[pyrnet] Dino

[Karen <karen@benjaminfarms.com>]

   I have read about putting the pups in with the animals, to help them 
to bond with the animals they are suppose to guard when they are 
small..... I would do it differently.  I also think the "operation"  
Dino will be getting next week, will  help in the long run.  Pups do 
like to play and GP's just do not always understand their size and 
strength.  What we do here  is small pups can go with us into the animal 
yards and we supervise their interactions.  The pups get use to the 
routine and everyone gets use to each other.  I have watched pups take a 
pretty good hit/butt/ram from both sheep and goats. Sometimes the damage 
can go both ways. Then we keep them in separate yards, but still able to 
interact thru chain link or field fence.  Noses thru the fence, licks to 
each other, sometimes just hanging out.  We have found that the guarding 
starts to kick in around 18 months.  Puppy play is usually less and a 
little more in control and the guard Pyr know his farm. 
   We came to this conclusion from raising our llamas.  Not all llamas 
are guard llamas, although alot of people will say so.  Part of the 
guarding is taught in the herd.  If a llama is not raised in the herd,  
it will have less of the tendency to be a guard llama.  While in the 
herd it is also allowed to play as a child, before prior  to becoming  a 
responsible herd member.
   On the other hand,  it is amazing to me when we sit down to watch 
the evening news and we are joined by three large dogs(GP, Lab And a 
German Shepard) a black cat and what other assortment of animals 
depending on the time of the years... kids(goats), lambs, chicks, 
ducklings and even baby turkeys and there is harmony in the house. ( the 
other animals only join us, until they get past the going to die if they 
are not with us stage.)
Please let me know if I can be of any help.
Karen Sigler
Benjamin Farms  Utah