- Joined
- Nov 20, 2010
- Messages
- 7
- Likes
- 0
- Points
- 0
My husband and I are currently on the list for a Pyrenean Mountain Dog pup who will be available around January. We met with the breeder yesterday and she was fabulous. She breeds amazing, healthy Pyrs and I was very, very impressed. I'm really confident that if we get a pup from her, it will be a very healthy, sound dog.
However, some of the things she said sort of made me rethink this breed for us. We were originally drawn to the Pyrs because we wanted a mellow dog that was low energy, but still a bit of a challenge to train because of their independence and stubbornness. I was really keen on getting a Doberman that I could compete with in Schutzhund and agility, but then I found out I was pregnant and there was no way that I was going to have the time or the energy to train that kind of dog. So my husband and I started looking at a lower energy breed for a sort of "starter dog", and that's how we got to the Pyr.
But meeting our breeder's dogs, I really got the feeling that we were going to be less of dog owners and more of, well the dog's roommate really. The breeder made it seem like training a Pyr was after a certain point futile, because they only do what's convenient for them. Her dogs were well housebroken, they knew not to jump up on furniture and were as friendly as can be expected of Pyrs who have strangers in their home, but they weren't exactly eager to interact with their owners or to listen to commands. I sort of looked at the breeder's training methods with a bit of scrutiny, she would do things like call them over, and then when they wouldn't come she would go to the treat bowl and say "treat". And then she would say things like "I wouldn't do this with a Border Collie, but you have to with a Pyr". She was also very into "dominating" the dog, saying things like it was important not to walk over a Pyr when he was laying in front of a doorway, because that teaches him that he's boss. And then there was the "there's no hope of you training a recall for a Pyr" comment. I know that they like to wander and recalls are hard to train them, but I don't take that to mean it can't be done!
There were so many little things that she said and did around her dogs that made it seem like she was dealing with a different species from your average dog. I know Pyrs are different to other breeds, but I didn't expect them to be that different. Her dogs are primarily outdoor dogs, so I'm sure our dog who is going to be indoors with the family will act much differently, however I couldn't shake this uneasy sort of feeling I had of really not knowing what the heck to do, and feeling like I was in the dark about how to raise and train one of these dogs. One thing that made me a bit nervous was the fact that our breeder told us we were gong to have huge problems getting a male Pyr to get along with another male dog (we fully intend on getting a male Doberman a few years down the line when I have a bit more time on my hands and when our daughter's older) because Pyrs are a very dominant breed. This is something that, if a Doberman breeder warned me about, I would waive off and feel that with early socialisation around other dogs, neutering, and careful introduction of the two dogs, that I would be able to do it with no problems. But with a Pyr? Honestly I got a little nervous when she said that. I tend to have a lot of faith in my ability to train dogs, I've always done well with the shelter dogs I've dealt with and really there's never been a dog I've encountered who I didn't think I could train. I didn't feel this way around her dogs though. Again, not sure if it's how they were raised and because they're kept outside, or if it's the breed!
However, some of the things she said sort of made me rethink this breed for us. We were originally drawn to the Pyrs because we wanted a mellow dog that was low energy, but still a bit of a challenge to train because of their independence and stubbornness. I was really keen on getting a Doberman that I could compete with in Schutzhund and agility, but then I found out I was pregnant and there was no way that I was going to have the time or the energy to train that kind of dog. So my husband and I started looking at a lower energy breed for a sort of "starter dog", and that's how we got to the Pyr.
But meeting our breeder's dogs, I really got the feeling that we were going to be less of dog owners and more of, well the dog's roommate really. The breeder made it seem like training a Pyr was after a certain point futile, because they only do what's convenient for them. Her dogs were well housebroken, they knew not to jump up on furniture and were as friendly as can be expected of Pyrs who have strangers in their home, but they weren't exactly eager to interact with their owners or to listen to commands. I sort of looked at the breeder's training methods with a bit of scrutiny, she would do things like call them over, and then when they wouldn't come she would go to the treat bowl and say "treat". And then she would say things like "I wouldn't do this with a Border Collie, but you have to with a Pyr". She was also very into "dominating" the dog, saying things like it was important not to walk over a Pyr when he was laying in front of a doorway, because that teaches him that he's boss. And then there was the "there's no hope of you training a recall for a Pyr" comment. I know that they like to wander and recalls are hard to train them, but I don't take that to mean it can't be done!
There were so many little things that she said and did around her dogs that made it seem like she was dealing with a different species from your average dog. I know Pyrs are different to other breeds, but I didn't expect them to be that different. Her dogs are primarily outdoor dogs, so I'm sure our dog who is going to be indoors with the family will act much differently, however I couldn't shake this uneasy sort of feeling I had of really not knowing what the heck to do, and feeling like I was in the dark about how to raise and train one of these dogs. One thing that made me a bit nervous was the fact that our breeder told us we were gong to have huge problems getting a male Pyr to get along with another male dog (we fully intend on getting a male Doberman a few years down the line when I have a bit more time on my hands and when our daughter's older) because Pyrs are a very dominant breed. This is something that, if a Doberman breeder warned me about, I would waive off and feel that with early socialisation around other dogs, neutering, and careful introduction of the two dogs, that I would be able to do it with no problems. But with a Pyr? Honestly I got a little nervous when she said that. I tend to have a lot of faith in my ability to train dogs, I've always done well with the shelter dogs I've dealt with and really there's never been a dog I've encountered who I didn't think I could train. I didn't feel this way around her dogs though. Again, not sure if it's how they were raised and because they're kept outside, or if it's the breed!