Hi Linda
I am glad Molly has a new little pal and Elijah is such an adorable little ball of fur. I hope you are able to post pics from time to time. I can't quite picture a playful Pyr pup working with poultry even though I know it must be possible.
Your images of Eli make me yearn all the more for a girl pup even though they (along with what you wrote) remind me just how much work a pup really is. I think Molly will be a great big sister :)
Christine/Kodiak
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bethany Viney" <Bethany.Viney@tdstelecom.com>
To: "pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org" <pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 8, 2010 7:48:15 AM
Subject: RE: [pyrnet] CHAT; STOCKGUARD,BEHAVIOR: Puppy breath has arrived at Nightsky!
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org [mailto:owner-pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org] On Behalf Of Linda Anderson
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2010 4:03 PM
To: pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org; Livestock Guardian Dog List; Great Pyrenees Discussion List
Cc: linda.nightsky@gmail.com; Kerry Kern Woods
Subject: [pyrnet] CHAT; STOCKGUARD,BEHAVIOR: Puppy breath has arrived at Nightsky!
As it always is, the loss of 5 year old Sampson in January (bone cancer) broke our hearts, and his buddy Molly's. And, as it often happens, a different place in one's heart is cleared to make way for yet one more love.
He has arrived. His intended name didn't take, he almost instantly let me know (somehow) that it needed to be Elijah and Jon and I agreed. He trotted into our hearts with a confidence that was amazing, tail wagging and wanting to always be with the humans. He DOES NOT like crate or kennel and yelled most of the night. The very first thing he did, was SCALE the child gate (none of our other Pyr puppies ever did that) and land in a heap on the floor! Yikes. No question, he is going to be a handful!
Eli is from Mike Floyd's kennel : Kaskadian. He is 9 weeks old and beautiful. Molly was absolutely amazing with him (as you will see in the pics) - she is the most wonderful dog. He instantly loved her. Elmo the goat (who thinks he is a Pyrenees) also visited quite a bit while I had Eli in the field for a time. So many people have asked on the list, about training dogs for working with poultry and so on, I thought I would make an effort to regularly post our methods and progress. Eli will be part of Nightsky Farm - very much what we refer to as the "family farm dog." And boy, does Nightsky qualify: lots of pets: 25 chickens, 2 donkeys, 2 goats, 3 ducks, 2 geese, 2 cats, and possible a couple of pigs late spring. and EVERYONE lives together.
So, even though I'll crate him in the house at night and in a kennel in our garage during the day when he needs to be shut in, he will also immediately begin having some times out in the kennel you see in the photos - in the middle of the pasture, where he can see all of them and they can get used to him! Elmo the goat, (who thinks he is a Pyrenees) spent quite a bit of time visiting with Eli.
Well, not much sleep on the horizon for us for some days, but that's ok.
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m397/elmochloe/RElijah9weeks.jpg
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m397/elmochloe/RMollynewbuddy.jpg
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m397/elmochloe/RMollytiredpuppy.jpg
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m397/elmochloe/RFirstvisit.jpg
http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m397/elmochloe/RElmoElijah2.jpg
--
Linda Anderson
Nightsky Farm
Stanwood, Wash.