Living with these guys is great. We're on 15 acres and they have plenty of room to run. Otherwise they would be like some of the Dalmatians that have given the breed a negative rap. They have all the equipment necessary to run long distance with horses, thus the name "coach dog".
They were bred to pace a coach with the intentions of keeping other dogs from getting close enough to endanger the passengers. With this kind of breeding, they NEED to run. After their evening run they come into the house and assume their guard positions and chill out. Rest assured, if there is ANYTHING within our 2-1/2 acre ridgetop fenced area that moves, it better be fast.
As you can see in the photos, they are VERY good with kids, but take a look at that Alpha Dog, he knows he is the leader of the pack, always on alert and as gentle to us as a pup.
Yeah, we go through a 55 pound bag of Pedigree every now and then!
Paul