Gracie Shows Her Stuff!

I witnessed the coolest thing last night since we got the two Great Pyrenees dogs…a BIG, strange dog was coming across the dam (our driveway is over the dam to the pond) and the dogs of course were going ballistic but it didn’t phase this darn dog…he just kept coming…my other two dogs were out on a potty break (Abby & Scruffy) and hadn’t noticed the strange dog yet…but, the Pyrs (Gracie-10 mos. & Hooch-3 yrs.) were going nuts in their fenced in area. We have a BB gun that Jon will use to scat away strange dogs from the property or birds in the barn…but I have never used it. I fumbled a few seconds with it and figured this BB gun wasn’t going to phase this big dog…so, I went outside ran and opened the gate where the Pyrs are calling them to come to the gate…Hooch was so into his barking at the dog that he didn’t notice but Gracie saw me coming and went back to her barking…then would look at me, then the dog, then to me again…and she finally made a beeline for the gate. She had to leave Hooch and turn her back on the big dog but I think she knew what I was asking her to do! I have NEVER, in my life seen a dog run so fast! She tore out of the fenced in area through the gate that I was holding open for her and RAN after that dog barking and growling like I’d never heard her before!! I suddenly became worried for the strange dog that was probably just checking the place out. BUT, I knew I didn’t want him on the property and especially didn’t want him to get his eyes on the alpacas. Anyway…Gracie chased that dog, across the pasture, into the woods, back out the other side, across the neighbors 20 acres and then into the next neighbors 20 acres before I lost sight of her. She was relentless! I became concerned at this point, #1 because I couldn’t see her anymore, #2 because I didn’t know what she’d do if she caught the dog, #3 she’s never been that far from home before and I was afraid she’d run him into the next county and be lost, #4 I didn’t know if she’d come back, #5 most of our neighbors have small dogs…I was afraid of what she would do if she came across a neighbor dog…we just got her last fall so I’m still not sure how that would go. They’re fine with dogs they’ve been introduced to but not sure about the neighbor dogs. I called and called for her but I knew she probably couldn’t hear me and even if she did…she was on a mission. She was not going to come even if she heard me. I decided I needed to get in my truck and go look for her so I headed back up to the house to get my keys. Just as I got to the front porch, guess who appeared out of nowhere?! HA!! She was back! HEEEE!! I was so tickled with her, I think I scared her with my squealing and praise!! But wait…it doesn’t end there! She’s only been out of her “yard” a couple of times and does not come when called…but, I walked down to the gate all the while praising her and worried that she would not follow me…well, she surprised me again when I opened the gate, right in she went! Whew! Wow…what a rush! That was just about the coolest thing to see!!