Protecting the flock
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| I like hearing the deep grumbly bark. They are uncertain about something and giving a warning. I become more alert and often will check it out all the while quietly praising the dog. I want the dog to warn and protect me. Yes, they do have specific barks.......MO has an "Attention" bark, super loud, single and she twists her head at the same time, "Come on, it's serioius!!" The loud sound tells me she knows what it is vs. the low grumbles which indicates she doesn't know. |
Personally, I don't mind the "watch dog" bark. If there is some reason, I would hope my dogs would alert me. What I do expect is that after we (humans) check it out, they need to stop and be quiet.  Sometimes its a bunny in the yard....  |
| My dogs (especially Bert) also do this, and when I hear the "I mean business" bark, I always take it seriously, as they are often alerting us to the presence of a bear. Even other (less hazardous) wildlife get a different bark than bears do. Its not only deeper, its also has a very specific rhythm: BARK(pause)BARK(pause), etc. Its very comforting to know that our dogs are alert to danger, and will let us know if we need to be careful! |
I praise Oscar for the deep barks and low growls, as these are definitely warnings that something is amiss. However, I do not let the barking continue after the initial warning. He gets a "good boy", and then, if he continues to bark, he gets a "quiet", as I feel his job is done.  Laurie and Oscar |
 I laugh at this getting them to quiet down. When we had all the Pyrs and sheepies indoors at night, one would pray nothing would disturb them. What a racket they'd put up! I'd go to the door, peek out the little "nun" window and then tell the K9s all was OK, praise them and make sure they were quiet before going to bed. There was no other way to sleep thru the cacaphony! Since we've had people build around us, we couldn't keep all the Pyrs outside at night. Too noisey. Now with just Glacier left and her deep bass voice which doesn't really carry, she can stay out. That leaves the sheepies to protect us. I can't imagine what a "bear" bark would be  I do remember camping in a known bear area and sleeping in the station wagon...just in case......and hearing a tiny, but low rumble from Maudie sheepdog only to find bear tracks all around the car the next morning. |
| We live in a downtown urban area, and there is a lot of noise during the day. But Mady has so far not sensed a "threat" during the day. It's nighttime when some boisterous youths walking down the street might trigger her warning barks... during the day she would just ignore it...or some imaginary thing she sees in the backyard... So it's after the sun goes down that she clocks in as watchdog for the flock. She also completely ignores a stray cat who has been visiting our backyard for several years now... As for bears, none yet in the backyard, but we have taken her hiking in Gatineau park where I have run into black bears before. |
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