“Clarence was born in the Clatsop County Animal Shelter in October of 2020. At the time he was called Mike. He was one of 11 puppies. Clarence is part Great Pyrenees and part Anatolian Shepherd. He is bred to act independently, to guard livestock and to sound a ferocious, deep alarm when intruders encroach on his property.

We travelled from Colorado to pick Clarence up in February, 2021. He was a big puppy, very cuddly, but also very curious and a little reserved. Day by day he became more trusting and settled into his new home. We took frequent walks into town to help Clarence appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the other people and dogs. We also took him to puppy classes. These really helped him relax.

We don’t own livestock, but we do live on 40 acres with horses. Clarence enjoys our two daily walks around the property boundary, and lounging outside surveying the horizon. He’s not sure what to make of the horses and he sometimes tries to get them to play, but they ignore him. But Clarence is primarily a family dog, spending most of his time lounging around the house with his sister, an eight-year-old Bulldog, and his brother, a ten-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog. Now fully grown, Clarence weighs about 165 pounds, by far the largest dog we’ve owned, and we’ve owned some large ones. Fortunately, he’s so large that he isn’t comfortable staying on our bed when we’re trying to sleep.

As dogs go, Clarence is one of the most challenging and interesting dogs I’ve ever lived with. He’s not like a lot of dogs that automatically seek your approval. It may sound strange, but he is more thoughtful and independent about situations than most dogs, and you need to build a relationship and earn his respect before he will consider you a close friend. He’s not mean at all, just aloof and observant. But once you gain his friendship, he is very cuddly and playful, and a little dopey. “