RE: [pyrnet] A long story...

["Custode, Adrienne" <acustode@rational.com>]

Jerry, this is such an unfortunate incident and one I shudder to think about
myself as I adopted an abused, unsocialized, and pregnant Pyr from our local
Humane Society last year.  Ever since, I've been working with her everyday
to help her adjust and trust, but I do fear for the safety of those around
us.  Luna is a wonderful dog, but she is SOOOOOO protective of me and her
house/car that anything which comes near us makes her VERY nervous.  I
struggle with whether to use the word "bite" to describe what Luna has done
when people approach "her property".  I live in the rural mountains in
Colorado and don't have many visitors, but if someone approaches the house,
she will bark ferociously and then poke/nip them in the butt to try to get
them to leave.  She has never caused injury or puncture, but honestly her
nipping really is a bite which just isn't full-forced.  Everyday I think
about whether her behavior will escalate and rather than push my luck, I've
decided to kennel her or tether her when I have visitors just to be safe.
On the other hand, even though she is very afraid of children and doesn't
seem to have any experience with them, she seems to know its important to
protect anything small and didn't even hurt a baby bird which was trying to
learn how to fly yesterday at my cabin. Somewhere in my heart, I think she
could eventually hurt someone if not managed, but I don't believe she would
ever hurt a child.  When I was recently hiking with a friend and her newborn
baby, Luna lunged at an approaching German Shepherd... I think because she
was trying to protect the baby because she LOVES all other dogs.  In all
cases, its better to be safe than sorry though and if you don't live in a
situation where you can prevent Angus having contact with children, you will
have a very hard choice to make.

-adrienne and Luna in CO

PS. I keep hearing over and over that Pyrs are roamers, but Luna is SOOOOOO
protective of me and her house, she never leaves our cabin or the
immediately surrounding land.  Even with deer browsing in the yard, dogs
barking on the nearby ranches, coyotes howling in the distance, she sticks
to her acreage and never wanders more than 200 ft from the cabin unless I
tell her its time to go hiking.  Pretty amazing behavior... I think it
really has to do with her protective nature. I am her flock and I don't roam
so she wants to stay with me.