Great Pyr Puppy Problem

[Bear Foot Farm]

I want to be able to take my pup everywhere as soon as his shots are done.
Plus he'll be going to puppy class,

That's fine for a pet, but this is an LGD. (Or should be, since that's what they are bred for)​

 

[equine623]

I think the first question is what and how much experience do you have handling and training dogs? For someone who is experienced and has handled multiple dogs of various breeds, ages and temperaments, then the answer of what to do next will vary. If this is your first puppy, and she is showing that much aggression/dominance at such a young age, then without a doubt you need a qualified trainer. You simply cannot risk screwing up a dog that will get to a size where she can kill a person.

I agree with some of the other posters, being taken at 6 weeks from mom and litter mates is way too early, she never had a chance to learn crucial social skills. Now you need to fix and undo what has already been.

But I think without knowing what your experience is and what your training ability is, the best answer is for you to find a trainer who can evaluate you, the dog and the situation and turn this into a positive working relationship.

Good luck

 

[bagendhens]

i never have a problem with scruffing done right...

however scruffing and SHAKING a 9 week puppy untill it thinks your going to kill it...thats NOT training.

as i said before a scruf should be a short sharp shock the equvalent of a nip...
you do not want your puppy thinking your trying to KILL it...which is the ONLY time dominant dog would SHAKE another dog...is when it means to kill it...

you want your dog to respect you...but it should also trust you...especially a dog who will eventually be big enough to take YOU out...
you need to form a true relationship with the dog...FEAR is not a good relationship to buld wiht a dog whos instinct is to protect its flock with its life...you still need to be able to work with and around this dog whn its full grown.

again, no problem with scruffing whn its done right, QUICK and SUDDEN, it should be a SHORT SHARP SHOCK

shaking a puppy into neer oblivion...not so much.

 

[mekasmom]

Quote:
Really? you'd SIT on a 9 week old puppy? I think that might be a little over the top.

Yes, I would sit over top of it. Obviously I wouldn't put all my weight on it to kill it. But it would know I was over it just like a dog will sit on another one to hold it down in submission. I have done it many times, and never hurt one of them.

 

[mekasmom]

Quote:
I take it that you don't have LGDs? agility? herding? Definitely not LGD. LOL

LGDs are more like
"I will come if I want to if you have food in your hand"

They don't herd, they sleep. LOL I cannot imagine having a GP herd anything except a food dish.

 

[bagendhens]

but dogs dont sit on eachtoher or pin each other down as a natural dominance behaviour...

they will sit on eachother in play, but as a truly submissive posture dogs do NOT hold eachother down.
again the submissive roll over show belly posture is an Offered behaviour, the only time the behaviour is forced is again if the one doing the forcing intends to kill the subordinate...otherwise the submissive dog willingly OFFERS its belly/neck...

they will stand OVER the submissive dog but they dont hold eachother down.

 

[eenie114]

I agree with another poster.... Zero tolerance. That being said, Pyr's have extended puppy-hoods, so don't expect angelic behavior anytime soon. Mine will be two this Christmas, and has only just now started outgrowing puppy-like behavior.

And like Bear Foot Farm said, remember this dog is a WORKING dog, not a fluffy little lap dog. No way in heck you'll be able to take him everywhere. In fact, he won't be able to go MOST places due to the sheer size of this breed.

agility, herding, puppy coursing, see what the dog likes to do best and go with that.

GPs aren't herding dogs... If you want a herding dog, you may want to try a herding breed. GPs are GUARDIAN dogs. Their instinct and job is to beat the living sh*t out of any threat that sets foot in it's territory.

Again, teaching to walk on a leash.... When in this dog's life will it ever be on a leash?!

You know how big they get, right?​

 

[LyonFuzz]

This pup most definately needs to be leash trained. It will learn to respect you and bond to you as the leader. Besides, I certainly hope this dog will be leashed and taken to a vet periodically. Especially because of the size of pyrs this dog AND owner will benefit from leash training

 

[thebritt]

Quote:
That's fine for a pet, but this is an LGD. (Or should be, since that's what they are bred for)

My GP HATES to leave "his" property. These dogs stake out "their" (your) territory and guard it from strangers, be they people, coyotes, hawks, whatever. Just sayin' -
As for nipping that aggression in the bud - absolutely! What I did when my GP was a pup was to immediately push him onto his back, hold him down firmly (no choking!) by his throat/chest, and give him a throaty, growly "NOOO!!!" right in his face. I never struck him (dominating dogs don't hit each other - they will, however, knock the offender over and snarl in it's face). This is the same technique I used when he was 4 mos old and thought young chickens might be a fun toy. Had to do that twice, then he got it. He's now 7+ yrs old, and I've never had to worry about aggression issues with family. When we have guests in the yard, I chain him under his cedar tree, where he can watch what's going on, but knows it's not up to him to worry about my friends. My boy is huge - 150 lbs - and it's really important to gain their respect at a young age (as it is with EVERY dog - even chihuahuas!).
Good luck - hope you've gotten some advice you can use. Maybe Jaimee the dog trainer will chime in - she's helped me a lot.

 

[laseterlass]

The best way to communicate with your pup is in a way they will understand. An adult dog will not tolerate an out of hand pup. They grab by the back of the kneck hold the pup down and grumble. We had a cocker pup that bit kids on the nose. She was not being mean, she was being a pup. I used this method and it stopped fast. She and my 18 year old daughter were the best of pals for 14 years.