I got snapped at this morning

[cincbcat]

Lately bedtime is becoming a difficult time for Sadie.  She does not want to go in her cage in the morning when I need to leave for work.  She runs away from me, tries to hide, etc.  I always say, "Sadie, go to bed", and as soon as she hears that she acts like a different dog.  And it's just been recently she started doing this.  So, a few weeks ago was the first time she snapped at me when I grabbed for her collar, to lead her downstairs.  It really shocked me and I immediately smacked her mouth and said "no bite".  I couldn't tell if she really had intentions of biting me, or, well, I don't know what I thought.  So this morning, here we go again, I told her to go to bed, she ran away from me, I said it louder several more times, and she rolled over on her back!! Cute, but not what I was going for.  So, I grabbed her collar to try and lead her, and she beared her teeth and went right for my hand.  Instinctively, I smacked her mouth and yelled "no bite" again, but I had to walk away because I was so in shock.  I really believe she would have bitten me if I hadn't jerked my hand away.  I am so upset over this, she never shows signs of aggression toward anything else.  I know it's a bad thing when a Pyr is aggressive.  I'm not sure if this is true aggression or just her way of telling me she doesn't want to go to bed.  I'm counting on my Pyr people (and anyone else!!!) to give me some advice here!! 
Rachel

[Good Hope]

Rachel,

You may need to pm Gypsy and Tanimara. I'd also email BabsT. They should be able to give you great advise. Also please post what advise is given so we all can learn.

I hope you can get your girl straightened out. You may want to try feeding her in the crate...

Deena

[VdogLover]

How long is she crated while your at work?
How many days a week?
Does she also sleep in the crate?

To me its clear she does not want to be in her crate and what your seeing is a progression of her protest. I'm sure before the first time she snapped at you there were more subtle signs such as her pausing before entering the crate, rolling on her back, etc... My fear would be that next time it may not be just a snap but that she will make contact. Hitting her for it will not solve the problem it may stop her from giving you any warnings and just go for the big time.

Have you tried making the crate time fun by having special toys (frozen stuffed kongs are my favorite) she only gets in her crate?
Make sure she is going to bed when she is tired...get up a little earlier to take her for a walk.
If your able to give her a larger area to be in such as part of a room you can dog proof.

I would try to recondition this when you do not really have to leave...
first take her out so she tired...
then get your kong out and let her lick it outside the cage so she knows its some good stuff...
then DO NOT TOUCH HER and lure her towards the crate with the kong and toss the kong in...
when she goes in after it close the door behind her but only leave her there for about 5 mintues before letting her out.
When she comes out remove the Kong.
By repeating this several times she should start to think the crate is a fun place since thats where the kong is.

[DixieSugarBear]

How old is she now?  She may just be testing to make sure she really has to do something she does not want to do.  Make sure she has had a long walk before you crate her.  If she as been asleep all night, she wants to play for a few hours.  Is she your only dog or does she have a play mate?  Sugar Bear and Dixie Darlin run a round in the yard from 6am to 8 am and then they are ready for another nap.  I would make sure she has a very special treat for when she goes to bed.  My guys love chicken jerky so they know if I say go to bed they go lay on the bed for a piece of chicken jerky.  Do you have a fenced yard that she could spend the day in? 

No if you really feel that she is going to bite or nip you she needs to go to Alpha Boot camp. 

http://www.sonic.net/%7Ecdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm


Good Luck,
Lisa

[Anakalia]

I'm not much help on this issue, but I wanted to wish you luck!  I have a feeling there is probably many things you can try to stop her behavior, but Pyrs and Great Danes are so different I'll leave the suggestions up to the professionals!   Keep your chin up!

Andi

[Scootergirl]

I think Lisa is on the right track. You should find time during the day or early evening to invite her into her crate with a special treat that she can only have in her crate. Put her in there for just a couple of minutes with the special treat - just long enough for her to enjoy the treat, but not long enough for her to realize, "Hey, wait a minute! I'm in the evil box!! Let me out!!"

As soon as she is done with the treat, let her out, but don't give her too much attention right away. You don't want her to connect coming OUT of the crate with being a "good girl".

 Each day extend her treat time in the crate just a little bit longer - give her more treats or bigger treats. If she has a favorite toy ONLY let her have that toy in her crate over night and make sure you give her the special treat again as she goes in for bedtime.

Also, leave her crate open during the day or evening when you are home and she is out so it is accessible to her if she just wants to get away. If you find her "sacked out" somewhere else, pick her up and place her in the crate with the door open so she wakes up in the crate.

It sounds like she just needs to familiarize herself with the crate being a safe place and not a punishment.

Hope this helps,
Jeanne

[patrick]

I agree wholeheartedly that you can not tolerate snapping  but physically forcing your dog or physically punishing it are also no-nos.  And for some reason Pyrs REALLY hate to be grabbed around the nape of the neck.  But you also need to realise that you are precipitating some of this behavior.  Its not acceptable behavior for her but it is a reaction to your behavior.  She is only doing this when you are physically dragging her to the crate.

The best solution is 2 fold - why has crate time become unpleasant for her?  It should be a place where she wants to go not a jail.  If it is in her mind that the crate is a thing of torture it is your responsibility to change that perception.  We only crate when we are showing but the dogs ALWAYS get a wonderful goodie to take with them into the crate. All we have to do is say 'crate' and they will dive in - because we have made it a pleasant place to be.

Also never try to drag your Pyr by their ruff - this breed in particular finds that to  be very offensive.  If they are refusing to go somewhere  simply put a leash on them and they usually then get up and go with some dignity. 

In addition to these two areas you should consider ways to reinforce that you are the alpha in the house- doggie boot camp or 'nothing in life is free' will help to reestablish you as the alpha.

[cincbcat]

She is almost 7 months now, and generally the only time we crate her is during work, and if we leave for other long periods of time.  She sleeps in our bedroom at night, with the door closed because I don't trust her with the whole house yet.  She runs outside for about half an hour before she wants to come in and eat.  We have tried putting her food in her cage, and she seems to like that.  We always put her toys in her cage, so she'll think it's a place she wants to be, and she always gets treats for going inside.  I should say too, she only acts like this in the morning, when I'm alone with her.  If my husband and I are home during the afternoon and we have to run out, she will go in her cage with minimal coaxing.  I would keep her in the yard during the day, but she is a digger and I am afraid she would dig her way out if left alone for 8 hours.  I like the idea of puppy proofing a room in our basement, and I did want to try that eventually, but she knows that "downstairs" is where her cage is, so it's getting her to the actual stairs themselves that is the hard part.  You guys are great, thank you for your support.

[DixieSugarBear]

Maybe you can come up with some fun game to get her down the stairs.  Does she like cooked hotdogs, maybe you could put a little bit of hotdog on each step to get her to come down a few times.  At seven months she is going to test you at times just to make sure it is not her turn to be boss.  I have found the best thing I have done for Sugar Bear was to get him a playmate. As if anyone with a pyr needs a push to get a second pyr. hehehe


Lisa

[VdogLover]

If my husband and I are home during the afternoon and we have to run out, she will go in her cage with minimal coaxing.

Being that she is 7 months old and "Could" be testing you and by your above statement it seems this may be your line of thinking so test your theory...
 
You say she does much better when your husband is home and you leave in the AFTERNOON~  Could she know that when you leave in the morning she will be in her cage for 8 hours but when you leave in the afternoon it may only be one?
 
Try putting her in her crate in the morning while your husband is there ~ Does she go without a fight? 
If so could be a respect issue or it could be she doesn't associate him with the long crate time.
If she does go in without a fight when he is there in the morning try it in the afternoon WITHOUT him home~
Did the problem return?
 If so much more likely a respect problem if not her going in or not going in has nothing to do with dominance it has to do with the dislike of the long crating times.

[cincbcat]

"Maybe you can come up with some fun game to get her down the stairs"
Yeah, we thought we'd try to trick her into coming down the stairs...we both go downstairs and act like we're doing something interesting, and during daylight hours she's sure to follow us, but in the morning, I don't think fire and brimstone would get her down those stairs....she's got us figured out!!! 
I am nervous about how she'll be when I get home this afternoon.  I wonder if she'll forget our incident this morning?  I will try what you guys have suggested as far as trying to get her in the cage during the day for a bit, with a good treat, and then letting her out.  I am willing to try anything, I love her and I don't want to be afraid of her.

[DixieSugarBear]

She forgot about this morning 5 min. after it happened. Our fur-babies live it the moment that is one of the great things about them. Sugar Bear and Dixie got into a grumpy match yesterday and then went to sleep back to back.  Just keeping mine she is still a baby and needs to learn what is ok and what is not.  Sugar Bear like so go leave his room and go to sleep on the front porch at night, they have a dog door in their room.  So I have to go make him go in an go to bed,  sometimes he will get sassy and I hold his muzzle and tell him “none of that”  then I lift his big butt(98 lbs.) and make him  go to his room.  I need to work on a way to get his up without me lifting him.  He love to roll over on his back just to make it hard and a game. 

Lisa

[tanimara]

Rachael,

I read your post and all the replys.  I find very good info given here on making crating a more fun issue... all good suggestions.  Also the information given to you on alpha training is a must, especially at her age.  Sounds like she has excepted your husband as an alpha but not you yet.  You need to get on that.  Just follow the advise in the link that was posted.  It is an absolute must that she not get by with the snapping our your going to have a Pyr that will have to be retrained or put down.. not a good sign.

You have a whole different problem here however that has only been touched on.  Pyrs are extremely intelligent and she knows when to expect an 8 hour crate stay.  That is way to long to crate her unless it is bed time.  She is bored and she hates that long crate stay.  Pyrs require a lot of excercise, I might suggest you evaluate your situation as to how much exercise she is getting.  Also, being a guardian by nature and with nothing to guard she is just plain bored.  There are several things to do that would be of help but I dont know your situation so only you can decide what would work for you.

1.  Get her something to guard - best solution

2.  If she is a city/house dog and that is not possible, get another Pyr.  Puppy or adult so that she has someone to play with.  You would be surprised how much energy she will work off with another Pyr to play with and how many problems this will solve.  Most of those problems you have not even see yet.

3.  Leave her outside while you are at work.  She digs you say?  Of course she does, she's a Pyr...lol  You must decide if you want a dug up yard or if you want to give up your dog.  She is not happy being crated and I dont think that an 8 hour crate stay is going to work with her.  Some Pyrs will tolerate it.  Most wont.  She's telling you that she is one that wont.

I have no recomendations that will solve all your problems here.  I only know what works and what does not.  Crating her all day may save your house and yard but it will make your dog a psycho case if she is the type that does not want to be crate trained.  Besides that, I've see grown Pyrs totally dismantle or tear up a heavy duty crate when what they were telling you did not register.  Ok Mom, you wont listen... I'll show you... I'll eat this sucker!...lol  Even lots of excercise may not work if she is one of those dogs that just hates being crated dispite all your efforts to make it fun.  Besides that, you will see an increase in distructive behaviour if you dont get a handle on this quickly.

There are some things you can do to dicourage her digging out that are not expensive, but if you live in a manicured neighborhood that may not be the best solution (hot wire around the base of you fence, just about 6 " off the ground.  Belive me it works.  That's how you keep them in the pasture when they are the houdini type and all else fails.

Feel free to email me off list if you like.  Perhaps we can work out a solution with more details.

Jackie
tanimara@townsqr.com

[Scootergirl]

What if you got her an outdoor kennel run with doghouse and made a cement slab base for it? That way, you could leave her outside while you are at work and she could get a little more exercise in the kennel and she wouldn't be able to dig out of it?

[Luvmydanes]

I think having an "area" where she could be in instead of the crate sounds like a good idea too. If the weather is nasty out and we want the dogs inside, we have a walled off area where we put them, and they LOVE it. It isn't too big, but definately enough room for the both of them to get up and move and find a new spot to lay. I hope you find an easy and quick solution to this!

Kandi