during Christmas this year |
Just over three years ago, we adopted a very large dog.
We'd been going through a rescue that specializes in Golden Retrievers, and got something we thought was a mix. A 110+ pound mix of Golden Retriever and... something. Our new boi swiftly got healthier and was now a 120+ pound mix. And, as it would turn out, not a Golden at all, but a Great Pyrenees mix with a dollop of Pit Bull.
But because the rescue thought he was a gigantic Golden, they'd named him Andre the Giant. When given a chance to rename him, we figured he'd just been given a new name, and he sure seemed like an Andre.
In the end, his breed explained a lot. As a Golden, he'd had a hard time getting adopted out because he would bark at people who came to meet him, which could be intimidating. But, Pyrs are sheep guard dogs, and they bark at people entering their territory. We didn't have that problem - he came to meet us at our house - and it was kind of love at first sight, but when we thought he was a Golden, his behavior was super odd.
When he didn't want to do something badly enough, or he got scared, he would sploot - just go to ground and dare you to move him. He didn't want to be in the backyard at all, even with us, and he was very confused by things Goldens love, like toys, pleasing people, and following commands - which is not a thing Pyrs care about at all.