Our Pals

A Pyr can bark for a little more than a few different reasons, but there is always a reason. If they’re not injured or ill, then they’re most likely on duty. The breed is known to stay with the flock within their boundaries, and their first line of defense is their extraordinary hearing ability, then their vision. If they hear a potential threat, they will try to verify it with sight, while trying to intimidate it to stay away, hence the bark. If they can’t verify the threat is gone, they will stay committed to their job, that’s what they are bred to do. The part some people don’t know is, when the bark changes somewhat, usually within the fifth bark, they are seeking assistance from another guardian. The other guardian doesn’t have to have 4 legs and long white fur.   

The key to relieve the excessive barking from your Great Pyrenees is a successful partnership. The Great Pyrenees work in teams and protect by dissuasion and intimidation. Never forget, there is always a reason a Pyr barks. One of the reasons is medical, a Pyr that doesn’t feel good, is a grumpy Pyr, so make sure you clear the medical first. The perquisite to the partnership is, your Pyr needs to know he/she can turn to you for help, guidance, approval, and protection. If you don’t have that, then your Pyr is probably “ruling the roost”, and you won’t have a say, you’ll need to work on that first. For almost everyone else, if you have excessive barking issue outdoors, then you most likely have the issue indoors too, and that’s where you start. Please understand, every Pyr parent sees their Pyr through different eyes and have different expectations. Every Pyr has a different personality, and rescues may have unknown backgrounds like neglect, and/or abuse, and nobody knows your dog better than you do. There are no textbook technics. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something with your dog, then don’t do it! Reach out to someone that knows your breed. Rescues can usually point you in the right direction. Ok, back to the barking. When your Pyr goes to the window to bark, they’re doing it because they see a potential threat. Go to the window with your dog, kneel with him/her, see what they see, thank them for doing their job, talk to them, then call them away from the window, then give them a different job. A job= peanut butter Kong, puzzle toy, snuffle mat, or something that stimulates their brain. If you have multiple dogs, there will be one that always barks first, partner with that dog, the others should follow. That's an example of force free training. 

Walking your dog should be fun, but if they’re dragging you around, that’s probably not enjoyable for either of you. Here’s something to try. Required tools: patience. When your dog starts pulling, just stop, don’t say anything, and DO NOT tug on the leash, wait them out. When the dog comes back to you, then just start walking again. When she/he pulls again, repeat, only this time when your dog comes back to you, put your finger to your nose and say “look at me”, then start walking again. Here’s what you are doing. You are allowing to figure out on their own why he/she couldn’t go anywhere, then you added that he/she has to check in with you, because everything goes through you. That's an example of force free training.