Best LGD for what I am looking for

[TAH]

Is your almost done growing?

 

[Southern by choice]

We have heard that Great Pyrenees Have healthy problems. The Tolis are not good around kids and strangers in the field. I have 6 siblings so I would rather start with a breed that is good with kids.

What you have heard is very, very, very, wrong! On ALL counts.

Out of every farm I have ever been to, I am much more hesitant with Pyr's than Toli's.
I am about to start training one of my Toli/Pyr pups for therapy certification and hopefully we will go on for possible service dog.
I have 9 children... all love the dogs all the dogs love them.
Out of my dogs-
4 of my pyrs - UMmmm lets just say NO ONE would dream of entering anyplace they are... ever. 2 are F 2 are M one of the males is "My" dog... I kept him because he is highly dominant and knew he would do best with us.

Out of those 4 I can say It's ok and they will move away from fence and lay down quietly or sit quietly but they are still watching everything and ready to protect me or herd. None will just decide to try to bite to bite.

1 pyr- Sire in avatar has excellet temperament. As long as I am there he will expect to kiss you with a nose bump and you must give him love... if he stands there and does not greet you in that manner you must leave my property- I trust the dog.
He stands 34" at the withers. Yet a gentle giant!

1 Toli M- Ok but not overly fond of strangers... will not charge or be aggressive just more - eh

1 Toli F- Dam in avatar - awesome awesome with any child and anyone but as she should be, protective of her goats. We bring her and our M pyr out often to farm visitors. They love them. She will lay down and let a toddler crawl all over her. Toddler like to lay on her to hug her and she just laps it up.

4 of our Toli-pyr pups-
1 extremely guardy I can bring people in his field but he doesn't like it yet is fine with children there not so much adults.
This particular dog is "My" dog so he is very in tune with me and everyone in the house- why I chose to keep him... He is exceptional in every way. Truly a brilliant dog.

3 happy to greet people when we bring them in very loving - one in particular very watchful of children... always wants them safe.

All the dogs are protective of their charges. No one can go in our field if not escorted by us. We set rules for visitors. No running no grabbing a goat etc.
With our vets we must lock dogs up (ALL) if any treatments are done for a goat... usually we just pull them from the field and bring them up to the porch (the goat).

I can take MOST of my dogs off site to TSC etc and they are fine with other dogs and people.

We have pics on our FB page of many visitors with our dogs.

Health issues are pretty much the same across the board.
Spay/Nueter can exacerbate issues and create issues.

So yep. I love me some Pyrs some Toli's and the best of both worlds Toli/Pyrs!

Is your almost done growing?

Latestarter's dog is one of my pups... some of the pups smaller some larger but all powerhouses! At 15months most of mine are 135-140
Their mother is 140. There sire 145. If you look to the left at my avatar those are the sire & dam. That is a very old picture.
LGD's do not fully stop growing til 3 years. Their weight may actually go down, sometimes up.. they build muscle and reach maximum height at 3.

 

[TAH]

I did a lot of research and most I came across say the opposite to what you say. Do you let your dogs inside as puppy's? We may just end up doing tolis and great Pyrenees. I am glad to here about some that are good with kids.

 

[Southern by choice]

Much is determined by training and raising.
I don't know what to tell ya. Most are not trainers, nor have they worked around Toli's for 3o years. They are layman that have a LGD.
Many of these people are the same ones that have to use drags, toggles, shock, contraptions on their dogs... they use jolly balls and cannot trust their dogs til 2.

The majority of my trouble calls are from Pyr owners.
The majority of escape artists are pyrs.
The majority of aggression- again pyrs.

They each have their areas where they are harder in and easier in.
They are both stubborn and hardheaded but in different ways.

If only on 7 acres- 2 trained dogs would be your best bet.
Trained dogs will be a minimum of $1500- usual $2500.

 

[Latestarter]

No need for me to say more... The owner of my pup's sire and dam said it better than I ever could.

You will find a large Great Pyr rescue system across the nation, and most (who know what they're talking about) will tell you most of these dogs did nothing wrong, they were just set up to fail. People buy them thinking they are big huggable white teddy bears and expect them to live in apartments and town homes on postage stamp yards and act like your typical pet dog. They bought them to show off and one-up the neighbor's "big" dog. When they find out that's not what these dogs were bred for thousands of years to do, they can't handle it and "throw them away." It's a real shame. Many who own them flat out shouldn't.

 

[Southern by choice]

No need for me to say more... The owner of my pup's sire and dam said it better than I ever could.

You will find a large Great Pyr rescue system across the nation, and most (who know what they're talking about) will tell you most of these dogs did nothing wrong, they were just set up to fail. People buy them thinking they are big huggable white teddy bears and expect them to live in apartments and town homes on postage stamp yards and act like your typical pet dog. They bought them to show off and one-up the neighbor's "big" dog. When they find out that's not what these dogs were bred for thousands of years to do, they can't handle it and "throw them away." It's a real shame. Many who own them flat out shouldn't.

Agreed... or what is worse dogs bred to be LGD's and the owners were too ignorant to do the right thing... dog kills chickens... gets rid of dog... young pup/dog chases... gets rid of dog.... dog digs out... gets rid of dog....

Now I will say ... they are big luvable huggable lugs!
Cannot imagine life without them. And not just for the farm... they are beyond a pet, beyond a guardian... they are the most special dogs and they steal your heart.

 

[babsbag]

I have a pyr/toli cross that loves everyone that enter his life. He is an awesome dog, but he killed chickens until he was about two. He is great with newborn goats, will protect them even from their own mom. *SIGH*...but he isn't crazy about them climbing on him when they get older. He simply moves away.

I have a female that is a mix of Akbash/Toli/Ovcharka/Pyr and she is probably the most stable dog I have ever known; but she hates thunder and gun shots. Other than that she is perfect. She likes most people and simply moves away from those that she doesn't trust. If she doesn't trust them I don't either. She will give you her paw and expect a belly rub if she likes you.

And then their is Mia...my puppy. She is Toli/Ovcharka/Akbash/Maremma. And she is a handful. Too soon to say much more than that. Everyday I see improvement in her behavior, she is very "bitey", nips at the air, and nips at me, and nips at goats. She is my challenge. She is a half sister to my older female but totally different. With her it will be all about training that makes her into a great LGD and praying that there is some instinct under that fur.

 

[Big A Ranch]

Hello all! I am new to the site I am so happy to find a place where I can get some advice on LGD dogs. My dad owns 3 Pyrenees and swears by them my kids did not grow up around these dogs but can come over to his house and play all day with them and the dogs love it. I have 200+ acres I am slowly adding animals to my ranch weekly I need a few LGDs to guard my investment. I have looked online for a puppy to buy and have seen Pyrenees forsale a few have bad records. I would love to adopt one then buy a puppy or two down the road but not if I am putting my current babies at risk. I have owned huge dogs in the past so the size does not scare me. Should I buy a puppy from a working farm? Or a breeder that does not have a working farm? I have seen a few Pyrenees/Antolian crosses on Craigslist and have thought about buying one most of them are from working farms and are born in the barn with the animal. What do you guys think?
Thanks for the time
P

 

[Southern by choice]

First, you mention adding animals slowly to your ranch weekly... What do you mean? What kind of animals? Are these from stockyards? etc.

Second, yes you want dogs raised with livestock. Few evaluate or know how but best to find someone that has some knowledge.
Typically these dogs are born in the barns etc. I allow mine girls to deliver outside then I do move them in for 3 weeks so they have direct supervision as well as the dam having supervision in case a health problem arises. Mine go out to a stall at 3-weeks by 6 weeks they are supervised in field with momma and are gradually integrated with livestock and poultry.

As far as rescues... it really is hit or miss. Some are in rescues because ignorant owners do dumb things and forget that pups are still pups... so some are given when they go through a bad poultry phase or chasing baby goats/lambs... no we don't want any of those things but pups are still pups.

I would recommend 2 dogs at once... well matched and paired. Dogs are pack animals and really do best with another for companionship, playtime, and guarding. 200+ acres... you will need more than 2.

 

[Southern by choice]

I forgot to say ...