Our jazz combo now has a singer and, perhaps, an LGD

[susanne]

When Keith and I first moved out to the hills above Scappoose, we knew we eventually wanted to get a livestock guardian dog, but we figured it would not be for awhile, as we have so many things to buy and we need to save for building our cabin.

We especially weren't looking, as we are still mourning the loss of Hillary, and weren't ready to think about dogs other than those we already have.

But sometimes things are just meant to happen...

I've been helping out the local newspaper while business is slow, and amongst my duties is putting together their Pet of the Week column...downloaidng pics from the Columbia County Humane Society website and preparing them for print, editing description, etc.

Wednesday, when I logged onto the website, what did I see first but a beautiful big, white dog described as a Great Pyrenees mix...hmm. So Friday I drove over, just to meet her, of course, and instantly fell head-over-heels in love. Half an hour later, she was on her way home with me. We went together to pick up Keith that nighth, and he, too, fell instantly for this sweet, friendly girl.

After getting a good look at her, she actually looks more like a Maremma, although they are not all that common. She could also be a mix of Pyrenees and Lab or...who knows. She is smaller than a Pyrenees, lighter boned, and has a much narrower muzzle, so definitely not a purebred.

However...she immediately showed traits we were hoping for...calm, gentle nature, interested in the horses but no desire to chase or herd, very friendly with our little dogs (who accepted her immediately -- almost unheard of around here...) She wants to be outdoors checking out the property, and at night is quite focused on whatever is out in the surrounding woods.

Ironically, she seemed to enjoy her car rides, which contradicted what I had read about Pyrenees. But today she went with us to get hay, and as we drove the twisting back roads proceeded to barf all over our van. :smileypuke:

Since we don't know much about her background, we really don't know what LGD skills she has or may develop, but it really doesn't matter. Her number one job is to be a companion to us and the dogs, cats and horses, and she already is great at this. I figure her presence alone should be a predator deterrent of sorts, but if not, we have a great friend. We feel that we found the prize in the box of crackerjacks!

Here is Miss Ella Fitzgerald, as photographed by Daryl (BigDogs LittleHorses):

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=18pt]She is BEAUTIFUL! Sorry about your car......[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[jayne]

Oh Susanne!!

She's beautiful and has such a wise face!! You found a gem there and I am sure she is glad to be home with your wonderful family too!

Big congratulations to you all!

Jayne

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

NM

 

[mininik]

Ooo... she's soo pretty! Congratulations!

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[Jenn]

She is lovely, but not sure she has any Maremma in her. My folks have a Maremma (fantastic dog, BTW), and she is quite a bit larger than Ella - Nana can easily rest her paws on my shoulders to better lick my face and I'm sure she could do the same to someone who is taller than my 5'6". Nana also has a different shaped head than Ella - Nana has a straighter profile, not so much of a rise from her nose to her forehead. I wish I had a picture of her to show you!

IMO, Ella looks more Pyrenese than Maremma and there is definitely something about her that makes me think lab.

Have fun with her!

Nana's LGD duties don't have so much to do with actually interacting with the livestock and much more to do with guarding the perimeter. She's fascinating to watch - she systematically marks the perimeter of her area and definitely lets you know when there are strange dogs or predators about. Her bark is enough to scare the pants off a criminal and she doesn't let up until she knows it's okay that you're there. I've never seen her in attack mode, probably because nothing is dumb enough to come into her area!

Nana is also really neat in how she "steals" eggs from the chickens. If my mom has a dozen eggs in a basket and one of them has a crack in it, she will only take that one with the crack. Then she carefully breaks the egg open and licks out the yummy stuff inside, and her final step is to crunch up and eat the shell. It's a ritual. And she never steals an egg that isn't already cracked. I don't know how she knows, but she does!

 

[susanne]

Determining the background of a mixed breed dog is always a guessing game, and in the end totally unimportant. The important thing is that she is a sweet, loving dog who has finally found a loving, permanent home.

 

[KrisP]

What a beautiful girl, but I'm betting a pure bred! I couldn't remember the name, it was driving me nuts but finally found it! I used to STUDY the dog books when I was a kid, I just love learning about all the breeds. I had a scottie and a westie as a kid, then had an australian sheperd that I showed obedience, what a bundle of energy!

Anyways, bet this is her!

kuvasz

Drove me nuts, I was off on the name thinking it was Kosovo

Doesn't this look just like her?

krisp

 

[susanne]

That's fascinating, Kris...I had an image of Kuvasz having shorter hair, but that photo looks just like her! The height range, too, sounds right, and I think there are more Kuvasz breeders in the area than Maremma.

I used to do the same as you...I had a poster showing how the different breeds were interrelated, with the Puli as the one no one could trace (I'm sure DNA solved that mystery long ago). I used to lie in bed studying them all, and when I wasn't reading books about horses, was absorbing every book about dogs.

I'm always fascinated by how different breeds develop. With terriers, you can see how, starting with the same original stock (most trace back to the black and tan terrier it seems), each region developed its own special terrier. The same is true of the flock guardians, with the Pyrenees, Maremma, Kuvasz, and many others developing according to geographic and climatic needs.

 

[susanne]

That's fascinating, Kris...I had an image of Kuvasz having shorter hair, but that photo looks just like her! The height range, too, sounds right, and I think there are more Kuvasz breeders in the area than Maremma.

I used to do the same as you...I had a poster showing how the different breeds were interrelated, with the Puli as the one no one could trace (I'm sure DNA solved that mystery long ago). I used to lie in bed studying them all, and when I wasn't reading books about horses, was absorbing every book about dogs.

I'm always fascinated by how different breeds develop. With terriers, you can see how, starting with the same original stock (most trace back to the black and tan terrier it seems), each region developed its own special terrier. The same is true of the flock guardians, with the Pyrenees, Maremma, Kuvasz, and many others developing according to geographic and climatic needs.

 

[Robin1]

I was thinking Kuvasz also. However, they are larger than your beautiful girl seems to be. The Kuvasz has a few different coat types. The long, medium, and a curly coat. They are very nice dogs.

Whatever she is, she is beautiful!!!

Robin

 

[Jill]

Oh, Susanne!!!!! Ella is SO beautiful!!!!!! Congratulations on your new four legged kid and I know she will bring you so many reasons to smile, though maybe not on road trips. :bgrin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Funnily enough I was just about to say the same thing- all these dogs are related, so they all look similar (The Puli, Pumi and Komomdor are all related but none have that AWFUL coat thing going on in their native countries- can you imagine a dog with that coat herding?? No, they just have a "culry" genetic in exactly the same way as a Poodle does) I think your pup is a crossbreed and I think that is why she was out of a home- she may have a few brothers and sisters somewhere!!

I am pretty sure that she is Pyraneans base- the head, was Jenn says , is wrong.

The Maremmas I have known are not huge, but as soon as people start breeding these dogs all sense flies out of the window- St Bernard's were never that big when they actually had to work- think about it, what use would they have been?

 

[Kendra]

Congratulations Susanne, I'm so glad you found each other!

I think she's the spitting image of our Bear, who's 3/4 Pyranese and 1/4 Lab.

:

 

[Marty]

I don't know what she could be either. She could be Great Pyr with lab, or Kuvasz or anything but she is definately lucky! Don't forget that the female Great Pyrs are a little smaller and finer boned than the males too. It doesn't matter cause she is just so pretty!

Suzanne, when I first drove the dogs around the mountain they were barffing all over the place. Its the roads; the winding and the curves and the steepness. It takes a long time for them to get used to it. Poor Devin never could handle it so when he goes anywhere, which is only once a year to the vet, he has to travel in the back of my truck in a crate. Tracey was green!

To help her out, make her face forward. And not ride in the back at first and try to keep on straight roads as much as possible. When you do curvy type roads, go slow, slow, and slow........ just creep on them. It will take time but eventually she will get accustomed to it. If you see her starting to drip slobber, she's getting ready to barff, so stop. And let her tummy settle down and open the window or get her out for air a few minutes till it calms down. The more she goes riding with you, the faster she will get used to all the roads.

When we moved up here Suzanne, the boys would puke on the way to school daily, it was horrible. They had to have dramimine every day for a long time. I would get sick too if Jerry was driving. He'd go too fast and it was making us very sick. The dogs are the same way.

Now of course, Tracey goes everywhere with me and has been for years. She's a riding maniac.

Good luck with her she's wonderful!