So for those not following on Facebook, mid-hiatus, came a bunch of puppies...
For those not so familiar with my familiar-farm-family, I am the mother of 4 big white Pyrs (as in Pyrenees dogs)...Rosey and TJ were my first (bro and sis); Rosey had one round of babies before being fixed (11 to be exact; we kept 2--Rosebud and Hix). Rosebud is my most recent mother--all babies (including the one I kept) are today on farms protecting everything from sheep to goats to chickens to people. In keeping with the Rosey/Rosebud line of things, our latest family member is named "Rosemarie" a.k.a. "Roz" a.k.a. "Rozerini" a.k.a. ...anything that comes out of my mouth when she's chewing on something or otherwise looking very cute.
So, in keeping with the tradition, RoseBUD (are you following this? She's Rosey's daughter...Roz's mother) did a super job as mom, but is now more than happy to be back at her duties guarding goats. Baby ROZ we kept for 2 reasons: 1) Rosey's line we plan to continue; Roz is 5th generation goat herding/working dog so one female in each generation we keep for sake of the line, so in time Roz, too, will birth a litter of pups. But for now--no rush, for Roz is the perfect puppy who showed up at just the right time, (i.e. Nothing like a puppy to snap you out of your exhaustion or dysfunction or any other kinda funk; nothing will snap you into the "now" like a Pyr puppy, although I dare say most any puppy is capable of the same. I just happen to be particularly fond of Pyrs.)
But the greater reason I opted to take on a fifth pup, is I have recently discovered Pyrs are now being trained as service dogs for returning vets suffering from PTSD, and well... I applaud whomever made the connection and I want to help.
So I have a different plan for Roz.
For starters, my goat to large dog ratio is well taken care of around here. We've basically got 1 dog for every 4 - 5 goats. (Technically "One will suffice" especially when factoring the food bills, so the goat-guarding duties are covered.)
No. I'm interested in seeing just how trainable these dogs really are. And while 12 weeks is the recommended start date for basic obedience training (Roz turns 12 weeks tomorrow) she has already shown great potential as a greeter and volunteer (if not a mascot) tagging along with me at Room in the Inn. (In fact, it was one of our homeless guests who, upon hearing I raised Pyrs, shared that he was about to be assigned one.)
"Assigned one?" I was curious...Surely he was mistaken.
"Yes. As a service dog." (I'm thinking, "They're kinda stubborn and they aren't cheap to feed...are you sure you have the right breed?")
Answer: Yes. (Turns out he was right. I had to know more.)
I came home and started Googling and lo and behold, Pyrs are being ranked one of the best breeds out there for vets dealing in post traumatic stress disorder. Why? Because of their temperament...Because of their loyalty...Because of their instinctive protective nature...Because you don't want to step foot between a Pyr and whatever it is that Pyr is there to protect. (I would personally like to meet the person who came up with this one as I think it's brilliant.)
So for starters, we'll see if Roz is trainable. (FYI Pyrs are known to be stubborn (we like to say "independent minded") i.e. difficult to train if you don't start early. Don't know that this would work with Rosey or TJ; Hix and RoseBUD are definitely out of the question, so set in their ways are they; but in starting Roz out early, we are eager and hopeful to see what training can do.
If she takes to it, (and so far, she's socializing well in large group settings) who knows, Roz may make it to a VA near you. If not, we'll at least report back on the experience.
Pyrenees do (sadly enough) wind up too often in pounds and shelters...(If you've never had one, read up on the breed before falling in love with this polar-bear-looking pup.) They DO grow quite large and will require space. (Think Saint Bernard only solid white.) They are also nocturnal (meaning they bark all night to keep things away), and in the summer months, they shed and some drool.
On the other hand, these dogs are fiercely loyal, instinctively protective...truly "gentle giants" when it comes to injured animals and kids (both children and newborn baby goats). But don't let the label fool you. In these parts a Pyr will flat take out a coyote or a fox and mine are particularly rough on buzzards and hawks. In short they are on patrol at all times and live to protect the things they love, be it goats, sheep or their owners.
The thought of this breed being of aid to returning soldiers warms my heart no end. (Then again, I'm pretty nuts about these dogs.)
 |
| Ok. May I just say, this was the "not so great" part of my day when Rosey dragged into the yard the skeletal remains of a possum, leaving it for Rosemarie to find~ (Think it's safe to say, this one's not faking) Fortunately, Roz is (as of today) still small enough to fit in the shower~ (ugh) |
No comments:
Post a Comment