[pyrnet] Learning as I go :-)

[Katie Allison Granju <kgranju@yahoo.com>]

Well, we have had our first Pyr foster dog here for a day or so now and
just as some more experienced Pyr people suggested might happen, my own
Pyr, Leo, HATES her. He was fine with her at first, but I think that
once he figured out that she wasn't just visiting and was going to stay
a while, his attitude changed completely. He is very nasty to her and
won't let her anywhere near anyone in my family, particularly my
children. He hates for her to come in the house at all and if she so
much as looks at his toys or bones -- even out in our large yard -- he
growls at her. She is very sweet and quiet and submissive and I feel
terrible for her :-( It is difficult to keep them separated and she
seems unhappy.

This has really surprised me because Leo has never shown ANY dog
aggression when friends' dogs come to visit or when we are on walks or
at the park or obedience class. And he has been fine with the few local
fosters we have taken in, with the exception of the American Bulldog
male that I mentioned. I asked my vet about this situation today and he
pointed out that at 23 months, Leo is now moving from puppyhood into
adulthood and thus, can be expected to be more dominant in his own
environment. Also he suggested that LGD breeds tend to be less tolerant
of other dogs of their own size (although Leo is MUCH bigger than this
sweet female Pyr) and that since the other fosters I had taken in had
each been younger and/or much smaller than Leo, this could be a factor
as well. 

In any event, I guess this rules out bringing a second adult male Pyr
into our home as I had hoped. I am glad that we discovered this before
taking the plunge. I think it also means that my future work with Pyr
rescue will be best spent doing transports, home visits and other types
of volunteering rather than fostering. 

Maybe someday we will add a female Pyr or newf *puppy* to our home, but
having just emerged from puppyhood with Leo, whom I have had since he
was eight weeks old, I will definitely need a long break before
tackling the challenging puppy phase again! Leo has become absolutely
the best, most wonderful dog I could ever imagine and he is my
priority, so if he prefers being top dog on his own turf, then I will
respect that and not borrow trouble. 

So anyway, just thought I would let y'all know that those of you with
concerns were spot-on :-)

Katie, learning as I go

=====
~Katie Allison Granju~ 
Writing ~ Editing ~ Consulting
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067102762X/o/

katie@katiegranju.com

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