Gentle Boone

Boone died on March 4, 2020. I found him late at night in the field. I don't know what killed him. I thought perhaps he choked on his food, as I saw vomit and he had a tortured look on his face.

Boone's death was not expected. His age (11-12) was typical life expectancy for a Great Pyrenees, but he was showing no signs of ill health. Sure, he had slowed down significantly and he sometimes had difficulty rising from his haunches, but he had eaten fine the night he died and seemed his normal self.

Twice in 2019, Boone had developed weakness in his hindquarters, unable to rise. Both times, he responded to medication (prednisone). The first time was more severe and I kept him in the garage for a while.  I was concerned that the sheep might accidentally hurt him. In fact, he had been trampled by them only a short time before he developed the hind end weakness.

Boone was named after Boonsboro, Maryland. He was so-named because I got him at the Katahdin Hair Sheep International Expo, which I hosted in Boonsboro in 2008. My other Great Pyrenees had been named after McComb, Mississippi, the site of another KHSI Expo. That is a whole other story.

Boone was an absolutely adorable puppy. As a puppy, he never stayed where I put him. He climbed out of every pen and crawled through any gate he could. At the same, time he never ventured outside of the electric fence, so his "escaping" was never problematic. I think he just wanted to be with McComb and the sheep. One of Boone's favorite escapades as a puppy was to sit in the hexagon hay feeders. He didn't care if the sheep wanted to eat.

Boone and McComb got along marvelously. At first McComb was a little uncertain of the pesky little puppy, but eventually he accepted him as his best buddy. Boone and Zak were also best friends. I frequently put them together to play, especially when they were both young. One of my favorite memories is the day the three dogs all romped around in a deep snow. Another memory is the day I took the three of them to the vet, all at the same time (cat, too). All three boys behaved extremely well. Can't say the same for the cat (Max).

Boone wasn't a great livestock guardian dog, but since he never got out (wandered) and didn't hurt any of the sheep, he was a guardian dog by default. After McComb died (in 2017), Boone seemed lost and didn't always stay near the sheep. He didn't bark as much or patrol the perimeter of the property. He was "in retirement" when he died.

He was a very gentle and sweet dog. He wouldn't hurt anybody or anything. He even tolerated Sofie, the Karakachan pup I got to "replace" McComb. Sofie didn't last; she was too aggressive. There was one notable exception:  don't touch his food!  He would protect his food at all times. More than once he nipped at a sheep's nose or bit at a lamb's ear, if they got too close to his food dish.  While McComb's favorite treat was pumpkin, Boone liked cheese slices. Towards the end of his life, he received a daily treat of a cheese slice. It was never hard to give Boone medicine. Just wrap it in some cheese.

I miss you buddy.

Boone
2008-2020