I feel ridiculous asking this but our dog is driving us insane.
She is only 9 months old but is a Great Pyrenees and huge. We live on a farm so she is outside almost all day running around, chasing rabbits, etc. I love having her since now the deer aren't eating my garden, but she has gotten in the habit of waking up anywhere from about 1-3 am and barking like crazy for about an hour. We make her come in about 9:30 or 10 for the night and she goes to sleep with no fuss on her bed downstairs. When she was smaller we kept her bed in our bedroom upstairs, but we have spiral stairs and she can't get up them and is now too big for either of us to carry(around 65 pounds already
). She did fine when she was in the room with us but now she has started this nonsense. I guess she hears something outside and that's when she cuts loose. DH and I take turns coming downstairs to threaten, cajole, yell at and beg for her to stop and it will work until we are all comfy in bed and then she'll start right back.
It normally takes about 4 cycles of doing this before she'll go back to sleep for good. After that she's usually fine until 7:00ish.
Sooooo.....any advice?
It is not a crazy question at all. A Pyr is part of the LGD group of dogs, ie Livestock Guardian Dog or also known as a flock guardian. It is the most mellow in temperament of the group, so most people don't realize the Pyr is a LGD. The LGD was bred to guard its flock and in the absence of a real flock, its family becomes its flock. Its sole purpose is to protect its flock from any danger. Since she is only a puppy, she is just coming into her guarding instincts.
9 months is just about when most LGDs start realizing they are LGDs and start guarding. Since she is a puppy, she is probably a bit over zealous and not sure what is a threat yet. Those blowing leaves are such a menace to her flock
As a side note, it is also when many LGDs end up in rescue as the owners were not properly informed that their cute bundle of fur was going to grow up into a very large guard dog. But, the LGD is not a guard dog like a Rottie, Dobie or GSD. They have a very different way of guarding, so it is best to really get to know your breed.
So, this is definitely the proper time to train her about what is proper and what is unacceptable to guard against.
The biggest thing with LGDs is socialization, socialization and more socialization. The more the dog gets out in the world, the better decisions she can make on whether something is threatening or not and will lead to fewer warnings. Get her out to an obedience class, take her with you on car trips, etc. Get her out so that she has the experience to differentiate between what is a threat and what is not. This also makes for a much safer LGD.
Here is a great website and message board to start learning all about your flock guardian. They are unique dogs with challenges that make owning one more work than the typical family pet, but once you own one, you will never want to go back to a regular dog! (We have Komondors - also LGD's, but more intense than the Pyr.)
http://www.flockguard.org/
And some Pyr websites.
http://clubs.akc.org/gpca/
http://www.greatpyrenees.com/
Just remember, they are first and foremost guard dogs, so proper training, socialization and control at all times is very important to prevent accidents.
And always go to a trainer that understands the independent thinking of a LGD as they don't always train like a regular dog. They were bred to think independently when out with their flock, so a LGD's motivation to please its owner is much lower than your typical dog, consequently, training methods often have to be adapted to their style of thinking.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the Livestock Guardian Dog!
Edited to add:
From the Pyr Breed Club website, which explains it better than I can. Note the reference to night barking. This is innate in your dog and cannot always be trained out of them. But careful socialization and training can definitely minimize it.
Great Pyrenees are at heart guard dogs and members of the great family of livestock guardian dogs. As such, they share with them certain strong characteristics. Pyrs were bred to be left alone with the sheep up in the mountain valleys. They are a guard dog by instinct, not by training. Their basic personality is different from most breeds, since most breeds were bred to take commands from people, while Pyrs were bred to work on their own.
A Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, sometimes willful animal. They have minds of their own and are not easily obedience trained. Things that you consider important may not be the same things your Pyrenees considers important. Many are almost cat-like, in their independence.
If you require a dog who will be a great "off-leash" companion for your outdoor activities, if you want a dog who will follow your every command, or if you want a competition obedience dog, the Pyrenees is probably not for you.
Do you have room for a Pyr? They are large and must be confined in a well fenced area, or they will exercise their powerful instinct to establish and patrol a large territory. When out of the fence they must be kept on lead at all times.
Like all livestock guardian breeds, Great Pyrenees are barkers, especially at night. The amount of barking varies from individual to individual, but the instinct is there and in some cases can cause major problems. Most Great Pyrenees in urban or suburban settings must be kept indoors at night.
The Great Pyrenees is a guard dog and as such cannot be expected to welcome uninvited intrusions onto your property. They will accept anyone whom you invite into your home. They are not "attack" dogs, but can be very intimidating to the surprised visitor. It is an owner's obligation to maintain a Great Pyrenees so that his guarding instincts can be exercised in a responsible way.
Some of that stuff doesn't bode very well for us folks that like to sleep at night.
Luckily, the kids seem to sleep right through the drama each night but DH and I sure don't.
A good board for talking to people knowledgable about this is homesteading.com and then the "pets" subforum. Many of them have LGDs, and will be able to advise you more.
