Re: [pyrnet] 2 questions

[Pip Clews <pipclews@yahoo.com>]

It's so great to hear of a happy adoption story. Glad
you could bring a big fluffy friend into your home. 

Our pyr has similar responses to FedEx people at the
door, etc. However, he LOVES our mailwoman, who brings
a treat each time she comes. Perhaps you could have
someone the dog hasn't met yet come to the door and
offer him a treat - after he sits, of course. If
you're afraid he might harm the person, have him/her
knock and walk away, leaving a treat on the doorstep.
Then let the dog out to get the treat. Positive
associations usually help - particularly with Pyrs
since they're so food motivated!

On introducing him... I would suggest using some kind
of barrier between the two animals to start as a
safety precaution. If you have a carrier for the cat,
put him/her in there and let the dog sniff through the
crate for a few days before letting them actually
touch. With other dogs, try putting them on opposite
sides of a fence, so he can smell and play, but not
attack if the urge strikes him. How he acts in this
situation will help you gauge how he will react if he
meets other dogs on walks.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

-Pip Clews

--- dorcasb@juno.com wrote:
> 
> I  adopted a 4-5 year old male Pyr about a month
> ago, who is wonderful in almost every way. (I can't
> believe somebody dumped this lovely boy in a
> shelter!) But we have 2 issues - well, it's kind of
> 2 variations of the same issue. Hopefully, some of
> you knowledgeable people can help. 
> 
> He is somewhat protective when someone comes to the
> door (as you would expect of a Pyr). He barks when
> they knock, i make him sit, and when we open the
> door for someone and let them in, he is always
> well-behaved. But yesterday, the FedEx man came to
> deliver a package, and it looked like my dog was
> going to go through the glass door to get to him. I
> don't know if it's because the guy was wearing a
> hat/earmuff thing, or what. I was trying to get him
> to sit but never really got him under control. The
> FedEx guy just looked startled (i don't blame him), 
> dropped the package on the doorstep and left.
> Obviously, this behavior has to stop. Any
> suggestions?
> 
> The other question is how do I introduce him to
> other dogs and particularly to our cat?  He lived
> with about 20 other dogs in his foster home,
> including 2 adult Pyrs (a male and female) with no
> problem. And when he came to our house, he was fine
> with our male Bichon Frise. But he is aggressive
> onleash with other dogs, and while i don't THINK he
> would hurt one if he got close, i can't be sure. The
> same with our cat - we just keep them separated
> right now (the cat is mostly an outside cat, but
> comes in to eat and sleep - especially with the
> bitter cold we have had lately.) 
> 
> I have been using a Gentle Leader to walk him with
> (thanks to my wonderful Rescue coordinator - who has
> been helping me with this), but i haven't allowed
> him to get near any other dogs onleash. We are just
> working on walking past strange dogs right now. But
> i would eventually like to be able to let him play
> with some of the other dogs we have around us - but
> obviously i am uncertain about how to introduce
> them. 
> 
> We are starting obedience class this week, and
> hopefully the socialization there will help. I have
> already taken him to the dog school to be 'assessed'
> and ten minutes after i had him there, they had him
> walking among the other dogs quietly. Amazing... and
> encouraging. 
> 
> Thanks for any help,
> Dorcas 
> 
>
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