Great Pyrenees | Is It Right For You?
Today I'm talking about my opinion of the Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dog. I'm no expert on the breed, but I've seen quite a few and I'm really fond of their personality, physical characteristics, and disposition. Obedience Training a Great Pyrenees puppy requires a proper understanding of the dogs behavioral tendencies, patience, consistency, and most importantly, persistence. If one takes into account the origins of the breed and the subsequent behavioral conformation, proper obedience training is simply a matter of setting appropriate goals and putting in a little bit of extra work!
For more information: http://gpcaonline.org/history.htm
An excerpt from the CPCA: A Peasant's Dog The Great Pyrenees is a mountain shepherd's dog. Over this long period of time the Great Pyrenees developed a special relationship with the shepherd, its family, and the flock. In 1407, French writings tell of the usefulness of these "Great Dogs of the Mountains" as guardians of the Chateau of Lourdes. In 1675, they were adopted as the Royal Dog of France by the Dauphin in the court of King Louis XIV, and subsequently became much sought after by nobility. Having a precocious sense of smell and exceptionally keen eyesight, each dog was counted equal to two men, be it as guard of the chateaux, or as invaluable companion of shepherds. While their royal adoption is interesting, the dogs main fame was from their ageless devotion to their mountain flocks, shepherds, and shepherds' family. When not working the flocks, you would find "Patou," as he is lovingly called, laying on the mat in the front doorway of the shepherds' humble dwellings.
Across the Ocean In 1662, dogs were carried to Newfoundland by Basque fishermen as companions and guardians of the new Settlement. Here it was they became mated with the black curly coated retriever, favorite of the English settlers. This cross resulted in the formation of the Landseer (black and white) Newfoundland. In 1824, General Lafayette introduced the first pair to America by bringing over two males to his friend, J.S. Skinner, author of "The Dog and the Sportsman". In 1850, Britain's Queen Victoria owned a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, and in 1885-86, the first Pyrenean Mountain Dogs were registered with the Kennel Club in London and shown at the Crystal Palace.
In 1870, Pyrenean blood was used with that of other large breeds to help bring back the St. Bernard after that noble dog's numbers had been so greatly depleted by avalanches and distemper at the hospice in Switzerland. It was not until 1909 that the first Pyrenean Mountain Dogs were introduced into England for breeding purposes by Lady Sybil Grant, daughter of Lord Roseberry. It was twenty-six years later (1935) that Pyreneans were again bred in a kennel in England. At that time, Mme. Jeanne Harper Trois Fontaines started her de Fontenay Kennel at Hyde Heath, Amersham, later becoming well known the world over and accounting for many exports to distant lands.
First Kennel in the U.S.A. In 1931, Mr. and Mrs. Francis V. Crane imported several specimens to seriously launch the breed in North America with the founding of the Basquaerie Kennels at Needham, Massachusetts. Their lifelong efforts on behalf of the breed provided the breed with an atmosphere in which it could thrive and prosper. They imported important breeding stock out of Europe just before the Continent was closed by World War II. The American Kennel Club accorded the Great Pyrenees official recognition in February, 1933, and beginning April, 1933, separate classification began for the breed at licensed shows.
Today the Great Pyrenees is a working dog as well as a companion and family dog. Most of our dogs never see a show ring, but they are trusted and beloved members in homes and may function as livestock guardian dogs on farms and ranches. The Great Pyrenees is proving itself very versatile, gaining fame as therapy dogs, rescue dogs, and many activities with its human companions. They are very social dogs in the family and get along extremely well with other animals that belong to the shepherd, farmer, or family. They are wary of strangers in the work environment (this includes the home). They adapt easily to other situations such as dog shows, and make extraordinary ambassadors for the breed in many settings such as hospitals, old age homes, with children, etc. They have a special ability to identify and distinguish predators or unwelcome intruders. They are nurturing of small, young, or sick animals.
I hope you guys enjoy!
Labrador Retriever | Essential Training Skills Episode 3
This is the third episode of our new Labrador Retriever training series. Over the course of the next few months we will be covering a wide range of topics including dog training methodology, terminology, and best practices. Our goal is to provide insight into various puppy training strategies and techniques, highlighting what we consider to be the most fun and efficacious approaches to reaching the short and long range goals of retriever trainers; whether training is taking place in the field or in the suburbs!
Labrador Retriever | Essential Training Skills Episode 2
This is the second episode of our new Labrador Retriever training series. Over the course of the next few months we will be covering a wide range of topics including dog training methodology, terminology, and best practices.
This is the second episode of our new Labrador Retriever training series. Over the course of the next few months we will be covering a wide range of topics including dog training methodology, terminology, and best practices. Our goal is to provide insight into various puppy training strategies and techniques, highlighting what we consider to be the most fun and efficacious approaches to reaching the short and long range goals of retriever trainers; whether training is taking place in the field or in the suburbs!
I hope you guys enjoy!
Labrador Retriever | Essential Skills Episode 1
This is the first episode of our new Labrador Retriever training series. Over the course of the next few months we will be covering a wide range of topics including dog training methodology, terminology, and best practices.
This is the first episode of our new Labrador Retriever training series. Over the course of the next few months we will be covering a wide range of topics including dog training methodology, terminology, and best practices.
Our goal is to provide insight into various puppy training strategies and techniques, highlighting what we consider to be the most fun and efficacious approaches to reaching the short and long range goals of retriever trainers; whether training is taking place in the field or in the suburbs!
I hope you guys enjoy!
If you would like to see some cool photos, here's a link to my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonniedennis/
Kangal Dog | Is It Right For You?
This video is about our experience observing, training, and managing the Kangal Shepherd Dog. Now I'm the first one to admit that I am no expert on Kangals, or any other type of Anatolian Shepherd; this video is meant only to give and honest account of my personal experience and hopefully add to the public discourse concerning purchasing and living with any one of the many Livestock Guardian Breeds.
For more information: https://www.ukcdogs.com/kangal-dog
The Kangal Dog is an ancient flock-guarding breed, thought to be related to the early mastiff-type dogs depicted in Assyrian art. The breed is named for the Kangal District of Sivas Province in Central Turkey where it probably originated. Although the breed has long been associated with the family of the Aga of Kangal, large landholders and chieftains, the majority are bred by villagers who take great pride in the dogs ability to guard their flocks of sheep and goats from such traditional predators as the wolf, bear, and jackal. The relative isolation of the Sivas-Kangal region has kept the Kangal Dog free of cross-breeding and has resulted in a natural breed of remarkable uniformity in appearance, disposition, and behavior. Despite its regional origin, many Turks consider the Kangal Dog as their national dog. Turkish government and academic institutions operate breeding kennels where Kangal Dogs are bred and pedigrees are carefully maintained. The Kangal Dog has even appeared on a Turkish postage stamp. The Kangal Dog was first reported in European and North American canine literature by David and Judith Nelson, Americans who studied the dogs while resident in Turkey. The Nelsons imported their first Kangal Dog to the United States in 1985. This dog, and subsequent imports, provided the foundation for the Kangal Dog in the United States. The Kangal Dog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1998. I hope you guys enjoy!
If you would like to see some cool photos, here's a link to my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonniedennis/