It’s been known that Great Pyrenees can be very stubborn at times as they have an independent nature, but you may wonder if that’s really true. That’s a great question.
The truth is that Great Pyrenees can be obstinate at times. While they adore their owners, they can become distracted, flee, or simply refuse to do as they are told. Because of this, it’s highly recommended that you at least do standard obedience training with your Great Pyrenees. Also, note that it really depends on the individual itself.
What To Do If Your Pyr Is Being Stubborn
Now, we know that Pyrs can be stubborn, but what do you do when he is acting this way?
It may feel very frustrating when your dog is stubborn. Believe me, I know exactly how it feels, but try not to get too angry as it doesn’t help anything. But, what does? Let’s find out!
Tell Him What You Want
While I’m not saying to literally tell him what you want, I am saying to reward him when he does good.
This helps tell him what you want and that he will be rewarded with treats and a lot of love for doing good.
Avoid Punishing Him
Another thing you want to do is avoid punishing him. While I know it may seem tempting, it probably won’t do any good and if anything, will make him think you’re just a bad person who likes to do bad things to him.
The best way to go about this is like I said earlier; reward him for doing good, not punish him for doing bad. This should just be more enjoyable for your dog and should actually train your dog a lot faster.
Take Him To Obedience Training
While it won’t always make a disobedient dog obedient, it can help show your dog how to act and why.
Just note that, like I just said, it’s not for every dog. Make sure that your dog feels comfortable and is actually learning, otherwise, it may not be a good choice to continue with obedience training.
Show Him You’re The Best Person In His Life
Lastly, show him that you’re the best and most important person in his life.
The best way to go about it may just be to play games with him and reward him for best behavior. Just make sure he knows you’re the most important (and funnest) person in his life.
Once he realizes this, he will likely become less disobedient, as he knows you’re a fun and loving person and should become more eager to please you.
What To Do If Your Pyr Runs Away
It’s important to know what to do when your dog runs away from you, otherwise he may run away from you and you won’t have a clue what to do.
So, what do you do when your Pyr is running away from you? Let’s find out.
Relax
The first step is to relax. While I know it may be hard to, when you’re panicked, you generally don’t make many good decisions.
When you’re panicked, you’re too busy thinking about what’s happening and not how to fix it.
Use Your Recall Word
If you’ve trained your dog properly, you should have trained your dog to respond to a recall word.
This recall word or phrase is there so that you can call your dog to come back to you no matter what the situation is. Of course, it’s likely you haven’t trained your dog to respond to recall word yet.
If you haven’t, I highly suggest that you do. But, you may be asking how? That’s a great question. I recommend checking out this article from the AKC if you’re interested in training your dog to respond to a recall word or phrase.
If you are in this situation though and you don’t have a recall word or phrase, I suggest you use the next tip.
Entice Your Pyr To Come Back
Enticing or bribing your dog to come back to you is another good way to get your dog back to you.
Now what do you entice your Pyr with? Anything that your dog enjoys and that you believe will entice them to return.
This is likely a treat box or their favorite toy (when in doubt, use the treat box). You can also call them back.
If you have a toy, try getting on the ground and acting like you’re playing with it and if it squeaks, squeak it a lot. While it may feel humiliating, if it gets your dog back, do it!
On the other hand, if you have a treat box, shake it a lot and say “treat.” I know my dogs love the word “treat,” and your dog will probably perk up if they hear it too.
Why Did My Pyr Run Away?
Now, you know how to bring a dog back to you, but why would your Great Pyrenees even run away from you in the first place?
That is a hard question to answer saying there are a number of reasons, though it’s likely one of these.
- He saw a car
- He saw a person
- He saw another dog
- He saw another animal other than a dog (i.e. a squirrel)
- He was bored
He likely saw a person, a cat, a car, or another dog, but some dogs may also run away if he’s bored.
In order to prevent your dog from running away, I recommend that you first make sure he can’t get out, but also try to make his life fun and interesting so he wants to stay with you.
Do Great Pyrenees Have To Be On A Leash?
Generally, Great Pyrenees don’t have to be on a leash when he’s home, though if you do ever plan on walking him, I recommend it.
Why? Well, even though they are loyal dogs, they can get distracted and run away.
Is It Hard To Train A Great Pyrenees?
It is generally said that Great Pyrenees have a independent mind, so you may have some difficulties training them.
They were also bred to be guard dogs, and I believe that they were bred to have a more independent nature.
Conclusion
So, are Great Pyrenees stubborn? Well, it really depends on the individual, though they are typically loyal dogs, but they can get distracted easily.
So, do you have a Great Pyrenees? If so, is it loyal or stubborn or a little bit of both? Let us know in the comment section below!