I do what I want!
Great Pyrenees dogs are bred to be independent. Their "job" is usually to stay out in the field with sheep or goats for long periods of time. They are not suited for obedience training. At all.
Lately she has to be on a leash, or else she won't stay with us when we go for walks.
She doesn't mind the leash - in fact she gets excited when she sees it, because she knows that it means walkies.
But the very instant that we turn and head back for home, she starts acting like a crazy dog.
The leash is not a toy!
I've read that Pyrs can stay in a puppy-like behavioral stage longer than most other dogs. Two years or more.
She'll be two in March. Something tells me that she's not going to settle down any time soon.
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25 comments:
She is so beautiful! That first picture made me want to just give her a big hug. My Golden is 2 1/2 and has pretty much settled down. I had a Chocolate Lab once who thought she was a puppy until she was 5! Bonnie was one of the best dogs I ever had.
Love the pix of Jasmine. However, I know first-hand that it's a myth that Pyrs aren't suited for obedience training. Sure, they're independent and stubborn. And sometimes my Pyr would just sit down and quit in class if he got too hot. And a Pyr will never give the instant, reliable responses that you get from some other breeds like collies. But they can do very well in a good class (clear commands, firm corrections, lots of positive reinforcement: treats, praise, play with other dogs). I think it's worth the extra effort with a Pyr, not so much to have a dog that "heels" and so on as to get the right relationship established between the human/boss dog and the Pyr. My Pyr loved the classes so we went all the way from Puppy Kindergarten through Canine Good Citizen and Intermediate Obedience, and then even tried Agility, which was hilarious.
By the way, I think I remember being taught that leash-grabbing is not playful behavior - it's Jasmine saying "Hey, don't you know I'm the boss here?" Which is not a belief you want to let a huge dog get away with.
Lin that's good to hear, that Pyrs can be trained somewhat.
By the way, Hubby lets her get away with a LOT more than I do. When she tries to bite the leash with me, I tell her "no ma'am!" and stop walking until she quits. She gets the idea and has pretty much stopped doing it when I walk her. I'm the "bad cop" in this family I guess. :)
KF, she can be really funny sometimes but mostly I'm longing for the day when she settles down!
My Jazz is part German Shepherd and part G. Pyr...where does that leave me. I have to have her on a leash because she will run like the wind after every squirrel, rabbit, dog, cat, leaf...etc if I don't. And...unless I call her as soon as she spots her victim, she runs off and pays no attention to me. She has scared quite a few leashless dogs around here.
Jasmine is so beautiful. Your photos definitely catch her in her defiant mood. Dogs do take a lot of time and effort to get them to behave. But it's still better than cats who will never understand "heel" no matter the time and effort.
My sister is trying to train her seven-month old Great Dane pup. The pup seems to have other plans! She's already nearly a hundred pounds of "I've got my own ideas..."
Good luck.
She is lovely!! My dog grabs the leash in his excitement when we first start for a walk! He bounces up and down and I have to make him hold still to even get the collar on. Once we are off the porch and moving then he's fine!
Jasmine is beautiful! I have a one year old husky who is still very much a puppy.
Yeah! Jasmine pictures! She is beautiful.
You might need a visit from that "Dog Whisperer" guy on Animal Planet.
We tried the "Dog Yeller" guy, but that wasn't a very satisfying experience.
Ike turned 2 the end of October, and he has settled down quite a bit. I agree, pyrs can be obedience trained. I actually got Ike to do a 3-minute down/stay off-leash in the house the other night, in exchange for a corn dog :) Pyrs make excellent service or therapy dogs, and basic obedience is required for that.
That said, I still don't think I'll ever be able to trust him off-leash.
Madeline can tell you that agility with a Pyr is an interesting experience :)
I had a cocker that was a "puppy" until he was 12-13 years old. He didn't chew, but he was very playful and energetic. He was 17+ when he died.
she is a living doll!!! sadie used to try the same thing with her leash. it is as if she thought you couldn't use it to control where she goes, if she's got it in her mouth. i usually just stopped walking and made her sit when she did it. that must have got pretty boring for a border collie. for whatever reason she knocked it off. they make you wonder who's training whom sometimes.
I love seeing your pictures of Jasmine. We had a Pyr when I was growing up whom we all loved, but I have to tell you that my mother's nickname for her was "Fat-Head". This is the dog that bashed her way out the front door and bolted across the street, hit a VW bug (not vice-versa), and dented the car. The dog was fine and was very pleased with herself. We had no sheep for her to guard, but she used to stand over the gerbil cage, a leg at each corner, guarding the rodents from the cats, and occasionally she'd lie down on top of the baby to, um, keep her warm.
A lot of people who have giant breeds say it's safe to assume puppyhood lasts till they're 3.
Oh but she's so cuuuute :D
Hey I had to delete somebody's comment because there was a certain word in it. :) I reposted the comment and the site address but changed the username a bit.
Sorry to have to do that!
But a couple of teachers I know like to show the critter pics to their kids at school sometimes, and the page won't come up if certain words are in it.
I forgot to add - please feel free to continue to make comments, if you'll allow me to change the username.
Thanks everybody for all the comments.
Hey Tiruncula, did you know that every time your picture tries to load, it asks me for a password? :)
D'oh, sorry 'bout that, R - I didn't know it did that! I don't know why. I'll fiddle around with my profile and see if I can fix it.
Also, it won't let me click over to see your blog... says I'm not authorized. Didn't know if it was supposed to do that or not...?
Jasmine takes after your hubby's side of the family -free spirited! She could teach the Dog Whisperer a thing or two!
You might also try the leashes that have to extra loop down nearer the dog. When she starts acting up, you could shorten the lead on her.
Just a thought, of course.
With the space you have, you have a lot of leeway on how much you want her to behave.
But it is a good idea to be the 'boss' of a big dog.
I always love it when you include pictures and stories about Jasmine in your posts... I still chuckle when I remember the post about her coming up behind you on the path with a stick in her mouth ... and bopping you on the back of the legs.
Great dog!!!
she's precious :) Our shorthaired pointer has gone through 6 leashes, and she's only 9 months old. She thinks they're chew toys- in fact the whole world is just one big chew toy. I obedience trained my rottie and this dog is much more bullheaded than my rott ever was and is not taking to obedience training well, but each breed is so different. They trully do have their own unique personalities.
My brother farms and they had a dog that looks exactly like yours dumped at their house. He is huge. He stands in the road and cars slow down. Probably grew to big for a city dweller. They were going to give him away, but have decided they can't part with him.
I love Jasmine. She can drag me around anytime. My Dobe is 8 and as obedient as he needs to be (nothing showy but he never wanders out of eyesight and comes instantly at a gallop when called, which is good enough for me). However, he still has moments of utter idiocy, especially if there are squirrels around. I don't think dogs ever quite lose their ability to be fools.
Jasmine is beautiful!
Your photos are amazing, too!
Hi your dog seems to be the boss untill its put in its place it will run sh*t I dont think its ever a good idea to hit the dog but I would pull the chain with a chocker very hard and say no to let the dog no that you wont stand for it when she stops tell her good girl and some love dogs can be your best friend but they need to know your the boss or the pack leader a good start is to make your dog sit befor it eats make the dog sit befor it goes out side make the dog sit befor you do anything that it wants to do untill he she knows who is the boss I have a 1 year old female dobe and it still has been a long ride to get her under control but she knows I call the shots and not her dogs need a leader and if she dont see you as that guy she will own you and she will be the boss
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