It's Dog Or Nothing - fur, slobber, and dirty floors
The weather was beautiful for a lot of the weekend, so we spent a lot of time outside with the pups. Being outside in nice weather, you run into a lot of people. I’m always amazed at the people that ask me what breed Mauja and Atka are and then tell me how to care for them.
You didn’t know the breed, but you know what’s best for them? Here are some of the things I’ve heard recently while having a conversation about my Great Pyrenees.- You should get them shaved. This one normally comes with a nice tone to it. Like, how could you possibly let your dog suffer with that huge coat. I could go into a whole rant on people for this one but usually I leave it to, “Their coat actually keeps them cool and protects them from the sun.” I’m still usually given some sort of grief about not shaving my dogs from someone that doesn’t even know what a double coated breed is.
- Your dog isn’t listening. Obviously you aren’t alpha. Another topic I could talk about for hours as the “alpha theory” has no true basis in science. Once again, do you know anything about pyrs? She’s sitting next to me quietly, but she didn’t “shake” when you asked. This breed is very independent and was bred to work alone without the need for humans. They don’t feel the need to cater to your silly tricks all the time.
- You really should have had the dewclaws removed as a puppy. In some breeds, this is true. For the Great Pyrenees, the double dew claws are essential. It would be basically like cutting off your thumb. Their double dews are attached by a bone and serve a purpose. It is very rare for a pyr to snag their dews.
- You shouldn’t tolerate your dogs barking. Pyrs are livestock guardians. By barking, they are simply alerting us of any potential threats. They’re doing their job! Why would I get mad at my dogs for doing what they were bred to do? If I don’t see a reason for their barking, we quiet them down. There may be one day when I’m grateful for their alert barks!
- You need acres of land for such a big dog. This is such a misconception about giant breeds! Most of them can make amazing apartment dogs. In the house, they are typically couch potatoes. An hour long walk each day is enough to make them happy and sleep the day away. They need a little more exercise during adolescence, but nothing like most medium sized dogs will need.
- I’d never own a dog that big. Too expensive. More dog to love and be loved by! Plus, I’d rather have a 100+ pound dog protecting me than a 5 pound snack
(Usually followed by…) - Well, your food bill must be astronomical. Meh, not really. Pyrs have a slow metabolism so they don’t eat more than your average medium sized dog. On a good day, Mauja eats about 3-4 cups of food and she is a nice, healthy weight.
Now, don’t take this post the wrong way. I LOVE when people ask me questions about my pyrs. I have so much fun educating people about Great Pyrenees because I am so passionate about them. It just drives me insane when people think they know everything about a breed they have never heard of.
Does a similar thing ever happen to you?
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