches and puncture marks, so I assume she was herding them and was pouncing on them.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Actually, I'm not sure her dad was an Aussie. The lady told my husband IF it was who she THOUGHT it was, it was and Aussie. But she said it was a huge dog. She don't look like she has any Aussie in her. Her eyes are black, not blue and she does seem to be laid back. So here's hoping. Poor thing is missing her litter mates. She was whining all afternoon and I put a stuffed brown bear in the pin with her and she immediately went to it and starting rubbing on it.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Here is some more pictures for comparison for her size. We weighed her and she weighs 11 lbs.


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

Glad this post came up...I was considering a great pyr / border collie cross...I'll pass for sure! I wasn't sure what the herding dog would bring to the picture...


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Oh goodness, she is so cute. She'll make a good pet for sure, and then if your lucky a decent guardian.

Whoever made Pyr pups so darn cute, did a disservice for those of us who try to make guardians out of them. You just don't want to let them bond with the goats, because you want to carry them around and the time! We tried our best to keep our hands off Goose, so he would bond with the animals and not become a lap pet, and I'm telling you it was hard!


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Well, I hope she takes after the PYR side. I've got a male pup that looks a lot like her, except he's purebred Anatolian.


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## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

My eyes changed "Australian Sheperd" to "Anatolian". 

I do think she looks like an AN/Pyr... or maybe a bit of St Bernard, but time will tell. I'm curious, so keep the pics coming? Once she loses the baby fuzz/chunk it will be easier to guess.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I don't understand what they hope to achieve by crossing these two breeds.


I think it's not done on purpose, but simply they don't neuter their animals.

Cross breeding is never a great idea, and two breeds with opposite traits is just foolish


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Bearfootfarm said:


> I think it's not done on purpose, but simply they don't neuter their animals.
> 
> Cross breeding is never a great idea, and two breeds with opposite traits is just foolish


I figured it was just a case of the LGD and the livestock herder getting together on the farm, but it happens so often, you just start to wonder how they afford to feed Pyr sized litters on a regular basis and not sterilize their animals.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I wouldn't discount him as a lgd, cross breeds are if nothing else un-reliable. He might work out. I suspect if raised as a LGD and it's not genetically his calling the herding part will make him re-trainable to a new task.


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## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

VERY cute. Hoping for many happy years together.


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

thaiblue12 said:


> Actually that breeding does clash as well and I would not put her in with the goats 24/7 unattended. An all around farm dog sure but a guardian no.
> 
> Aussies herd, chase, nip at livestock's heels. LGD should not have a herding instinct nor a chase one. Goats run, babies bounce and a herding dog can run them till they die which in the warm months can take less then 15 mins.
> 
> I have seen this breeding before on Craigslist as well as Border Collies with LGD and do not understand why people mix two opposing breeds. It can make for quite a confused dog. I think she is adorable but I would not trust her as a guardian IMO.


I am with thai 100%....I wish folks would not cross non-LGD's with LGD's. I may cross my Kangal on a non-Kangal but guess what, the Anatolian/Maremma is a guard dog too.....and the pups are proven guards. This pup will grow up with mixed signals: guard? herd? move? protect?

Honestly, if I were you before you get too attached to her, can you take her back? Cute is not guarding....all puppies are irresistable. Find either a pure Pyr or a Pyr crossed with a Maremma, Anatolian, etc.

I know your hubby had heart in right place but this might be a disaster in the making. And she is too little yet to put in with anything....they shouldn't have let her go so young, IMHO. My pups never leave till 8 weeks at least, I still have 10 week old pups here hanging out till they can go to new homes. Others on this forum have said same thing, 6 weeks is way too young to separate. Perhaps they got tired of feeding all the pups and tried to kick them out to save money. If you can't afford to feed a litter you got no biz-nuss raising dogs. Don't even ask what my dog food bill is, I don't look anymore, I just eat a lot of peanut butter sannies to compensate, lol!

Sorry to sound so harsh about it too this is just my experience and from what I have seen happen with LGD's crossed with non-LGD's. It is a recipe for trouble. You want the dog to guard not chase. I'd take it back now before you become any more attached. Unless like others said you keep her as pet but what if she runs your goats through barbed wire fences - cut goats - big vet bills....you get my drift. If you do keep her please please please hit her with at least 3 parvo distemper shots and get her dewormed now....no telling if the breeder did any of that unless they told you they did but still, more shots, more deworming....so vital for health.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

If I had been with him we wouldn't have gotten her. I told him as soon as he brought her home she was too young. 

He took her out to the goats this morning, was going to try and get them and her use to seeing each other. (NOT LEAVING HER WITH THEM), just wanted to make that clear. But they are afraid of her. Can't take her back, DH didn't get her name or phone number. She was at the flea market. He makes me soooo angry sometime. He saw cute and pyrneese so that is all it took.

We had even talked about getting one that was at least 6 mo. old, but no, sometime he acts before he thinks. So now we may have to try and rehome her.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

thaiblue12 said:


> Actually that breeding does clash as well and I would not put her in with the goats 24/7 unattended. An all around farm dog sure but a guardian no.


I would agree with her. Aussies aren't LGDs. They herd. I wouldn't put her with the goats. LGDs have no prey drive, they don't herd.

She would make a nice pet dog for you. She'll probably chase tractors, bikes, cars, etc, but she will be pretty and sweet. Just get an LGD sometime in the future.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Six weeks is way to young to take a puppy. Keep her with another dog, don't kennel her by herself. The other dog will teach her proper dog manners as well as bite inhibition.


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## Laurie J (Mar 9, 2005)

We have two Great Pyr's...one seven and one 13-1/2 weeks. We also have a Border Collie (much the same as an Australian Shepherd). I love our Border Collie, but if we could do it again, we'd never have gotten her. (She's 9). She wants to work all day, and we don't have work for her all day. She is in a kennel unless we are out with her. Otherwise, she chases everything, kills the chickens, and will take off if she hears thunder/guns/fireworks. She's too smart for her own good, and gets very anxious. Crossing a herding dog with a guarding dog is really a bad idea. However, your pup pictures look very much like our 100% purebred Great Pyr pup looks, so who knows what her father truly was. At any rate, if you keep her (and she is a cutie!) I would not turn her loose with livestock any time in the near future.


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## Kwings (Dec 21, 2010)

She's adorable! Why not do that test where they tell you what breeds are in your dog? It would clear up a lot of confusion for you and help you decide what she's best for on your farm.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

Goatress said:


> I am with thai 100%....I wish folks would not cross non-LGD's with LGD's.


Unfortunately, I don't think people are doing it on purpose... they'll have a Pyr out there guarding the sheep, and a herding dog to bring them in... and they simply don't bother to get either dog fixed... and nature takes its course.


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Ruby said:


> So now we may have to try and rehome her.


Unfortunately, that may be the best solution all around. I do believe most LGD/herding dog crosses are probably unplanned. If you keep this pup and she doesn't work out with the livestock guarding job, it could unfairly sour your family on the whole LGD concept.

Good luck whatever you do. 

Peg


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## equinecpa (Mar 21, 2011)

So how's the pup doing? She sure is cute...she doesn't look Aussie to me at all ( I have aussies...). Hope it's working out! I have made arrangements to rescue a lab/pyrenees pup this week from a kill shelter...


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Well you have her now and putting her in with the goats under supervision is a great idea. Work with her all the way, train her and you may get a wonderful LGD. I have seen folk on here with pure PYR having all sorts of problems.

She is very young, but if your hubby had not taken her someone else would have.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

equinecpa said:


> So how's the pup doing? She sure is cute...she doesn't look Aussie to me at all ( I have aussies...). Hope it's working out! I have made arrangements to rescue a lab/pyrenees pup this week from a kill shelter...


She doesn't act like an Aussie either, but all I know about them is what I've read. She is doing great and is about 18 lbs now. She is very laid back not hyper at all. There is a fence between her and the other dogs and she will lay and watch them. Unforuntualy two of my other dogs bark at her through the fence and Peanut tries to nip her. She just looks at her like "what do you think your doing?" But she LOVES water. She gets in her water pan and we have to change it twice a day.


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## meta87 (May 28, 2010)

She looks very similar to my Pyr/Anatolian female as a puppy. You may have gotten lucky and have lgd from both parents. She is darn cute!


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