A black Great Pyr??

I found a black Great Pyr on CL - rehoming due to pregnancy (the owner, not the pup ). Only 4 months old so should still be pup enough to imprint to our family, animals and property. They are asking $250 for rehoming, but are negotiable (I just don't know how negotiable yet). I know some people will say that black isn't possible (she has white on her chest from what I can see in the pics - there might be more on the paws or tail that I can't see), but I am learning it's rare, not impossible. It's not an ideal trait because they are bred to be the color of what they are protecting and a lot of times that's white sheep. DH's cousin only paid $85 for his because she had black on her ears but I know part of that was because it was someone he knew and he was in high school at the time (it might have been one of his teachers??) so the price might have been an especially good deal for those reasons. She's UTD on shots and has been dewormed, but no mention of rabies.

I don't care about the color... it's the dog's personality and work tendencies that matters. Although I do wonder how she'll do in NC summers?? I don't want to stress her with the heat, but either way she's a black GP in NC - there's not changing that no matter who owns her (unless they take her somewhere else milder). I guess I could get her coat thinned?

Dam was 100 lbs, Sire 140 - she'll be a big girl!

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/pet/5501288001.html

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/pet/5501288001.html

I would not believe that it is a pyr. Even if it has pyr in the background
it is probably bred to something else, who knows what.
Plus, a 4 month old puppy will not be trustworthy for 2+ years.
You might want to join the Yahoo Working LGD group
[email protected]
to get lots of experienced owners' input.
The price of the dog is the least of your worries.

caroline":286030sp said:

I would not believe that it is a pyr. Even if it has pyr in the background
it is probably bred to something else, who knows what.
Plus, a 4 month old puppy will not be trustworthy for 2+ years.
You might want to join the Yahoo Working LGD group
[email protected]
to get lots of experienced owners' input.
The price of the dog is the least of your worries.

Click to expand...

I'm not saying the price is the biggest concern, just figured someone would point out that it's a lot to ask for that particular dog so I figured I would give that backstory first.

I'll be honest, I am starting to get discouraged as I look at different options for our next dog... no matter what breed I look at, there are lots of naysayers and warnings about it thrown out there. I just want a medium to large size dog that will be a first line of defense for our home, but also a companion for all of us. I'm leery of adopting an adult dog from a shelter because that seems to be a bigger risk than a puppy when it comes to the children and animals. I do want input from experienced owners (we've had dogs for years, but nothing purebred... just a couple mutts that fell into our laps), but more than just the downsides, you know? It's a big decision, I know, one that I have been going back and forth on for a number of years (as far as what breed to get next, when that time came). I don't even mind if it is a mixed breed... I almost just want to give up at this point...

No

Big fluffy mutt that might have Pyr in there somewhere - sorta like ALL biggish red eyed white rabbits get labeled as "New Zealand's" :mrgreen:

Definitely not a "medium to large" more like a 80+ pound giant

Have you tried rescues that use foster homes instead - the care givers can often give more detailed info on temperament. I always did when I was fostering dogs because I did not want the pup back in the system

Dood":3sx1ny1r said:

No

Big fluffy mutt that might have Pyr in there somewhere - sorta like ALL biggish red eyed white rabbits get labeled as "New Zealand's" :mrgreen:

Definitely not a "medium to large" more like a 80+ pound giant

Have you tried rescues that use foster homes instead - the care givers can often give more detailed info on temperament. I always did when I was fostering dogs because I did not want the pup back in the system

Click to expand...

I guess I should have said medium OR large. I am totally aware that she could be in the 100 lb range. We have been around the breed before (DH's cousin has one, they live nextdoor) so the size isn't a surprise at all.

I hadn't thought about fosters. We are looking at a program in town "New Leash on Life" where they set up prisoners with shelter dogs to intensively train for 6 (maybe 8?) weeks then they adopt them out after a graduation ceremony where they get to show them off a bit...

heritage":wld8izsn said:

I don't even mind if it is a mixed breed... I almost just want to give up at this point...

Click to expand...

I made the assumption that you were planning to use the dog as and LGD for livesock. Sorry!
Did not even check and just went on like i know...
One of my defaults.
If you are mainly looking for a companion/family dog then I see it differently.
I think it's good to be concerned about the weather, dogs with long coats are
not necessarily uncomfortable in warm weather if they have shade and water.
I don't like them in my situation because of all the fox tails that get worked into
their coats and burrow into their skin
There are a number of smooth coated LGDs:
akbash, anatolian, even my maremma has an easier coat than a pyr
Dood's idea about the foster homes is good. Then you have info
on how the dog has been in the situations on that place.

Great Pyrenees are usually white due to a progressive graying and generally broken colored as well. In other breeds, graying is a dominant characteristic. So, it could be possible. It's actually the solid color that bothers me more although broken color in dogs is a semidominant.

I'm on my phone and can't tell if she actually looks Pyrenees.

alforddm":3hrbi9f2 said:

Great Pyrenees are usually white due to a progressive graying and generally broken colored as well. In other breeds, graying is a dominant characteristic. So, it could be possible. It's actually the solid color that bothers me more although broken color in dogs is a semidominant.

I'm on my phone and can't tell if she actually looks Pyrenees.

Click to expand...

She actually has a white/grey streak down her chest, so not totally solid.

It's hard to tell from the pics for breed, details in black is just so hard to see in photographs... <br /><br /> __________ Tue Mar 22, 2016 11:04 am __________ <br /><br />

caroline":3hrbi9f2 said:

heritage":3hrbi9f2 said:

I don't even mind if it is a mixed breed... I almost just want to give up at this point...

Click to expand...

I made the assumption that you were planning to use the dog as and LGD for livesock. Sorry!
Did not even check and just went on like i know...
One of my defaults.
If you are mainly looking for a companion/family dog then I see it differently.
I think it's good to be concerned about the weather, dogs with long coats are
not necessarily uncomfortable in warm weather if they have shade and water.
I don't like them in my situation because of all the fox tails that get worked into
their coats and burrow into their skin
There are a number of smooth coated LGDs:
akbash, anatolian, even my maremma has an easier coat than a pyr
Dood's idea about the foster homes is good. Then you have info
on how the dog has been in the situations on that place.

Click to expand...

We're looking for multi-purpose I guess: #1 is size, they are our first line of defense. We live out in the country, and I am home with the kids by myself. I want an alarm dog that is at least a little intimidating (I don't want an attack dog, just something to alert me to things around the property, and a visual deterrent for anyone that might have not-so-stellar motives for being here). 50 lbs is the smallest I would like to go. Our current Golden Retriever mix is right at that and it's a good size, I wouldn't want much smaller though.

Of course with smaller children (age range 3-8 years) they need to have a decent temperament, and with small livestock I obviously don't need a hunting breed. My little ones aren't afraid of bigger dogs which is both a pro and a con :x They were not at all intimidated by a huge black lab at the park a couple weeks ago...

I have loved Golden Retrievers ever since I was a child - it's what I grew up with. One of those once-in-a-lifetime dogs. I've always wanted another one. Our current mix is a total sweetheart, but as I have gotten older and researched them more I am not sure I would want to go with purebred because I know their health track record isn't great - I don't want to get attached to a dog that ends up with cancer at a young age. I know the dam for our current dog died at 4 years of age for that reason. I have looked into some of the Shepherds, but the energy level is my main concern and the main thing people have cautioned me against. I know it's not just the breed, but the dog itself.

I have never put this much thought into this - like I said, the others we have owned just kind of... happened. I know just enough to be paranoid about that now , and before, with our first two dogs, it was just us with no other children or animals to worry about. So much more at stake now... Even seeing the difference between litter mates for the surprise puppies we had last year was crazy! The one we kept is a definite herder, whereas her sister was very much a hunter (to the tune of 10 chickens in a matter of days :x :evil: ).

Maybe I am thinking too much about it at this point. I don't know. I know this is a long term commitment, and I want to make sure it's the best decision for our whole family.

she is cute! I am wondering if she is newfoundland or newfie/pyr cross?

Sounds like she might be perfect for you if she doesn't have much of a prey drive

Newfies are great family pets and most are not interested in livestock, if she does have some Pyr in her it might just be a bonus.

Would her owners be willing to let you do a trial run to see how she is with the chickens ?

I don't have much advice for meeting the dog. Temperament is certainly going to be a big concern. What about a Saint Bernard? I've never owned one but my cousin had 3 at one time. All very sweet dogs. Their biggest downside is drool.

If you want an intimidating dog but not an attack animal, I would train whatever dog you get to bark on command and obey basic commands - like come and sit at your feet as it barks. This gives the appearance that the dog minds all of your commands and presumably would attack if told to do so.