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Subscribe Meet Chloe.
She’s a 2 1/2 month old Great Pyrenees with badger markings.
Great Pyrs may be all white, but they may also have markings of badger, gray, or tan. Coco has badger markings, which are easy to see here in one of her puppy pics.
Her markings became less visible as she grew, mostly just a hint of color at her ears.
Chloe has more pronounced badger markings, so hers will likely remain more visible as she develops. I have a preference for badger markings in Great Pyrs. I also have a preference for females. I discussed the situation I would be bringing her into with the breeder, and was assured that if I introduced them properly, there should be no reason they can’t bond and work well together, especially since they will both be spayed females, which reduces competitiveness. (Coco is already spayed, of course.) It’s important to provide a companion for Coco as quickly as possible for her overall contentment once she is back at home–and can no longer hang on the porch. (Unfortunately, Casper is not a suitable companion in the field due to his behavior around the other animals.) The most critical element is for Coco to re-establish her turf with security and confidence then have the pup brought to her as a supplicant.
I have several goals for Chloe that I’ll be working with over the next weeks and months. I’m not a believer that LGDs should not be bonded with both family and flock. It’s the balance that’s important. First, I need Chloe to bond with me enough to obey me. I also need her to walk on a leash, and to clamber willingly into my car. She needs enough attachment to me to cooperate with me. I kept her in the house last night, and started leash-training her as soon as we got her home.
Chloe sitting soulfully by her leash, which is clipped to the goat yard fence, already associating the leash with something good–a walk with a Person!
Coco runs away if you so much as pick up a leash in her presence, and she generally resists getting into vehicles. These are failures on my part, and through Chloe, I hope to gradually do some remedial training with Coco. By instilling a better balance with Chloe in her attachments and behavior, and bonding her carefully with Coco, I’ll have an opportunity to come in the back door with Coco a little bit, and hopefully gradually change her attitude on a couple of issues. I won’t always have Morgan here with me to help me get a big dog into a car.
Chloe needs, of course, to start developing her relationship with the sheep and goats immediately. I took her to do chores with me this morning, making introductions at the fence line to these scary characters.
It’s a little intimidating in there for a puppy.
She’ll start now spending most of her time with the goats, but I’ll continue taking her on walks, or just to do chores, on a leash.
My goal is to get her to look forward to something fun when she sees a leash, and also to jump voluntarily into my vehicle. Morgan is starting track soon, which is a simple there-and-back for pick-up, and I’ll be taking Chloe.
When Coco returns, the scenario will depend on the variables involved regarding the timing and the status of Coco’s healing. She will, no doubt, be immediately aware of the puppy’s presence on the farm, but I will not bring Coco into a field with the puppy but rather bring the puppy to Coco’s field, and only put them together once Coco is back on all four feet. The details will depend on the variables, but affirming Coco’s dominance–both to Coco and to the puppy–will be crucial in their successful working relationship.
In the end, the goal is to have two happy LGDs in the field, working well together, content, and cooperative with their human when I need them to be. The puppy can learn a lot from Coco, but if they bond well, Coco can learn something from the puppy, too. And right now, while it may still be a week or even two before Coco can come home, it gives me some time to work with Chloe separately and establish some parameters.
It’s also a lot for a puppy to take in all at once, so it will good for her to settle down in her surroundings before meeting the Queen.
Imagine being a puppy and meeting so many strange “people” at one time.
Casper did fine with the introductions, by the way. He won’t be spending a lot of direct time with the puppy, but he didn’t seem to mind her too much. Maude was pleased with the puppy’s arrival as it took all the other cats’ attention off of her.
I let Morgan stay home from school and go with me to pick up Chloe. After a distinctly traumatic experience the past couple weeks, it was a much-needed bright spot.
While there is a lot of work to be done, sometimes you just need to stop and smell the puppy breath. A puppy doesn’t come along very often. I intend to enjoy it.
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She and Coco will have a great time and do a fine job of running the farm.
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She is beautiful and I cant wait until she and Coco will be able to pal around together. She has a good Mommy-person.
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I was vaguely irritated by some previous comments (not on this post) that were so quick to tell you how to handle things. Maybe they mean well, but I really don’t know how you put up with it! I do like that you are able to not take it too personally, and instead write out your next post addressing some of the concerns without embarrassing anyone.
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p.s. I like Jane L’s comment.
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you are doing this all so right, for you and the critters. Just think, soon spring will be here and Morgan will have a new critter too! I can’t wait to see how all this fun turns out! (PS I am a tad jealous. I’d love a new puppy, but I think I need to stop my dog fur babies at three)
Welcome home Chloe and Maudde too, if I failed to say that the other day.
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I like your dual bonding–animals and people. There is no way I could ever not pet that wonderful girl, expecially those badger ears.
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Bonnie from Iowa
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I love Maudes face <- rub rub rub!
Chloe and Coco will look so much alike as Chloe gets older. Coco will learn from what you are teaching Chloe and vice versa. It's all good! =)
Pam
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I shall smile broadly when I think of both Maude and Chloe’s sweet faces
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as well, and one of my cat’s name is Chloe, so we seem to have that in common. I an so glad that Coco is doing well. My Pyr Holly was also hit by a car a few years ago. Thank God that they are sturdy dogs.She was fine, but to this day when we go for walks, if a vehicle is really loud she gets nervous. Anyway, enjoy the puppy breath, they grow up too fast!
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Glad I did, especially when she began to show signs of degenerative myleopathy and simply could not jump in car, no matter which door was offered. (I could not lift her in. . . ) Ramp was a lifesaver for vet visits, car travel.
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We taught my daughters 12 wk.old puppy Bella (a Papillion) to sit AND come with out mistakes in 15 minutes! Never underestimate the power of a few choice bits of roast chicken. Maybe Chloe can teach Coco a leash and the car mean a treat and a short joyride. All roads don’t lead to the vet!
Best of success in your endeavors.
Laura
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Another idea…. have you ever thought of a llama as a guard for the sheep and goats?I would give my left arm and maybe even a leg for one of those critters! their wool is great also. I just think of you as a llama gal!!!!
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So happy COCO is going to be home with you all soon.
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Coco seems like a calm dog that accepts other animals very easily I do not think she will have any trouble with this little girl.
Maude is beautiful as well. Makes me want another cat. Love the photo of Caper as well. lol. That dog has no worries in life. He is the king of his own world I think.
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Good idea to take her with you in the car often, especially to pick up Morgan. She should associate the trips with good times…..not visits to the vet.
Good luck with her training.
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