The Great Pyrenees in North America, is a large breed of dog used primarily as a livestock guardian dog. Although some owners of Great Pyrenees choose to keep them as house pets, we house them from birth exclusively with their charges (alpacas, barn cats and chickens). The only exception to that rule is Gordy, who has designated himself as "Chief of Security" and pretty much has run of the place.
At High Country Alpaca Ranch, our LGDs are our insurance policy. Knowing they are on duty allows us to sleep soundly at night. They are very serious about their role and their barking at night is like a symphony to our ears. The tone and timbre of the bark makes it very easy to discern the nature of the threat. Living in the woods as we do, we are well aware that there are predators that would love for the team to let their guard down so they could have their way with our critters. But that is not going to happen. This breed would sooner die than let a predator get one up on them.
Our History with Great Pyrenees
We began our experience with the Great Pyrenees breed of Livestock Guarding Dogs in the Fall of 2009, acquiring our first two with the herd of alpacas we purchased from Colorado. Included with the herd were a pair of adult brothers who had been with the herd for several years. It was a perfect fit and the love affair began immediately. It did not take long to see that they were dedicated to their charges and would pretty much give up their life in defense of their babies. It was amazing to watch the teamwork between them whenever a threat was perceived. We knew right away that we were in love with this breed.
In our first year, we purchased a pair of female sisters for breeding stock so that we could raise our own Security Team here on the ranch. Our two male brothers were 6 at the time and one had suffered a severe leg injury from wrestling with each other. The Vets prognosis did not look good and we opted to forgo a $5000.00 surgery with no guarantees. We made the decision to take him home, treat him with Joint MAX TRIPLE Strength soft chews, put him on light duty and pray for the best. He recovered, remains on this regimen and is fine to this day. Then reality hit. Upon closer inspection we found that both boys had been neutered, which we were not told of when we purchased them. Kind of tough to get a litter from either of these guys. Now what?
Enter Gordy. After scouring the Internet and Craigslist, we came across an intact male located in Oklahoma. The owner had rescued him from the pound and then found that he was not compatible with their situation and would have to re home him. After several conversations on the phone and receiving pictures through email, we made the decision to give him a shot. We drove to Oklahoma and returned with Gordy, short for Gordon Lightfoot. Gordy has been nothing short of impressive since he entered out lives. He has taken on many predators, including a large bear right in front of our eyes. That day he totally earned our respect. Being the only intact male LGD on the ranch, he is also "our stud". We can always count on him to turn out superior, healthy working dogs with awesome conformation, wonderful dispositions and work ethics.
Our Pups - Sales, Training, Service & Support
On occasion, we have a litter of pups that are available for sale or trade to qualified alpaca/livestock farms. By qualified we mean farmers or ranchers who are in need, can provide a good home and are dedicated to allowing the dog to do what they were born to do. Work. The Great Pyrenees breed thrives on working. Though they should be socially sensitive, their main purpose in life is to "serve and protect" their charges and work space. They possess a superior sense of sight, smell and hearing. They are calm for the most part, very intuitive, but can "turn it on" in a heartbeat when they sense danger.
Our pups start their formal training at the age of 6 weeks. They are born in a whelping pen adjacent to the Macho pasture and are aware of the alpacas from the first time they lay eyes on them. Momma is with them 24/7 and imprints them to the livestock life from day one. At about 4 weeks, they are let out daily into the paddock area where they can freely run the fence lines and intermingle with the alpacas, cats and free range chickens. We feel that this is a very important step to insure that they understand and learn that every creature on the ranch must get along with one another and that each one has it's place in our operation.
Our breeding program is one of that '
we breed for need'. In other words, we are NOT a puppy mill. We take great care and pride in producing puppies that we are assured will be placed on farms or ranches that truly need an outstanding LGD and understand and respect their value. Although we know that some people want these awesome creatures for pets, we absolutely will not sell them as such.
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in further information, or just to talk Great Pyr.
Great Pyrenees Facts Sheet we have put together. Enjoy.