[PyrNet-L] Drool in Oz, etc

[MJB <Agarthan@one.net.au>]

Hi!

I live in Australia and have only one or two questions about 
Pyreneans, besides, we don't own any as yet.

There is only one Pyr breeder (that I know of) at Greenbank in the
state of Queensland, where I live; I've had feedback on these
queries from them, but I am cautious on going with an isolated
opinion.

[ ONE: Do Pyreneans typically live for 8 years? 10 years? 12? (the 
  breeder we saw said theirs live for up to 10 years, and that most 
  other breeders - all in the south of Australia, around and in the
  state of Victoria - only breed dogs that live to 8 years, max?) ]
Recent Pyr-L posts have pretty much answered this one! Thanks to all
who have contributed!

TWO: We have a fully fenced (6 ft wooden) suburban yard. The property
is 455m2 in area, the house occupying 138m2. This leaves 317m2 (380
square yards, or 0.078 acres) for the yard itself. A Pyrenean living 
with us would be sharing with a Silky Australian Terrier, a petite 
Sealpoint Siamese and a moggy [cat]). Is our yard be of sufficient
area to keep a pet Pyr comfortably?

THREE: I took my [rather diminutive (5'1")] wife to the above-
mentioned breeder to see their dogs firsthand, and while she handled
their size OK, what really put her off - sufficient for her to 
claim not to want a Pyr: they DROOLED. Thick as poured honey, if
the breeder's animals are anything to judge by. The sliding glass
door to the back yard of their house (the house itself was pretty
grubby indoors as well) was *coated* with a dried veneer of
accumulated Pyr-drool (Note: Most of their dogs were at least 7 
years old - only one 3-year old was in evidence, and he looked OK
from what I could tell).

Now, I gathered from our visit that the breeders are not too 
worried about having a reasonably clean home (frankly the whole 
place was a bit grubby at the time, and not just due to their 
big dogs). This made it difficult to seperate the owners' 
cleanliness from how clean the *dogs* are themselves.

So, how *bad* does this drool thing really get? How on earth 
do other suburban Pyrenean owners handle the doggy drool thing?


This last question is really the critical one: I myself DO want a
Pyrenean, and their (apparently) being a drool factory is the one
feature that my spouse sees as good enough reason to never have 
one.

Any feedback on these three points? I hope I can get some answers 
- especially to the "drool" thing - as I am somewhat despondent that, 
left unsolved, they spell the death of any ambition I may have of
eventually owning [being owned by?] one of these beautiful animals.

Thanks
Michael Bishop
Agarthan@one.net.au