Collecting Caspar

[jonoslack]

Hi There - if you don't like dogs, then you should stop reading immediately!
On Friday we travelled down to Wales to collect our new puppy. He is a Berger des Pyrénées (Pyrenean Sheepdog):
Wikipedia
History
It was a long drive (310 there in pouring rain, and 310 back with 7 week old baby!).

Anyway, I've posted some pictures on so that our son Saul (who is working in France) can have a look at the new family member:

Collecting Caspar

He is getting early training in matters of photography, but we aren't sure quite how interested he is!

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Very cute. Well interesting you bring this up my 19 year daughter wants another dog and she is buying it. So her choice which i am not sure about myself is a Muggin. Now she still resides here at home so you know who is going to take care of it and train it. ME

We are going this morning to see and buy the dog. But I never heard of a Muggin and if this thing is a yapper i will not be happy.

 

[jonoslack]

Very cute. Well interesting you bring this up my 19 year daughter wants another dog and she is buying it. So her choice which i am not sure about myself is a Muggin. Now she still resides here at home so you know who is going to take care of it and train it. ME

We are going this morning to see and buy the dog. But I never heard of a Muggin and if this thing is a yapper i will not be happy.

HI There
It's a cross between a pug and a miniature pinscher - interesting the current trend for hybrid dogs, which are usually really expensive, and are, in reality, simply mongrels.
Still, there are good things about them in that they have hybrid vigor (often).

Still, Guy - if you're going to train this dog, I'll be flying over to take some pictures of you taking it for a walk! (I'd guess it's about as big as a rabbit).

Good Luck

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Bad news is we have Owls the size of garbage cans in the desert. Have to keep my eye on this this thing. Of course we have Drake a 80 lb English Pointer that is a very large watch dog.This is going to be pretty funny between them. I will take some shots later today of this mongrel. They want 500 dollars for the thing, Cali has them down to 400. I'm the hammer so let's see what happens but they are expensive little things.

 

[Terry]

Looks really cute. Enjoy the new family member. How is Blue taking to the new sibling? Cat?

 

[stephengilbert]

This is getting out of hand: now you guys are buying pets that fit in a camera bag. I can imagine the threads now: WHAT KIND OF BAG FOR A MUGGIN?

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Heck i could buy a lens instead and don't have to clean up after it.

 

[jonoslack]

HI There
Well, Drake should turn the muggin into a very expensive breakfast
Blue doesn't mind . . . at least, he didn't mind until the puppy experimentally pulled his tail while he was asleep . . . a bad idea, sounded like he'd done terrible damage, but after he'd finished yelling the puppy seemed to be fine.
Care required for a few weeks! As for the cats - they've made themselves scarce.

As for the camera bag Stephen - this little guy should be about as big as a labrador (but quite a lot skinnier), so I think we'll be lucky if the bag lasts until he's had his injections at 12 weeks.

all the best

 

[Diane B]

Obviously a dog lover here---he looks darling. I'd never heard of this breed here. When I raised sheep I had friends in other parts of the country that had Great Pyrenees--very large white dogs that were wonderful protectors of sheep--even against coyotes, etc. I'm guessing they originated from the same area. Just read your Wiki link--so he's a herder rather than a protector.

Yep---if the GPs and this are relatives they get BIG. Now--unlike your horse which has sort of disappeared from your photos (at least for sharing) I hope you will show this 'little' guy growing up.

Diane

 

[jonoslack]

Obviously a dog lover here---he looks darling. I'd never heard of this breed here. When I raised sheep I had friends in other parts of the country that had Great Pyrenees--very large white dogs that were wonderful protectors of sheep--even against coyotes, etc. I'm guessing they originated from the same area. Just read your Wiki link--so he's a herder rather than a protector.

Yep---if the GPs and this are relatives they get BIG. Now--unlike your horse which has sort of disappeared from your photos (at least for sharing) I hope you will show this 'little' guy growing up.

Diane

HI Diane
I think the idea was to have one Great Pyrenees to protect the sheep, and two or three of these to herd them. They're about as big as a lab, but much finer - fairly protective and very intelligent - they're used for agility and fly-ball a lot as well.
We came across them in the French Alps, where they are very popular, calm , dignified, very energetic and slightly stand-offish.

As long as Blue doesn't eat him for breakfast you'll be seeing lots of him!

The ponies are fine - but we've had a month of frozen weather, so riding hasn't been on the cards, and I've been working a lot, so pictures of them aren't either!

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

More pictures for puppy people

Hi there
Well, as anticipated, Caspar is turning into a little bundle of chaos - leaping on Blue from a distance, teeth bared; grabbing us by the legs, chasing the cats and the chickens (and the horses as well). The only thing he's frightened of is the vacuum cleaner

We Were Warned; I hope we haven't bitten off more than he can chew!

Caspar and Chaos

For those who aren't interested - sorry

 

[Terry]

Yes, and the "I am young and innocent" pose is perfected in #3 :ROTFL:

 

[jonoslack]

Yes, and the "I am young and innocent" pose is perfected in #3 :ROTFL:

Ah - yes - that particular pose actually means . . . 'come 6 inches closer and I'll bite your nose'

 

[Diane B]

I like the ones with the interaction with Blue. I would expect that he will assert himself when HE thinks enough is enough with this little upstart LOL. I like the ones with Emma also--Caspar looks an innocent LOL. Oh--and #11.

Thanks for sharing
Diane

 

[jonoslack]

I like the ones with the interaction with Blue. I would expect that he will assert himself when HE thinks enough is enough with this little upstart LOL. I like the ones with Emma also--Caspar looks an innocent LOL. Oh--and #11.

Thanks for sharing
Diane

HI Diane
Well, Blue has quite a good line in 'putting his foot down' but he does it pretty gently. As you say, there's likely to be a bit of a battle later on, but not for a few months yet!
He certainly does look innocent . . . perhaps you'd like to borrow him for a morning

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

Caspar and the wet walk

When will it ever end!
We've had him for just over a month now, and he has reached the grand old age of 11 weeks . . . so we took him for a walk . . . and it rained and rained and rained, we minded, he didn't seem to!

Caspar and the Wet Walk

For those of you who can't be bothered with the link (it's only 9 shots) here is the
Who Shrank the Puppy: shot
Sony A900 with Sony 70-300 G lens.

 

[Diane B]

Well, you know I"m a sucker for puppy pics. PHotographically, I like the one of him with his shadow--cool. He's a cutie whether dry or wet and what a dear face. He's growing though--look at those legs getting longer.

Diane

 

[tokengirl]

I like the one of him with his shadow

Me too. It gives you a sense of how big this pup is going to get (you'll need a bigger Billingham).

 

[jonoslack]

Well, you know I"m a sucker for puppy pics. PHotographically, I like the one of him with his shadow--cool. He's a cutie whether dry or wet and what a dear face. He's growing though--look at those legs getting longer.

Diane

HI Diane
Indeed - he certainly is growing 3Kg last week 4Kg this week! He's also getting very adept at not getting caught!
On the other hand house trained at 10 weeks is pretty good going.

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

Me too. It gives you a sense of how big this pup is going to get (you'll need a bigger Billingham).

:ROTFL: Yes, you certainly can't get him in that one any more! They actually vary a lot in size (from about 14" to 20") - he was the biggest (and quietest) in the litter . . . I feel really sorry for the person who got the wild bitch! For two hours in the morning he's completely berserk (poor Blue) after lunch he calms down a bit, and by the evening he's rather cuddly (with prickles!).

all the best