Part-time pet, full time livestock guardian, Victoria needed a way to add a dog to our homestead. And, what better way to do so than to convince Joseph of the importance of this dog in protecting the animals? This is why in May 2021, Jadzia, our great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog, joined the family homestead.
Why A Great Pyrenees?
There are a lot of reasons we chose a Great Pyrenees as the guardian of our homestead. Unlike our impulse buy of chickens, we spent a lot of time researching and planning what dog would serve us best. More accurately, Victoria spent a lot of time planning and researching -Joseph just ate pizza.
In that research, we found that not only are Great Pyrenees recognized as a livestock guardian dog, but that many farmers and homesteaders were using and recommending them as their top choice. Sure, they are big dogs, and sure, they can be stubborn as all getup. But, when it comes to protecting your animals, these are both positive features (or so we figured). Not only that, they are absolutely adorable with their fluffy, double coat.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the owner of the local pet shop in Trenton, Barb. She insisted that Great Pyrenees were the ONLY dogs you could trust if you were going to have them around chickens. And, while we don’t know if this is true, we do know we trust ours around the flock. So, better safe than sorry, right?
Jadzia, the Friendly Livestock Guardian
Knowing we wanted a Great Pyrenees, we started our search for local breeders. And, it was not exactly an easy search. But, eventually Victoria got in touch with the friendly folks as C&J Ranch. They had just had a fresh litter and we were able to reserve one of the little puppies. From day one, Victoria was in love -Joseph was skeptical.
When taking the dog home, we decided the perfect name for the dog, which also worked well with Joseph’s OCD about naming animals based on the alphabet, was Jadzia. Any Star Trek fans out there should recognize the name and you’ll sometimes hear Joseph refer to her as a symbiote, or simply as Dax. Regardless of what anyone might call her, Jadzia has proven herself a great livestock guardian dog and a valued member of the homestead.
The Best Livestock Guardian Dog
Sure, we may be biased here, but if we had to pick any dog breed to protect our other animals, the Great Pyrenees would be the one. Beyond the reasons listed above, we’ve found Jadzia does an excellent job patrolling the grounds and defending her livestock. As a Great Pyrenees, she is more bark than bite. At times, perhaps too much bark.
In fact, that one time we had a real threat in the fenced area, Jadzia alerted us quite effectively and kept her distance while we dealt with the threat. A possum had intruded into her territory. For chickens, a possum can be a serious threat. Recognizing that threat, Jadzia’s bark went from being a loud and throaty warning to a downright aggressive tone. Recognizing that tone, we went out with a flashlight and found her growling and barring her teeth at the intruder.
Fortunately, she proved herself a proper guard dog and let Joseph handle the possum rather than try to take it out herself. This kept her safe from harm and ensured we were able to remove the threat. And, rarely a night goes by when Jadzia isn’t barking at something in the dark. At times, it’s just harmless deer, but her nightly watch is something that helps us sleep knowing our birds and goats are safe.
Working with Jadzia on the Homestead
While Victoria might try to pretend Jadzia is the perfect puppy, the truth is that even as a livestock guardian dog, Great Pyrenees are still puppies. Yes, she spent the first 8 weeks of her life with her mother and father learning from them how to interact with livestock, but there still is some training involved. And, as any owner of a Pyrenees will tell you, she is not always the fastest to obey.
Training her took time and patience, but her disposition is nothing short of benevolent. She doesn’t know tricks, because that’s not the kind of dog she is. But, when push comes to shove, she’ll sit, stay, come and go on command as needed. More importantly, she knows her job is to protect the chickens and goats, and she performs that job with pride.
If you’re looking for a dog to protect your livestock, The Silly Couple gives the Great Pyrenees a big fat stamp of approval. And, we wouldn’t trade our Jadzia for anything in the world!