Share your pets here

Post your non-cacti or non-succulent related posts here -some topics not allowed -see forum rules.
User avatar
BennieAnTheJets
Posts: 313
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Virginia, USA (Zone 7a)

Re: Share your pets here

Post by BennieAnTheJets »

Some of our pets...

Guinea Fowl eating ticks and Simon guarding Guineas with me:
Guinea watching with Simon.jpg
Guinea watching with Simon.jpg (180.38 KiB) Viewed 17554 times
Phoenix, one of our Guinea hens - she is the boss:
Phoenix_small.jpg
Phoenix_small.jpg (28.7 KiB) Viewed 17554 times
Simon portrait:
Simon_head.jpg
Simon_head.jpg (54.81 KiB) Viewed 17552 times
Emma and Simon in winter:
dogs.jpg
dogs.jpg (81.3 KiB) Viewed 17553 times
User avatar
hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Share your pets here

Post by hegar »

You do have two handsome dogs. I used to have dogs too, but now my wife will not agree to get another one, because our grandchildren do not live close to us and it is not easy to find someone to take care of the animal when we are away. What kind of breed are those two?
When I was a teenager, living in Germany, I also did raise chickens and pigeons. Those Guinea hens do look somewhat exotic to me. I am used to bantam hens and regular chickens.

Harald
User avatar
BennieAnTheJets
Posts: 313
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Virginia, USA (Zone 7a)

Re: Share your pets here

Post by BennieAnTheJets »

hegar wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 1:08 am You do have two handsome dogs. I used to have dogs too, but now my wife will not agree to get another one, because our grandchildren do not live close to us and it is not easy to find someone to take care of the animal when we are away. What kind of breed are those two?
When I was a teenager, living in Germany, I also did raise chickens and pigeons. Those Guinea hens do look somewhat exotic to me. I am used to bantam hens and regular chickens.

Harald
Thank you, Harald. They were super-cute as pups, too. Some pics for your enjoyment. 8) Yeah, I don't go on vacations anymore - only "stay"cations, ha ha

The dogs are Maremma Sheepdogs or Cane da Pastore Maremmano Abruzzese, originally from Italy. Actually their dad is a first generation American, ha ha. They are Livestock Guardian Dogs or LGDs and bred to protect livestock, originally sheep, from predators. We have coyote, foxes, racoons, possum, skunk, and aerial predators going after our birds, so we got the dogs to protect them so we can let the birds out to free range and eat ticks.

Here is a pretty cool article and <4 min. video at the end about the breed being used in an experiment to protect native penguins in Australia from imported predators that almost wiped them out: https://thebark.com/content/maremma-she ... e-penguins

I was a teenager in Germany, too. Small world. :D Yeah the Guineas look a bit strange with no feathers on their heads, but I am so used to them now, I would probably find feather-headed chickens strange.

What dogs did you have? Maybe you could have a small one that could travel with you?

Pups_weed.jpg
Pups_weed.jpg (90.29 KiB) Viewed 17514 times
Next Day Accommodations_ Being Checked Out By Guinea Fowl.jpg
Next Day Accommodations_ Being Checked Out By Guinea Fowl.jpg (132.41 KiB) Viewed 17514 times
User avatar
hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Share your pets here

Post by hegar »

A short time after I posted my comments about your dogs I did see an German article about herding dogs and one, which did look similar to your two animals was named "Pyräen Berghund", which translates to "Pyrenean Mountain Dog". Well, the Spaniards must have bred something similar to what the Italians did. :)
I have had three dogs in the past. The first one was a mix of Australian Shepherd/Samoyed, the second a 7/8 Chow, and the third an almost purebred Akita. My wife, who did pick all three does not like tiny dogs. She grew up in a household, which did have a Chihuahua. Little dogs do make her nervous and a lot of time they do seem to be hyperactive. So we decided to have mid-size to larger dogs, dogs that could stay outside most days of the year.

Harald
User avatar
BennieAnTheJets
Posts: 313
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Virginia, USA (Zone 7a)

Re: Share your pets here

Post by BennieAnTheJets »

I see. Those are nice dogs she picked! 8)

Yes, I think the Maremma and the Great Pyrenees are related. I just found that: https://www.wileypup.com/maremma-sheepd ... -pyrenees/ but our Simon is over 150 lbs. and has the white "lion's mane" in the winter, so I think even the differences they highlight are not quite so clear 8-[

Peaceful Puppies_2_White Lion.jpg
Peaceful Puppies_2_White Lion.jpg (130.91 KiB) Viewed 17474 times
Post Reply