tips

Great Pyrenees Tips (from people who know the breed)

June 28, 2018 39 Comments

There can be a lot of misinformation about the Great Pyrenees breed out there. We polled thousands of Great Pyrenees lovers to get their top Great Pyrenees tips.

Great Pyrenees. I could talk about them all day — ask anyone who knows me 😉 On It’s Dog or Nothing, I’m always trying to educate about the breed to help people decide if it’s the right fit.

Instead of me rambling on again, I asked thousands of pyr lovers for their advice to new or prospective pyrents. So many people submitted wonderful responses that I couldn’t include them all in this post. However, the links to all the Great Pyrenees tips are at the bottom of this post.

Top Great Pyrenees Tips:

“Get over thinking you can stop the barking. It can be managed, not stopped.” – Karen Pike

“Barking is innate. Just deal.” – Nicole Bethea

“Don’t continuously yell for your Pyrenees to come. They may see or hear something you didn’t; they may be in a trance. Go out and thank them and pet them to get their attention, then walk them inside.” – Cammi Lynn Brown

[Read more…]

10 Tips for Training a Great Pyrenees

January 5, 2018 76 Comments

Are you struggling training a Great Pyrenees or just interested in improving your skills? Here are ten tips to train a Great Pyrenees.

In honor of National Train Your Dog month, I wanted to address training a Great Pyrenees. Training a Great Pyrenees isn’t like training most dogs—they aren’t necessarily “eager to please.” While a Golden Retriever may do what you say because you said so, a pyr won’t be so likely.

I absolutely love training Great Pyrenees. They push me to my limits and challenge me in ways I never knew possible. Some days, they’re lucky their fluffy butts are so darn cute 😉 I’ve learned a few things over the years, so here are my top ten tips for training a Great Pyrenees.

Be Patient

I cannot express how important patience is when training a Great Pyrenees. Pyrs do what they want on their own time. Don’t be surprised if your pyr takes ten or fifteen seconds to follow the command you asked for.

While it’s tempting, do not repeat your command over and over (i.e. “Sit, sit, SIT, SIT, SIT!!”). Ask your dog to sit and wait. If after several seconds your dog doesn’t listen or becomes distracted by something else, refocus and ask for the sit again. They will test you, so patience is a must.

Related: My Training Confession

Be Confident

A continuation of “be patient” is to be confident. A Great Pyrenees will challenge you. They are independent dogs that were bred to do their job without humans. That instinct doesn’t disappear in pet pyrs.

Confidence is not harsh. It’s sticking by what you asked your dog and requiring follow through. Which leads me to…

Keep It Positive

The Great Pyrenees is an extremely sensitive breed, despite their large size and sometimes intimidating demeanor. Hitting, screaming, alpha rolling, or other similar behavior will only harm your relationship with your pyr. If your pyr can’t trust you, he certainly won’t want to work with you.

Focus on Bonding

I have noticed that the most obedient pyrs are the ones who have the greatest bonds with their people. Bonding doesn’t mean the dog is always by your side — rather you can feel the relationship you have with your dog.

Take your dog on walks, trips to the store — just spend time together. Always let your pup know when you’re happy. Praise is an amazing motivator when training a Great Pyrenees.

Keep a Sense of Humor

You’re going to lose your mind. It’s a part of having a Great Pyrenees, especially an adolescent. When you’ve been trying to get your pyr to sit for five minutes or get him inside all evening, you’re going to go a bit insane. Keep a sense of humor or no one will survive 😉

Take It Slow

Pyrs are exceptionally smart, but they get bored easily. I never work with the big floofs for more than 10 minutes and only 5 minutes for baby floof. However, I do this several times per day. Add little down-stay sessions while you’re cooking dinner or brushing your teeth. Get creative and have fun with it!

Practice Everywhere

Your pyr can have a rock solid down-stay in your home, but that will rarely translate into other situations. Get out and about to work with different stimulants and distractions. I love walking through pet-friendly stores to work on basic commands and overall socialization.

Use the Right Tools

Great Pyrenees are big, strong dogs. Adolescent pyrs will often drag you down the street. Gentle Leaders and no-pull harnesses are great positive tools for working on loose leash walking. Remember, these are tools, not solutions. It’s imperative to continue training and use these tools to keep you on your feet as they learn.

Prepare for Setbacks

When they are puppies, you’ll think you have it all figured out. They’re listening immaculately, picking up on every skill, and just wonderful dogs. Then adolescence hits and your pyr suddenly forgets everything. He’s shredding things in the house again and looks at you like you have three heads when you ask for a simple down. This is normal and also why so many pyrs get surrendered at this age.

It’s all well and good when your 30-pound puppy is prancing around like a maniac. It’s a completely different story when your 100-pound puppy is doing the same thing. Plan for this to occur and never stop training.

Understand the Breed

This is, by far, the most important thing when training your Great Pyrenees. If you understand the breed and how their minds work, you’ll have greater success. Here are a few articles if you’re looking for more information.

What tips do you have for training your Great Pyrenees?

10 Tips for a Happy Great Pyrenees

December 6, 2016 84 Comments

I’m always trying to figure out what I can do to keep Mauja and Atka happy. While the fluffies are our whole world, I continually feel there is more I could do for them. After much thought, I came up with 10 tips for a happy Great Pyrenees.

Buy an expensive dog bed

Then watch the dog bed sit in the corner collecting dust while your Great Pyrenees prefers to lay on the cool, hard floor. Or completely take over your couch. One of the two.

Set up play dates

You want to keep your Pyrenees exercised and socialized. After 5 minutes of play, realize Pyrenees has settled into guard dog duty in the shade instead.

10 Signs of a Backyard Breeder

April 7, 2014

EDIT: Note this is a GENERAL guideline, not a definitive list of what constitutes an irresponsible breeder. Many amazing breeders will not adhere to these statements, but they are things to consider. Always use your best judgement.

I believe that purchasing a puppy from a breeder or adopting a rescue dog is a very personal choice. I have a hard time listening to the constant “adopt, don’t shop” slogan. I work with several rescues and definitely believe there is a perfect shelter dog for most people.

However, there are certain people that prefer to purchase from a breeder. We need to be a more accepting culture and allow people to make the appropriate choice for their family.