<human>: Hi all,

Just curious if anyone has any experience with this.

I'm big into rescue animals as I've fostered, volunteered, and adopted rescues throughout my life but especially the last few years. (Currently the proud parent of a pug with mobility issues and a 19-year-old Siamese cat that I adopted two years ago!) I totally respect reputable breeders who love and care for their animals, but in this case it seems like we could probably adopt as easily as we could purchase a puppy or young dog.

We are looking for a Great Pyrenees for the following reasons - he or she will *not* be specifically a livestock guardian dog, but:

* We plan to have many small goats and chickens very soon and need a breed with a protective, rather than prey drive.
* We live on three (to be fenced pre-dog) acres in the country with predators around so having a big dog to make raccoons or coyotes think twice about coming near is a plus.
* There will be kids around eventually and we like the fact that Pyrs are pretty gentle with their "pack," including little ones.
* We love huge, fluffy dogs :) and their low daytime energy level is a good fit - we are active in spurts but not looking for the energy level of a border collie.
* *Sidenote:* We'll be trying to foster an adult first to make sure the breed is right for us.

All that said, I feel like a puppy would be a great fit (assuming we can ensure a schedule that works for the puppy) but the only adoptable puppies are typically transported across the country through an organization to the adopter, and I'm worried about not meeting the puppy before adopting.

Is this something I just shouldn't worry about because a puppy can be socialized per a household's needs? I would truly hesitate to do this with an adult dog because I would feel so so awful if its prey drive caused it to hurt the chickens or goats and we had to find him or her yet another new home, but I feel like this situation with a puppy would be different.

Provide a brief overview of the text.
<bot>: Want a Great Pyrenees puppy, adoption mostly only available online through cross-country transport - is it a problem to not meet the puppy first if I want it to mesh with chickens, goats and children (as a pet)?