Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Hi everyone,
I notice that many of you have more than one dog. I am especially interested in Pyr's. I have gone back and forth about getting a second dog ...or perhaps another animal such as a goat or sheep for Marley to guard. I suppose the biggest reason I flip back and forth is that we travel a few times a year. If we go by car eg:camping we take Marley with us. We can't always do this if we are going places by plane. More than one Pyr will make this even harder. On the other side of it, Marley is an outside dog - I would love it if he came in the house more but he LOVES it outside and would much rather lay on the deck and look inside than lay inside on the floor looking out.   Marley even sleeps outside.For this I think that having a few companions to spend time with outdoors when we can't be out there with him would be great for him....
Can Pyr's be happy on thier own? Are they more independant as a breed or are they happier in two's or three's? Also...how do you know that introducing another dog to the family will be in your dog's best interest as opposed to making him feel like he is no longer your one and only?

I would be interested to know if those that walk more than once a day - are they in the house dogs? I have often searched for exercise answers myself. I walk Marley about 45 min in the evenings however he spends his entire day outside and we have an acre of land for him to roam and romp.... Do the dogs that get walked 2-3 times daily run around the yard as well? perhaps i should be adding in another walk?

A pyr in the snow is like a Canadian at the beach!

Hi everyone,
I have just joined this site and I can't get over all the great people that are willing to share thier experiences and advice! I am the lucky owner of a male Great Pyr named Marley ....named him after Bob Marley 
We got him when he was 4 months old and he has grown into a snuggly young man of almost 2 years now!! He will be 2 in March. Time goes by so fast. He is a pure breed and was born with a mask of black on his face just like zoro. He has lost a lot of it now but is still cute as ever. I am so happy to have found a place where there are other pyr owners to discuss this fantastic breed.

Thanks everyone! look forward to chatting with you all about our wonderful pyr's!

Hi and welcome. I just joined this site a week ago and there is tons of great info! Your little pyr is sooo cute! congrats! They are in my opinion the best breed to own.
I have an almost two year old pyr. When he was a pup he had a mask on his face similar to yours. He has lost quite a bit of the coloring as he gets older. We fed Marley puppy food until he was about 8 months and then transitioned over a month period to adult food. Make sure whatever brand you choose that you go with a large breed formula. We have always fed Marley Nutro. We find the quality of the food and the treats are excellent. The less fillers and crap in the food obviously the better it is for the dog. You notice right away with good quality food versus "fast food" for dogs like Purina that their absorbtion of nutrients is far greater - meaning smaller poo's....great for them ...and their owners 

Can't wait to see more pics!

Hi there,
We have a 1.5 year old male pyr and the underground fence we put in was the best thing we could have done. He hasn't once left the perimeter and he is so happy to have the freedom to run without getting tangled in rope around trees. There are multiple settings that can be used based on your dogs resistance. We are lucky and he hears the warning beep and retreats from the line.

Good luck.... but I can't say enough about how wonderful it has worked for our pyr. 

Hi everyone,
I am new to this site and seeking some advice. I have a 1.5year old GP and he is scared of everything! I have taken him to obedience class and agility class to try and build his confidence. He is good for awhile and then seems to regress. As of recently we have bought a new truck. He is so scared of it that he won't even go in the front of the house anymore. I put him on a leash and tried to walk him a bit closer gradually  to the truck to show him it was ok. Now he is running away from me!! I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I don't want to force him as it seems to not do much good....but when I try and give him time to find his own way, he gets more and more skiddish... any suggestions would really be appreciated.