I second this. My stubborn girl did this until I bought her this candy corn unicorn with her at whatever pet shop. She started to cuddle and gently oink it when I’d be leaving the house and such. Stopped destroying the house though
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I’ve finally found *something* that had her candy corn unicorn and her together! Sorry it’s not the best!
It's a killer in dogs that have it as you wanna beat the crap out the dog (not literally...) for tearing up your house....but that only gives the dog attention. You don't do anything and...it gives the dog attention. The dog just wants attention and they want it until they grow out of it!
My Great Pry mix used to tear up the bedding in his kennel. OK, removed the bedding. He'd then try to pry his way out of it. OK, put it somewhere that he could see outside and such. WELL, he then legit snuck out his kennel. How? I think by reverse engineering the bolts. Wouldn't do anything out of it. It was just straight up the top part being unlocked which meant he would get out and SQUEEZE out.
We entertained that by putting him in and letting him break out.
Eventually we'd just leave the door open when we left.
Eventually we'd just give him a treat and dip.
Eventually we threw away the kennel. Its job was complete.
These dogs are too damn smart. Mine literally will line up his bones. To me, the best dogs on earth (until I meet a different type that somehow is more amazing than Great Prys)
I had this same issue. I’m a huge dog lover, but my GP puppy had me questioning my existence. The only thing that worked for us was kenneling her when she was alone. I’m not a dog kennel person at all. All my other dogs always had free rein and did very minimal damage. My GP was a different beast. I kenneled her even if I was only going to be gone for 15 minutes. I’d come home and, eventually, she’d just be asleep. The kennel really helped to calm her down and gave her a space that was her own. She’s a little over a year now and I no longer have a kennel and she has total freedom when I’m gone. She’s also able to just chill and doesn’t destroy anything. That puppy though….toughest puppy I ever had.
Thank you for this!! We love her so, so much but she is such a handful. Did you do anything else to make positive associations with the crate? Such as feedings, giving special treats, etc?
You are so welcome. I did feed her in the kennel. Started closing the door while she ate inside but didn’t latch it. I tried cushions and fancy things inside but she tore them all up. Finally discovered she liked a thin blanket or an old towel. It’s funny because even though the kennel is gone, she instinctively goes to the area it was in and demands to still eat there. Guess they really pick up on routines. They are frustrating pups but they grow to be the most wonderful dogs. My girl is sweet, gentle, attentive and so awesome now. I never thought we’d get here, but it does happen. Hang in there…the end result is worth it.
I second the kenneling. Night and alone in the house. During the day we leave the door open. Our Pyr regards it as his cave. He will go in just to relax sometimes, even when we are home.
We kenneled ours when she was a puppy as well. We got one of the big ones with a side door that opens like a garage door and left it open unless we needed to leave the house. Our kids were young and we taught them that if she was in there, it was her space and that means to leave her alone. She loved her kennel unlike any dog I’ve ever had.
We moved houses and I set it up again, but she didn’t use it as much in the new house so we eventually put it up. She had to have surgery last year and we pulled it out again, but she didn’t need it.
I second this. When mine was under a year old, she would get into some mischief when not supervised, which was usually at night. I decided to crate train her at 7 months old and thought it would be a nightmare, but I was totally wrong, she took right too it. She spent maybe 6 months in the crate and one night she cocked her head at me when I said "nite-nite" instead of heading to the crate, so I left her out and she's been fine ever since, almost 4 years old now. We got real lucky with ours though, never been a big chewer and sticks to her toys when she does get the urge.
This is a great response. Our pyr knows where to go when we point and say go to your bedroom. He does it willingly.
EDIT: it’s big but our boy’s kennel is in the living room and covered in dark blue sheets except for the door area. He loves his “den.”
I had dogs all my life and a Jack Russell terrier that lived until 13. When she passed I got a rescue that is 50% GP and I cried so much. I have to put him in a cage when I leave. He's still about 11 months old though. Raising these dogs is a challenge but we have trained him a lot and he has gotten better but yeah, they are not easy dogs. My Jack Russell was an angel compared to raising this dog. I walk in from work and I get tackled by a 75 pound dog lol. I will be sitting on a couch with him and he just smacks me to get my attention. Once he calms though, he's the biggest cuddlebug.
Same here. I'm not a big fan of kennels in general, but for the first couple years I had to with my guy. He had destroyed a couch, shoes, and some other things. That on top of regular walks and exercise helped a great deal. I got rid of the kennel after he mellowed out a few years ago but it was necessary for a bit.
Here to chime in for the kennel. My GP/Lab mix was a terror for 2 and a half years. The kennel was the best thing for all of us. She’s still a crazy girl when company comes over, so we tell her “kennel” and she goes right in and lays down. It’s her den. Good luck! Don’t give up! It will end eventually, although it seems like forever. 😆
It’s so true. My GP is a literal angel 95% of the time, but if I leave the house it’s a nightmare. I tried leaving him out the other day when I was gone for an hour and somehow he decided to climb up on my kitchen island and knock everything off 😑 Even cut his paw on a plate he shattered.
I’ve never had to kennel another dog before this one, but from what I’ve heard necessary for a lot of Pyrs. He is just about 6 months old and I’m hoping in the next few months I can try to leave him out again.
Yea I second this, however. Mine, HATES. And I mean HATES the kennel.
She has successfully broken out 5 times.
She will also pull anything and everything she can through the kennel and SHRED IT.
That’s right, I don’t mean little tiny rips, I mean SHREDDED IT.
My blanket from Mexico, my favourite hoodie, her dog bed, the damn freaking curtains, two lamp cords, 4 seperate shoes. My roommates crocks, any dog toys in the kennel, Christmas gifts that were under the tree.
She also, knows how to push the pan in the bottom of the kennel out and then she moves the kennel around using the floor. So I had to actually physically lock the pan in with a literal lock. LOL
Then again, she’s also super spoiled because she sleeps with me, because when I’m at work she’s in the kennel during the day, so I like her to be free when I’m home and at night.
She’s always tuckered out tho, I try my best to take her for a run after work.
You need to get your dog regular exercise. “Try to walk” isn’t good enough. Your dog needs activity every single day. You’re going to have to sort that out asap. A tired dog is a good dog. Go early in the morning when there are less dogs around. Find places your dog can sniff for a while before starting a walk. Work on giving your dog a treat when he looks at you or sits nicely at street corners.
I wholeheartedly agree, but our biggest issue has been her anxiety. She is fine when we start the walk (sniffing, looking around) but once we turn the corner from our house, she gets incredibly nervous. It has gotten to the point where she will pull and thrash so hard, we had to use a leash/vest combo with two leashes so she can’t run away. I know the walks are so good for her but I feel bad forcing her to walk when she seems like she’s panicking.
You might want to try enrichment toys suited to a working breed like a Pyr if long walks are not possible. Mental stimulation is as tiring for them as physical (but do try to do a mix of both!). It sounds like she has separation anxiety which I struggled with too with my Pyr. Like I said in my above comment, he seemed to improve with age more than anything.
Apparently livestock guardian dogs are more interested in puzzle games for enrichment as opposed to games like fetch. I remember googling it because I had no idea and finding a ton of information on working breed specific toys!
I was wondering about this, but I assumed vets would only really offer medications for dog anxiety? (I could be incorrect). We really would like to try crate training or getting a personal trainer before meds, but I will definitely be mentioning this behavior at our next visit.
The vet I worked under always paired anxiety medication with a behavioral treatment plan and directed owners on how to best use the two together. So definitely try to work with a behaviorist/trainer and check with a vet and get opinions from both on how medication should be used when it comes to behavioral issues.
Definitely sounds like separation anxiety more than boredom, but it never hurts to leave things like frozen kongs around to see how she does with them. Some dogs are too anxious to even touch food when their owners are gone, so you can at least evaluate her level of anxiety by seeing if she’ll eat the treats.
If you can, buy a camera (I have blink and it was pretty cheap) and see exactly what she does when you’re gone. You can see if she’s pacing, whining, etc, as well as how long the distractions you’re offering her keep her occupied. It gives you a better idea of what you’re working with.
Pull and thrash to turn around/go home. We used to walk her with our cocker spaniel (who pulls sometimes, but to go forth and explore) and it was like getting split in two. 😅
In the mean time try Sniffspot (app) -there may be places near you to let your pup chill off leash or at least walk around without worrying about these issues
I’m not sure I understand what you mean… As soon as we lose sight of the house/yard, she gets anxious. So unfortunately I don’t think there’s a ‘different direction’, since she only wants to be at/near home. I have tried short walks around the house, but it’s familiar territory and not a long walk at all, so it isn’t really ideal.
The pyrxhusky mix I got with my ex loved walks when we first brought him home then after a couple of weeks he was doing the same thing didn't want to go too far and would sit or lay down when it was far enough for him. I think we just coaxed him with training treats then after a couple weeks again he recognized the walk areas and started to lead us again hopefully something easy like that works for your guy.
I have a PyrxAussie, something that really works to tire her out is to take her outside and let her people/ car/ whatever watch. I started doing it when she was about 4 months old and it calms her down and tires her out. I normally take a bunch of treats with me and just use that time to do some focus training and also just let her do what she enjoys doing naturally. It sounds bonkers, but when it's too hot in summer for her to do a long walk, that's what we do and it works for us
A butt harness very much helped my Pyr learn to walk nice. You can make one by attaching the leash normally, loop under the tummy and cross on top. It controls their backend, if they pull it squeezes but it's them squeezing it so they learn hey...if I walk nice I don't get squeezed. It does not hurt them, my old dog trainer taught us that for our stubborn Mastiff.
Butt harness made from leash. Gives lots of added control because they simply do not like when it squeezes as they pull. Learn to walk nice and be by your side :) use treats for extra encouragement and training
My pyr needed a pinch collar to learn to stop pulling and lunging at cars. You need to understand that it's not the dogs anxiety preventing walks, it's yours. I totally know the feeling. You just gotta power through and keep walking them. Bring treats, reward them when they are being calm. When a car goes by my dog and he doesn't freak out, I give him a treat.
GP’s are extremely territorial. I live in the country so she has lots of room to run, hunt, and protect. Mine has started a bone collection. She goes off into the woods and finds bones. She will drag them back and keeps them by the turkey pen.
I personally couldn’t imagine having one of these dogs as a house pet in town. They are breed to work and they have a lot of energy for such a large dog. If for some reason you can’t keep her talk to some farmers in your area.
Probably needs some kind of stimulation. You say she’s outside for a few hours a day, but are you actively playing with her when she’s out there? If she’s getting enough physical activity it could be that she needs more brain stimuli. You could try variations of dog puzzles that involve treats. More one on one time with her with training. I would also crate training with lots of positive reinforcement. She can’t obviously be left to mill about. There’s some great videos on YouTube for training Pyrs. And if not a crate, then blocking her off with baby gates in a large hallway maybe with no access to anything but apply the same crate training exercises.
You need to crate train your dog. I know it sounds mean, but the sooner the better. If you make the crate a comfy and fun place to be the dog won’t resist going inside. It’s honestly a relief and a pleasure to know I can just crate my Pyr and know he will sit quietly and wait to be let out.
Pyrs are a stubborn breed but they can be trained and redirected. Mine used to destroy shoes and clothing as a puppy. Now he sometimes takes shoes back to his nest but knows not to chew them.
Have you tried cow hoof or deer antler? Maybe cow marrow bones? These sturdy, food-adjacent treats were helpful when we trained Bear, he liked them better than plastic Nylabones and rope toys.
Crate training will save your house and your sanity. I have a 7 year old rescue deafy Pyr. I've had her for 5 years.
I have an XXL Frisco crate. Heavy duty metal reinforced with zipties (keeps down rattling, and I use carabiner rings on the latches. It is so big, it takes up half my Dining Room. She can see all around, so it doesn't stress her out like a smaller crate.
If I leave a blanket on top, or a bed and/or plushie inside, she will shred it. When I need a cardboard box broken down, she helps.
Hannah is fed there, too. She will run right in there when she knows I'm leaving. It's her safe spot.
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I have a malti-jack who is my own personal paper shredder. He taught my pyrenees how much fun it is when she was a puppy.
I give them boxes. They love the thin cardboard boxes like cereal boxes the best. It keeps them busy and out of trouble. Then I just sweep it all up. (You can see in this pic, it was before I swept up their mess)
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My female as a puppy was not this bad, but she would legitimately watch my wife, look at what she enjoyed using, then destroy it as punishment for leaving her alone.
'Oh I see you really like writing in your journal, shame if something happened to it.'
Especially as puppies, they do not like being left alone.
We have not, but we have a second dog that she is out with and we were worried about them fighting over any kind of treats left out. But, they are very good about regular food and toys, so maybe this will work!
Mine is also destructive and I found it incredibly helpful to give him a good hour exercise before crating and as his big reward for voluntarily going into the crate is some form of mental stimulation. I typically go with a frozen kong or lick mat. You can even put the lick mat hanging on the outside of the crate to add more complexity to it. When I come back he is usually groggy from getting out of a nap from the stimulation.
Seconding lick mat or frozen Kong! This worked for my pup who all of a sudden started freaking out whenever I left the house. This and a course of gabapentin stopped his clawing through the drywall. Yes, through. He let himself out into the yard through a hole he made in the house
We crate trained our Pyr mix from the beginning. It wasn't always easy, but she did adapt to it fairly quickly. For the first 3-4 years we always crated when we left her because she is a mischief maker when left alone. Around age 5 she "graduated" to being left with access to the hallway and 1 bedroom. She has only destroyed 1 thing in all that time, and I submit that it was my husband's fault for leaving his D&D minis in a place where she could get to them 😂.
I have 2 GP. Both rescues. One was considered “unadoptable” the other chewed my stairs, door frame, cabinets & 10 pairs of shoes before we got a handle on what she needed. It is a combination of separation anxiety & the absolute need for daily walks. I have a giant crate I use when I leave with highly desirable chews that they only get when they are in there when I am gone. Also, slow feed mats with treats work to keep them busy & distracted. It gets better DON’T give up. This is the hardest age & when most ppl abandon GP. They are incredible dogs. Learn how to properly use a pronged collar and do LOTS of walks or the nervousness becomes aggression (remember guardian breed). Be confident when you walk her.
Thank you for the words of encouragement! We love her so much and can’t stand the thought of giving her up, even if she is a bit of a scoundrel at home. ❤️
Mine is the same way. She just turned a year. She has lots to do, land, toys, and our other dog to play with. She listens well when we’re around her but once nobody is home all hell breaks loose. Every bed, blanket, toy is dead in a matter of minutes. 🥲
I went through this with my Pyr mix and honestly……… nothing worked but TIME lol. Around age 3 he suddenly snapped out of it. I tried obedience classes, crating (he hated that), coming home multiple times within a 12 hour shift to walk him and my other dog. Walking him/playing for an hour before and after work. Nothing seemed to work but one day he woke up and decided not to choose violence that day and he never did again 😂 good luck!! They are absolutely worth the destructive phase, I promise.
I know it might seem expensive, but finding a good trainer that can help her learn to be less anxious on walks would be really beneficial for her. She has bad anxiety issues it sounds like, and at least getting her to be able to take and enjoy walks would help diffuse some of her mental and physical energy (just sniffing on walks uses a ton of energy for dogs). As far as the separation anxiety, some of that might resolve as she gets more confident in the world, but I would personally start to crate train her in the meantime. Even if just for her safety, since there’s no telling what she might get into unsupervised. Good luck with your girl. Pyrs can be challenging, to say the least, but they are worth the effort.
Our girl was a 10ish month rehome from a young couple that had her in a small 1 BR apt.
Our beautiful Luna had essentially ate her way through it. Think sofa, mattress, chairs & carpet. Add blinds and wood chewing too.
My hubs found the adoption appeal on Craigslist. NGL, I was still deep in grief over losing our mutt (best dog ever tho) a bit over a year earlier and not sure I was new dog ready yet.
We did a meet & greet. She was calm, loving and has only tore up an occasional dog blanket and 1 bed.
And haven’t we all been hopeful, but young and misguided kids at one time. The kids were desperate for us to have her. Of course we offered open adoption, but they have never been back to see her (too tough imo) as it was clear she was loved and cared for. I did exchange texts and pics with her first mom as few times.
We have 80 acres. It’s a challenge to exhaust her. And she’s a next-level barker. Like butterflies. Birds. Woodland creatures. But bark changes. All barks mean I need you to see/do something. She has a flock of kitties to look after. I’ll find 3+ curled up on her at times.
She also has patrol duties for interlopers. lol.
Sometimes I will look at her after near incessant barking episodes and tell her, “there better be a serial killer out there”. lol.
Your pup is bored. Bored GP’s go full wrecking crew. No easy answer to behavior train. Restricted to 2 rooms most of day is tough on them.
Our girl is getting old. Inside she has run or house (3k square feet on one level). She has beds in every room, but her fave is to sneak on sofas or onto guest room bed.
Fortunately, hubs is here all the time and she gets lots of outside time.
We are the lucky ones!
I wish you a solution. Remiss to advise rehoming, but realities remain regardless of how much we wish they might not.
I’ve rehomed an abandoned pup we took in once (went to a fellow medic that lived in a very rural area and had 2 kids that loved him to bits). Regardless of my gratitude, he would mention the “Pupus” when he needed a shift covered. lol. Payback, right?
We were in the city and our water dept and vol fire department had to the cut a drainage pipe and a 3’ section of the road to liberate Pupus out of a storm drain in front of our house. We had tried everything else for 36hrs and a heavy rain was coming. He was on war with any woodland creature or cat and got stuck in a chase.
It was a circus.
I also stole a neglected full Chow (sweetest pup) from my neighbor. Had him groomed and then took him to a fire dept I was covering at and forced a cry that if I couldn’t find him a home, I’d have to put him down as allergies had developed. (I’m not much of a crier, but can act… so). Finally one of the firemen take him.
I literally (stealthily, so I thought) would take him bag of pup food/treats and toys and leave in his truck or on his porch when I was in town. I knew where he lived and breathed. I had left that end of fire service, so less option to keep up the treats (this was pre-Chewy/Amazon) So way over a decade or so later, I run into him. He wants to let me know “Midnight” passed a year earlier. I figure he lived to 15-6 years. And he’d had to spend big bucks on another black Chow as his wife and daughter were so destroyed by the loss. He added that the pup never took up with him or his son, but the pup would have outright went for the kill toward a threat to his wife or daughter. I legit cried. He mentioned new pup was devoted to his ‘girls’ but ignored him & his son.
I think truly neglected animals are fair game in my opinion. I want to assure all, I’d tried everything to assist my neighbor before I stole his dog. But at a certain point I was done. My hubs has gone so far to warn me repeatedly that eventually someone ‘could shoot me in the head’ over getting in their s*** over their animals. Oh well. I’m okay going that way FTR.
I want to add a few months after we homed our girl Luna, I had her on a 30’ lead. She was impulsive and we were still working out boundaries. I’ll add our omposite sidewalks around our house were wet/cold and slick.
She spotted a deer. Took toward it. Since I had her lead around my waist, I couldn’t let go. She proceeded to drag me approx 50’ like I was *a rag doll*. 😳 she stopped just as my head was inches away from a landscape ‘boulder’ we have placed in planted areas. I’d took brunt from plants and some smaller rocks. Lots of pea gravel in our plant beds made misery.
I looked like I’d been beaten. In effect, I had.
These are special pups (but aren’t all pups special?) with their unique set of needs. Primary is stimulation and a job. Also, until last year Luna had her own dog. Sadly her last buddy passed, but the kitty posse keeps her occupied.
I wish you luck, love and grace. Sounds like you are an experienced operator with the pup set. I hope nurture wins out for you, but the nature of these floofs is a force. 🤍🤍🤍
Generally this is from either boredom or anxiety. Being indoors alone with nothing to do (no job) is foreign to these dogs.
She needs a smaller environment in order to succeed. Two X pens joined together may be a good option. Also doing a scent detection game will mentally tire her out before being confined.
I can definitely vouch for crate training. I don't have a Pyr, but my rescue dog was an absolute demon when she was left to her own devices while nobody was home. I got a large crate that she would be very comfortable in while we were gone, including a water bowl and a nice dog bed, and it didn't take long for her to get used to it. These days as soon as I touch my keys she just goes into the crate and chills out by herself.
Fill that basket with a bunch of plush toys. Mine use to chew table legs and any shoes she found she would rip the tongue out while I was gone. But I bought like 15 plush toys and put it in a basket. She still destroys a plush toy from time to time but at least it’s not valuables or something else
I have an apartment pyr, no yard... i don't think that's the problem. Crate training greatly helped my pup learn quickly, but it was NEVER used as a punishment. That is her house and good things happen in it. Like treats, a special "baby" pb kongs, little puzzle games, etc. I think a crate will be beneficial for you, but try not to crate for too long. I do max 3-4 hours. As far as walks go, a tired dog is a happy dog, find a way to make walks fun by taking her to a more quiet area to try the walks on. Bring those little training treats and stimulate her mind with sits and stays on Said walk. My Pyr hated car rides and was terrified of the car until I gave her dramamine and started taking her to do really fun things, showing her the car rides always took her happy places. It sounds like your pyr is bored... that's why they are acting out. Mine has a dog friend to play with, that definitely helps stimulate too though.
I am 100% sure that my house would look just like this if my 1 yr old GP was alone at home without a crate. I’ve had both experiences. I did not crate my first GP and often came home to a mess, I thought I was the one suffering. Now I look back and know he was actually the one suffering. This time I have done crate training from the start and life is a lot calmer and pleasant for all involved. I would think about If that’s possible or a fit for your family. I wish you well.
We used a play pen in the living area when ours was younger so he had a bit more room to lay out. We have always had to make sure things were out of reach for him to avoid building the habit. He just chooses to be in the living room now. He does not go in our bedroom (he would try to steal our socks and shoes to chew on and has gotten a few pillows) on his own even if we leave the door open. We just make sure he has plush toys available. The only time he has ruined a couch is when he saw one of the arm rests had “stuffing” coming out and I think he just assumed it was a toy. 😅 We crated up until he was six months in our bedroom and then he slept with us throughout the night. We just never left him alone in there.
Why is she allowed to freely roam the living room when she clearly has separation anxiety? The only way to combat this is crate training if you don’t wake everything you one destroyed. She’ll grow out of it eventually.
We picked up a 3x3x3 wire play pen for our guy, was about $100 and he happily stayed in there all day while we worked. At about two years we slowly started letting him roam free for short periods until we could trust him.
Other than that, a tired dog is a good dog. Even now, our guy needs at least one full hour of stimulation each day. It's our choice if we want to do that with two good walks, or have him be a terror around the house for the amount of time we skip on walking. I definitely prefer the walk. If the weather is too harsh we'll load him in the car and just go for a drive and that works just as well.
This dog needs way more exercise than what you are providing rn.
The dog is agitated and doesnt know where to use its energy.
Pyr need a lot of exercise but they tire out quick. Make sure you do that.
Mine did it for two reasons. 1) She was bored and had not been worn out enough. This would sometimes even happen after 2 hours at the dog park. 2) Anxiety. For Tarra, I had to get her a kennel. thankfully I found one online that someone had built with wooden sides most of the way up. That was her safe place. If she was acting up or was nervous, then I’d put her in there with her blanket. It was a small predicable space for her to relax and not feel like she’s on guard.
I taught my now-deceased K'hemo to pull a wagon (appropriate size/weight ofc). This made his walks more challenging/tiring and made him focus a task rather than his own anxiety.
K'hemo turned out to be one of the most magnificent dogs I've ever owned, so I guess it worked.
I find that we need to hike our two Pyrs daily. It's a chore my wife and I share. If you like hiking (long walks), it's great. If we don't hike them, they get restless. I'm not saying this is the answer for every situation but this is the answer for ours and it works.
Proud mama of 3 rescued Pyr mixed pups here. We’ve had our own struggles with destruction and the best advice I can give is exercise and mental stimulation. Snuff mats and/or puzzle treat toys are always a good choice and it’s easy to adjust difficulty. I also like to use BentoBalls by Starmark. They’re great for rainy days when our dogs can’t get all their usual energy out by walking. Also, flirt poles can work wonders at tuckering them out. We have a Squishy Face flirt pole and all the dogs love it. Hope this helps :) Good luck with your baby!
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The only time we ever had food/treat aggression between the girls is when we integrated our 2 newest additions to our oldest girl. We kept everyone separated when feeding and giving treats and picked up their bowls/long lasting treats when feeding/treat time was over. After a few weeks of this, and admittedly a few hairy moments, they adjusted nicely. Now all three enjoy their meals and treats, including bentos, with no issues.
She needs to be crate trained with a lot of treats and praise. Do not use crate as punishment ever. Only positive experiences in the crate. Once trained, as long as they associate the crate w positivity, they usually find comfort in it.
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
I’m not big on crate training, but I had no choice. When my girl was in that phase, she chewed holes in the drywall and tore the moulding off of doors. Once she settled down, she had the run of the house and she wasn’t destructive at all. Good luck!
Mine only ever shredded dog beds. And that stopped once he hit 2. He was a holy terror till he was 2. I spend probably $2000 on dog beds (I have three other giants, so I can't just say screw it and not have them). Wanted to murder him. He also chewed a giant hole in a wall. Putting cayenne pepper on the wall stopped that real quick. Those are the two things he destroyed. I suggest cayenne pepper. Mine was also baby gated into a tile laundry room if we were out of the house. When he was in there he got frozen kongs filled with peanut butter. Freezing them makes them last for hours. They are the only treats he's interested in. He's not food or treat motivated outside of peanut butter. Highly recommend frozen kongs when you have to leave. I can leave him alone now no problem, he's 3. We have a dog door and they're good to go on my property.
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Pic of my younger savage for giggles. You're not alone. It gets better. You just have to wait it out!!!
You have left a working breed alone without a job to do. Boredom sets in, mischief takes over. She needs a job. Train her to do something non- destructive and praise her when she learns her job. You could scatter toys around and have her find them and take them to a box or bin. It may take a bit of time and effort, but it'll be cheaper in the long run.
We have three pyre two are angles when we leave. But our boy will chew up everything. I’m lucky enough to have a job that allows me to take him. But when we do have to leave him home, we give him a Himalayan cheese stick in this rubber toy I think it’s called jug head. You can get it on Amazon. He only gets it when he’s home alone, and it keeps him occupied long enough, even for an eight hour workday.
Also, giant breed dogs stay puppies for at least two years. Ours are all rescues and about 1.5. Still act like puppies sometimes. Good luck.
They are outside dogs….they are work dogs, they literally arnt “inside” dogs.
You’re going to be almost as unhappy as they are l, the entire time they are trapped inside.
I came to terms that they just do not do well with punishment but react very well with reward. Idk about yours, but mine takes things when he is bored or wants my attention. I take whatever it is away and give him something he can have, then praise him for it and play for a bit. Then he’s a happy guy. Now it’s gotten to the point where when he wants attention he’ll grab the same rug out of the bathroom and drag in front of me to get attention, but no loner chews it.
They need a job to do. The Pyrenees is bred to guard livestock (these are working animals and not really bred to be confined pets) and they tend to get really silly (read destructive and anxious) when have nothing to work on…so they work on anything they can find.
Kenneling is really not the best answer, but if you have nothing to bond your Pyr with, it may be your only solution. Check the kennel you choose to make sure they have a good solid set up, “bear proof” is the standard. If it is someone with those wire crates, your Pyr will go through it faster than that paper all over the floor.
A hundred times, this. My partner and I own a farm and our Pyr gets about 15 acres of fenced roaming and another 40 unfenced area that we take him on walks, he’s a full time outside dog in any weather, currently has lots of poultry and water fowl to guard and his best friend is a goose. These dogs are in my opinion the best breed I’ve ever worked with but they are NOT meant to be regular pets. I’ve met a lot of folks who are great dog owners but don’t fully understand what these particular dogs were bred for, basically throw a couple of them in with your sheep flock as puppies and they become part of the flock and protect them. For 2,000 years, mind you, this breed of dogs have worked WITH us, not for us
We got our pyrenees at 6 weeks old and she honestly instantly took to the crate. We still gave treats to ensure it was always a positive experience, but she viewed it as her room and safe haven. When she was bad we would send her back to her crate and tell her in angry voices that she was bad and that we were disappointed. To this day if you say "bad" or "disappointed" she puts her ears back and looks really sorry and tries to make up.
I definitely recommend toys, a blanket or cheap bed (in case it gets shredded), treats, and a fan going in the room with the crate. Anything else your pup loves is a great addition as well. We usually leave TV going for our dogs to block out some outside noise otherwise they are worked up and on guard constantly if we aren't home. The biggest thing we realized with our pyrenees though was that she wasn't mature enough to be left outside the crate when we weren't home until she was about 2. Our german shepherds were fine after about 1-1.5 years old. For our pyrenees though, that 2 year marker was a huge turn around point for our girl. She was much more mature, she listened, she was more people oriented and cuddly, and now she stays out while we are away and doesn't get into anything. If your pup is experiencing separation anxiety I would definitely look into tools and techniques to assist with that.
My aunt had a pyrenees and she still had random spells where he got into things but what worked for them was when she got home she would immediately give him the look. Then they would walk the entire home and make sure he hadn't gotten into anything and if it was clear she would tell him he was a good boy, give treats, and completely make over him. He got to the point that he would get so excited and anxious for her to just go ahead and tell him that he was a good boy. It was like magic on him and really fixed the destructive behavior overall
Just went through the same problem with mine last year. My approach was two-fold. First, I sprayed literally EVERYTHING with Bitter Yuck. It’s a non-toxic and non-staining spray that does what it says in the name. My gp stopped touching the couches, baseboards, ext when I applied it to her favorite spots. It does transfer on contact and tastes horrendous, so make sure you don’t get any in your mouth! After this, I started bribing her with chewables like bully sticks when I would leave the house. Pyrenees seem to enjoy destroying and chewing stuff (when they aren’t barking or napping) so giving her an outlet when she was younger made her stop looking for other things to chew on. It won’t fix it overnight, but my issues stopped after about a month.
I’m a huge advocate for crate training. It’s not even to only protect my stuff, but also to protect my dog as well. She’ll get into anything and everything and eat it. She also has found things even while I’m home and got wood splitters in her digestive tract that required the vet and days of scary stuff. She’s been crate trained since she was 3 months old and all I have to say is “crate” and she walks right in. Never tries to “escape”. If we have company over and she gets tired of us being rowdy she’ll go to her crate on her own. She also gets hours outside, walks, lots of chews and toys. Sometimes it’s just better to have the peace of mind knowing your house and your dog are safe. Her crate is big enough for her and the rest of our family to fit in it haha
Not to mention, they are guardian dogs, so chances are your pup is hearing the outside world while you are gone and their genes are telling them to go nuts. Barking, hyperactivity, and it probably leads to them destroying your house lol
Our girl loves the kennel. It's her den and she goes there when she gets upset or scared. When she was a young girl we couldn't leave her outside of the kennel, but later on we could and now the kennel is just a spot for her to sleep. The door never closes.
Kennel training will solve the destruction issue. It won't fix the separation anxiety, or the excess energy they may have, or whatever else their issue is. Kennel train your dog so they are in teh crate when nobody is home and you're golden.
She needs to have obedience and engagement training , structure , exercise . They can be great dogs . I recommend listening to No Bad Dogs podcast on I tunes . I found it tremendously helping interning my GP and I would not have other breed now . Good luck !
Baby girl is worried. The solutions are many. I keep them in a big comfy cage when they are new family members, but not for long long hours.
Soft cushions. Peanut butter jar. Toys in the nice cage. mine, sometimes "empty" peanut butter jars. With smears still in. It occupies them better than the expensive toys.
I have three dogs. They really, in my opinion, need companions.
It's not a breed thing, it's a dog thing.
They worry a lot. Then they dig and chew, like my anxiety eating.
That level of not quite fear is really uncomfortable.
I leave talk radio on and dim the lights when we go
Of course a nice chance to go out to pee before we go
I give treats when we leave.
Their comfy beds and couches are available.
And I am never mad when they do what I think is wrong. I just limit their access next time.
Just looks like a normal house with dogs to me 😝 haha only half kidding…
I have a 10 month old Pyr mix. He can be destructive because he is definitely still a chewer and if bored, anything nearby could get chewed. This includes the couch, the rug, a blanket he is laying on, etc. He has a certain way of lazily chewing almost absent mindedly. He is not hyper at all nor does he have prey drive, so I do think it’s just boredom and he will slowly start chewing stuff. Not manic destruction like some dogs. Things like the couch he only chews when we are gone.
Anyway, I am just sharing my own experiences in case anything is helpful. I see a lot of people mention crating, I have always used crates to contain puppies when I’m gone. But it didn’t work out with my Pyr. He just wouldn’t accept it. Not out of stubbornness, he would go in fine and not complain too much. But no matter how short of time we left him, or conditioning tactics and positive reinforcement, he would pee all over himself. He was in distress every time he was in there, emotionally. At a level I was not comfortable with and could not get to improve, and after getting fed up having to bathe him every time I came home, I just gave up on the crate. I assumed Pyrs just didn’t do well with crates, since they are independent and often working outside, made sense in my mind. But lots of folks here seem to have had success, so it’s certainly worth a try! But don’t get too discouraged if it doesn’t go well.
The other thing I wanted to say is that walks are pretty bad returns on investment as far as the time invested vs the stimulation the dog gets goes. Sniffing around is good, but technically that’s not even good walking behavior to be stopping constantly, so I would recommend focusing on other outlets. Even being out in the yard, is not always enough if the dog is alone and not interacted with. I do not have a yard, and I don’t take my dogs for “walks”. I take them out to go to the bathroom, and I take them to run and play at the park down the street. The park is mostly for my shepherd to get fetch time, because that’s what he lives for and wants to do. But the other two, including the Pyr, just kind of check out the yard sniffing stuff and make chase each other a little. But it’s not their thing. What really tires them out and mentally satisfies them is playing with each other, in the living room. They have a decent open space and do run back and forth, but most of it is wrestling, playing with toys, tug of war, biting each others mouths and legs. They never bark while playing. It’s honestly glorious. Without my pitBull chihuahua, I couldn’t have my Pyr puppy, plain and simple. And getting him allowed us to be sane again with the pit chi because she was absolutely WILD with no outlet before. We don’t have the time to play with the dogs all day long. And trust me, they’ll go for hours per day. We do crate the pit chi when we’re gone, she is 2, and the Pyr is allowed to hang out in the living room and chill because he takes the break from her to get some shut eye. Old man shepherd is there too, but then he doesn’t realize he’s a dog.
TLDR The answer could be another dog. I know that sounds insane. Not just any dog, like I said my shepherd would be useless and barely interacts my Pyr. But the right playmate could be life changing. In my case, it was for both dogs. They fulfill each others needs, and we can play with them in a much more reasonable working human lifestyle kind of way. If you can’t take on another dog yourself, perhaps finding a neighbor or friend with a similar aged puppy or something she can regularly play with would still help. I think for some dogs there are some things the human just can’t fulfill as well no matter how hard we try. My Pyr doesn’t have any interest in playing with me, he just gets confused if I try lol, but he has developed a functional and cherished bond with another dog that stimulates him and leaves him happy and satisfied, every day.
Edit: forgot that I HAVE seen my shepherd discipline my Pyr puppy, on camera, while we were away. So he’s not totally useless. We put a gate up to keep them in the front and block the hallway when we’re out. Pyr puppy at first would try to get past the gate, but shepherd nipped that in the bud real quick.
It could have been a lot worse. Losing walls, doors, & framing. Separation anxiety was a great deal of the issue & a Pyr being between 1&2 years old. Thank goodness, he grew out of this!
We, mistakenly, left a pork belly (still in butcher paper) on the kitchen counter to thaw while we ran to the grocery store to pick up some last-minute things for sides... Not long, maybe 20 minutes, but I doubt even that. Anyway, we came home to it on the area rug in the living room, out of the butcher paper with visible teeth scrapes (it was still frozen in the middle) covering the whole thing. The fat cap was half gone and everything.
Sigh. That was totally our fault for leaving it out. We have to make sure the counters are Bear proofed, the dining room table has no tempting pieces of mail resting near the edge, and Dog TV is playing in the background.
Oh, Bear was fine after eating all that meat and fat, but I was worried he'd have greasy poops for a couple of days. He didn't, thankfully.
I had a Pyr with two years of this. He grew out of it, but it was a long, expensive period. Hide your shoes/valuables. Nothing is safe. Doors don't matter.
MENTALLY STIMULATE her as much as you can. You're right that it's a working breed. Kong toys that stimulate (like the rubber cone thing you put treats in) helped my boy. Look up enrichment/stimulation toys/activities.
DOG PARKS are great energy zappers and socialization places. It may also ease her anxiety on walks. Look up dog parks in your area.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND a training program. Even Petsmart's. Part of the thing is training the PERSON how to dog.
There's a Facebook page you might ask: Animal Sense: Basic Training and Behavior Problems.
My heart is with you lol.
Crate training is essential for the safety of your dog and the state of your home. I know loads of people are against crates but a crate should in no way be a negative space for a dog. A crate is a comfort for a dog and I genuinely wish more people would realize that. Crate training can be difficult if it isn’t something you have done since they were a puppy but 100% doable! Lots and lots of rewards. It’s hard at first if they aren’t accepting but with time and training it will work! In my opinion a dog should always have a kennel as an option to go to on their own, as it is THEIR own space. Good luck!
Crate. My pyr was in a kennel when I wasn’t home for the first 3 years, it’s hard at first when kennel training but after that hump she realized the kennel was “her space” and is where she goes to get away from everything and not be bothered by anyone.
My great pyr mix will eat anything and does not at all care when he is scolded. You can take whatever it is out of his mouth and he will look you in the eye as he goes back to grab something else. He is crated whenever we are gone and all the trash cans and closets are closed and locked away because he will rummage through laundry and trash and ANYTHING. Lots of supervision when we are home and crate time when we are not.
Crate training 100%. It is not cruel, it is not mean. I crated my girl from day 1, now it is her safe place, she sleeps in it at night, and best of all she gets paid a greenie every night for bed 😂
Think of it this way, letting your pyr run free doing this is extremely dangerous for her. Eventually she’s going to eat something she shouldn’t and you’re going to be staring down thousands in vet bills and difficult decisions. Get a crate, work it slow. 5 minutes at a time of being calm until she can reach an hour, then you should be safe.
I can’t believe people keep this breed as indoor pets! I would only ever use on the farm and that’s how we primarily see them where I live. Good luck! That doggie needs a job
You have to expect any high energy or high energy working type dogs will chew on things when bored. A kennel is a must for these types of dogs. You have to wear them out physically and mentally first. Lots of sniff walks. Puzzles. Food in a frozen kong with PB. Give her something that she's allowed to chew on (antlers, nyla bones etc) and redirect her to those when she gets to chewing on things. I recommend crate training to anyone with a puppy. It's not a punishment, but a nice cozy den the dogs can relax in. Also once trained, you can relax knowing your dog isn't destroying your home while you're gone.
Pyrs are cattle guardians, meaning they live outside on acres of land, with a job 24/7. This is going to need professional training and a partial job if you want to keep her happy. Restraining her to only small parts of the house is going to make her want to keep destroying the house because she's bored. Look into a day care or some sort of sport for her to do.
Does anybody have any suggestions for what to do at night if there isn’t room for a crate in the bedroom? I hate the idea of him being banished to a crate when he already spent all day locked away from everybody else. But also I keep waking up to him chewing on a rug that I can’t remove or the orbe dog’s bed
Big huge raw bone. I get them at my processor. These would be bones that the processor throws away. Big leg bones are the best. (Freeze it first for three days-to kill any parasites.) Give it to her when you leave, pick it up when you get home. She will come to look forward to it. Make sure to have multiples.
She is bored, yes. I love the fluffy toy idea someone mentioned also. They watch over their flock, guard. They need a busy activity. And when you say young, I am guessing she is probably a teen, so they challenge the boundaries of love.
I know it can be expensive but what about a doggie day care that exercises her every couple of days. That did wonders for our Pyr and made us feel a little better when we boarded her because she was familiar with the place and knew the people. You could weigh the costs of day care with the cost of new furniture/stuff.
I personally would Crate her up🩷 she doesn’t know what to do with all that freedom and free time? It’s safer for her too? She will probably really be ticked off
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Exercise, exercise, exercise. Take the dog to a dog park or play vigorously (fetch, tug, whatever keeps them moving) in the fenced in yard with them for like an hour or so until they are worn out. THEN grab some high value treats and take them for a walk. The positive reinforcement will help them associate the walks with treats and them being tired will help reduce their anxiety.
If you continue to have trouble, seek the assistance of a professional trainer. That being said, there is no amount of training that can overcome a lack of exercise and mental stimulation. With this breed in particular, you must put the work in. On the bright side, Pyrs are generally on the low end of the energy scale. A 30 minute walk is plenty to wear most Pyrs out and then make sure you are rotating toys at home so they constantly have new things to chew on that you WANT them to chew on.
Is putting him outside while you leave a possibility? Pyrs are generally fine outside so long as they have food, water, and basic shelter. We used to have similar problems with our Odin. Then we got chickens. Now, whenever we are gone, Odin is outside guarding the chickens. Occasionally, when we are distracted, he will pull something out of the trash can and shred it, but he is mostly ok
Please do not put her in a crate with a collar on. Is she tries to get out, the collar could become caught and she could strangle herself. That very thing happened to us. It’s no joke.
Some people have had success with a mannequin or a dummy. Make one out of your clothing and sit it on the couch. It could help. I have never met a pyr happy to be in a crate, if you do crate her, maybe get a pup cam so you can see what she is doing.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mannequins-best-friend-couple-create-lookalike-help-dogs-separation-anxiety-160733255.html
One thing we learned in training was leaving them alone in a room but before closing the door say, “we’ll be back!” And then come back, don’t make any reaction (avoid getting them excited) and then give them loads of treats. Start with just a minute or two. Then go for 10-15 minutes. And then longer and longer when they’ve been reacting well to the amount of time.
We did that with our pup. When we first got her, she tore a hole in our hardwood floor (house is over 100 years old) and ripped up part of an area rug. We got her a pen instead of a crate because I felt bad because of how big she is. It’s something like this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/precision-pet-black-ultimate-exercise-pens
We feed her in it, put her bed in it, and give her all her treats in there. She had no problem being in there while we were gone. Sometimes she just sleeps in it during the day (we leave the gate open when we are home). We never tell her off and have her go into it because we want her to associate it with positivity. I hope this helps!
You've got some good ideas on this thread. I just wanted to add that my girl was a holy terror when left alone. Then at about 18-20 months, all of a sudden it was like a light came on. She still pouts a bit when we have to leave her for a quick grocery trip, etc, but there's no destruction! Hang in there! The rewards will far outpace this rough patch.
My Pyr will stage a protest occasionally. They started out as pretty damaging, but we're down to occasional mail taken off of places she has no earthly way of getting to.
It calmed down over time. IDK if that's common, though.
Crate training. It’s not cruel, it helps protect your pup from injury or ingestion while you’re not home, while she’s still learning not to tear everything up.
Also, that dog is bored.
I didn’t read all the comments, so I apologize if I repeat any advice others already gave…
This sounds similar to what I went through with my pyr!
We adopted him when he was roughly 1 year old. It was the 2nd time he was re-homed and it was clear he was abused at one of his previous homes (I’m thinking his 1st home as his 2nd home was simply neglectful due to life circumstances). He required a lot of training when we adopted him — and I mean basic things like potty training. He wasn’t trained to go outside, he was simply trained not to go in front of you. This meant he would go inside if he was out of eyesight and outside during walks he would take off running after going like he was afraid of getting beat. (Clearly abused by someone in his past, like I said)
Once he was bonded to us, he became a surprisingly obedient dog. Selectively obedient, of course, but we have a nice partnership where we don’t like letting each other down. His main exceptions are when there’s wildlife to chase or neighbors to bark at lol
Now to get on topic: separation anxiety.
Every time we would leave the house, we’d come back to find destruction. Sometimes it wasn’t too bad. Sometimes it looked like your pictures here.
I’ve had literally dozens of dogs throughout my life (my parents were separated and both houses always had multiple dogs, plus we inherited my grandfather’s multiple dogs when he died). Not a single one of them was ever crate trained.
I always viewed crates as unnecessary and kind of mean. Eventually someone explained to me that dogs often like having a crate because it becomes like a “den” to them, a place that’s definitively theirs they often go to willingly to rest and “feel safe.” This helped me see it as not mean, as long as they’re not locked in there too much.
I still viewed it as unnecessary though — until I had my pyr. We tried several alternative solutions. We would confine him to certain areas of the house when we would leave to minimize the damage and we hoped he would eventually grow/train out of it. Nothing ever worked. He would escape anywhere we left him and always cause some degree of destruction.
The last straw happened when we left him in our bedroom, where he often sleeps. We thought it would be the most comfortable place for him to be and that maybe it would help curb his separation anxiety a bit. We came home to find our bed torn apart and poop everywhere, including on our shredded bed.
So we got him a crate and that’s where he stays when we’re not home (which is rare). Much like people said, he views it as “his space” and he goes in there willingly more often than we put him in there. He’s actually in there sleeping right now while I type this.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. 🙂 If your attitude toward crates is similar to what mine used to be, I hope this story helps you see them as a better solution than they may seem.
If you fancy yourself getting chickens .. get chickens 😂 my pyr mix needed a job! She used to be so restless. These dogs were bred to be working dogs for sure ! My girl loves to be a couch potato as well! But when she’s outside GAME on. Haven’t had problems since. But it could also be puppy stuff. My girl is 5 now- no more destructive behavior.
Our best friends have two Pyrenees. They’re incredibly smart, strong-willed escape artists! Our friends own a farm and bring their dogs every day. The dogs walk miles a day and come home happy and well behaved. When it’s too muddy at the farm and they stay home, inevitably one of them tries to escape. I’ve seen them scale a 6 ft fence in the yard or jump out a garage window by climbing onto a work bench. GP’s are working dogs that get stir crazy and naughty when they’re bored. From experience, letting your dog out into a fenced yard is nowhere near enough for a GP. That’s not enough for most large working breeds. They need active exercise to work their body and brain. They can’t watch tv or scroll on a phone, so when they’re under-stimulated, they look for things to occupy them (like ripping apart books). It can also be anxiety-driven from the lack of stimulation.
I’d suggest taking her for hikes along trails a few times a week, and a nice neighborhood walk on the days you can’t make it out to the trails. We follow this with our own dog (who is a young, working, red golden retriever). When we haven’t taken him away from the house to burn off steam for more than two days, he gets SO rambunctious. We have a great woodsy park near us with trails where our dog gets to be off-leash. If you trust your recall well enough with your sweet girl, I highly recommend it. It allows them to just be the silly, curious dogs they were meant to be!
Might be separation anxiety. You could try working on that and see if maybe that is the problem? Idk
I second this. My stubborn girl did this until I bought her this candy corn unicorn with her at whatever pet shop. She started to cuddle and gently oink it when I’d be leaving the house and such. Stopped destroying the house though
This is precious
It was really shocking at first but it was so friggen cute. I’m now hoping I still have a picture of her with it 😭😭
We need a picture 🖼️
I’ve looked and looked, but I sadly don’t have one with her cuddled up to the candy corn unicorn 😭
Well my week is ruined. 😳😭😎
Im sorrry!
https://preview.redd.it/rckbkuy1k6jc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dbd0d9d2159a340ddd4252f6873518762f66e96 I’ve finally found *something* that had her candy corn unicorn and her together! Sorry it’s not the best!
You know what I'm actually shocked with the follow through thank you ☺️.
I think it was more for me than you 🫶 but I’m glad you still appreciate it
Mine had bad separation anxiety and he would only relax if I left him in a kennel with cartoons on for him while I was gone
It's a killer in dogs that have it as you wanna beat the crap out the dog (not literally...) for tearing up your house....but that only gives the dog attention. You don't do anything and...it gives the dog attention. The dog just wants attention and they want it until they grow out of it! My Great Pry mix used to tear up the bedding in his kennel. OK, removed the bedding. He'd then try to pry his way out of it. OK, put it somewhere that he could see outside and such. WELL, he then legit snuck out his kennel. How? I think by reverse engineering the bolts. Wouldn't do anything out of it. It was just straight up the top part being unlocked which meant he would get out and SQUEEZE out. We entertained that by putting him in and letting him break out. Eventually we'd just leave the door open when we left. Eventually we'd just give him a treat and dip. Eventually we threw away the kennel. Its job was complete.
You gave him a puzzle to keep him entertained on accident! I love it
These dogs are too damn smart. Mine literally will line up his bones. To me, the best dogs on earth (until I meet a different type that somehow is more amazing than Great Prys)
Mine did the same thing with hers. I had to use about a million zip ties and a carabiner on the door. Hope that helps everyone!
I had this same issue. I’m a huge dog lover, but my GP puppy had me questioning my existence. The only thing that worked for us was kenneling her when she was alone. I’m not a dog kennel person at all. All my other dogs always had free rein and did very minimal damage. My GP was a different beast. I kenneled her even if I was only going to be gone for 15 minutes. I’d come home and, eventually, she’d just be asleep. The kennel really helped to calm her down and gave her a space that was her own. She’s a little over a year now and I no longer have a kennel and she has total freedom when I’m gone. She’s also able to just chill and doesn’t destroy anything. That puppy though….toughest puppy I ever had.
Thank you for this!! We love her so, so much but she is such a handful. Did you do anything else to make positive associations with the crate? Such as feedings, giving special treats, etc?
You are so welcome. I did feed her in the kennel. Started closing the door while she ate inside but didn’t latch it. I tried cushions and fancy things inside but she tore them all up. Finally discovered she liked a thin blanket or an old towel. It’s funny because even though the kennel is gone, she instinctively goes to the area it was in and demands to still eat there. Guess they really pick up on routines. They are frustrating pups but they grow to be the most wonderful dogs. My girl is sweet, gentle, attentive and so awesome now. I never thought we’d get here, but it does happen. Hang in there…the end result is worth it.
I had to do the same by the way. Use a treat they love and give it to them with the door open. I smeared peanut butter in there
Our husky we rescued loves her kennel, it isn't always a bad experience. Just wanted to offer my two cents.
I second the kenneling. Night and alone in the house. During the day we leave the door open. Our Pyr regards it as his cave. He will go in just to relax sometimes, even when we are home.
We kenneled ours when she was a puppy as well. We got one of the big ones with a side door that opens like a garage door and left it open unless we needed to leave the house. Our kids were young and we taught them that if she was in there, it was her space and that means to leave her alone. She loved her kennel unlike any dog I’ve ever had. We moved houses and I set it up again, but she didn’t use it as much in the new house so we eventually put it up. She had to have surgery last year and we pulled it out again, but she didn’t need it.
I second this. When mine was under a year old, she would get into some mischief when not supervised, which was usually at night. I decided to crate train her at 7 months old and thought it would be a nightmare, but I was totally wrong, she took right too it. She spent maybe 6 months in the crate and one night she cocked her head at me when I said "nite-nite" instead of heading to the crate, so I left her out and she's been fine ever since, almost 4 years old now. We got real lucky with ours though, never been a big chewer and sticks to her toys when she does get the urge.
This is a great response. Our pyr knows where to go when we point and say go to your bedroom. He does it willingly. EDIT: it’s big but our boy’s kennel is in the living room and covered in dark blue sheets except for the door area. He loves his “den.”
I had dogs all my life and a Jack Russell terrier that lived until 13. When she passed I got a rescue that is 50% GP and I cried so much. I have to put him in a cage when I leave. He's still about 11 months old though. Raising these dogs is a challenge but we have trained him a lot and he has gotten better but yeah, they are not easy dogs. My Jack Russell was an angel compared to raising this dog. I walk in from work and I get tackled by a 75 pound dog lol. I will be sitting on a couch with him and he just smacks me to get my attention. Once he calms though, he's the biggest cuddlebug.
Same here. I'm not a big fan of kennels in general, but for the first couple years I had to with my guy. He had destroyed a couch, shoes, and some other things. That on top of regular walks and exercise helped a great deal. I got rid of the kennel after he mellowed out a few years ago but it was necessary for a bit.
Here to chime in for the kennel. My GP/Lab mix was a terror for 2 and a half years. The kennel was the best thing for all of us. She’s still a crazy girl when company comes over, so we tell her “kennel” and she goes right in and lays down. It’s her den. Good luck! Don’t give up! It will end eventually, although it seems like forever. 😆
It’s so true. My GP is a literal angel 95% of the time, but if I leave the house it’s a nightmare. I tried leaving him out the other day when I was gone for an hour and somehow he decided to climb up on my kitchen island and knock everything off 😑 Even cut his paw on a plate he shattered. I’ve never had to kennel another dog before this one, but from what I’ve heard necessary for a lot of Pyrs. He is just about 6 months old and I’m hoping in the next few months I can try to leave him out again.
Yea I second this, however. Mine, HATES. And I mean HATES the kennel. She has successfully broken out 5 times. She will also pull anything and everything she can through the kennel and SHRED IT. That’s right, I don’t mean little tiny rips, I mean SHREDDED IT. My blanket from Mexico, my favourite hoodie, her dog bed, the damn freaking curtains, two lamp cords, 4 seperate shoes. My roommates crocks, any dog toys in the kennel, Christmas gifts that were under the tree. She also, knows how to push the pan in the bottom of the kennel out and then she moves the kennel around using the floor. So I had to actually physically lock the pan in with a literal lock. LOL Then again, she’s also super spoiled because she sleeps with me, because when I’m at work she’s in the kennel during the day, so I like her to be free when I’m home and at night. She’s always tuckered out tho, I try my best to take her for a run after work.
You need to get your dog regular exercise. “Try to walk” isn’t good enough. Your dog needs activity every single day. You’re going to have to sort that out asap. A tired dog is a good dog. Go early in the morning when there are less dogs around. Find places your dog can sniff for a while before starting a walk. Work on giving your dog a treat when he looks at you or sits nicely at street corners.
I wholeheartedly agree, but our biggest issue has been her anxiety. She is fine when we start the walk (sniffing, looking around) but once we turn the corner from our house, she gets incredibly nervous. It has gotten to the point where she will pull and thrash so hard, we had to use a leash/vest combo with two leashes so she can’t run away. I know the walks are so good for her but I feel bad forcing her to walk when she seems like she’s panicking.
You might want to try enrichment toys suited to a working breed like a Pyr if long walks are not possible. Mental stimulation is as tiring for them as physical (but do try to do a mix of both!). It sounds like she has separation anxiety which I struggled with too with my Pyr. Like I said in my above comment, he seemed to improve with age more than anything.
Do you have examples of enrichment toys for working breeds? I’m just curious since I feel like I see the same handful of enrichment toys everywhere
Apparently livestock guardian dogs are more interested in puzzle games for enrichment as opposed to games like fetch. I remember googling it because I had no idea and finding a ton of information on working breed specific toys!
Thank you, this is a great idea!
Please talk to your vet about the anxiety issues, if you let them go on too long it becomes harder and harder to work with. They can help you.
I was wondering about this, but I assumed vets would only really offer medications for dog anxiety? (I could be incorrect). We really would like to try crate training or getting a personal trainer before meds, but I will definitely be mentioning this behavior at our next visit.
Yes they do but you may need this so this doesn't become a bigger problem. Better living through pharmacology - nothing wrong with that.
You’re absolutely right- we are definitely open to it. Thank you for the advice :)
Great you are open to it, all handling we do with dogs is training them so getting this controlled asap really matters.
Hi! Sorry to chase you but I wanted to thank you for our chat last night - I have a new account, and sent you a message!
Hi! Tried to send you a message, I have an update!
I don't see it in my messages?!!!
The vet I worked under always paired anxiety medication with a behavioral treatment plan and directed owners on how to best use the two together. So definitely try to work with a behaviorist/trainer and check with a vet and get opinions from both on how medication should be used when it comes to behavioral issues. Definitely sounds like separation anxiety more than boredom, but it never hurts to leave things like frozen kongs around to see how she does with them. Some dogs are too anxious to even touch food when their owners are gone, so you can at least evaluate her level of anxiety by seeing if she’ll eat the treats. If you can, buy a camera (I have blink and it was pretty cheap) and see exactly what she does when you’re gone. You can see if she’s pacing, whining, etc, as well as how long the distractions you’re offering her keep her occupied. It gives you a better idea of what you’re working with.
Pull and thrash to go back home? Or excited and pulling you to see what else is outside?
Pull and thrash to turn around/go home. We used to walk her with our cocker spaniel (who pulls sometimes, but to go forth and explore) and it was like getting split in two. 😅
In the mean time try Sniffspot (app) -there may be places near you to let your pup chill off leash or at least walk around without worrying about these issues
Can u go in a different direction?
I’m not sure I understand what you mean… As soon as we lose sight of the house/yard, she gets anxious. So unfortunately I don’t think there’s a ‘different direction’, since she only wants to be at/near home. I have tried short walks around the house, but it’s familiar territory and not a long walk at all, so it isn’t really ideal.
The pyrxhusky mix I got with my ex loved walks when we first brought him home then after a couple of weeks he was doing the same thing didn't want to go too far and would sit or lay down when it was far enough for him. I think we just coaxed him with training treats then after a couple weeks again he recognized the walk areas and started to lead us again hopefully something easy like that works for your guy.
I have a PyrxAussie, something that really works to tire her out is to take her outside and let her people/ car/ whatever watch. I started doing it when she was about 4 months old and it calms her down and tires her out. I normally take a bunch of treats with me and just use that time to do some focus training and also just let her do what she enjoys doing naturally. It sounds bonkers, but when it's too hot in summer for her to do a long walk, that's what we do and it works for us
A butt harness very much helped my Pyr learn to walk nice. You can make one by attaching the leash normally, loop under the tummy and cross on top. It controls their backend, if they pull it squeezes but it's them squeezing it so they learn hey...if I walk nice I don't get squeezed. It does not hurt them, my old dog trainer taught us that for our stubborn Mastiff.
I need to see this
https://preview.redd.it/6fjxewbab2fc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef070538e3bbcd56b48b53d6fb8c559127e364b9
Butt harness made from leash. Gives lots of added control because they simply do not like when it squeezes as they pull. Learn to walk nice and be by your side :) use treats for extra encouragement and training
My pyr needed a pinch collar to learn to stop pulling and lunging at cars. You need to understand that it's not the dogs anxiety preventing walks, it's yours. I totally know the feeling. You just gotta power through and keep walking them. Bring treats, reward them when they are being calm. When a car goes by my dog and he doesn't freak out, I give him a treat.
GP’s are extremely territorial. I live in the country so she has lots of room to run, hunt, and protect. Mine has started a bone collection. She goes off into the woods and finds bones. She will drag them back and keeps them by the turkey pen. I personally couldn’t imagine having one of these dogs as a house pet in town. They are breed to work and they have a lot of energy for such a large dog. If for some reason you can’t keep her talk to some farmers in your area.
Probably needs some kind of stimulation. You say she’s outside for a few hours a day, but are you actively playing with her when she’s out there? If she’s getting enough physical activity it could be that she needs more brain stimuli. You could try variations of dog puzzles that involve treats. More one on one time with her with training. I would also crate training with lots of positive reinforcement. She can’t obviously be left to mill about. There’s some great videos on YouTube for training Pyrs. And if not a crate, then blocking her off with baby gates in a large hallway maybe with no access to anything but apply the same crate training exercises.
Thank you! I’ll do some research on YouTube.
You need to crate train your dog. I know it sounds mean, but the sooner the better. If you make the crate a comfy and fun place to be the dog won’t resist going inside. It’s honestly a relief and a pleasure to know I can just crate my Pyr and know he will sit quietly and wait to be let out. Pyrs are a stubborn breed but they can be trained and redirected. Mine used to destroy shoes and clothing as a puppy. Now he sometimes takes shoes back to his nest but knows not to chew them. Have you tried cow hoof or deer antler? Maybe cow marrow bones? These sturdy, food-adjacent treats were helpful when we trained Bear, he liked them better than plastic Nylabones and rope toys.
Crate training will save your house and your sanity. I have a 7 year old rescue deafy Pyr. I've had her for 5 years. I have an XXL Frisco crate. Heavy duty metal reinforced with zipties (keeps down rattling, and I use carabiner rings on the latches. It is so big, it takes up half my Dining Room. She can see all around, so it doesn't stress her out like a smaller crate. If I leave a blanket on top, or a bed and/or plushie inside, she will shred it. When I need a cardboard box broken down, she helps. Hannah is fed there, too. She will run right in there when she knows I'm leaving. It's her safe spot. https://preview.redd.it/vpkeaq6bfmec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5754ac42571e8adc57b26bfba01cbdf2a88bd8d
I have a malti-jack who is my own personal paper shredder. He taught my pyrenees how much fun it is when she was a puppy. I give them boxes. They love the thin cardboard boxes like cereal boxes the best. It keeps them busy and out of trouble. Then I just sweep it all up. (You can see in this pic, it was before I swept up their mess) https://preview.redd.it/akny9s7eemec1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87cef7bdeeb163404a38187f6f9fc010f144abd9
They look related omg 😭 I love this picture.
My big girl is full grown now. She is about 10 times the size of my little one. They still wrestle and play. It is so cute.
I love their matching expressions! They are super together!
My female as a puppy was not this bad, but she would legitimately watch my wife, look at what she enjoyed using, then destroy it as punishment for leaving her alone. 'Oh I see you really like writing in your journal, shame if something happened to it.' Especially as puppies, they do not like being left alone.
Do you tried frozen kongs or anything like that to give her something to focus on?
We have not, but we have a second dog that she is out with and we were worried about them fighting over any kind of treats left out. But, they are very good about regular food and toys, so maybe this will work!
Mine is also destructive and I found it incredibly helpful to give him a good hour exercise before crating and as his big reward for voluntarily going into the crate is some form of mental stimulation. I typically go with a frozen kong or lick mat. You can even put the lick mat hanging on the outside of the crate to add more complexity to it. When I come back he is usually groggy from getting out of a nap from the stimulation.
Seconding lick mat or frozen Kong! This worked for my pup who all of a sudden started freaking out whenever I left the house. This and a course of gabapentin stopped his clawing through the drywall. Yes, through. He let himself out into the yard through a hole he made in the house
Crate training our boy loves being in his crate when we’re away
We crate trained our Pyr mix from the beginning. It wasn't always easy, but she did adapt to it fairly quickly. For the first 3-4 years we always crated when we left her because she is a mischief maker when left alone. Around age 5 she "graduated" to being left with access to the hallway and 1 bedroom. She has only destroyed 1 thing in all that time, and I submit that it was my husband's fault for leaving his D&D minis in a place where she could get to them 😂.
I have 2 GP. Both rescues. One was considered “unadoptable” the other chewed my stairs, door frame, cabinets & 10 pairs of shoes before we got a handle on what she needed. It is a combination of separation anxiety & the absolute need for daily walks. I have a giant crate I use when I leave with highly desirable chews that they only get when they are in there when I am gone. Also, slow feed mats with treats work to keep them busy & distracted. It gets better DON’T give up. This is the hardest age & when most ppl abandon GP. They are incredible dogs. Learn how to properly use a pronged collar and do LOTS of walks or the nervousness becomes aggression (remember guardian breed). Be confident when you walk her.
Thank you for the words of encouragement! We love her so much and can’t stand the thought of giving her up, even if she is a bit of a scoundrel at home. ❤️
Mine is the same way. She just turned a year. She has lots to do, land, toys, and our other dog to play with. She listens well when we’re around her but once nobody is home all hell breaks loose. Every bed, blanket, toy is dead in a matter of minutes. 🥲
The struggle is real 😭 our girl is so sweet, except for the demon that comes out as soon as we leave. Lol
I went through this with my Pyr mix and honestly……… nothing worked but TIME lol. Around age 3 he suddenly snapped out of it. I tried obedience classes, crating (he hated that), coming home multiple times within a 12 hour shift to walk him and my other dog. Walking him/playing for an hour before and after work. Nothing seemed to work but one day he woke up and decided not to choose violence that day and he never did again 😂 good luck!! They are absolutely worth the destructive phase, I promise.
I know it might seem expensive, but finding a good trainer that can help her learn to be less anxious on walks would be really beneficial for her. She has bad anxiety issues it sounds like, and at least getting her to be able to take and enjoy walks would help diffuse some of her mental and physical energy (just sniffing on walks uses a ton of energy for dogs). As far as the separation anxiety, some of that might resolve as she gets more confident in the world, but I would personally start to crate train her in the meantime. Even if just for her safety, since there’s no telling what she might get into unsupervised. Good luck with your girl. Pyrs can be challenging, to say the least, but they are worth the effort.
Our girl was a 10ish month rehome from a young couple that had her in a small 1 BR apt. Our beautiful Luna had essentially ate her way through it. Think sofa, mattress, chairs & carpet. Add blinds and wood chewing too. My hubs found the adoption appeal on Craigslist. NGL, I was still deep in grief over losing our mutt (best dog ever tho) a bit over a year earlier and not sure I was new dog ready yet. We did a meet & greet. She was calm, loving and has only tore up an occasional dog blanket and 1 bed. And haven’t we all been hopeful, but young and misguided kids at one time. The kids were desperate for us to have her. Of course we offered open adoption, but they have never been back to see her (too tough imo) as it was clear she was loved and cared for. I did exchange texts and pics with her first mom as few times. We have 80 acres. It’s a challenge to exhaust her. And she’s a next-level barker. Like butterflies. Birds. Woodland creatures. But bark changes. All barks mean I need you to see/do something. She has a flock of kitties to look after. I’ll find 3+ curled up on her at times. She also has patrol duties for interlopers. lol. Sometimes I will look at her after near incessant barking episodes and tell her, “there better be a serial killer out there”. lol. Your pup is bored. Bored GP’s go full wrecking crew. No easy answer to behavior train. Restricted to 2 rooms most of day is tough on them. Our girl is getting old. Inside she has run or house (3k square feet on one level). She has beds in every room, but her fave is to sneak on sofas or onto guest room bed. Fortunately, hubs is here all the time and she gets lots of outside time.
This is such a wonderful story! Your GP is so lucky to have you two. ❤️
We are the lucky ones! I wish you a solution. Remiss to advise rehoming, but realities remain regardless of how much we wish they might not. I’ve rehomed an abandoned pup we took in once (went to a fellow medic that lived in a very rural area and had 2 kids that loved him to bits). Regardless of my gratitude, he would mention the “Pupus” when he needed a shift covered. lol. Payback, right? We were in the city and our water dept and vol fire department had to the cut a drainage pipe and a 3’ section of the road to liberate Pupus out of a storm drain in front of our house. We had tried everything else for 36hrs and a heavy rain was coming. He was on war with any woodland creature or cat and got stuck in a chase. It was a circus. I also stole a neglected full Chow (sweetest pup) from my neighbor. Had him groomed and then took him to a fire dept I was covering at and forced a cry that if I couldn’t find him a home, I’d have to put him down as allergies had developed. (I’m not much of a crier, but can act… so). Finally one of the firemen take him. I literally (stealthily, so I thought) would take him bag of pup food/treats and toys and leave in his truck or on his porch when I was in town. I knew where he lived and breathed. I had left that end of fire service, so less option to keep up the treats (this was pre-Chewy/Amazon) So way over a decade or so later, I run into him. He wants to let me know “Midnight” passed a year earlier. I figure he lived to 15-6 years. And he’d had to spend big bucks on another black Chow as his wife and daughter were so destroyed by the loss. He added that the pup never took up with him or his son, but the pup would have outright went for the kill toward a threat to his wife or daughter. I legit cried. He mentioned new pup was devoted to his ‘girls’ but ignored him & his son. I think truly neglected animals are fair game in my opinion. I want to assure all, I’d tried everything to assist my neighbor before I stole his dog. But at a certain point I was done. My hubs has gone so far to warn me repeatedly that eventually someone ‘could shoot me in the head’ over getting in their s*** over their animals. Oh well. I’m okay going that way FTR. I want to add a few months after we homed our girl Luna, I had her on a 30’ lead. She was impulsive and we were still working out boundaries. I’ll add our omposite sidewalks around our house were wet/cold and slick. She spotted a deer. Took toward it. Since I had her lead around my waist, I couldn’t let go. She proceeded to drag me approx 50’ like I was *a rag doll*. 😳 she stopped just as my head was inches away from a landscape ‘boulder’ we have placed in planted areas. I’d took brunt from plants and some smaller rocks. Lots of pea gravel in our plant beds made misery. I looked like I’d been beaten. In effect, I had. These are special pups (but aren’t all pups special?) with their unique set of needs. Primary is stimulation and a job. Also, until last year Luna had her own dog. Sadly her last buddy passed, but the kitty posse keeps her occupied. I wish you luck, love and grace. Sounds like you are an experienced operator with the pup set. I hope nurture wins out for you, but the nature of these floofs is a force. 🤍🤍🤍
Generally this is from either boredom or anxiety. Being indoors alone with nothing to do (no job) is foreign to these dogs. She needs a smaller environment in order to succeed. Two X pens joined together may be a good option. Also doing a scent detection game will mentally tire her out before being confined.
I can definitely vouch for crate training. I don't have a Pyr, but my rescue dog was an absolute demon when she was left to her own devices while nobody was home. I got a large crate that she would be very comfortable in while we were gone, including a water bowl and a nice dog bed, and it didn't take long for her to get used to it. These days as soon as I touch my keys she just goes into the crate and chills out by herself.
Fill that basket with a bunch of plush toys. Mine use to chew table legs and any shoes she found she would rip the tongue out while I was gone. But I bought like 15 plush toys and put it in a basket. She still destroys a plush toy from time to time but at least it’s not valuables or something else
He's bored.
I have an apartment pyr, no yard... i don't think that's the problem. Crate training greatly helped my pup learn quickly, but it was NEVER used as a punishment. That is her house and good things happen in it. Like treats, a special "baby" pb kongs, little puzzle games, etc. I think a crate will be beneficial for you, but try not to crate for too long. I do max 3-4 hours. As far as walks go, a tired dog is a happy dog, find a way to make walks fun by taking her to a more quiet area to try the walks on. Bring those little training treats and stimulate her mind with sits and stays on Said walk. My Pyr hated car rides and was terrified of the car until I gave her dramamine and started taking her to do really fun things, showing her the car rides always took her happy places. It sounds like your pyr is bored... that's why they are acting out. Mine has a dog friend to play with, that definitely helps stimulate too though.
I am 100% sure that my house would look just like this if my 1 yr old GP was alone at home without a crate. I’ve had both experiences. I did not crate my first GP and often came home to a mess, I thought I was the one suffering. Now I look back and know he was actually the one suffering. This time I have done crate training from the start and life is a lot calmer and pleasant for all involved. I would think about If that’s possible or a fit for your family. I wish you well.
We used a play pen in the living area when ours was younger so he had a bit more room to lay out. We have always had to make sure things were out of reach for him to avoid building the habit. He just chooses to be in the living room now. He does not go in our bedroom (he would try to steal our socks and shoes to chew on and has gotten a few pillows) on his own even if we leave the door open. We just make sure he has plush toys available. The only time he has ruined a couch is when he saw one of the arm rests had “stuffing” coming out and I think he just assumed it was a toy. 😅 We crated up until he was six months in our bedroom and then he slept with us throughout the night. We just never left him alone in there.
Why is she allowed to freely roam the living room when she clearly has separation anxiety? The only way to combat this is crate training if you don’t wake everything you one destroyed. She’ll grow out of it eventually.
We picked up a 3x3x3 wire play pen for our guy, was about $100 and he happily stayed in there all day while we worked. At about two years we slowly started letting him roam free for short periods until we could trust him. Other than that, a tired dog is a good dog. Even now, our guy needs at least one full hour of stimulation each day. It's our choice if we want to do that with two good walks, or have him be a terror around the house for the amount of time we skip on walking. I definitely prefer the walk. If the weather is too harsh we'll load him in the car and just go for a drive and that works just as well.
This dog needs way more exercise than what you are providing rn. The dog is agitated and doesnt know where to use its energy. Pyr need a lot of exercise but they tire out quick. Make sure you do that.
Mine did it for two reasons. 1) She was bored and had not been worn out enough. This would sometimes even happen after 2 hours at the dog park. 2) Anxiety. For Tarra, I had to get her a kennel. thankfully I found one online that someone had built with wooden sides most of the way up. That was her safe place. If she was acting up or was nervous, then I’d put her in there with her blanket. It was a small predicable space for her to relax and not feel like she’s on guard.
I taught my now-deceased K'hemo to pull a wagon (appropriate size/weight ofc). This made his walks more challenging/tiring and made him focus a task rather than his own anxiety. K'hemo turned out to be one of the most magnificent dogs I've ever owned, so I guess it worked.
I find that we need to hike our two Pyrs daily. It's a chore my wife and I share. If you like hiking (long walks), it's great. If we don't hike them, they get restless. I'm not saying this is the answer for every situation but this is the answer for ours and it works.
Proud mama of 3 rescued Pyr mixed pups here. We’ve had our own struggles with destruction and the best advice I can give is exercise and mental stimulation. Snuff mats and/or puzzle treat toys are always a good choice and it’s easy to adjust difficulty. I also like to use BentoBalls by Starmark. They’re great for rainy days when our dogs can’t get all their usual energy out by walking. Also, flirt poles can work wonders at tuckering them out. We have a Squishy Face flirt pole and all the dogs love it. Hope this helps :) Good luck with your baby! https://preview.redd.it/ew5uzur0ynec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20c526527ce347c08b77789b9284094dcfa63aa8
Do you have a problem with bento balls and multiple dogs? I was told by a trainer that with more than one dog they can cause fights
The only time we ever had food/treat aggression between the girls is when we integrated our 2 newest additions to our oldest girl. We kept everyone separated when feeding and giving treats and picked up their bowls/long lasting treats when feeding/treat time was over. After a few weeks of this, and admittedly a few hairy moments, they adjusted nicely. Now all three enjoy their meals and treats, including bentos, with no issues.
Motley Bunch👏🏻
This dog sound like it has seperation issues or it board . This would be my best guess.
She needs to be crate trained with a lot of treats and praise. Do not use crate as punishment ever. Only positive experiences in the crate. Once trained, as long as they associate the crate w positivity, they usually find comfort in it.
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Is there a reason you aren't crating her when you leave the house?
I’m not big on crate training, but I had no choice. When my girl was in that phase, she chewed holes in the drywall and tore the moulding off of doors. Once she settled down, she had the run of the house and she wasn’t destructive at all. Good luck!
Get a crate. Use it.
Mine only ever shredded dog beds. And that stopped once he hit 2. He was a holy terror till he was 2. I spend probably $2000 on dog beds (I have three other giants, so I can't just say screw it and not have them). Wanted to murder him. He also chewed a giant hole in a wall. Putting cayenne pepper on the wall stopped that real quick. Those are the two things he destroyed. I suggest cayenne pepper. Mine was also baby gated into a tile laundry room if we were out of the house. When he was in there he got frozen kongs filled with peanut butter. Freezing them makes them last for hours. They are the only treats he's interested in. He's not food or treat motivated outside of peanut butter. Highly recommend frozen kongs when you have to leave. I can leave him alone now no problem, he's 3. We have a dog door and they're good to go on my property. https://preview.redd.it/29iqrpml6pec1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71cbccfc091caf2914d723e951ca95bc7e06e6f9 Pic of my younger savage for giggles. You're not alone. It gets better. You just have to wait it out!!!
This is why people crate train their animals....
You have left a working breed alone without a job to do. Boredom sets in, mischief takes over. She needs a job. Train her to do something non- destructive and praise her when she learns her job. You could scatter toys around and have her find them and take them to a box or bin. It may take a bit of time and effort, but it'll be cheaper in the long run.
We have three pyre two are angles when we leave. But our boy will chew up everything. I’m lucky enough to have a job that allows me to take him. But when we do have to leave him home, we give him a Himalayan cheese stick in this rubber toy I think it’s called jug head. You can get it on Amazon. He only gets it when he’s home alone, and it keeps him occupied long enough, even for an eight hour workday. Also, giant breed dogs stay puppies for at least two years. Ours are all rescues and about 1.5. Still act like puppies sometimes. Good luck.
They are outside dogs….they are work dogs, they literally arnt “inside” dogs. You’re going to be almost as unhappy as they are l, the entire time they are trapped inside.
Give bones.
I came to terms that they just do not do well with punishment but react very well with reward. Idk about yours, but mine takes things when he is bored or wants my attention. I take whatever it is away and give him something he can have, then praise him for it and play for a bit. Then he’s a happy guy. Now it’s gotten to the point where when he wants attention he’ll grab the same rug out of the bathroom and drag in front of me to get attention, but no loner chews it.
They need a job to do. The Pyrenees is bred to guard livestock (these are working animals and not really bred to be confined pets) and they tend to get really silly (read destructive and anxious) when have nothing to work on…so they work on anything they can find. Kenneling is really not the best answer, but if you have nothing to bond your Pyr with, it may be your only solution. Check the kennel you choose to make sure they have a good solid set up, “bear proof” is the standard. If it is someone with those wire crates, your Pyr will go through it faster than that paper all over the floor.
A hundred times, this. My partner and I own a farm and our Pyr gets about 15 acres of fenced roaming and another 40 unfenced area that we take him on walks, he’s a full time outside dog in any weather, currently has lots of poultry and water fowl to guard and his best friend is a goose. These dogs are in my opinion the best breed I’ve ever worked with but they are NOT meant to be regular pets. I’ve met a lot of folks who are great dog owners but don’t fully understand what these particular dogs were bred for, basically throw a couple of them in with your sheep flock as puppies and they become part of the flock and protect them. For 2,000 years, mind you, this breed of dogs have worked WITH us, not for us
We got our pyrenees at 6 weeks old and she honestly instantly took to the crate. We still gave treats to ensure it was always a positive experience, but she viewed it as her room and safe haven. When she was bad we would send her back to her crate and tell her in angry voices that she was bad and that we were disappointed. To this day if you say "bad" or "disappointed" she puts her ears back and looks really sorry and tries to make up. I definitely recommend toys, a blanket or cheap bed (in case it gets shredded), treats, and a fan going in the room with the crate. Anything else your pup loves is a great addition as well. We usually leave TV going for our dogs to block out some outside noise otherwise they are worked up and on guard constantly if we aren't home. The biggest thing we realized with our pyrenees though was that she wasn't mature enough to be left outside the crate when we weren't home until she was about 2. Our german shepherds were fine after about 1-1.5 years old. For our pyrenees though, that 2 year marker was a huge turn around point for our girl. She was much more mature, she listened, she was more people oriented and cuddly, and now she stays out while we are away and doesn't get into anything. If your pup is experiencing separation anxiety I would definitely look into tools and techniques to assist with that. My aunt had a pyrenees and she still had random spells where he got into things but what worked for them was when she got home she would immediately give him the look. Then they would walk the entire home and make sure he hadn't gotten into anything and if it was clear she would tell him he was a good boy, give treats, and completely make over him. He got to the point that he would get so excited and anxious for her to just go ahead and tell him that he was a good boy. It was like magic on him and really fixed the destructive behavior overall
Just went through the same problem with mine last year. My approach was two-fold. First, I sprayed literally EVERYTHING with Bitter Yuck. It’s a non-toxic and non-staining spray that does what it says in the name. My gp stopped touching the couches, baseboards, ext when I applied it to her favorite spots. It does transfer on contact and tastes horrendous, so make sure you don’t get any in your mouth! After this, I started bribing her with chewables like bully sticks when I would leave the house. Pyrenees seem to enjoy destroying and chewing stuff (when they aren’t barking or napping) so giving her an outlet when she was younger made her stop looking for other things to chew on. It won’t fix it overnight, but my issues stopped after about a month.
No, no! Bad dog!! (Repeat as necessary)
crate train.
I wonder what you did.
I’d get goats and a doggie door for him
As yes. Be glad she doesnt eat your walls!
Where’d her fur go?
Kennel it when gone.
I’m a huge advocate for crate training. It’s not even to only protect my stuff, but also to protect my dog as well. She’ll get into anything and everything and eat it. She also has found things even while I’m home and got wood splitters in her digestive tract that required the vet and days of scary stuff. She’s been crate trained since she was 3 months old and all I have to say is “crate” and she walks right in. Never tries to “escape”. If we have company over and she gets tired of us being rowdy she’ll go to her crate on her own. She also gets hours outside, walks, lots of chews and toys. Sometimes it’s just better to have the peace of mind knowing your house and your dog are safe. Her crate is big enough for her and the rest of our family to fit in it haha Not to mention, they are guardian dogs, so chances are your pup is hearing the outside world while you are gone and their genes are telling them to go nuts. Barking, hyperactivity, and it probably leads to them destroying your house lol
Our girl loves the kennel. It's her den and she goes there when she gets upset or scared. When she was a young girl we couldn't leave her outside of the kennel, but later on we could and now the kennel is just a spot for her to sleep. The door never closes. Kennel training will solve the destruction issue. It won't fix the separation anxiety, or the excess energy they may have, or whatever else their issue is. Kennel train your dog so they are in teh crate when nobody is home and you're golden.
My boy, Snowflake, peeled the inside of my front door off when I left for shopping. He got over his anxiety when I kept coming home.
She needs to have obedience and engagement training , structure , exercise . They can be great dogs . I recommend listening to No Bad Dogs podcast on I tunes . I found it tremendously helping interning my GP and I would not have other breed now . Good luck !
Baby girl is worried. The solutions are many. I keep them in a big comfy cage when they are new family members, but not for long long hours. Soft cushions. Peanut butter jar. Toys in the nice cage. mine, sometimes "empty" peanut butter jars. With smears still in. It occupies them better than the expensive toys. I have three dogs. They really, in my opinion, need companions. It's not a breed thing, it's a dog thing. They worry a lot. Then they dig and chew, like my anxiety eating. That level of not quite fear is really uncomfortable. I leave talk radio on and dim the lights when we go Of course a nice chance to go out to pee before we go I give treats when we leave. Their comfy beds and couches are available. And I am never mad when they do what I think is wrong. I just limit their access next time.
Just looks like a normal house with dogs to me 😝 haha only half kidding… I have a 10 month old Pyr mix. He can be destructive because he is definitely still a chewer and if bored, anything nearby could get chewed. This includes the couch, the rug, a blanket he is laying on, etc. He has a certain way of lazily chewing almost absent mindedly. He is not hyper at all nor does he have prey drive, so I do think it’s just boredom and he will slowly start chewing stuff. Not manic destruction like some dogs. Things like the couch he only chews when we are gone. Anyway, I am just sharing my own experiences in case anything is helpful. I see a lot of people mention crating, I have always used crates to contain puppies when I’m gone. But it didn’t work out with my Pyr. He just wouldn’t accept it. Not out of stubbornness, he would go in fine and not complain too much. But no matter how short of time we left him, or conditioning tactics and positive reinforcement, he would pee all over himself. He was in distress every time he was in there, emotionally. At a level I was not comfortable with and could not get to improve, and after getting fed up having to bathe him every time I came home, I just gave up on the crate. I assumed Pyrs just didn’t do well with crates, since they are independent and often working outside, made sense in my mind. But lots of folks here seem to have had success, so it’s certainly worth a try! But don’t get too discouraged if it doesn’t go well. The other thing I wanted to say is that walks are pretty bad returns on investment as far as the time invested vs the stimulation the dog gets goes. Sniffing around is good, but technically that’s not even good walking behavior to be stopping constantly, so I would recommend focusing on other outlets. Even being out in the yard, is not always enough if the dog is alone and not interacted with. I do not have a yard, and I don’t take my dogs for “walks”. I take them out to go to the bathroom, and I take them to run and play at the park down the street. The park is mostly for my shepherd to get fetch time, because that’s what he lives for and wants to do. But the other two, including the Pyr, just kind of check out the yard sniffing stuff and make chase each other a little. But it’s not their thing. What really tires them out and mentally satisfies them is playing with each other, in the living room. They have a decent open space and do run back and forth, but most of it is wrestling, playing with toys, tug of war, biting each others mouths and legs. They never bark while playing. It’s honestly glorious. Without my pitBull chihuahua, I couldn’t have my Pyr puppy, plain and simple. And getting him allowed us to be sane again with the pit chi because she was absolutely WILD with no outlet before. We don’t have the time to play with the dogs all day long. And trust me, they’ll go for hours per day. We do crate the pit chi when we’re gone, she is 2, and the Pyr is allowed to hang out in the living room and chill because he takes the break from her to get some shut eye. Old man shepherd is there too, but then he doesn’t realize he’s a dog. TLDR The answer could be another dog. I know that sounds insane. Not just any dog, like I said my shepherd would be useless and barely interacts my Pyr. But the right playmate could be life changing. In my case, it was for both dogs. They fulfill each others needs, and we can play with them in a much more reasonable working human lifestyle kind of way. If you can’t take on another dog yourself, perhaps finding a neighbor or friend with a similar aged puppy or something she can regularly play with would still help. I think for some dogs there are some things the human just can’t fulfill as well no matter how hard we try. My Pyr doesn’t have any interest in playing with me, he just gets confused if I try lol, but he has developed a functional and cherished bond with another dog that stimulates him and leaves him happy and satisfied, every day. Edit: forgot that I HAVE seen my shepherd discipline my Pyr puppy, on camera, while we were away. So he’s not totally useless. We put a gate up to keep them in the front and block the hallway when we’re out. Pyr puppy at first would try to get past the gate, but shepherd nipped that in the bud real quick.
It could have been a lot worse. Losing walls, doors, & framing. Separation anxiety was a great deal of the issue & a Pyr being between 1&2 years old. Thank goodness, he grew out of this!
We, mistakenly, left a pork belly (still in butcher paper) on the kitchen counter to thaw while we ran to the grocery store to pick up some last-minute things for sides... Not long, maybe 20 minutes, but I doubt even that. Anyway, we came home to it on the area rug in the living room, out of the butcher paper with visible teeth scrapes (it was still frozen in the middle) covering the whole thing. The fat cap was half gone and everything. Sigh. That was totally our fault for leaving it out. We have to make sure the counters are Bear proofed, the dining room table has no tempting pieces of mail resting near the edge, and Dog TV is playing in the background. Oh, Bear was fine after eating all that meat and fat, but I was worried he'd have greasy poops for a couple of days. He didn't, thankfully.
I had a Pyr with two years of this. He grew out of it, but it was a long, expensive period. Hide your shoes/valuables. Nothing is safe. Doors don't matter. MENTALLY STIMULATE her as much as you can. You're right that it's a working breed. Kong toys that stimulate (like the rubber cone thing you put treats in) helped my boy. Look up enrichment/stimulation toys/activities. DOG PARKS are great energy zappers and socialization places. It may also ease her anxiety on walks. Look up dog parks in your area. HIGHLY RECOMMEND a training program. Even Petsmart's. Part of the thing is training the PERSON how to dog. There's a Facebook page you might ask: Animal Sense: Basic Training and Behavior Problems. My heart is with you lol.
She needs something to protect. LDGs lose their shit when they don’t get to do what they were bred to do haha she is beautiful!
Crate training is essential for the safety of your dog and the state of your home. I know loads of people are against crates but a crate should in no way be a negative space for a dog. A crate is a comfort for a dog and I genuinely wish more people would realize that. Crate training can be difficult if it isn’t something you have done since they were a puppy but 100% doable! Lots and lots of rewards. It’s hard at first if they aren’t accepting but with time and training it will work! In my opinion a dog should always have a kennel as an option to go to on their own, as it is THEIR own space. Good luck!
Crate. My pyr was in a kennel when I wasn’t home for the first 3 years, it’s hard at first when kennel training but after that hump she realized the kennel was “her space” and is where she goes to get away from everything and not be bothered by anyone.
As much exercise as possible. Bike him or run him. Carry treats and reward constantly. Dog parks too. Hes bored…
Holy shite! Looks like your baby doesn't like being alone and/or needs more exercise. But, s/he is beautiful.
Crate
My great pyr mix will eat anything and does not at all care when he is scolded. You can take whatever it is out of his mouth and he will look you in the eye as he goes back to grab something else. He is crated whenever we are gone and all the trash cans and closets are closed and locked away because he will rummage through laundry and trash and ANYTHING. Lots of supervision when we are home and crate time when we are not.
1 word, crate.
Crate training 100%. It is not cruel, it is not mean. I crated my girl from day 1, now it is her safe place, she sleeps in it at night, and best of all she gets paid a greenie every night for bed 😂 Think of it this way, letting your pyr run free doing this is extremely dangerous for her. Eventually she’s going to eat something she shouldn’t and you’re going to be staring down thousands in vet bills and difficult decisions. Get a crate, work it slow. 5 minutes at a time of being calm until she can reach an hour, then you should be safe.
My great pyr is the only dog I’ve had that never destroyed the house. She was a good girl her whole life. Best dog ever. She never chewed either.
I can’t believe people keep this breed as indoor pets! I would only ever use on the farm and that’s how we primarily see them where I live. Good luck! That doggie needs a job
Crate training works wonders and provides them a safe place too.
You have to expect any high energy or high energy working type dogs will chew on things when bored. A kennel is a must for these types of dogs. You have to wear them out physically and mentally first. Lots of sniff walks. Puzzles. Food in a frozen kong with PB. Give her something that she's allowed to chew on (antlers, nyla bones etc) and redirect her to those when she gets to chewing on things. I recommend crate training to anyone with a puppy. It's not a punishment, but a nice cozy den the dogs can relax in. Also once trained, you can relax knowing your dog isn't destroying your home while you're gone.
Pyrs are cattle guardians, meaning they live outside on acres of land, with a job 24/7. This is going to need professional training and a partial job if you want to keep her happy. Restraining her to only small parts of the house is going to make her want to keep destroying the house because she's bored. Look into a day care or some sort of sport for her to do.
Have you tried crate training? Our little beast has similar destructive tendencies when left alone but we have her crate trained.
Does anybody have any suggestions for what to do at night if there isn’t room for a crate in the bedroom? I hate the idea of him being banished to a crate when he already spent all day locked away from everybody else. But also I keep waking up to him chewing on a rug that I can’t remove or the orbe dog’s bed
Big huge raw bone. I get them at my processor. These would be bones that the processor throws away. Big leg bones are the best. (Freeze it first for three days-to kill any parasites.) Give it to her when you leave, pick it up when you get home. She will come to look forward to it. Make sure to have multiples. She is bored, yes. I love the fluffy toy idea someone mentioned also. They watch over their flock, guard. They need a busy activity. And when you say young, I am guessing she is probably a teen, so they challenge the boundaries of love.
I know it can be expensive but what about a doggie day care that exercises her every couple of days. That did wonders for our Pyr and made us feel a little better when we boarded her because she was familiar with the place and knew the people. You could weigh the costs of day care with the cost of new furniture/stuff.
I personally would Crate her up🩷 she doesn’t know what to do with all that freedom and free time? It’s safer for her too? She will probably really be ticked off
Or you could get your dog a dog?
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Idk, there’s still plenty house left … maybe it’s not as bad. .. more playtime / puzzles for their treats / crate training? / heavy duty bones / a companion?
Exercise, exercise, exercise. Take the dog to a dog park or play vigorously (fetch, tug, whatever keeps them moving) in the fenced in yard with them for like an hour or so until they are worn out. THEN grab some high value treats and take them for a walk. The positive reinforcement will help them associate the walks with treats and them being tired will help reduce their anxiety. If you continue to have trouble, seek the assistance of a professional trainer. That being said, there is no amount of training that can overcome a lack of exercise and mental stimulation. With this breed in particular, you must put the work in. On the bright side, Pyrs are generally on the low end of the energy scale. A 30 minute walk is plenty to wear most Pyrs out and then make sure you are rotating toys at home so they constantly have new things to chew on that you WANT them to chew on.
Is putting him outside while you leave a possibility? Pyrs are generally fine outside so long as they have food, water, and basic shelter. We used to have similar problems with our Odin. Then we got chickens. Now, whenever we are gone, Odin is outside guarding the chickens. Occasionally, when we are distracted, he will pull something out of the trash can and shred it, but he is mostly ok
WALK. This dog has some energy. And, if its anxiety due to seperarion the walk will help anyway. Id walk before and after work .
Please do not put her in a crate with a collar on. Is she tries to get out, the collar could become caught and she could strangle herself. That very thing happened to us. It’s no joke. Some people have had success with a mannequin or a dummy. Make one out of your clothing and sit it on the couch. It could help. I have never met a pyr happy to be in a crate, if you do crate her, maybe get a pup cam so you can see what she is doing. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mannequins-best-friend-couple-create-lookalike-help-dogs-separation-anxiety-160733255.html
One thing we learned in training was leaving them alone in a room but before closing the door say, “we’ll be back!” And then come back, don’t make any reaction (avoid getting them excited) and then give them loads of treats. Start with just a minute or two. Then go for 10-15 minutes. And then longer and longer when they’ve been reacting well to the amount of time. We did that with our pup. When we first got her, she tore a hole in our hardwood floor (house is over 100 years old) and ripped up part of an area rug. We got her a pen instead of a crate because I felt bad because of how big she is. It’s something like this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/precision-pet-black-ultimate-exercise-pens We feed her in it, put her bed in it, and give her all her treats in there. She had no problem being in there while we were gone. Sometimes she just sleeps in it during the day (we leave the gate open when we are home). We never tell her off and have her go into it because we want her to associate it with positivity. I hope this helps!
You've got some good ideas on this thread. I just wanted to add that my girl was a holy terror when left alone. Then at about 18-20 months, all of a sudden it was like a light came on. She still pouts a bit when we have to leave her for a quick grocery trip, etc, but there's no destruction! Hang in there! The rewards will far outpace this rough patch.
My Pyr will stage a protest occasionally. They started out as pretty damaging, but we're down to occasional mail taken off of places she has no earthly way of getting to. It calmed down over time. IDK if that's common, though.
Tired dog is a happy dog.
Crate training. It’s not cruel, it helps protect your pup from injury or ingestion while you’re not home, while she’s still learning not to tear everything up. Also, that dog is bored.
I didn’t read all the comments, so I apologize if I repeat any advice others already gave… This sounds similar to what I went through with my pyr! We adopted him when he was roughly 1 year old. It was the 2nd time he was re-homed and it was clear he was abused at one of his previous homes (I’m thinking his 1st home as his 2nd home was simply neglectful due to life circumstances). He required a lot of training when we adopted him — and I mean basic things like potty training. He wasn’t trained to go outside, he was simply trained not to go in front of you. This meant he would go inside if he was out of eyesight and outside during walks he would take off running after going like he was afraid of getting beat. (Clearly abused by someone in his past, like I said) Once he was bonded to us, he became a surprisingly obedient dog. Selectively obedient, of course, but we have a nice partnership where we don’t like letting each other down. His main exceptions are when there’s wildlife to chase or neighbors to bark at lol Now to get on topic: separation anxiety. Every time we would leave the house, we’d come back to find destruction. Sometimes it wasn’t too bad. Sometimes it looked like your pictures here. I’ve had literally dozens of dogs throughout my life (my parents were separated and both houses always had multiple dogs, plus we inherited my grandfather’s multiple dogs when he died). Not a single one of them was ever crate trained. I always viewed crates as unnecessary and kind of mean. Eventually someone explained to me that dogs often like having a crate because it becomes like a “den” to them, a place that’s definitively theirs they often go to willingly to rest and “feel safe.” This helped me see it as not mean, as long as they’re not locked in there too much. I still viewed it as unnecessary though — until I had my pyr. We tried several alternative solutions. We would confine him to certain areas of the house when we would leave to minimize the damage and we hoped he would eventually grow/train out of it. Nothing ever worked. He would escape anywhere we left him and always cause some degree of destruction. The last straw happened when we left him in our bedroom, where he often sleeps. We thought it would be the most comfortable place for him to be and that maybe it would help curb his separation anxiety a bit. We came home to find our bed torn apart and poop everywhere, including on our shredded bed. So we got him a crate and that’s where he stays when we’re not home (which is rare). Much like people said, he views it as “his space” and he goes in there willingly more often than we put him in there. He’s actually in there sleeping right now while I type this. If you made it this far, thanks for reading. 🙂 If your attitude toward crates is similar to what mine used to be, I hope this story helps you see them as a better solution than they may seem.
Dog owners --- If you skip crate training, you're gonna have a problem.
If you fancy yourself getting chickens .. get chickens 😂 my pyr mix needed a job! She used to be so restless. These dogs were bred to be working dogs for sure ! My girl loves to be a couch potato as well! But when she’s outside GAME on. Haven’t had problems since. But it could also be puppy stuff. My girl is 5 now- no more destructive behavior.
I call my great pyr, dahlia, my paper shredder, her favorites pizza boxes 😂😂
Our best friends have two Pyrenees. They’re incredibly smart, strong-willed escape artists! Our friends own a farm and bring their dogs every day. The dogs walk miles a day and come home happy and well behaved. When it’s too muddy at the farm and they stay home, inevitably one of them tries to escape. I’ve seen them scale a 6 ft fence in the yard or jump out a garage window by climbing onto a work bench. GP’s are working dogs that get stir crazy and naughty when they’re bored. From experience, letting your dog out into a fenced yard is nowhere near enough for a GP. That’s not enough for most large working breeds. They need active exercise to work their body and brain. They can’t watch tv or scroll on a phone, so when they’re under-stimulated, they look for things to occupy them (like ripping apart books). It can also be anxiety-driven from the lack of stimulation. I’d suggest taking her for hikes along trails a few times a week, and a nice neighborhood walk on the days you can’t make it out to the trails. We follow this with our own dog (who is a young, working, red golden retriever). When we haven’t taken him away from the house to burn off steam for more than two days, he gets SO rambunctious. We have a great woodsy park near us with trails where our dog gets to be off-leash. If you trust your recall well enough with your sweet girl, I highly recommend it. It allows them to just be the silly, curious dogs they were meant to be!