28 Acres of Freedom for these Great Pyrenees: Nilla & Trip's Story

February 24, 2023

Meet Nilla and Trip from Ball Ground, Georgia.

These two Great Pyrenees pups have a big job protecting their 28 acre farm, complete with goats, chickens, rabbits, a cat, a pig, a mini donkey and a horse. True to their nature as Livestock Guardian Dogs, they are outdoor, active dogs whose job is to protect the livestock. Like many LGDs, Nilla and Trip work well as a pair, so they have a partner to help defend against predators, and when sleep is calling, one can sleep while the other one guards.

But when they’re not working, both dogs are up for some fun! They love to play and wrestle, which works well since they’re both big dogs. And they also like to roam and explore, which is why they needed SpotOn.

Nilla is three, and her name was inspired by her white coat. ‘Nilla’ evolved as a shortened version of Vanilla + Nilla Wafers. Which seems very fitting for her personality! She is sweet and very loving to those she trusts. She takes a little longer to warm up to strangers, and is definitely protective and serious about guarding her property.

Trip is one, and his name is a combination of the farm name (Triple Brook Farm) and the ‘Tripp’ family he came from. Beyond guarding the animals, he is also serious about guarding his owner.

‘Trip is my guardian as well as the animals. He likes to stay with me if he is roaming and or out in the barn with me. He is a big baby and welcomes loving from anybody after he knows they are considered safe. He loves his brother from another mother, Hank the mini donkey. He is a true gentle giant.’ - Tabatha M., Owner

In addition to being part of their flock, all the farm animals are their friends. Trip and Hank the mini donkey are best friends who love to play, and according to Tabatha, Hank thinks he’s a dog.

And while Betty the cat is not officially part of their flock, Trip looks out for her too. He’ll bark in the late evening if she’s not home yet. While Tabatha doesn’t know if he’s barking to tell her Betty is not home, or if he’s instinctively barking to protect her while she’s outside, he does stop barking once Betty gets home. Trip must know that his Great Pyrenees bark can keep predators away from all close pastures, even without him being there.

Before SpotOn, Tabatha only had Nilla. But Nilla liked to roam and occasionally leave the property, and Tabatha would have to stay vigilant to keep her home. We asked Tabatha what life was like before SpotOn.

‘Worrisome. I wanted Nilla to roam, but she was often in the road at our house. I used a training collar and a tracking device to try to keep her safe. If I couldn't see her, I could beep the collar and she would come home. I could use the tracking device to see where she was. But, I had to constantly stay alert to her whereabouts so I was worried the whole time she was roaming.’

Now that both dogs are contained by their virtual fence, Tabatha has peace of mind and relief that her dogs are safe. They have learned to stay home (away from the road), and respect their boundaries. And even with a 20 acre GPS fence, she can keep tabs on Nilla & Trip in the app.

‘Now I can allow them both to roam without being worried they are going into the road. They know their boundary area even without the collars on.’

Nilla and Trip now have plenty of room to run, play and protect. Their favorite thing to do outside is their job — roaming the pasture to guard and protect the farm animals. They also love to go to the creek on the property and play in the mud! And that's a whole lot of muddy white fur!

Tabatha has been a SpotOn customer for three years, since the original SpotOn Fence. What initially sold her on SpotOn? The ability to make custom fences of any acreage - with no size limits. Now that she has upgraded to Gen 2, we asked Tabatha what she likes most about the new SpotOn GPS Fence.

‘Making a fence is much easier, and I like seeing the fences built as I walk. Plus, the new collar is much easier to adjust if I need to tighten or loosen it. And the new app and choice of Verizon or AT&T.’

Want to see Nilla and Trip in action? Check out Tabatha’s video about her SpotOn experience.