I need help with my Great Pyrenees!! They like to roam, I take it?? Please help!!!!!!

DogsRlife · 10-23-2007, 01:18 PM

Ok, if anybody can give me help on this I would appreciate, whether it comes from experience or something you've heard.

Im not new to having dogs. My past dogs included a wide range of breed including 2 large male golden retrievers that we adopted (we=my parents and I). They were the best dogs ever!!! Unfortunately we lost them to heartworm.
Right now my household consists of 3 dogs: 1 (old) female (spayed) chow chow, 1 male (neutered) pomeranian, and 1 female (spayed) toy poodle. We also have some cats of various ages.
Here's the question(s) after I gave you some information. About 3 days ago we found, well coaxed a Great Pyrenees to come home with me. He came from the direction of a woods behind us. He crossed a bean field and headed to cross a highway. My mother and I stopped and he came to the car but when I got out he walked off ignoring everything. This makes me think he was dumped. He went under a fence and got chased and almost killed by some horses before he ducked back under the fence. He then walked to me and I grabbed his collar. He had no tags; I then walked him back to my house and put him on a tie-out and fed him. He is a real baby and is always happy to see me or my parents. He is friendly to the neighbors who come to see him. He gets along well with the chow and the pom and the poodle. I get the impression by the way he acts that he's not that old, like maybe a year if that. He is not neutered and he has not shown any aggression, nervousness, or shyness. I don't think he's had any training though; he does not walk well at all on a leash

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We callled avery vet and animal shelter in are area and no one has reported him missing. We are planning on taking him to a vet tonight and get him scanned for a microchip. If he has one we will return him to his owner. If not we might keep him. I have read everything I can find on this breed and I am getting told they cannot be trusted off a leash. I am wondering how Great Pyrenees do with electric underground fences????? Do they work for the breed??? Please help. Since Ive had him since saturday, I walk the property line with him multiple times a day. I know it would help to do that if we get a underground fence too. Please give any and all suggestions about the breed and training. He's a real sweetheart! He reminds everyone about our old golden retrievers.
Thanks

Dogstar · 10-23-2007, 01:33 PM

Pyrs love to roam and an underground fence won't cut it with these guys. If that's all you have for containment, this probably isn't the breed for you. Look up SPIN - Pyr rescue. They've got a siteful of good info.

DogsRlife · 10-23-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogstar

Pyrs love to roam and an underground fence won't cut it with these guys. If that's all you have for containment, this probably isn't the breed for you. Look up SPIN - Pyr rescue. They've got a siteful of good info.

I don't understand why a electric shock won't stop them!?!?!

Curbside Prophet · 10-23-2007, 03:05 PM

Think Mack Truck meets the Energizer Bunny. Who wins?

DogsRlife · 10-23-2007, 03:20 PM

well we were thinking about using him to stay in the horse barn across the street tied at night in the barn. Would the horse electric fence stop him???? Like 3 braids of the brand Electro-braid??

skelaki · 10-23-2007, 04:17 PM

Probably not. And if he starts wandering (that may be how he came to you), as he matures, he will come to think of all the territory as his to guard. This will not be a good thing.
Here's the national rescue group: http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/gpcaresq.html
And, a working Pyr breeder's site: http://www.bluesteelgreatpyrenees.com/working.html

I'm sure you could get information and good advice from these people.

DogsRlife · 10-23-2007, 04:23 PM

the electro braid is a horse fence. There is no way he could go under it without being shocked. This fence is made to keep horses in why wouldn't it stop him. In order for him to get out he would have to be shocked on his back and the fence shocks like a pulse.

GreatDaneMom · 10-23-2007, 05:03 PM

heres the difference with dogs like pyrs, and horses.... (i have horses)....horses are scared of 2 things... things that move, and things that dont move. anything sudden scares a horse, anything makes a sound, actually, anything! dogs are different, especially working breed dogs. pyrs need something to do, something to guard, work! pyrs take a lot of time and dedication. they have to be groomed a lot, they need a lot of training, and really, you cant just tie them up in a barn, it doesnt cut it. unless youre going to really put a lot of time into this dog, look into a rescue..

poohlp · 10-24-2007, 10:21 AM

Having had the pleasure of meeting an electric horse fence myself, I'd have to say that it might be effective in keeping the dog in, assuming he can't go under/over or in between it, combined with with pretty heavy training to teach him what his property is. In my limited knowledge, Pyrs are livestock guardians, so if he adopts the horses as his charges, maybe he wouldn't want to wander but would stay to guard his flock? After all, a pyr that left its flock to go chase rabbits wouldn't be much of a defense against coyotes. Doesn't seem like he'd like being tied up though, as that would prevent him from doing his job.

I'd try to find some people who have working pyrs and could tell you what you would need to do insofar as training goes.

battlemonkey · 10-24-2007, 12:44 PM

If possible, are you able to maybe keep him in a dog run in your yard or somewhere close? That would be my suggestion, even though I have no clue about this breed, but yes, they are a working dog and this guy probably has this embeded in his brain.

Have you made a call to your local shelter to find out if anybody has reported him missing? If he's not skinny, not dehydrated, groomed, etc, then I'm sure he belongs to somebody and his family misses him.

Are YOU sure you are ready to take responsibility for this big guy, already having 3 dogs? I am the same way, if I see a stray, I want to take him in right away, then I have to think, it's already a big deal with 1 dog and 2 cats, never mind 2 dogs. But, that's just my opinion and hopefully nobody gets angry with me as done in the past.

Anyway, good luck with your new pup and hope all goes well! Oh, by the way, did you pick a name for him yet?

Oh yeah, and pictures, we love pictures!!!!!!!!!!

skelaki · 10-24-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poohlp

Having had the pleasure of meeting an electric horse fence myself, I'd have to say that it might be effective in keeping the dog in, assuming he can't go under/over or in between it, combined with with pretty heavy training to teach him what his property is. In my limited knowledge, Pyrs are livestock guardians, so if he adopts the horses as his charges, maybe he wouldn't want to wander but would stay to guard his flock? After all, a pyr that left its flock to go chase rabbits wouldn't be much of a defense against coyotes. Doesn't seem like he'd like being tied up though, as that would prevent him from doing his job.

I'd try to find some people who have working pyrs and could tell you what you would need to do insofar as training goes.

You aren't covered with thick fur like a Pyr is. I gave the OP a link to a working Pyr breeder as well as the national breed club. So what she chooses to do or not do is now up to her.