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Hi out there. Our family has recently adopted
a 2 year old female spayed pyr. She has been working on a sheep farm for
the past while, but her previous owners they found that she was too socialized
and kept leaving the sheep. She is great with our kids, adores the
attention, but we have a few wrinkles to iron out. Perhaps you could
help!
1) When we groom her, which she seems to
absolutely love, she often gives "love bite" which I feel should be
discouraged. Any thoughts?
2) She doesn't know how to play with people,
and tends to jump on us (her claws are sharp, and she's very big.) The
kids want to play with her, but don't know how to do so. She played
baseball with us the other day (getting excited and running around), and knocked
our 3 year old over in her excitement. She also puts a paw onto a person
(usually their leg) when she wants to be petted. I've got bruises all over
my legs, and I get nervous when I'm in shorts. When we tell her no, she'll
turn her head aside, but continue to do it. If I get quite adamant that I
mean no, she thinks it's an invitation to play (translate wrestle).
Suggestions?
3) We'd love to be able to go hiking and
access the wooded area behind our home without restricting her to a leash (which
gets twisted around trees, or tugs our arms out when she spots a rabbit,) but
Bonny will not come when called. She'll also hang out in the yard for a
short while with us, but then decide she wants to explore and trots away.
Attempts at training, (I'll call her and then go get her, release her and call
her to me -- then she comes to me, I praise etc. then increase the
distance) have now started to backfire, because the last time she left, she left
galloping, looking over her shoulder. I do not punish her (including
confining her right away) when she does run. Should I be?
We are new not only to Pyrs but also to dogs.
We'd love advice!
Jeannie
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