- > Conformation breeders want
looks and body structure as much as they want LGD
performance.
The looks and structure are
derived from the standard of excellence for the breed which was created from
the requirements of the old shepherds in the Pyrenees Mountains. They
bred the Pyrs for thousands of years to be the ultimate guardian as well as
family dog. Structure is necessary for a good worker, the "looks" are
just a coincidence in that what is necessary just happens to be
beautiful.
See the Great Pyrenees Club of
America (GPCA) web site at http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/, the
standard and illustrated standard links along with other working Pyr related
links are below.
- > Since they must keep the dogs clean and
well-socialized, leaving them out in the barn with the goats from birth is
not > an option.
Mine are out in the dirt with everything most all of the
time. Yet I still get them socialized and they get a bath right before
going to a show. They are great at both and everyone always gets a great
thrill when they find out they work to. By the way, socialization is
necessary for a good working dog as well. This way they know how normal
people, etc. act and are able to make proper judgement of every
situation. You don't want a "working dog" cowering from a
person/people/animals because they don't know what to expect or going for
someone for the same reason. This can all be caused from lack of
socialization as well as poor breeding.
>
I believe that there are two legitimate reasons for raising Pyrenees:
the show ring and the LGD role the dogs were originally > bred to
do. My two dogs were bought from reputable breeders -- of
LGDs. The dogs are healthy, but were bred to live as their > parents
lived, do what their parents do, and not come into the house. The roam
with the herd, sleep with the herd, etc. The > would probably
not win any conformation shows, though they're registered. (The male
is beautiful to me, but has a head like > a St.
Bernard.) His coat is horrible just now -- especially since it's been
raining all day, and he's been out in the mud.
There is only one legitimate
reason for raising Pyrs. Actually a combination of two things into
one. The love and preservation of the true Pyr.
The original shepherds did
this. The true Pyr is a confident working dog and family companion that
just happens to be beautiful. The original show people along with most
if not all current do this as well. The original purpose of showing any
breed of dog was to evaluate them against their own standard of
perfection (in the Pyrs case, taken from working requirements) {not
against each other} and award those dogs that best represented the ideal
dog of that breed (in the case of Pyrs, the best structure,
temperament, movement, etc. for working).
My dogs come into the house and go
right back just fine. Some of my mentors' dogs are in the house part of
the time while the rest are out and then they switch around. The dogs
are wonderful workers and many of these same dogs have won their conformation
Championships (as they have the structure, temperament, movement, etc. of a
great working dog) and some have even earned their obedience titles. I
haven't been showing long enough (don't get to enough shows) to have
championships on mine yet but two of my boys are pointed toward their
championships and the older one earned he CGC (Canine Good Citizen) at only 7
1/2 months old and then later his TDI (Therapy Dog International). Most
of the time, however, he's out in the mud with everyone else but puts his
heart into whatever we have him do and loves every minute, be it dirty and
keeping everything away or clean and visiting people or showing, as do they
all.
Just because a Pyr grows up with
livestock, however, doen't guarantee they will be a healthy well bred and true
working dog. Anyone who believes this or that LGDs can never come in the
house is just silly. In the winter when the flocks were brought down
from the fields the shepherds in the Pyrenees often had the dogs
inside.
Registration is not a guarantee of
quality, health or even being purebred in some cases. Every dog is
beautiful to it's owner but even if his head is heavy, does it really look
like a St.'s? A Pyr head would have to go pretty far to be as heavy and
droopy as a real St.'s head. I suspect he's nicer than you think, maybe
not perfect (no dog is) but not quite as "bad" as a St. :) [St.'s
heads are not bad for St.'s, as far as I know, just wanted to point that
out. I suppose the loose skin could have some
consequences.]
Mine's coats are horrible right now
to. But if I took them and gave them a bath this very moment, they'd be
ready to show in just a few hours. {This includes washing, drying,
brushing, etc. and depends on how many I'd be doing. :) } If the
dog has a proper coat (mentioned in the standard), dirt just falls out.
See the standard at http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcabreed.html and
the illustrated standard at http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcaistd.html with
all kinds of pics showing the perfect Pyr (for working). Of course no
Pyr (or any dog) is actually perfect but we should try to come as close as
possible.
>
Could a dog bred for conformation do what mine do? Probably, but if I
were to get a 4-6 month old house-bred dog from a > conformation
breeder, the chances would be very good that it would take many months to
learn how to guard. During that > time, I might have a dog that
would try to play with the stock, try to get back into the house, or one that
would have no interest > in guarding my flock. So ... I'd probably go
t a breeder who raises his/her dogs for guarding, and with a flock, rather
than for > conformation, and in the house.
>
Sandy
>
Lynchburg TN
Any dog can take months or even a few
years to exhibit guarding behavior and any dog can go right at it
extremely early, not like they could do much at three or four months
old. Also any dog from ANY BREEDING may want to play, want attention
and/or not want to guard. You might want to ask Beverly Coate about
guarding behavior. As far as I know she doesn't show but knows the
responsibility in breeding true working dogs. Her web site is http://www.c-c-farms.com/
You have to be careful, WHOEVER you get a
dog from for more that one reason.
Later,
Chrissy
West Union, WV