Since our Alpacas are relatively defenseless animals, we have two great Pyrenees livestock guard dogs to protect them here at Sugar Creek Farm. The Great Pyrenees dogs take their name from the Pyrenees mountain range in southwestern France where they long have been used as guardians of the flocks. The word "Great" implies the size of the adult animal, which is to say very large.  An adult male animal will often weigh about 150 pounds or more and stand over two feet high. 

 They are very loyal animals.  Each visit we make to the pasture brings a warm welcome from both of our dogs.  They are protective of both the pasture area their herd lives in and the herd they are protecting.  They live all their lives with the animals they guard. Many stories are told of the Great Pyrenees who has protected his herd at the risk of his own life.  The Great Pyrenees, while being very large and having a fearsome, deep bark and growl, is actually quite a friendly animal. 

 They have a precocious sense of smell and exceptionally keen eyesight.  They can detect the presence of predator animals as far as a half mile away.  They often issue a warning bark to alert the herd and we humans to a danger we cannot see or hear ourselves.  Each dog was counted the equal to two men, be it as guards of a house, or as the invaluable companion of shepherds, or as useful pack and message carrying animal across the mountains. Much of their life was spent on the steep slopes with their peasant masters guarding the valuable flocks entrusted to their care.

 They have been the working associates of peasant shepherds high in the Pyrenees mountain slopes for over four thousand years.  As a race, the Pyrenean dog dates back into antiquity, to the centuries before Christ, where its fossil remains are found in deposits of the Bronze Age, 1800-1000 B.C.

 We have a male, Moses and a female, Maggie here at Sugar Creek Farm for the protection of our Alpacas.  The dogs are wonderfully intelligent.  When the Alpaca crias were weaned from their moms, they were separated into two pastures located about 50 yards apart.  The two dogs, who are inseparable during the day, without any encouragement from any humans, separated at night, each patrolling a different pasture area throughout the night.