All about Pyrs

Note from the pack leader here...

I just discovered a wonderful video on YouTube about Great Pyrenees dogs. It is a well done video describing the characteristics of Pyrs. If you want to know more about this fabulous breed of dogs, watch this video.

Oh and BTW, all of us 2-legged and 4-legged bloggers would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe Saint Patrick's Day!

Dogs & Cats Together

Lilly: Minnie, I saw your last post and what you did to that poor helpless mouse. You should be ashamed of yourself. Great Pyrenees dogs (that's me) are famous for our good nature around kids and cats. What if I treated you like you treated that poor mouse? You're not much more than a light lunch anyhow...

Minnie: Give me a break! Mice are rodents, they carry diseases and scare the hell out of women... I do the world a favor when I munch a mouse for lunch.

Lilly: Not if you're a mouse.

Minnie: You're probably just jealous that I got to that mouse before you did. After all, you eat skunks!

Lilly: Do not.

Minnie: Do so.

Lilly: Not.

Minnie: Forget it, I'm going out for lunch.

Whitefish Winter Carnival Parade

Lilly: Puff, Pooh and Minnie... did you cats see me in the parade yesterday? I was the star, mom told me so!

Pooh: What parade? I must have been sleeping. There was a parade? Why didn't someone wake me?

Lilly: Yesterday, they held the annual Whitefish Winter Carnival and they had a huge parade, and I walked with about 12 other dogs from the Northwest Montana Humane Society. We were awesome - we were the hit of the parade! Mom told me that was true.

Puff: Yeah well, mom isn't one to always tell the truth when she's talking about you, Lilly. I mean after all, she does call you "Puppy Love". What could be further from the truth?

Lilly: Hey, this was a big deal, they've been holding this parade for 48 years. This year I was the star. One short human called out... "Hey look a Polar bear"!

Pooh: Well, too bad hunting season is over, you'd look good hanging on somebodies wall.

Lilly: Pooh, they stuff cats too, ya know! And besides, no one would shoot "Puppy Love".

Minnie: I would, will you show me how?

Lilly: You ladies are so "catty". Go back to sleep! That's what you do best anyhow.

Lilly - Criminal Dog! (part 2)

Lilly: They're back . . . do you remember me telling you that the long arm of the law reached out to me as a result of our neighbor calling the sheriff because I bark? Remember this conversation? Well, they were again called in to issue mom & dad a citation because I do what I'm supposed to do... bark!

Puff: This is so cool, Lilly the 'outlaw dog' - living under our roof... or should I say you're hiding out here?

Lilly: Yeah, can you believe this guy keeps calling the sheriff! He never calls mom or dad, just calls the sheriff . . . what a strange person we have living next door.

Puff: Are you guilty?

Lilly: Of course I'm guilty... I bark!

Puff: That guy must be like me and Pooh, he must not like dogs. I can't blame him, of course.

Lilly: Well I can tell you that dad is getting tired of this. He went to the Sheriff's office the other day to see if there was anything he could do to help solve this problem. He and the Sheriff talked for a long time and the bottom line is that mom & dad are going to go to court next month to get this taken care of.

Puff: Will they arrest you or dad?

Lilly: They will only arrest me when I start attacking cats that think they are funny!!! No one is getting arrested, the purpose of the court hearing is so that everyone can tell their side of the story and a judge (who I hope likes dogs) will decide who is right.

Puff: What's with our neighbor? How come he doesn't just ask you to shut up, or ask mom to gag you?

Lilly: Understanding human motivations and peculiarities is far above your level of understanding... I only know these things because I am "man's best friend". This neighbor is a bit eccentric and apparently just doesn't like friendly puppies like me. So, as they say in the movies,

"To be continued..."

Famous Cats

Pooh: Hey Lilly, last week I told you that Puff and me are movie stars and had one of our videos featured on YouTube.

Lilly: Oh yeah, I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would take time from their day and watch two cats sleeping. I'd rather watch paint dry.

Pooh: Well I can tell you that almost 600 very smart people disagree with you because that's how many times our movie has been watched by an adoring public - who are asking for more!!!

Lilly: You have got to be kidding me. People are THAT bored?

Pooh: Boredom has nothing to do with the appreciation of fine artistic productions and two magnificent movie subjects. I can see it now... "The Adventures of Puff and Pooh" - how two beautiful kittens defend themselves from a polar bear-looking dog and lived to tell their tale.

Lilly: You are a sick cat. Someone must have told those 600 people that mom was giving away free dog bones or something.

Pooh: Think what you want, all I know is that Puff and I now have a following. And, due to the many requests for more, I'm going to point everyone to our famous movie... "Where did the water go?"

Lilly: You won't mind if I check it out later, right now I have some important things to do... mom needs some animal-therapy and the best thing that helps her cope with you two cats is by loving on a big dog like me. She needs to hug me and rub me all over... doesn't do much for me, but she seems to like it. She calls me her "therapy dog".

Pooh: Wow, and you think people are bored because they watch our movies? How bored must mom be?

Pet rules!

or is that supposed to be pets rule?

Whatever... Hi, Miss Minnie here with a New Year blog post for all you cat-lovers... and also those of you who tolerate dogs.

This is my first time here, I'm usually too busy to bother with such trivial things. I'm the "shop cat" in this family and I sleep in the garage. I've yet to discover an Ethernet connection out there so I don't often get a chance to paw mom's keyboard.

Anyway, mom found this list of "Pet Rules" and she thought it would be a nice way of introducing the new year to her animal loving friends. Well here goes...

Pet rules!
(To be posted snout height on the refrigerator door)

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years -- canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Usually come when called
5. Never drive your car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Anyway, those are mom's pet rules and she thought you might get a chuckle out of this. But mostly, mom wanted me to wish all of you a very special...

Happy New Year

Puff and Pooh, Movie Stars!

Pooh: Hey Lilly, did you know that Puff and me are movie stars?

Lilly: Right. You think that just because mom can't let that camera get three inches from her hand that she wants YOUR picture?

Puff: No Lilly, its true... mom put a video of us on YouTube and now we're movie stars.

Lilly: Cecil B. DeMille couldn't make you two "movie stars" if he had a gazillion-dollar budget. You guys don't do anything cute, you just sleep all the time and lick each other.

Pooh: If you won't believe us, look at our movie debut below!

Lilly: That's disgusting. You just wait until mom sees me doing something really cool...

Pooh: We can wait...

Merry Christmas

Lilly: Pooh, you look ridiculous in that hat.

Pooh: And you think this was my idea?

Lilly: So, your paws don't reach your head anymore? You spending too much time bending over the food dish?

Pooh: Have you looked in a mirror lately? Most people can't tell if you're a polar bear or what.

Lilly: Yeah, well mom likes me best because she took me to get my picture with Santa Claus. I didn't see you getting your picture with Santa.

Pooh: Wait one minute! You think I look ridiculous in a hat, but you're all excited to get your picture taken with a guy who has the same hat and a matching pajama-outfit to boot?

Lilly: It's a people thing. They see this fellow once each year and get all excited about it. If they really like you, you're taken to meet him. I didn't see you get your picture taken, and, he gave me a treat.

Pooh: So that makes you special?

Lilly: What can I say... mom likes me best.

Pooh: I sleep with mom, you don't. When she's watching TV, I get to sit in her lap, and you don't. I get to follow her into the bathroom and where ever she goes.

Lilly: You still look dumb in that hat.

Pooh: Maybe we should do what mom asked us to do and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Lilly: Since I know Santa and you don't, maybe I should be the one to
wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Pooh: Why don't we do it together. . .

Pooh & Lilly: Merry Christmas everybody!

Lilly: Pooh, that was nice, but you still look dumb in that hat.

Lilly - Criminal Dog! (part 1)

( Mug Shot) Lilly talking with Puff

Lilly: Hey Puff, did you hear that a "good neighbor" of ours complained about my barking?

Puff: You're a dog; you bark. Dogs bark, what's with that?

Lilly: Yeah, but this guy called the sheriff! I feel like a criminal. No one ever call the police to complain about cats... that's not fair.

Puff: They called "The Law" on you? For barking? How cool!

Lilly: Dad didn't see it as "cool". I heard him talking to mom and they are as mad at this neighbor as they got at me when I had diarrhea in the living room. Apparently this neighbor is a real "piece of work", I heard dad say. In two years he never called to complain, just - up and calls the sheriff one day at 6:00 in the afternoon.

Puff: So are you going to get arrested - do hard time? Will you get a jailhouse tattoo?

Lilly: Well, I think the sheriff thought this was as funny as you do, he said that in six years on the job he had never cited a barking dog... especially out here in the country. No one seems to complain when I bark at bears, mountain lions or people coming up our drive. I wonder what caused this "good neighbor" of ours to cross over to the "dark side"?

Puff: Let me get this straight... we live 10 miles outside of town on 5 densly wooded acres, you can't even see this neighbor's house from our front yard; we have carnivores like bears, mountain lions, coyotes (oh my!) as regular visitors and you're not allowed to bark? What do we need you for?

Lilly: It seems the county has a law about barking dogs, but according to dad it is a really dumb law. It says that anyone can complain about a dog who is barking unduly", but unduly is not defined. Mom and dad don't know if unduly means I'm allowed to bark 2 min. per hour, 20 min. per hour, before midnight, after lunch, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only.... how dumb is that?

Puff: So, I can complain, that is... I can sick the sheriff on you if you bark 5 times and I think you should only bark three times, is that how I understand this law? Do you have the sheriff's number handy?

Lilly: And they don't think cats are as smart as dogs! Gee Puff, you're a regular Einstein!

Puff: Thanks, is Einstein a cat or a dog?

Lilly: Back to the important things... my liberty and legal limitations of my barking... mom and dad are meeting our "good neighbor" in court. They decided to make the county define when I'm allowed to bark and when I have to be quiet.

NOTE from the pack leader: This conversation between Lilly and Puff(may or) may not have taken place, but the absurd citation for a barking dog was actually served. It was surprising enough to discover that here in rural Montana, a barking dog ordinance actually existed, but what is even more perplexing is that a neighbor living acres away was so inconsiderate as to never call or knock on our door to complain. Lilly's been doing her job as a watchdog for more than two years, and we have NEVER received a complaint from any neighbor.... until the sheriff knocked on our door.

To Be Continued...

House those cats and dogs!

Our dog and three cats have a variety of living quarters. Lilly Belle, our Great Pyrenees considers planet earth to be her province. As any Great Pyrenees owner will tell you, a Pyr off the leash is a "Dis-a-Pyr" (say that fast). Consequently, if you don't live on a 5,000 acre ranch, Pyr's need to be fenced. Lilly's fenced play area is approximately one acre in size.

Although she has her favorite perches, she will snooze anywhere. Lilly is not one to cuddle-up inside a dog house and stay out of the weather. On the contrary, she LOVES being out in the weather and nothing makes her happier than sleeping in the snow, regardless of the temperature. We have tried to make certain areas her 'den' and she has a wonderful 10-foot kennel lined with hay bales (below), but more often than not, she prefers to sleep out in the open where she can keep an eye on her flock... us.


A dog house for Lilly Belle is not something that is high on the priority list as we don't think she will make use of it. It is hard enough to get her to stay inside our home longer than a couple hours. She is driven to patrol the perimeter of her fence and do the job she was breed to do - guard.

However, we've done a good bit of research in this area of dog houses and if you are in the market, I'd recommend you check out DogHouses.com. They are the leading source for Wood Dog Houses, Plastic Dog Houses, and Crates and Kennels. From rustic looking log-style houses to barns and plastic designs of all types.

• More about Lilly's kennel
• Check out DogHouses.com