8 month old Pyr giving me a run . . .

[surfingbodi]

I have my first pyr and he is working me. I have had dogs all my life but this one . . . Good points - good with my kids and all kids big or small (so far), good with cat and other animals including my other dog (though dominance is shifting from my lab to pyr i think), doesn't shed much, doesn't eat much, sleeps most of the day, great barker for protection, smart.

ok, the rub, chewing the house and 1/2 acre yard. yes he has chews of all kinds, i found the ones he likes and he does chew those but also the cabinets, walls, tables, chairs, trees, fencing, shade cloth, various plants, shoes, etc. i am working on the sprays but i would need a firehose to apply it everywhere. i limit his range in the house to my large kitchen/dining room. he still messes the floor but usually he doesn't. almost like he still doesn't have full control. i take him and the other for a run/walk most days and this helps but he doesn't come most of the time. even at home, even with treats. he is very smart and he knows the command but it i do feel like he thinks he doesn't have to listen. he will let me lay him on his back to discipline him and allow me to dominate when he has really bad behavior (biting playfully or to resist redirection). i have never had a dog bite so much. never has he bitten me or anyone to hurt us but he has used his mouth to try to move our hands off of him. my kids allowed him to bite as a small puppy and while i insisted they not do this they did it anyway when i wasn't around. they did it with our lab as well but he never bites me and does not like for me to get mad at him. the pyr does not really seem to need to please me which creates an interesting relationship with such a large animal. i am a woman and i weigh about 125 lb. at 8 months he weighs almost as much so i need his respect. i have never had a dog who did not see me as the dominant pack member and most of my dogs have been male. not sure what to do here??? also, he barks like crazy at night and while i would love to leave him out to guard the property, he will drive my neighbors nuts. it would make me crazy. also, i don't feel i can ever leave him alone as he can be so destructive due to his size whether in or out so i always leave my lab with him but i would like to be able to know he would be ok without the lab.

thank you for any direction here.

[TexasKat]

First things first.... forget the 'dominance' games. Pyrs don't care whether YOU think you are dominant and rolling them around on the ground isn't going to change that. Not in the slightest. In addition, as he gets older, you're just going to get more and more frustrated (and likely seriously bitten at some point). Pyrs don't watch "dog training" shows on the TeeVee, so they don't know it's supposed to work.

You're much more likely to be successful using positive training methods.

Pyrs have been bred (on purpose) for several thousand years to be independent thinkers. Their jobs required them to live and work where there were seldom 'humans' to direct them. It a breed trait for them to be independent and somewhat aloof. It's only in the last few decades that they have become 'house dogs'.

Most of what you described is typical behavior for a Pyr:

• "the pyr does not really seem to need to please me " (yep)
• and "he barks like crazy at night" (yep) and
• "he doesn't come most of the time. even at home, even with treats. he is very smart and he knows the command but it i do feel like he thinks he doesn't have to listen." (yep)

Not shedding? -- he will.. mountains of dandelion fluff undercoat once a year.

Not being housetrained at 8 months? -- not typical. By 8 months, a dog should be 'going out to potty' between 6-10 times a day. How frequently are you allowing him out? How long between potty breaks?

Pyrs should get DAILY exercise. A walk every so often isn't enough. Commit to either a walk EVERY day or 30-45 minutes of vigorous playtime EVERY day. (Your lab should be getting this much (or more) exercise as well. Pyrs can get destructive when they're BORED. Lack of proper exercise is making matters worse for you.

All puppies are mouthy but you have not trained yours to restrain it's bite impulses. Now that he's 8 months old, you have some work ahead of you. There are lots of ways, but my favorite is to put a little peanut butter on your fingers and let him lick it off (instead of biting) and change his behavior rather than trying to make him stop altogether. Reinforce the 'lesson' by using a 'cue word' like 'kisses' or 'sweet' or whatever. Later if he starts mouthing (he's not really biting now) if you use the same word, he'll stop nipping at you and lick you instead.

I'm sure there will be other suggestions on how to deal with this.

Stopping now because this is getting long. I'm sure there will be lots of replies.

Raising a Pyr can be a challenge, they're not typical "dogs", but they're the BEST dogs.

[Amatrine]

I see you live in Rio Rancho. I Used to live there. It gets hot in the summer.
I would not take him on 45 min walks in the summer. here in Az mine gets two 10 min walks, and lots of play.

I have a Pyr who LIKES to fetch, so that keeps him exersized in the house. It is just to hot out and heat stroke is a real danger.

My guy was a biter and I took some suggestions on here with the mouth thing pulling up the lips, then I would tap his nose, with a FIRM no. Then I would tell him to lick. Now I get kisses all the time. He does get excited sometimes and forgets, but a quik, NO BITE stops him. NO PLAY when there is biting.
STOP it all together when he bites. YOU initiate play.

This breed is different that other breeds. My Pyr Respects me, I have always been positive but FIRM. Never change, never allow bad behavior even once.
Consistant and routine. Butters knows when it is 7 and sits at the door. He knows that is walk time. We eat the same time every day, we walk the same time, we play the same time. They do SOOOO good with routine.

Good luck!

[Terry]

Originally Posted by Amatrine

I see you live in Rio Rancho. I Used to live there. It gets hot in the summer.
I would not take him on 45 min walks in the summer. here in Az mine gets two 10 min walks, and lots of play.

I have a Pyr who LIKES to fetch, so that keeps him exersized in the house. It is just to hot out and heat stroke is a real danger.

My guy was a biter and I took some suggestions on here with the mouth thing pulling up the lips, then I would tap his nose, with a FIRM no. Then I would tell him to lick. Now I get kisses all the time. He does get excited sometimes and forgets, but a quik, NO BITE stops him. NO PLAY when there is biting.
STOP it all together when he bites. YOU initiate play.

This breed is different that other breeds. My Pyr Respects me, I have always been positive but FIRM. Never change, never allow bad behavior even once.
Consistant and routine. Butters knows when it is 7 and sits at the door. He knows that is walk time. We eat the same time every day, we walk the same time, we play the same time. They do SOOOO good with routine.

Good luck!

might take a couple days Amatrine , but Murphy and Emma are on their way to your house..

[Davey Benson]

My boy used to be alowed to come and go freely into the back room of the old house. But after he chewed a hole into two (2) hollow core doors I reconsidered that decision, and after he chewed on a door jam I thought maybe this really isn't a good idea, and then when he started tunneling his way through sheet rock / dry wall right besides a power outlet with his teeth, I said, "No more!" and out he went! Banished from the human kingdom forever!

Sometimes it's just eaiser to keep things out of reach than it is to constantly be on top of the poor guys saying...

"no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no"

[subeat]

I don't think having had other dogs prepares us very well for having a pyr...at least it hasn't done me much good! I was used to dogs that wanted nothing more than to please me...at times, Buddy doesn't even seem to be remotely INTERESTED in me. He will come fairly well in the house, but outside...well, let's just say once he is either hot, tired, or thirsty he becomes a better listener.

You will get a lot of great suggestions for the biting and chewing from the more experienced posters here. Our boy isn't a biter, but for some reason, really likes to eat books (including the 12 year olds yearbook, she was not pleased) or the occasional shoe. Changing OUR behaviors of leaving these things out helped with that, as well as crating if we were going to be away for extended times.

Not shedding? Just wait. I thought we were going to skip over that till next spring too. I was mistaken.

[Amatrine]

I think that's why I like Pyrs. I was never into the dogs that want to follow you around all day and please you. My husband loves this dog as he does not follow him all around. All my fosters love my husband and would drive him nuts,lol

Butters greets me in the morning with a foot bath then he is on his way,lol
My chihuahua is my lap dog and she is nice and small. I have had to many foster dogs that are big and think they weigh 5 pounds. My poor body can not handle that,lol He is great. He always sleeps at the floor near me, not ON me,lol

Ama

[Amatrine]

Originally Posted by Terry

might take a couple days Amatrine , but Murphy and Emma are on their way to your house..

Shoot, they are Pyrs, they can dig their way here,lol

[Terry]

Originally Posted by Amatrine

Shoot, they are Pyrs, they can dig their way here,lol

Murphy used to chew my hand all the time, it was playful and i let him as he didnt hurt me.

just remembered he is 1 year old today

and he quit biting me quite awhile ago but now its Emma's turn and when me and her play she will do the same as he did before but i imagine she will quit also.
they will find a piece of paper or if they can "a roll of toilet paper' and tear it to shreds, and i cant see that ever ending

pretty sure its just born in them and something we/you will always have to watch...

Terry

[Amatrine]

Oh yes, Butters LOVES toilet paper! I have to remember to keep bathroom doors closed.