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All Things Great Pyrenees

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My Great Pyrenees Won’t Come When Called!

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I hear it all the time, "My Great Pyrenees won't come when called!" You're not alone. While you'll probably never have a 100% reliable recall with your pyr, there is another way to ensure your dog stays safe.

Today, we’re joining the Positive Pet Training Blop Hop which is all about recall this week.

[insert exasperated sigh from all the pyrents out there]

If there’s one thing a Great Pyrenees does exceptionally well, it’s NOT coming when called. It should really be a pyr super power. The ability to tune out any sort of come command unless the word treat, walk, hungry, or ride is included in the statement.

Some pyrs don’t even care about the extra word. Nothing you can offer is going to make them get off their fluffy butts. Nothing.

Great Pyrenees Tricks
The accuracy of this is beyond hilarious.

If you share your life with a pyr, you are fully aware that an off-leash pyr is a disapyr. There are a few exceptions (I could probably name the pyrs that I know that can be off-leash on one hand), but the vast majority cannot be trusted off-leash. They immediately become deaf and roam to patrol their territory, which they believe is everything the light touches (yes, that was supposed to be a Lion King reference).

From here on out, I’m going to generalize all Great Pyrenees. There are pyrs that can be trusted and I don’t need a ton of comments telling me that pyrs can be trained because yours is. I know that some can be, but they are the exception, not the norm. So to save myself from saying, “the vast majority”, 17 billion times, I’m just going to add this disclaimer here 🙂

Moving on.

You can be an all-star trainer, but you will never be able to train a Great Pyrenees to have a 100% reliable recall. If anyone wants to accept the pyr recall challenge, let me know and I’ll let you borrow Mauja. However, you must allow me to supervise all training sessions so I can make a video at the end. You have to laugh or you’ll lose your mind with this breed.

Best breed ever, but such stinkers.

Now, all hope is not lost! While training a Great Pyrenees to have a 100% reliable recall on a day to day basis just isn’t realistic, a recall can be literally life-saving. It’s definitely not a skill to neglect.

In working on recall with your Great Pyrenees, it’s important to remember why they typically won’t come when called. The Great Pyrenees is an extremely independent breed. Pyrs are a livestock guardian dog (LGD) and work independently from humans. No one is coaching them through their job day and night.

The lack of human direction made it absolutely necessary for them to be able to function on their own. Even if your Great Pyrenees isn’t working the farm, he will still harbor this instinct. Don’t fight it, embrace it, or you will set yourself up for a lifetime of frustration with your pyr.

I hear it all the time, "My Great Pyrenees won't come when called!" You're not alone. While you'll probably never have a 100% reliable recall with your pyr, there is another way to ensure your dog stays safe.

While I knew exactly what I was getting into when we brought Mauja home, I was confident that I could train out the barking and build a reliable recall. I had done it with tons of dogs before and had an awesome trainer backing me up – there was no reason I couldn’t do it.

Yeah, I was a complete fool.

Mauja challenged me in ways I never thought possible (and I thought our husky mix was a piece of work!) and taught me so much. Most importantly, she taught me to not only accept, but love breed-specific traits.

Let me tell you, I’m obsessed with all things Pyrenees.

Rather than fighting her and ultimately frustrating us both, I opted for a much more realistic recall for her and Atka. The emergency recall.

The Emergency Recall

While living in California, our trainer suggested teaching the emergency recall so we had something in case we ever had a life-threatening situation. We never let Mauja off-leash anywhere that wasn’t fenced, but accidents happen and we wanted to be prepared.

Since training the recall, we’ve only had to use it once for Mauja and it worked like a charm.

Before we started using a harness for Mauja, she slipped out of her collar after being spooked by something. She then heard a dog bark and sprinted across the street toward the noise. After brief panic, I composed myself and yelled,

“Mauja! PRONTO!”

She immediately stopped and happily pranced back toward me. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The training had paid off.

The emergency recall is a skill I will teach all of my dogs and recommend that everyone, especially those with a Great Pyrenees do the same. The best part, it’s a surprisingly easy skill to teach.

I hear it all the time, "My Great Pyrenees won't come when called!" You're not alone. While you'll probably never have a 100% reliable recall with your pyr, there is another way to ensure your dog stays safe.
“You want us to do what?”

Training the Emergency Recall

  • Come up with a command for your emergency recall. Make sure it is something you can easily remember, yet isn’t likely to be used in everyday conversation. We use the word “pronto”. You can also use a noise – Maggie from Oh My Dog! uses a two-note whistle. I’m not talented enough for that, but it’s a great option if you can whistle!
  • Grab plenty of high value treats – something your dog doesn’t get in usual training sessions. You want this treat to be extremely special! Perhaps some cooked chicken or lean hamburger meat.
  • Start off in an easy location (e.g. your house) and stand just a few feet away from your dog. Say the command, “pronto!”, in a high-pitched voice with happy, excited posture to entice your dog to come to you.
  • When you dog makes it to you, reward him/her with treats for 20-30 seconds. Don’t just open your hand and let your dog snack away. Reward treat by treat for the full length of time. Endless, single treats are perceived to be a higher value than a pile of the same number of treats. You want it to feel like your dog hit the jackpot!
  • After you’ve finished with the treats, let your dog go back to whatever he/she was doing. Often, “come” is associated with fun ending (coming in from outside, leaving the park) so let the fun continue as it was.
  • Practice, practice, practice!

Once you have a good hang of the emergency recall in the house, it’s time to start adding distance and distractions. We used a long line in open areas and gradually worked our way up from there.

It is important to avoid using the emergency recall in non-emergency situations. Repeat usage in everyday situations (other than practice) will reduce the overall strength of the recall. You never know when the emergency recall will save your dog’s life, so be sure to keep it to true emergency situations.

If your Great Pyrenees won’t come, you can still train this life-saving skill.

Does your dog have an emergency recall?

Positive Pet Training Blog HopI hear it all the time, "My Great Pyrenees won't come when called!" You're not alone. While you'll probably never have a 100% reliable recall with your pyr, there is another way to ensure your dog stays safe.

No, Your Giant Breed Does Not Need a Prong Collar

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So many people assume that the only way to control a giant breed dog is through force such as a choke or prong collar. There are so many detriments to using such an aversive tool. Thankfully, there are better ways to ensure your dog doesn't pull you down the street.

No, Your Giant Breed Does Not Need a Prong Collar

Nothing hurts my heart more than to see a dog wearing a prong collar. I often wonder why the individual is using a prong collar on his/her dog. Oftentimes, it’s simply a lack of knowledge or misinformation.

Prong collars are used far too frequently, especially when it comes to giant breeds. So many people believe that prong collars are the only way to control such a large dog. I am able to walk Mauja and Atka (who easily outweigh me) by myself without the use of prong collars, choke collars, or any other aversive. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

What Are Prong Collars?

A prong collar is a device that has fang-shaped, metal prongs and is worn around the dog’s neck – much like a regular, flat collar. When the dog pulls, the prong collar creates a pinching sensation that causes the dog pain and discomfort.

Prong collars are a form of positive punishment. Don’t let the word “positive” confuse you. Positive punishment means that a negative consequence occurs after an undesired behavior. You are adding (hence the positive) a consequence to prevent a future behavior. Another example of positive punishment would be receiving a speeding ticket after driving too fast on your way to work.

Prong collars can also be looked at as a form of negative reinforcement. For example, after the dog learns that pulling causes the collar to pinch, he stops pulling. The dog changes his behavior (pulling) to prevent an aversive stimulus (pinching).

So many people assume that the only way to control a giant breed dog is through force such as a choke or prong collar. There are so many detriments to using such an aversive tool. Thankfully, there are better ways to ensure your dog doesn't pull you down the street.

Consequences of Prong Collars

Studies have shown over and over that pulling and jerking of the leash (on any form of collar) is extremely harmful to the dog’s neck and throat. Many dogs experience bruising on their neck and even eye damage. I see more puncture wounds in the dog’s neck than I care to say.

Physical damage aside, there are mental/emotional consequences of utilizing prong collars. Perhaps you’re struggling with your dog pulling toward other dogs while on a walk. Leash corrections don’t do anything to address the root cause of the issue. They do, however, increase behavioral issues such as fear and anxiety.

Our first dog, Kaeto, had horrible leash reactivity. We learned that in his prior home he had received leash corrections for over-excitedly pulling toward other dogs. He began to associate strange dogs with the pain of the correction which led him to fear other dogs. Seeing a dog meant pain. Not a good thing.

My Dog Doesn’t Act Like He’s In Pain

This is one of the most common arguments for proponents of prong collars. Just because a dog doesn’t show signs of pain or discomfort, doesn’t mean they aren’t actually experiencing it. Dogs typically have a high pain tolerance and won’t show pain most of the time. This is especially true for Great Pyrenees. The Great Pyrenees not only has a high pain tolerance but doesn’t let pain impact his job. It takes a very high-level of pain for a Great Pyrenees to react.

Another argument is that prong collars don’t cause pain if they are used properly. This is completely and utterly false. If they didn’t cause pain, they wouldn’t work. Going back to positive punishment and negative reinforcement, either the dog is receiving an unpleasant stimulus or the pain is removed after doing the “right thing”. Pain is involved either way.

So many people assume that the only way to control a giant breed dog is through force such as a choke or prong collar. There are so many detriments to using such an aversive tool. Thankfully, there are better ways to ensure your dog doesn't pull you down the street.

My Dog Gets Excited When I Grab the Prong Collar

What does the prong collar mean to your dog? Does it means he gets to go for a walk or a car ride? Maybe he gets to go to the dog park. Your dog is associating these events with the prong collar. However, he’s not excited to experience pain while out on these adventures.

No, Your Giant Breed Does NOT Need a Prong Collar

When Atka was only 3 months old, we had him in a puppy kindergarten class to work on the basics and on his socialization. The class had an adorable Saint Bernard puppy who was about one month older than Atka. They were the two biggest pups in the class, so they always had a great time wrestling together.

The owner was having a really difficult time working on loose leash walking with her Saint puppy. He would drag her into the building happily pursuing the closest person for pets, thanking them with copious amounts of slobber. After a few weeks, the trainer pulled out a bucket of choke and prong collars and selected one for the puppy. The owner seemed hesitant, but ultimately she allowed the prong collar. He wore it every week after that.

When Atka graduated puppy kindergarten, we decided to sign him up for basic obedience at the same location. Nick and I weren’t completely fond of the trainers, but they had been letting us do our own thing (I was the only one using a clicker). Our options where we live are extremely limited, so we went with what we had.

When signing Atka up, the trainer asked if we had a prong collar and a leather leash. We didn’t, so she started to head to the bucket of pain to grab one for Atka. Mama bear in me picked up Atka and told her absolutely not – she was not putting that on my puppy. We were not allowed to sign up for the next level obedience class.

There seems to be this idea that the only way to control giant breeds is through force. According to so many, giant breeds are strong, tough dogs that need to be put in their place so they don’t take over. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to train a dog that could easily take me down through force and intimidation. I would much prefer to have a dog that trusts me unconditionally.

So many people assume that the only way to control a giant breed dog is through force such as a choke or prong collar. There are so many detriments to using such an aversive tool. Thankfully, there are better ways to ensure your dog doesn't pull you down the street.

There Are Other Options

A few weeks ago, I ran into a couple with an adorable, 7-month old Great Pyrenees. He was stunning, but obviously still in his bouncy puppy phase (remember, giant breeds don’t mature until at least 3 years of age). I had to hide the horror on my face when I noticed the poor guy was wearing a massive prong collar.

Since I absolutely have to talk to anyone with a Great Pyrenees (we all know I’m obsessed), I approached them and we started chatting about their pup. They were in the collar aisle, so I asked if they had ever sought alternatives to the prong collar they were using. They said no because they were having great success with it. Their puppy was much more behaved in public. After discussing the dangers of prong collars and explaining their options, I was thrilled to see them leave with a Gentle Leader in hand.

No Pull Harness

No pull harnesses generally clip in front of the dog’s chest rather than on the back. When the dog pulls, the harness gently steers your dog to the side which allows for more attention to be directed toward you. There are many brands of no pull harnesses available, but we’ve had great success with this Easy Walk Harness with Mauja.

Gentle Leader

The Gentle Leader is my preferred tool for training loose leash walking. I’ve used it on Great Pyrenees, Great Danes, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, and several other giant breeds.

The Gentle Leader works much like a horse halter. When your dog pulls, the leader gently directs his head to the side. This allows you to steer your dog in the desired direction. While out on walks, Atka gets very excited when he sees other dogs. No treat is going to lure his snout around to look at me when he’s highly stimulated. The Gentle Leader allows me to get his focus and then reward him for walking calmly.

The absolute most important thing to remember about the Gentle Leader, or any other head halter, is to not just shove it on your dog and go. Unless your dog is muzzle trained, he is not used to having something around his snout (just like when you first put a collar on a puppy – they’re typically not happy!). The Gentle Leader comes with instructions to desensitize your dog to the sensation so he accepts it just like he would a regular collar. Do not skip this step. Proper training and desensitization are vital to your success.

Training: The Key To Success

Using the above-mentioned tools are great while training your dog to walk politely on a leash. However, it’s important not to allow them to become a crutch. You really have to understand why your dog is pulling so you can successfully train loose leash walking.

There are many tactics and techniques for training loose leash walking. Rather than describe them all, here’s a list of helpful articles:

For More Content

We’re teaming up with Fidose of Reality and Budget Earth to take a stand against the use of prong collars. Head over to their sites to see what they have to say!

So many people assume that the only way to control a giant breed dog is through force such as a choke or prong collar. There are so many detriments to using such an aversive tool. Thankfully, there are better ways to ensure your dog doesn't pull you down the street.

Fluffy Crawl & $1000 in Prizes #TrickorTreatDogs

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Trick or Treat Blog HopFirst, let me say I am SO EXCITED to be a part of this fantastic giveaway hop! Big, fluffy shout out to Jessica and Luna at Beagles & Bargains and Jodi, Kolchak, and Felix at Kol’s Notes for putting this fabulous event together!

The Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop is a sponsored by Lionel Trains, the Art of AJ, pawTree, Dr. Harvey’s, Jones Natural Chews, Puppy Style Treats, Clear Conscience Pet, Whimseez, Loving Pets and Weruva. It’s Dog or Nothing only shares information we believe in and feel you would enjoy.

How Does it Work?

From October 19th – 31st, some amazing dog bloggers will be sharing their favorite trick and hold a treat giveaway! Get it? Trick or treat! Well, maybe trick AND treat? See what I did there? 😉 Here’s an awesome list so you know where to go and when!

Make sure you hop from blogger to blogger to learn all of the fun tricks and enter each giveaway. Best part, every time you enter you will also receive an entry for one of the Three (3) Grand Prizes. These include a Peanuts Halloween Train & Trick or Treat Gondola from Lionel Trains, $300 in dog treats from each of the Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop sponsors, and a Custom Halloween Pet Portrait from The Art of AJ!

The Trick

Guys, I’m not going to lie. I had totally planned on doing “speak” for this video. I taught this to Mauja when she was a puppy and it’s hilarious. She whines and yips – you really have to hear it. However, being a typical Great Pyrenees, Mauja was not into speak when I was trying to record. She absolutely refused. If I moved the camera away, she did it. When I brought the camera back out, she stopped.

Stinker.

So instead, we’re teaching “crawl” today! Mauja and Atka used to be really good at this trick, but it’s been awhile since we’ve worked on it so they needed a bit of a refresher. Check out the video below to see the fluffies crawling and see just how ridiculous training a Great Pyrenees can be.

Guard Dog + Trick Training + Noises = Distracted Fluffy

The Treat

Mauja and Atka LOVE so many of the products from Dr. Harvey’s, so we’re thrilled to be hosting a giveaway for Dr. Harvey’s treats! Enter below for a chance to win the Coconut Smiles and Sweet Potate’r Chews (giveaway open to US only). Two great treats as you teach your pup to crawl! Don’t forget to follow Dr. Harvey’s on Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. Harvey's

What trick do you want to teach your dog?

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Using a Gentle Leader for Loose Leash Walking

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Using the Gentle Leader for Loose Leash WalkingTraining any dog to walk on a loose leash is difficult, let alone a giant breed. Without proper walking skills, a giant breed could easily drag you down the street. Not to mention two giant breeds – yikes!

Mauja and I began working on loose leash walking the day she joined our family. She was doing wonderfully with our training until she turned a year old; that’s when the pulling began. At a year of age, Mauja was already over 100 pounds and very strong. It was difficult for me to hang on to her, but I also hated the pressure on her throat. I worried about potential throat damage down the road.

I was having a difficult time keeping hold of Mauja and juggling the treats, so I started to look into my options.

I had used a Gentle Leader for my first dog, as he was very reactive, and my family’s dogs growing up so I was familiar with the tool. I really, really didn’t want to use it because of how people act when your dog is wearing a Gentle leader – most people think it’s a muzzle and assume your dog is aggressive.

Great Pyrenees Wearing Gentle LeaderI never quite understood that since it’s obvious the dog can open its mouth, but that was the reality.

After a failed attempt at using a no-pull harness, I caved and purchased a Gentle Leader.

The Gentle Leader has been invaluable in training Mauja and Atka. It is absolutely essential that you give your dog time to get used to the leader before attempting any walking with them. Lots of treats and praise will help make the leader exciting rather than upsetting. If you don’t desensitize properly, you could have a dog constantly attempting to paw or rub the leader off.

For me personally, I don’t train a perfect heel for our typical walks. I feel it is much too difficult for a young dog to maintain and I prefer to allow Mauja and Atka to enjoy their surroundings rather than focus on heeling.

Instead, when we hit the pavement for our hour (or more) long walks, I focus on loose leash walking. As long as the leash remains loose, they can sniff as much as they like. They know that they can sniff that flower, but they better move on before the leash tightens because I’m ahead of them. This strategy has worked very well for us.

After about 6 months with the Gentle Leader, Mauja was able to switch to a no-pull harness for our walks. Atka used the leader for the same amount of time, but has graduated to a traditional buckle collar.

Loose leash walking is not an easy skill for dogs. Practice and patience will go a long way.

Positive Pet Training Blog Hop

Back to School Training Goals

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Back to school time doesn't just have to be for the kids! Get your dogs involved with some positive reinforcement training.

Back to school doesn’t just have to be for the kids, it can be for dogs as well! I’ll admit, we slacked a little with training over the summer. With vacations, family visiting, and extra trips, I just didn’t dedicate as much time to training as I should. Now that life is settling back down and we’re getting into a routine, it’s time to get back into it.

As many of you know, Atka is training to be a therapy dog. I’d love for him to meet with military individuals with PTSD and kiddos with autism as these are two things I feel passionate about. Atka has such a wonderful, loving personality and I know he will bring light and happiness to so many individuals.

Right after Atka turned 1, he took and passed the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. I knew he could do it; I was mostly worried about myself! I get easily stressed and worked up about these things. Our next step is for him to take the advanced CGC, or community canine, test. While I know he could pass the test, I’m a little apprehensive due to him still having a few puppy habits that we are working on (leaning on a grown man might be okay, but leaning on a kid is not!).

I work a lot with Atka on his self-control and I plan to ramp that up this fall. I’ve talked about how giant breeds mature much more slowly than other dogs, so even though he is 2 years old, he is not mentally 2. Time and maturity will do wonders, but for now I have to work with what I’ve got!

I hope that in the next few months Atka will have passed his advanced CGC and be on his way to therapy testing (I know you don’t have to have these titles before therapy, but I wanted the extra practice taking tests). He has almost all of the skills down for the therapy test, so I’m excited for us to start visiting people in the near future. It’s going to be so rewarding and who doesn’t want to snuggle a big, white ball of fluff? 😉

My goal for Mauja is much different than Atka. When we moved, she suddenly became nervous in new buildings; although she does great outside. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly happened, but ultimately that doesn’t matter. We have made definite improvements over the past two years, but we still have a long way to go. I need to set aside more time to work with her.

So there you have it – my training goals with the start of the school year. What are your training goals with your dog?

Positive Pet Training Blog Hop

Does Positive Reinforcement Work for Great Pyrenees?

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Does Positive Reinforcement Work for Great Pyrenees?

“The Great Pyrenees is a large sized dog and a dominant breed.”

“The Great Pyrenees is a dominant breed of dog.”

“It (Great Pyrenees) has an independent, somewhat stubborn, nature and may try to dominate a less secure owner.”

Let me start by saying that I do not like the words “dominant”, “submissive”, and “alpha”. Pack theory has be debunked – let’s move past it. I understand some people use these terms in a more humane way, but the stigma still exists.

Before bringing home my first Great Pyrenees, I did a ton of research. Article after article warned me that my Great Pyrenees would be a “dominant dog”. I would have to ensure I was “alpha” to prevent my pyr from taking over or becoming aggressive. I read that my pyr would need corrections, should never be on the couch, or have any of the same treatment as the humans. I started to wonder if I was making the right decision.

I’m thankful I didn’t buy into what I read or else I probably wouldn’t have Mauja and Atka.

Great Pyrenees are independent thinkers and extremely smart. They were bred to work on their own and don’t need to be told how to do their job. Just because a pyr isn’t guarding livestock doesn’t make the instinct go away. They need to be convinced that what you are asking is in their best interest. “Because I said so” doesn’t cut it with this breed.

Due to their intelligence and independence, people often feel these dogs need to be “put in their place”.

The common training method for pyrs and other livestock guardian breeds is to get your dog to respect you through reinforcement and consequences. If you teach your dog to “respect” you through consequences, what kind of a relationship are you creating with your dog?

Not one that I want.

I wanted Mauja and Atka to trust me. To know that I would never hurt them and always look out for their best interest. Does that mean they get to do whatever they want? Does it mean they have taken over the house? No. It means we work together to find a common ground – to build a positive, trusting relationship.

Working with a Great Pyrenees can be a challenging training adventure, but that just makes successes even more rewarding. If you go into training recognizing that your pyr is just as smart (if not smarter) than you, training will be incredibly enjoyable. Personally, I love the challenge of a smart, independent dog. The kind of dog that doesn’t plop into a sit in half a second. The kind of dog that makes me think outside the box. However, that doesn’t mean I snap their collars when they don’t listen or force them off of the couch. It means I became less noticeable than their breed instincts and I need to determine how to get us back on track.

From day one, Mauja and Atka were trained through positive reinforcement. Neither of them have growled at me or tried to “take over the house”. They aren’t possessive and they don’t make the rules. These are things the articles assured me would happen if I didn’t show my pyr I was “alpha”. Mauja and Atka sit politely for food, toys, and to get their leashes on for a walk – regardless of whether or not I have a treat. In true pyr fashion they take their sweet time, but they enjoy my affection and praise. They do this because we have a strong bond, not because they are avoiding consequences.

I challenge everyone with a Great Pyrenees or other livestock guardian breed to try positive reinforcement training. Enhancing your relationship will bring out the best traits in your dog, not to mention yourself 🙂

Positive Pet Training Blog Hop