Left to right: Molly, Salvador and Valentino
My wife and I live on a wonderful rural homestead with our horses, dogs, cats and birds, including some free ranging chickens. Now living with free ranging chickens is always a challenge since varmints are always around who try to come calling for a free chicken dinner. Early on, we lost a few and when we also lost a wonderful Great Dane, we decided we would replace him with a dog who was noted for keeping watch over animals. Our search revealed that none were better than Great Pyrenees, a dog who takes it as his natural job to protect all living things that are part of his family. Once they are trained to recognize all residents, including all of our pet family as well as we humans, they devote themselves when darkness falls to guarding everything within the property, staying up most of the night while sleeping during the day.
When Charyl went to check out the breed at a farm in South Georgia, she found Valentino, Val For short, the dog on the right. She also learned, however, that Val had a brand new half-brother who would be available in another seven weeks, so my Dr. Dolittle of a wife just decided that two was better than one. Boy, did that turn out to be right and with our rat terrier, Molly, a wonderful little dog that we had already, the Three Amigos, consisting of Molly, Val and Salvador, nicknamed Sal, quickly followed their instincts.
Now Molly sleeps in the house while the big boys stay out, prowling the property line and keeping a quick lookout. At night when they bark out by the fences, Molly comes over to my side of the bed and whimpers to go out. Out she goes and she's off to work as a spotter. One night, when the varmints were multiple coyotes, she worked to keep the big boys abreast of where there was a weakness in the fence line. There has been only one occasion since we've had them, nearly five years, that the enemy made it across and yes, a chicken was killed. But Salvador, rushing to the scene of the chicken scream and made sure that he wouldn't go home to tell about it. He was instantaneously crushed.
While the boys sleep during the day, Molly maintains a vigil and should she bark, they will be right there at her side to ward off the varmint. The three of them work like a charm and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. They are great dogs, working dogs and members of our family. They greet me each day and never ask for much, just food and clean water and a few moments of personal attention. This human couldn't have a better and more loyal friend anywhere than these Three Amigos.
Dogs: You just gotta' love them. If you don't, you probably have never lived in rural country. They are jewels in the meadow and in the forest.
When Charyl went to check out the breed at a farm in South Georgia, she found Valentino, Val For short, the dog on the right. She also learned, however, that Val had a brand new half-brother who would be available in another seven weeks, so my Dr. Dolittle of a wife just decided that two was better than one. Boy, did that turn out to be right and with our rat terrier, Molly, a wonderful little dog that we had already, the Three Amigos, consisting of Molly, Val and Salvador, nicknamed Sal, quickly followed their instincts.
Now Molly sleeps in the house while the big boys stay out, prowling the property line and keeping a quick lookout. At night when they bark out by the fences, Molly comes over to my side of the bed and whimpers to go out. Out she goes and she's off to work as a spotter. One night, when the varmints were multiple coyotes, she worked to keep the big boys abreast of where there was a weakness in the fence line. There has been only one occasion since we've had them, nearly five years, that the enemy made it across and yes, a chicken was killed. But Salvador, rushing to the scene of the chicken scream and made sure that he wouldn't go home to tell about it. He was instantaneously crushed.
While the boys sleep during the day, Molly maintains a vigil and should she bark, they will be right there at her side to ward off the varmint. The three of them work like a charm and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. They are great dogs, working dogs and members of our family. They greet me each day and never ask for much, just food and clean water and a few moments of personal attention. This human couldn't have a better and more loyal friend anywhere than these Three Amigos.
Dogs: You just gotta' love them. If you don't, you probably have never lived in rural country. They are jewels in the meadow and in the forest.
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