Juno

[Maritimer1]

I am making up for lost time tonight by posting several shots from this weekend. C&C always appreciated. Using the light effectively was my main goal with this shot. Juno was having a rest just inside the barn door which made for a nice dark background. Her coat, in an ideal world, might be white, but as an outside working dog...


Taking a Break by M.J. Hencher, on Flickr

[jeeperman]

I think you did very well, fantastic shot but the text up the side is very distracting.

[henry17106]

Beautiful portrait.

[JohnC]

Lovely shot- we had a Golden Retriever up to a year ago and Juno has the same face but much longer chest hair-I assume he's not a Retriever then ?

Yes, have to agree re. the text, it's very distracting and all attention should be on Juno.

[Brindles]

Stunning dog! Great Pyrenees?

[JohnC]

Looks like you got it it, Rachel. I've just googled it. In the US it's called the Great Pyrenees-outside the US, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyrenees I can't see any relationship with the retriever but some shots do have that look about them.

Having now read up on the character of this dog you can see it in Juno's face-pretty well independent of thought and rather trusts its own judgement than that of people.The more I look at this photo the more I like it - a quality dog indeed.

[Maritimer1]

Sorry, didn't realize there were more comments. Yes, Rachel, she is 3/4 Great Pyrenees and 1/4 Maremma. Her job is to stay with one of the Alpacas when he is in his field; otherwise, she has the run of the farm and is a friendly giant. John, if you're a dog person, you'd love her. She is very affectionate, but doles out her attention in small doses. She can turn in an instant, though, as I've seen her tear off across the field in flat out pursuit of something that has caught her eye, likely a coyote.

Yes, the text is a pain. I should have taken it off for this forum, as it is one I had posted to a facebook page. I get tired of facebook pictures showing up as "belonging" to others, so I plaster my name on photos that are destined for that venue.

Oh, the other dog on the farm is a Golden Retriever. There were two, but one became very ill a few months ago and had to be euthenized. What a great breed.

Myra

[JohnC]

Thanks,Myra..that happens to me too, you think the post has died and don't check any longer then a couple more show - sad about the retriever, my wife was heartbroken when ours had to go and more often than not it's the back legs,they have hip problems but if he/she was ill then it wasn't that I assume.

[tb72]

Very nice shot congratulations

[rpcrowe]

Absolutely gorgeous dog! I think that the basis for the Great Pyrenees, along with the St. Bernard, various Swiss Mountain Dogs, and many other of the giant breeds were the mastiff war dogs that the Romans traveled with.

The working protection dog is a great answer to predator problems. I had a German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Wolf, hybrid who was the most gentle creature on the face of the earth - until she decided she should switch into the protective mode. Then she was formidable. Years ago when we still had coyotes patrolling our area, I saw her face down and frighten off a small pack of those predators by just posturing and barking from inside our chain link fence. I have no doubt that she could have and would have made short work of the coyotes. She weighed about 90 pounds (40 or so kilograms). Yet she would get down on her haunches when playing with a Maltese puppy that weighed less than a pound so she would not hurt the pup by stepping on it.

Dogs are truly wonderful creatures. I am not really a religious guy but, I have heard from good authority that Heaven is a place where you will meeet all the dogs you have ever loved and lost as they come running up to greet you. Now that is a great reason to change my sinful ways!