New Inexperienced owner here: Breed; Great Pyrenees- Mountain Cur (boxer, schnauzers, clean)

[Maila]

Long story short, 2 days ago we ended up getting a 7 month old cross breed between Great Pyrenees/ Mountain Cur (rescue pup). This wasn't in our books to buy for 2 years from now but due to the Pup's living circumstances, hubby and I decided to bring her more. We have 2 kids aged 3 and 6 at home.
I am so sorry if some of the questions seem really bad (this was so unexpected and I am so not prepared but trust me, I am trying)

Here are the facts:
1. She has not been vaccinated or visited a vet before (we have an appointment today). Is 7 months too late?

2. The owner said she is 7 months but she looks really big and she is so strong (I am 5 '1'' and she knocked me over. twice, when trying to get past me). Is this normal?

3. She has been fed (according to her old owner), 1/4 of what she normally needs. When I went to pet-store, they recommended 1.5 C of food, twice a day. First day she was fed at her old home, so, yesterday I gave her 1.5 Cups in the morning (as recommend at pet store). She ate but she vomited. Should i be increasing it slowly?

4. She is crate trained and she went to bed at 10 PM last night. I left the light on but not full, i dimmed it slightly. Do usually people leave the light on? Or just a bed lamp? She sleeps in her crate and she has comfortable bedding. I retained one of her old toys so that she wont feel lonely.

5. For the walks, hubby and I work mornings at the same time 8 times in a month. So 8 days out of 31, she will be in her crate (pretty big) for upto 11 hours. The owner says its fine but I am thinking I will get a dog walker to come take her out around 10 AM. Which one would you prefer? Is she going to be OK in the crate for 11 hours? I am guessing no...right?

6. We have a fenced medium sized yard. we have some small plants but I am OK if the pup decided to walk over them. during mornings, I am thinking of letting the dog in the yard for an hour while I get things ready for work. In the evening is when I properly take her out for a walk for 45 mins. Is this a good plan??

7. Pee/Poo. I am unable to figure out how would I know if she needs to go. This morning at 5 AM, she let out a little bark. I came running downstairs and thought she needs to pee. She went outside by as soon as I bought her in, she poo'ed. Damn...I should have stayed out longer. Do you all have a place where they go pee/poo in the yard?? about 7 hours between the time they last went to the time they need to pee again?

I am sooo sorry if some questions are outright sounding stupid. Please help me figure this out.

[OttoR]

1. No.

2.Yes, but she needs to be taught to respect your personal space. Obedience training will go a long way to teaching respect. I would get her in a GROUP *balanced* obedience class as soon as you can. Don't fall for the "purely positive" or "force-free" nonsense (do you have kids? If so, enough said!).

3. She may have vomited because of the change in food or the amount. Or it could be nerves/stress. This should resolve soon.

4. No, I have never left lights on for the dog.

5. Yes, if she's had plenty of exercise and opportunity to eliminate, she will be fine. That said, for 11 hours, if you can afford it, she would appreciate a break.

6. I don't believe in leaving dogs in the yard unattended. If you do, check on her a few times and definitely walk the yard carefully to make sure she can't escape. You may find she isn't really interested in being in the yard if you aren't out there. Ideally, she would get a 30 minute or so walk in the morning AND her 45-minute walk in the evening (or vice versa).

7. Yes, you probably should have stayed out longer. Dogs are different. Most of the fosters I've had and my second dog, will go outside and do their business wherever when they need to go. Had one foster that would only poop in the backyard and would not poop on his long walks if it killed him. My little dog is a freaking drama queen - he has to find the PERFECT spot. He will NEVER go on his own property, and when he needs to go, he will prairie dog it for two blocks, sniffing, and dancing, and saying, "here...NO...maybe HERE?...no, that's not quite right...here's a good...nevermind....how's this? NO, that won't work...Here's the perfect spot...just a little more this way...oops, too far, more to the left...sniff...up a tad...Ahhhh, here's the spot!" Drives me NUTS, especially when it's raining. If I don't let him do his ritual, he simply refuses to go and will hold it until the next time we go out, or possibly the next day. That dog isn't sh*tting until all conditions are perfect. OTOH, my second dog will drop trow right in the middle of a crosswalk with no shame; and has!

The dog should be able to hold it past 5:00 but you may be more accommodating the first few days as she gets used to her new surroundings and adjusts to the new food. Mine don't tell me when they go out - we have a pretty typical schedule. I take them for a walk first thing in the morning (I work), usually about 2-3 miles of structured walk. I walk in the door from work, put my bags down, and take them out for a potty break (no walk). Around 8:30-9:00 (sometimes earlier if it isn't blazing hot) for another potty break where I let them walk around and sniff for 15-20 minutes, very casual. Right before bed at 11:00-11:30, I run them both downstairs for a last quick pee, out and in in 2-3 minutes.

I recommend you find a good balanced trainer or training facility and get into training as soon as possible. I highly recommend this book; it is written for inexperienced owners, it's easy to understand, a little bit humorous, and if you follow their program correctly and consistently, you'll have a well-trained dog in basic obedience in 6-8 weeks. It is also available for kindle. https://www.amazon.com/Training-Your...40_&dpSrc=srch

[Regina14]

Originally Posted by Maila

Long story short, 2 days ago we ended up getting a 7 month old cross breed between Great Pyrenees/ Mountain Cur (rescue pup). This wasn't in our books to buy for 2 years from now but due to the Pup's living circumstances, hubby and I decided to bring her more. We have 2 kids aged 3 and 6 at home.
I am so sorry if some of the questions seem really bad (this was so unexpected and I am so not prepared but trust me, I am trying)

Here are the facts:
1. She has not been vaccinated or visited a vet before (we have an appointment today). Is 7 months too late?

2. The owner said she is 7 months but she looks really big and she is so strong (I am 5 '1'' and she knocked me over. twice, when trying to get past me). Is this normal?

3. She has been fed (according to her old owner), 1/4 of what she normally needs. When I went to pet-store, they recommended 1.5 C of food, twice a day. First day she was fed at her old home, so, yesterday I gave her 1.5 Cups in the morning (as recommend at pet store). She ate but she vomited. Should i be increasing it slowly?

4. She is crate trained and she went to bed at 10 PM last night. I left the light on but not full, i dimmed it slightly. Do usually people leave the light on? Or just a bed lamp? She sleeps in her crate and she has comfortable bedding. I retained one of her old toys so that she wont feel lonely.

5. For the walks, hubby and I work mornings at the same time 8 times in a month. So 8 days out of 31, she will be in her crate (pretty big) for upto 11 hours. The owner says its fine but I am thinking I will get a dog walker to come take her out around 10 AM. Which one would you prefer? Is she going to be OK in the crate for 11 hours? I am guessing no...right?

6. We have a fenced medium sized yard. we have some small plants but I am OK if the pup decided to walk over them. during mornings, I am thinking of letting the dog in the yard for an hour while I get things ready for work. In the evening is when I properly take her out for a walk for 45 mins. Is this a good plan??

7. Pee/Poo. I am unable to figure out how would I know if she needs to go. This morning at 5 AM, she let out a little bark. I came running downstairs and thought she needs to pee. She went outside by as soon as I bought her in, she poo'ed. Damn...I should have stayed out longer. Do you all have a place where they go pee/poo in the yard?? about 7 hours between the time they last went to the time they need to pee again?

I am sooo sorry if some questions are outright sounding stupid. Please help me figure this out.

Please don't be concerned about questions sounding stupid. I still have many questions about dog ownership and I've owned dogs for many years; it's an ongoing learning process.

1. No time like the present to get her vaccinated, the sooner the better. I'd say it's very important to get her vaccinated against against at least parvo and distemper and rabies ASAP, but I'm not sure about flooding her immune system in one visit - ask your vet and emphasize that you don't know if she's had any shots at all. She's got to have a rabies booster at the very least today; maybe make an appointment for the other shots in ten days or so (but if there's parvo in the area, or distemper, or she finds rodent droppings in the yard, she could be in trouble, so talk to the vet). And get her spayed if she hasn't been already!

2. At 7 months, this puppy will be full of energy. I've been knocked over by a 3-month old Boxer puppy who didn't even realize it, he was running by and sideswiped me. The best thing to do is to make sure she gets lots of running/exercise/playtime outside and teach her to slow down around humans, sit rather than jump, etc. If she didn't get much opportunity for off-leash activity in her former home, she might be especially excited. But she's also a 'teenager', full of beans and wanting to push the boundaries. Start looking for an Obedience class. She's also got to learn not to knock over your kids; it's good that she hasn't done that.

3. Talk to the vet about the quality and quantity of the food she's getting. Maybe it's better to transition slowly to the more proper quantity of food, give her a little more with each meal. I'm not sure that pet stores are the best judge of what every dog needs; individual nutritional needs depend also on the dog's individual metabolism and amount of exercise, etc.

4. Where is the pup's crate? It would be nice to have it in your bedroom. You could see how she does with the light off, or just keep it dimmed - ask the former owner if she slept with the light on or off before. It's great that she's crate-trained.

5. I would definitely not leave any dog in a crate for 11 hours straight. If you can get a dog walker to come in around the midpoint of her time in the crate and take her outside and play with her, that would be best for the puppy.

6. Plants in the yard - no problem, though if they're toxic to dogs, you might want to make sure that she's not eating them. Exercise - your plan sounds good; though, given her age and energy level, in the evening, maybe let her run around the yard for 30-40 minutes, and, before you go to sleep, give her another 20 minutes in the yard, preferably with you supervising. You can also teach her to walk on a leash so you can take her around the neighborhood a bit for variety. Is she at all interested in catching a ball or frisbee - that would release a lot of her energy in the yard. Hopefully the kids are playing with her in the yard as well.

7. I don't have a yard of my own (live in an apartment complex); I'm sure that there are others who can advise you about a place to pee/poo. But keep in mind that dogs can have accidents, especially if they've just changed their environment. She will learn. The most important thing is to give her a consistent routine. Yes, first thing in the morning, give her the chance to do both when she goes outside. If possible, she should be taught to give you at least a few minutes to get up and dressed before letting her out.


It's wonderful of you to take on what sounds like a bouncy, high-energy puppy; and to be concerned enough about her care to ask all these questions. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask more questions. And post photos!

[JONOV]

Originally Posted by Maila

Long story short, 2 days ago we ended up getting a 7 month old cross breed between Great Pyrenees/ Mountain Cur (rescue pup). This wasn't in our books to buy for 2 years from now but due to the Pup's living circumstances, hubby and I decided to bring her more. We have 2 kids aged 3 and 6 at home.
I am so sorry if some of the questions seem really bad (this was so unexpected and I am so not prepared but trust me, I am trying)

Here are the facts:
1. She has not been vaccinated or visited a vet before (we have an appointment today). Is 7 months too late?
Of course not. They need those vaccines at any time...She hasn't been sick yet but that doesn't mean she won't get sick
2. The owner said she is 7 months but she looks really big and she is so strong (I am 5 '1'' and she knocked me over. twice, when trying to get past me). Is this normal?
Pyr's are enormous. Bred to protect sheep from wolves and other predators. This is normal. Cur's are smaller but still 40-50 pound range typically.
3. She has been fed (according to her old owner), 1/4 of what she normally needs. When I went to pet-store, they recommended 1.5 C of food, twice a day. First day she was fed at her old home, so, yesterday I gave her 1.5 Cups in the morning (as recommend at pet store). She ate but she vomited. Should i be increasing it slowly?It could just be all the change. Does she wolf the food down?

4. She is crate trained and she went to bed at 10 PM last night. I left the light on but not full, i dimmed it slightly. Do usually people leave the light on? Or just a bed lamp? She sleeps in her crate and she has comfortable bedding. I retained one of her old toys so that she wont feel lonely. I'd turn it out or leave a nightlight on, they don't seem to mind much.

5. For the walks, hubby and I work mornings at the same time 8 times in a month. So 8 days out of 31, she will be in her crate (pretty big) for upto 11 hours. The owner says its fine but I am thinking I will get a dog walker to come take her out around 10 AM. Which one would you prefer? Is she going to be OK in the crate for 11 hours? I am guessing no...right? I'd get someone to come let her out. You might also see, in time, how she does being out of the crate. She might be just fine.

6. We have a fenced medium sized yard. we have some small plants but I am OK if the pup decided to walk over them. during mornings, I am thinking of letting the dog in the yard for an hour while I get things ready for work. In the evening is when I properly take her out for a walk for 45 mins. Is this a good plan??
That's a great plan, keep an eye towards the window to make sure she isn't a climber or a digger.

7. Pee/Poo. I am unable to figure out how would I know if she needs to go. This morning at 5 AM, she let out a little bark. I came running downstairs and thought she needs to pee. She went outside by as soon as I bought her in, she poo'ed. Damn...I should have stayed out longer. Do you all have a place where they go pee/poo in the yard?? about 7 hours between the time they last went to the time they need to pee again?7 hours is probably about right. While you first have the dog, make sure they don't come in til they've had a solid 10 minutes or you've seen both pee and poop. Sometimes its hard to figure how they tell you, but generally there's a bit of anxious behavior on behalf of the dog, think of a 4 y/o and the potty dance.

I am sooo sorry if some questions are outright sounding stupid. Please help me figure this out.

OP, best of luck. I've had a number of fosters and there's always been at least one poop incident in the house when we very first have them, it gets better very quickly. It sounds like you have a friendly, rambunctious pup that's crate trained, and that you have the time and an idea of how to allow time for the dog in your life. Good For you!

Praise the dog when they go outside, rush them outside if you see them starting inside.

Your biggest challenge on this dog is going to be the size. If it leans toward Great Pyr, it will be big, and powerful, and you will have to work on teaching it manners around people and manners on a leash.

The good thing about this is that they are gentle with people and kids and protective of their flock.

Mountain Curs are hound type dogs.

[eureka1]

God bless you for taking this on. Good luck!

[mjaynes288]

1. She has not been vaccinated or visited a vet before (we have an appointment today). Is 7 months too late?

It is never too late to vaccinate. Since she is an older puppy she is no longer protected by her mother's antibodies so she should develop immunity to most things after 1 dose. Some vaccines for bacteria require 2 doses.

2. The owner said she is 7 months but she looks really big and she is so strong (I am 5 '1'' and she knocked me over. twice, when trying to get past me). Is this normal?

Great Pyrenese are giant dogs and can easily knock people over. They need to be taught that knocking people over is not acceptable. It is dangerous and could easily get you sued.

3. She has been fed (according to her old owner), 1/4 of what she normally needs. When I went to pet-store, they recommended 1.5 C of food, twice a day. First day she was fed at her old home, so, yesterday I gave her 1.5 Cups in the morning (as recommend at pet store). She ate but she vomited. Should i be increasing it slowly?

Are you feeding the exact same brand and variety as her last home? Changing from one food to another needs to be done slowly over around 2 weeks to avoid digestive upset. If you do not know the exact food she was fed the best way to avoid vomiting and diahria is to switch her to home cooked meat and rice and slowly adding more of the new food over a week.

Please talk to your vet about whether she is a healthy weight. If she was in fact getting only 1/4 the food she is supposed to she would be emaciated and you would easily be able to feel her hip bones and the bones of her spine. Different foods have different nutrient densities so the amount needed can vary widely. I have fed my dog a food that had 264 kcal/cup and another that had 540 kcal/cup. If I did not change the amount to keep the same calorie count my dog would have gotten rather fat.

Another thing you may be running into is the debate about feeding a giant breed puppy. Small breed puppies need more nutrients to sustain their fast growth hense puppy food. With giant breeds you need to be careful as growing too fast can increase the chances of health problems from the painful but self limiting panosteistis (growing pains) to the life altering including hip dysplasia.

4. She is crate trained and she went to bed at 10 PM last night. I left the light on but not full, i dimmed it slightly. Do usually people leave the light on? Or just a bed lamp? She sleeps in her crate and she has comfortable bedding. I retained one of her old toys so that she wont feel lonely.

No I do not leave a light on for my dog. Dogs have better night vision than humans and vision is way down on the list of senses dogs rely on, after scent and hearing.

5. For the walks, hubby and I work mornings at the same time 8 times in a month. So 8 days out of 31, she will be in her crate (pretty big) for upto 11 hours. The owner says its fine but I am thinking I will get a dog walker to come take her out around 10 AM. Which one would you prefer? Is she going to be OK in the crate for 11 hours? I am guessing no...right?

You are right. My general rule is the dog can only be left in a crate for 4 hour stretches during the day, especially a puppy. Leaving any dog without a potty option for 11 hours is asking for the dog to develop the habit of going in the crate and sitting in it for hours or holding it so long they develop a UTI.

6. We have a fenced medium sized yard. we have some small plants but I am OK if the pup decided to walk over them. during mornings, I am thinking of letting the dog in the yard for an hour while I get things ready for work. In the evening is when I properly take her out for a walk for 45 mins. Is this a good plan??

A yard is only as good for exercise as the people in it. Dogs do not exercise when left alone except for bad self reinforcing habits like digging holes or barking. You need to go out with the dog in the morning and make sure she gets her energy out with a game of tag or fetch. She needs to be tired before you put her back in the crate before work. I do not think one 45 minute walk will satisfy an adolescent dog that has been stuck in a crate all day. I would suggest doing obedience training to tire the mind along with the body.

7. Pee/Poo. I am unable to figure out how would I know if she needs to go. This morning at 5 AM, she let out a little bark. I came running downstairs and thought she needs to pee. She went outside by as soon as I bought her in, she poo'ed. Damn...I should have stayed out longer. Do you all have a place where they go pee/poo in the yard?? about 7 hours between the time they last went to the time they need to pee again?

I teach my dogs to potty on command as I want them to quickly be able to potty even when we are traveling. I do this by pottying them on a leash. I say the command, "Better go now," as they are squatting to go and then give gentle praise while they are going and a jackpot of treats and praise after they go.

If you are not planning on traveling you can use this technique for training them to go to a specific spot in the yard. If you want the dog to go there alone eventually it is best to have something that differentiates the area (different surface, little fence). Take the dog out on leash to the spot and wait for her to go. Stand still and do nothing. Be boring. If she goes have a party with high value treats. If she does not go within 10-15 minutes take her back to her crate and try again in 15-30 minutes. Do not let her off leash in the yard until after she has pottied in the designated area. The leash will be needed for a few months and you will need to randomly (not every time) reward going in the potty area for the rest of her life.

[historyfan]

We've had Great Pyrenees for more than 25 years. PM me questions & I will do my best. They mature slowly & are/act like pups until 2 - 2 1/2 years old. Get dog walker, they need tons of exercise. You have a goofy pup for next 2 years. They will really dig if left in a fenced yard unattended.

Use food treats to train to lead, sit, & stay and come to name. Make him sit to receive treat. This is most valuable early command. Keep in mind Pyrs are not bred to take commands but to be guardians. They are incredible child protectors...a pup will bond to your children & would die protecting them from man or beast, but at same time be extremely gentle with children. They also love cats. And will protect any animals they are bonded to as pups.

Pyrs are super cool dogs, but bark as their job-- to send out a warning to all that they are on shift...hence they become rescue.

They are clean animals in that they will not foul their area, unless they absolutely have to go. 11 hours is way too long for a pup to be crated.

[Annie53]

JONOV "You might also see, in time, how she does being out of the crate. She might be just fine."

THIS^^^^.

Once she is out of her chewing stage, definitely give this a try. Try and if there are problems, wait a month or two and try again. Such a better quality of life for her in the long run.

Over the years the dogs I had all had the run of the house while I was at work, typically 9 hours including travel time. I could also stop at the store or do a little overtime and they were good for 12 hours. I always drew the line at 12 hours.

They always had access to a large bowl of water and one thing I noticed.....not long after I got home they would take a good, long drink. They seemed to learn all on their own to go slow on the water throughout the day.

And, once in a blue moon, like once every year or two, just like us, something would be a little bit off and I would find a poop in the basement.

I always left the basement door open and that is where they would go if they had to and I never taught them to do that, they just did......as far as they could get from their living area or maybe they thought I wouldn't find it, whatever, I was happy with it as my basement is unfinished which made for an easy clean-up.

One more thing, ask the vet when she should be spayed which should be very soon before breast tissue develops. This will greatly reduce her chances of ever getting breast cancer.

Sounds like she is a very lucky girl and you should have many wonderful years together.

One more thing, I agree with Otto, NEVER leave her alone in the yard when you aren't home. Never mind her getting out, someone could hurt her or kidnap her.

This happened to a lady I worked with. She had her two Schnauzers stolen from her yard. As soon as she put the lost posters up the kidnappers called and demanded several hundred dollars {in 1980} for their safe return. She paid the money, got her dogs back unharmed, never called the police and never let her dogs alone in the yard again. {I can't remember the details of how they made the swap.}

[JrzDefector]

DO NOT leave a Pyr unattended in a yard. They are roamers. If they get out they will take off. Mountain curs are also a breed bred to be loose on a farm and to hunt. They will probably roam too. so that's a pretty roam-y mix. My advice would be to never leave her unsupervised. I also think obedience classes are a really good idea.

[hiero2]

The Great Pyr / mountain cur combo makes me want to reply. All the puppy stuff you can easily find answers to. Lots and lots of good books. "Before and After Getting your New Puppy" - Dr. Ian Dunbar, "The Puppy Primer", Patricia McConnell, "The Art of Raising a Puppy", Monks of New Skete, etc. Dunbar and McConnell are among THE MOST respected dog training authorities alive today. Cesar Milan is better known, Dunbar and McConnell are light years more respected among those who know.

And please read on, because the breed characteristics, ESPECIALLY of the Great Pyrenees, is going to affect how you train this puppy.

But the Great Pyrenees / mountain cur thing. Wow. Don't think you could get two more opposite sets of instincts to combine. However, mind that your information about who the parents were may be wrong. That happens a lot.

Anyway, "mountain cur" is a VERY recent breed, and instinct characteristics might vary widely. But, you should be able to count on a HIGH prey drive, medium size and energy.

On the other hand, Great Pyrenees are LARGE dogs, with NO prey drive, and typically something more than medium energy and drive. GP are HIGHLY independent, and will frequently ignore you when you give them a command - even when they KNOW what you want. They just are NOT wired that way. GP should be extremely bonded to companionship - either with you, or your sheep flock. They will NOT like being left alone, or just in the company of another dog. However, they WILL be patient, and will eventually be able to tolerate being home alone for a normal work day. A normal work day is about 9 hours. 11 hours is too long to be alone for MOST breeds of dogs, but it may be doable, because EACH individual dog is different. Dogs aren't like, say cars - you can't take the tires off and put them on another car. Dogs are very much individuals. So breed characteristics TEND to be true - but can vary.

Great Pyrenees were guardian dogs. They would be raised with a flock of sheep. They would identify with those sheep, and they would protect those sheep with their lives. A GP's guardian instinct should be high, but not off the charts. Supposedly mountain curs also have an enhanced guardian instinct - so maybe you'll get a double dose there.

But no telling where the dogs independence landed. Could be anywhere. And no telling where the prey drive landed. Could be zero, could be high, could be anywhere in between.

However, from the sounds of it, your pup has inherited some GP size genes. And rambunctiousness, too. The Great Pyr I've known haven't been overly sensitive to correction. And hounds (like the mountain cur) are typically also not overly sensitive in their emotions. {My current two are herding collies, farm collies, and are very sensitive to negative training methods. Permanently so, meaning negative is a real no-no for me.} But focus on positive training methods first. Don't ask here for the difference - go read up and study before you come back.

Exercise and mental stimulation. Personally, I don't think your dog is likely to be satisfied by a daily walk, or even two. If you said a daily RUN - that should be ok for a mountain cur. But a Great Pyr needs something different. They will benefit from a run, but likely need it less than the cur. However, the GP need for mental stimulation and social contact will likely be higher than the cur - and higher than most dogs.

I would also recommend you find breed-specific forums and lurk there - reading up on what people who OWN such dogs have to say. When you recognize the instinct patterns YOUR dog has, you can start planning your training and activities to work WITH rather than AGAINST, those instinct patterns.

Good luck.