Watch two playful pups greet a pack of icy wolves (video)

boing
1

Originally published at: Watch two playful pups greet a pack of icy wolves (video) | Boing Boing

…

3 Likes
2

Those kinda look like bigass herding dogs. Shouldn’t they be chasing the wolves off?

5 Likes
3

At first I thought they were samoyeds, which would explain them being friendly dimwits. But let’s be honest, lots of dogs are like that.

4 Likes
4

They’re Great Pyrenees, or possibly Anatolian Shepherds, and they are not playing. They’re bred to guard livestock from predators. That was a territorial standoff. Yes, the dogs were outnumbered, but they probably convinced the wolves that hunting sheep and/or goats was more trouble than it was worth.

Dog wagging a tail held very high is an indication of a heightened emotional state, NOT playful/happy.

16 Likes
5

Yeah, I was looking at the dogs, and thinking “What’s wrong with this picture?” It may have been a strategic retreat, as they were quite out numbered.

1 Like
6

Yeah, no. Those “pups” were saying, “We may be outnumbered, but some of you are definitely gonna get a beat down if you so much as think about taking one of our lambs… move along, nothing for you here.” Working Great Pyrs give absolutely no fucks when it comes to doing their job.

13 Likes
7

I think they are the Italian version – the Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog – they are huge, soppy beasts, but you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of them.

3 Likes
8

These kinds of sheepdogs are very capable of killing a wolf or two, so this was definitely not a “playful” encounter. As several above have said, this was a standoff, with the dogs doing their jobs in the face of a far larger pack of wolves. That the wolves didn’t actually attack days says a lot about their respect for these dogs - they might have taken them down, but only at the cost of severe injuries or death for several pack members.

3 Likes
9

That seems likely. They certainly behaved like it, from your link -

Their function is mostly one of dissuasion, actual physical combat with the predator being relatively rare

I think the scariest version of the herd guardian dog is the Caucasian Ovcharka -

1 Like
10

This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.