Your Name:

Street Address or Route & Box Number or P.O. Box Number and Apartment Number (if applicable):

City:

State (Province, etc.) & Zip (Postal Code, etc.):

Country:

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

Website:

Section 2:  General Questionnaire

*  What made you decide on this breed?

*  Do you want a male, female or either?

*  Do you have a preference for coat color?  AKC standard coat colors for Great Pyrenees are:

White
White with Gray markings  (Also known as Wolfgray.)
White with Badger markings
White with Reddish Brown markings  (Also known as Red.)
White with Tan markings  (Of varying shades.)

See the Official Breed Standard at http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gstandrd.html
or the Illustrated Standard at http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcaistd.html

*  Are you prepared for the feeding, exercising, grooming, fencing and training requirements of a large, double coated, intelligent livestock and family guardian breed such as the Great Pyrenees?  (If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.)

*  What are your interests?  Companion, show, breeding, livestock and family guardian, obedience, therapy dog, etc.?

*  In order to select the pup that is most compatible with you and your family, please describe your own personality and activities.  Which activities do you expect to have your dog participate in?

*  Which of the following temperaments do you prefer?

Quiet/Submissive
Steady/Even-tempered
Lively/Energetic
Assertive/Protective
Any other traits you consider important for your dog to have?

(Please Note:  We do not and will not breed for fierce, aggressive and other non breed type temperaments.)

*  Have you ever owned a dog before?  What breed(s)?

*  What happened to them at what age?  (Death by accident, disease, old age; got rid of because of behavior problems; left behind with family, other, etc.)

*  Do you currently own dogs (what breed and sex) or any other pets?

*  Do you live in a house or apartment, rural or city, rent or own?

*  Do you have a fenced yard, large kennel, pen or pasture?

*  Who will be responsible for the dog, mostly?  (Feeding, grooming, exercising, training, etc.)

*  Are you willing to enter yourself and the dog into an obedience class by the time the dog turns six months old?

*  What are your views on methods of correcting undesirable behavior in a pup/dog?

*  How many members in your family/household and your/their ages?

*  Is anyone in your family/household afraid of dogs/big dogs?  Who?

*  Who will the dog be a companion to?  Children (ages), adults or both?

*  What are the occupations/professions of each of the members in your family/household?

*  Where do you intend to have your puppy/dog?  In the house, outdoors or both?  Please describe.

*  What type of shelter from the weather will the dog have?  (Your house, dog house, other?)

*  Do you have any intentions of ever cropping or having the ears cropped, docking or having the tail docked, removing or having the front single dew claws and/or back double dew claws removed, "debarking" or having the dog "debarked"?  Please explain.

*  Are you willing and able to contact us (the Breeder) and return the puppy/dog if you can no longer keep the puppy/dog or no longer want the pup/dog, at any time, for whatever reason?

*  Why do you want a Great Pyrenees instead of a more usual companion breed like a Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, etc.....instead of another guard dog breed such as a German Shepherd Dog, Rottweiler, etc.....or instead of another livestock guardian breed such as an Akbash Dog, Kuvasz, Komondor, Anatolian, Maremma, etc.?

*  Do you have a pool, etc. that the puppy/dog could drown in?

*  Do you have nearby neighbors?  Do you know how they will feel about your owning a dog/guard dog?

*  Are you aware of the laws governing dogs and owner responsibilities in your area/town?  Are you prepared to keep your dog indoors if it becomes a nuisance barker?  Or in the case of livestock guardians who must be outside with their charges, will you discuss the situation with us (the dog's Breeder) and your neighbors to arrange a safe understanding of your dog(s) and agreement that barking is part of the natural deterrent of predators and defense of your livestock, family and neighborhood?  If a safe arrangement cannot be made with the neighbor(s) are you willing and able to return the dog to us (the dog's Breeder)?

*      Spayed/neutered dogs usually make better livestock guardians and companions.  They guard just as well or better than intact (not spayed/neutered) dogs.
       Intact females in season must be confined for at least three weeks every six months or so and have been known to be irritable with people, livestock, other working dogs and pets.
       Intact males will be distracted from their stock when a female is in season and can also be more irritable with people, livestock, other working dogs and pets.
       Females in season will attract "unwanted visitors" and predators to your home/farm while intact males will be attracted to female dogs and predators in season from miles away.  Both may leave the stock and property unprotected in search of such, take the stock with them or even accept the "visitor" into the area and breed with them, producing more predators and/or unwanted puppies with predator tendencies to be euthanized in the animal shelters.
       Both sexes will roam if not in a well fenced area and tying a dog out does not help livestock or against unwanted pregnancies.  Males will come to a tied female and females will come to a tied male.
       Contrary to the popular myth, Great Pyrenees, whether male or female, * will * breed with other breeds, mixes, predators, etc.  Even if there are other Pyrs "available".
       If you have and questions or comments, feel free.

*  What types of livestock will the dog be guarding?  Sheep, goats, horses, cattle, poultry, emu, ostrich, alpaca, llama, other?

*  Will the dog be a guardian for the protection of humans?  Children (ages), adults or both?

*  Will the dog be with the livestock or family, or will it be in a perimeter fence?

*  Will there be a lot of visitors to your home/farm, or only occasionally?  Will the visitors bring other dogs or animals with them?

Section 6:  Breeding Dogs

*      Breeding dogs is time consuming and provides no profit when done properly.  Careful placement of pups is essential for successful integration with new families and livestock.  Breeders should be able to raise and test their dogs with livestock in order to verify that those traits important in livestock protection are maintained.  Breeders should also be able to show their dogs in conformation, at least occasionally, to further insure breed type, structure, movement, soundness and temperament.
       Dedicated and responsible Breeders are welcome.
       Any questions or comments, feel free.

*  A Great Pyrenees, whether acquired for companion, livestock and family guardian, show, breeding or anything else.....as well as any other dog or animal.....is an investment, a family member and a lifetime commitment.  Are you willing and able to make that commitment?

*  For air shipping, what is your closest large airport?

*  Is there anything you would like to add or ask?