I am powerfully drawn to the magic of the working dogs.
In my own life with animals, there has been nothing more beautiful and inspiring than the willingness of dogs to serve human beings in the most important and necessary ways.
It’s taken many centuries of breeding and work to produce dogs like these two Pyrenees, who protect the egg-laying chickens of a nearby farm. They live with the chickens, sleep with them, protect them.
They have no need or desire to come inside or live inside.
They are eternally faithful to their work. I love having a dog like Bud, especially when I learn (I didn’t know) that the Boston Terrier breed are working dogs, they are focused on their eagerness to keep rodents away as any border collie is on sheep.
I never thought of getting the Pyrenees to protect our sheep, I got two donkeys instead, few people know that they are guard animals.
But I love seeing these two at work, they are always to be found, day or night, hot or cold, at the entrance to the shed that holds the chickens. They live their whole lives protecting farm animals, they are incorruptible and undistractable.
Without them, predators, coyotes, foxes, ferrets, raccoons, fishers, would make short work of the chickens. These two always make a lot of noise when I get out of the car and come to visit them.
They know me now, and their tails wag when I come around, but they make a huge din when I get near the chickens. No fox in their right mind would get close.
There is a magic about working dogs and their loyalty – Orson, Rose, Izzy, Lenore, Fate, Bud, and soon, Zinnia.
Could be Kuvasz – awesome livestock guardians. Live with the stock from puppy-ness. Never housepets.
I used to pet sit two Great Pyrenees. They lived on a big estate with several acres. They had 24 hour access to the house, but they always wanted to be outside. I would find them on the lawn at 2 am, stretched out, ghost white bodies gazing at the stars underneath the night sky guarding the property. I always left the front door open, all night. They would come in for a visit and snack, then back outside. Great dogs!
I have 2 Pyrenees. No farm but they are my security team. I live alone and Prince guards the front half of the house and Tulip the back half. No one would dare try to get past them. Their deep barks could wake the dead. Working dogs.