[PyrNet-L] Aggression and Pyrs

[Carol Brescher Boyle <carol@NaturalDogFood.com>]

Susan,

First, let me thank you on behalf of so many Pyr owners and
lovers for taking a rescue Pyr into your home. For those of
you who have never done it, it is a labor of love for the
breed. These dogs come with, as Susan so aptly put it, "baggage",
and it is the hard work of the new owner to try to unload
this baggage. 

We were involved in two rescues. One we placed within a year
and the other one remained with us until he died. We could
never feel confident enough in his behavior to place him.
Nor could we put him down. But we had plenty of room so....

This dog had food issues. He was raised with a smaller dog
that was allowed to take his food. He was also a bit of
a bully, and it was probably because of our problems in dealing
with him that we became so anti-aggression. 

He had some remarkably bad habits that were allowed to develop
in him as a puppy. The former owners were directly responsible
for his aggression and temperament. It was not a issue of wudda cudda
shudda. We had no control over his former environment. We just
inherited the problem. Because of his size, and the
fact that we had a small kennel, we simply avoided the food
issues, and kept him separated from the other dogs. But that
is not your problem, so it is a solution that would not work.

I am not a behaviorist, but I would say that if you have him
under control in the house you are more than half way there.
Other than encouragement and thanks for working with this dog,
I cannot offer any suggestions.

Isn't there someone out there who can help advise Susan.
Where's Capt Haggarty when you really need him? 
  

> Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 11:42:28 -0400
> From: SDOBSCHA@lnmta.bentley.edu
> Subject: Re: [PyrNet-L] Aggression and Pyrs
> 
> the difference between alpha and temperment is real but the real question
> is:  what does one do about a pyr with a bad temperment???  i'll be the
> first to admit that i have a bad tempered pyr but i don't know what to do
> about it.  i've written in a few times before about the problems with
> seamus but i still haven't gotten any concrete solutions back from the
> list.  i've curbed all the alpha problems in the house (stealing food,
> growling over down stays, jumping up, etc.) to where he's actually quite
> polite in the house now.  however, when we go for walks he goes ballistic
> whenever another dog walks by.  he instigates fights with almost any dog
> that comes near him and there isn't one element of instinct that he's
> larger and more powerful.  every dog is a threat to him.  my last pyr
> didn't have this confidence problem, probably because i raised him from a
> puppy, but this guy has all the rescue baggage you can imagine.  i'm really
> frustrated and sometimes regret taking a 4 home rescue dog into my home.
> we already did level one obedience and i'm currently using a gentle leader
> collar when on walks but that is more for my control than curbing his
> behavior.
> 
> i guess i'm frustrated with all the stories with pyrs having the instinct
> to know what is a real threat because mine clearly doesn't.  imho, we need
> a wider range of behavior discussions in order to solve these very real
> problems of all pyr owners.  stories of how good pyrs act in certain
> situations are endearing but they don't help those of us struggling with
> rescue or other pyrs that act uncharacteristically like the breed.
> 
> my 3 cents (inflation),
> 
> susan dobscha
> 
> ------------------------------


 
  Carol
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