[pyrnet] Why you chose/love your Pyr

[OxyMOMKate@aol.com]

I'll start :-)

I have always wanted a really huge dog, but I knew I needed to wait until the 
right time. In the past, my husband and I have taken in several strays to 
find homes for them, and we also had a wonderful pit bull mix whom we loved 
dearly. Unfortunately, he became aggressive with our first baby and we were 
forced to find him a home with no kids. For the past two years, we have had 
Tessa, our very neurotic elderly German Shepherd who thinks I hung the moon 
and follows me everywhere I go. She tolerates my children and my husband, but 
her heart belongs to me. I love her too, and am so happy that we were able to 
rescue her, but I knew I wanted that giant breed puppy!

So last fall I began narrowing my favorites down. My top pick was a 
Newfoundland. I loved everything I had read about them and especially loved 
that heavy, drooly head. I began talking to breeders via e-mail and lurking 
on newgroups. But while I was looking for a newf, I began noticing this 
gorgeous huge Pyr being walked at the park near our house each day. I just 
couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I thought I preferred the heavier bone of 
the newf, but something about that Pyr just caught my eye. I was also 
learning about all the health problems that seem to plague newfs and my 
second pick: Danes. I also did several of the "breed selector" online 
profiles on the Web and the Pyr turned up as my 100% choice on ALL of them. 

So anyway, last December, I saw an ad in the newspaper for a litter of Pyrs 
on a livestock farm about an hour away from us. I know, I know...newspaper 
ads are often a terrible way to get a puppy. But I really wanted to see some 
Pyr puppies up close and personal. So, I told my husband I just wanted to go 
talk to the breeder and off I went. Well, I bet you can guess the rest of 
this story :-)

The breeder was a very nice woman who raises one litter every two years from 
her dogs- all of whom are combination LGD/pets. I met both parents and then 
the puppies came tumbling and rushing out of that barn and I was toast ;-) 
There was no way I was leaving that place without one of those puppies. I 
chose the largest and most outgoing male, although they were all simply 
adorable. I really do think eight or nine week old Pyr puppies are the cutest 
things on the planet. After a quick stop at PetSmart for a new crate, leash, 
collar, tags, etc, I arrived home with baby Leo.

We have had him eight months now and he is just the light of my life. I have 
learned a lot more about Pyrs since then and I realize that I just got lucky. 
As it turns out, Leo is a very healthy, sturdy, beautiful dog with a 
temperment you just cannot beat. I have become a huge Pyr enthusiast and I 
now believe them to be the world's most beautiful dog. I hope to get involved 
with Pyr rescue and maybe even obedience/therapy work in the next few years. 
We are going to start practicing for our CGC soon.

The only hard thing with Leo is the barking. No amount of reading or hearing 
that "Pys bark a lot" could have prepared us for how much he barks if he is 
left alone outside in our (securely fenced) yard. He cannot be trained out of 
it either. When we are out with him or when he is in the house, he only barks 
at appropriate times. But he cannot be left alone outside for more than a few 
minutes or we would have neighbor problems pretty quickly.

It's really fun to take him places and hear people ooh and aah over his 
gorgeous coat, his sweet disposition, and most of all his SIZE (he is 29 and 
a half inches and 97 lbs at eight months).

So, who is next?

<By the way, I would still like a newf someday. I love 'em. I also plan to 
have a Jack Russell or Fox Terrier one of these days...>

Katie

The Great Pyrenees as Pet Page at : 
http://hometown.aol.com/oxymomkate/index.html