Re: [pyrnet] Separation anxiety in re: neutering

["Kerry Kern Woods" <woodskk@eburg.com>]

>Good question.  Do Pyrs have an innate sense to what is "wild" or a
predator
>might be some reason. Historically the breed is acknowledged to have
a very
>innate sense of what persons are dangerous, I always felt this
extended to
>animals as well.  They are reported over and over to have a feel for
when
>danger is about.  Do we know for sure that a Pyr has bred with a
coyote or
>wolf while working?  I know it may be difficult to really know, but
lets
>start there.  I guess my question more specifically is are coydogs,
part Pyr
>from a full blooded Pyr, while working known in fact.


Joe,
As I have written before it is doubtful there is written verification
about LGDs crossed with
coyotes or wolves but I have heard stories for the last 20 odd years
of
LGD x coyote crosses.  It isn't something new that is being passed
around.
The LGDs were suppose to be on the job but the hormones obviously
took over.  To a human this would be very wrong, to a dog it goes with
responding to procreating.  Even dogs have off days.

I remembered this morning (and talked to my mom and a sister to
verify)
as a child in the 60s I knew a coydog.  A neighbor lived up the road
from us about 1/8th of a mile who had one on a chain.  I don't think
it
ever was off the chain and preferred to stay in its house when ever
anyone came near.  Our pyrs never bothered the coydog because it was
not a threat.  It probably was a male as our male pyrs never showed
any
interest.  While my oldest sister was living at one of our ranches
with her
husband a pack of dogs and coydogs were seen.  This was a pack that
lived at a county dump that was probably a few miles over the hills
from the ranch.  It happened in the late 60s.

What needs to be remembered is dogs are dogs and act on instincts and
what they think is right at that moment and not as humans always
expect them to.
From most readings people may think a LGD would be more upset about
a coyote passing through a pasture than neighborhood dogs coming into
the same pasture.  My dogs will watch the coyote run through and make
sure
it is gone but if the neighborhood dogs come in, they will remove them
quickly.  We have never lost anything to predators on our land and we
have
had an assortment of wildlife and domestic animals try to visit.
Kerry