Great Pyr's barking

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We've been thinking of getting a Great Pyr to protect our free range chickens. We've heard that Great Pyr's bark almost all night long. We're thinking that that would put quite a damper on the peace and quiet that is now on our farm.

Can anyone tell me about their experiences with Great Pyr's and barking?

Anyone tried those collars that give off a shock when the dog barks?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 05, 2001

Answers

I think that's their job. At night if you have some land they will patrol your boundaries so it's not right under the bedroom window at least. We have three and at night is when other dogs hunt among other night creatures so I don't think they bark just to bark. I guess I tune a lot of it out. It's not all night every night though. I can say that they are the most wonderful, watchful, gentle guard dogs. I will never have any thing else. It took me years to find this perfect dog- especially if you have children. I have had many others and they bark as well. Good luck!

-- T. CROCKETT (pbandjallen@jcn.net), May 05, 2001.

We raise Great Pyrs. and yes they bark but they do not bark for no reason. If you want a dog to proteck your chickens - a Pyr is perfect. When we moved to the mountains, we were told we could not keep sheep because the coyotes would get the lambs. We were also told we must have a gun to protect the livestock. Neither were true. Our dogs patrol and to our knowledge we have lost one chicken to coyotes. Our neightbors lost their entire henhouse one night, they now have a pyr and have lost nothing. Don't let the barking put you off. If they are barking it is because something is threatenin Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), May 05, 2001.

I raise them and what has been said here is true. if my dogs are barking there is something out there. very gentle dogs. We should havd our first litter in about two weeks.

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), May 05, 2001.

We have two Pyrs, a male and a female. We live in an area of five acre tracts. The male occasionaly will bark toward the neighbor's place keeping us awake half the night. The neighbor has several dogs, but they never leave their yard. Thorin evidently hears or thinks he hears something from over there. The female never barks at anything.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), May 06, 2001.

WIth us it is the other wat around the female dose most of the barking

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), May 06, 2001.


Our Pyrs bark at night but if you listen carefully you can usually hear a howl in in the distance. I was told that a pyr will sometimes bark when there is nothing around - it is instinct. If there is a predator in the distance looking for a meal, it will hear the barking and go on to somewhere else. This barking saves the dog from some fights. I can put up with some barking to have my livestock safe and a dog that any child can pet and play with at the same time. Joanie

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), May 06, 2001.

My Pyr barks at night and usually it is with very good reason, lots of coyotes and wild dogs were coming onto the property and now both give the property a very wide berth. Our Pyr barked a lot more when he was younger as I believe he was trying to establish himself and his territory. When I would go out to see what was up, he would be at the highest point on the farm barking and I could hear howling in the distance. He's had a couple of really bad fights with dogs, and won so now dogs don't come around here anymore. But there is nothing more secure feeling than watching him tear down through the woods giving that loud woof of his. He is constantly on patrol at night and now we are thinking of getting him a partner as he has a lot of territory to cover. At night if nothing is around he sleeps at the doorstep, but most of the time he out patroling the chicken pen, the goats, the horses, the turkeys which roost on the rail fencing, etc. Yes, they do bark and they do it loudly, but mine has always barked with good reason. It is instinct and I'm glad cause his woofing bark keeps the raccoons, possums, dogs, and coyotes off this place. Before we got him, I lost a very lovely doe to a neighbors "pet" and 25 chickens to another neighbor's St. Bernard. Both were caught in the act and the other dogs we have (a basset hound and a rat terrier) didn't bark once. We haven't lost a single animal to strays or coyotes or raccoons since our Pyr got to be about 8 or 9 months old - big enough to WOOF with authority. They are great with kids and livestock although if you don't want to brush your dog much, get another breed. We clip (not shave) our Pyr in the summer to relieve some of the heat, but he knows where the creek is and will go lay in it during the hottest part of the day. At night, he is up and about and doesn't seem to mind the temps. All in all a wonderful dog and very smart!

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), May 06, 2001.

Does a great pyr bark once or twice a night, or constantly throughout the night?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 06, 2001.

Paul - the Great Pyrenees will bark only to let an intruder know he is there. He will bark as often as something comes close to your place. It is their first line of defense, telling intruders not to come near, that he is on guard. No, the dog will not bark all night long if there is nothing to bark about. You get used to the barking and after a while will be able to tell the difference and know if it is just a warning to something in the distance or an actual encounter with something. This encounter may not be too aggressive if there is no aggression on the side of the intruder. Barking usually deters any predator to enter.

-- karin macaulay (kmacaulay@co.brazos.tx.us), May 07, 2001.

Paul, I have two Great Pyrenees and they are both great dogs. The only time I hear them bark is when the coyotes are on the howl or if something gets my other dogs riled up. They hardly ever wake us up and if they do I always listen to see if I can hear the coyotes. Nine times out of ten they are just barking to let other dogs (and coyotes) know that this is protected property and any intrusion will result in BIG DOG trouble. If anyone lives in Illinois near Champaign/Urbana, I would like to sell my male. I will let him go cheap but would like to borrow him for breeding purposes come fall.(217)884-2321 Hope this helps, Paul

-- Dan Krabel (dk@comwares.net), May 15, 2001.


i have a male pyr.he is 3 years old. just this morning i told my husband it was time to get a muzzle that he can't get off.this is because he barks continuously when ever outside.he barks at nothing. i love him dearly, but the neighbor does not,in fact she calls the police when ever i leave him outside without being right there to stop the barking.it is annoying to everyone including us. i have tried the bark collars, but pyr's have heavy coats and unless you keep the neck area shaved the collar does'nt work. i have bark control device in the house that i turn on whenever i go outside. it screams out a signal that does stop the barking cause they hate to hear it. recently i found out that a neighbor not far away had to get rid of their sheep because of predetors. they had a pyr, but the neighbors complained about the CONSTANT barking. as i said i love pyr's, but the constant barking is driving me nuts.i don't let him out at night, that would be worse. i have tried everything that i can think of to stop the problem, but to no avail. he even barks at the neighbors chicken's he can see from our hill.but most of the time, he really does bark at nothing at all. good luck with yours, laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), May 16, 2001.

Laura, if you had done some research, you never would've bought a Pyr. Re: the no-bark collar....you are doing the dog an injustice when you attempt to stifle what the dog was bred to do. Do the dog a favor and sell him to someone who won't mind him doing his thing :^)

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), May 16, 2001.

It seems there are two types of Pyr's: "barks all night" and "barks at danger". Is it possible to select the latter from a breeding pair?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), May 16, 2001.

dear rogo, i consulted two vets before using the collar and only used it when i had to. i have a nyc transplant bitch that lives next to me that loves to call the police everytime the dogs bark for more than 5 minutes.i did research the pry breed long before getting my two. the older one doesn't feel the need to bark constantly, she's grown out of it. the 3 year old will lay on the couch and bark at nothing all day long. i realize he may be bored but after many attempts to acclimate him to the barn animals we decided that he would protect me instead of the animals that he has always been terrified of.he is most likely an exception to the rule in the working dog catagory. but we adore him all the same.no one who knows us and our 35 animals would ever feel that we are doing an injustice to any of them. thank you muchly, laura

-- laura cavallri (ladygoat13@aol.com), May 18, 2001.

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