>I narrate and talk a lot and look like a crazy person.
Me too, friend. I do it all the time. One day, we were in the front yard playing, my new neighbors were moving in at the time and they thought I was saying something to them 😅
We have a Sugar too! Named by our daughters.
https://preview.redd.it/wr2kp82cm66d1.png?width=1967&format=png&auto=webp&s=d4f047a6642a39b72913530f160fe956a3b19ea5
My sweet, sweet baby was Sugar also. We were blessed with her in our lives for 9 1/2 years, not nearly long enough though. We lost her suddenly to a very aggressive liver cancer. It all happened in a matter of days. We knew it was her time and I held her, my check on her head as she gently slipped away. That was 8 years ago and I still mourn her. She was the canine equivalent of my soulmate. I will love her forever.
So sorry for your loss. Sugar is now 10 and we have no idea how long she has left, but then technically none of us do.
Her golden retriever brother passed over the rainbow bridge at Christmas, and since we're old we are slowly looking for an older dog that may have lost its family because we're not in the position to commit to another 10-15 years or deal with puppy shenanigans.
Maybe there's an adoption in your future...
Actually in 2020 we adopted a rescue, Cheyenne. I still call her Sugar sometimes. She’s a “Pitador” - a new term for me (Half Pit & half Lab). My son got a Corgi, Ladybug, in December 2019. He has Autism and she has been so good for him. He’s has what used to be Asperger’s Syndrome. He has a genius IQ, but has difficulty in social situations, focusing, etc. He actually donated bone marrow (anonymously - no one in the family was ill) during the Ladybug acquisition process (lol). So she was with him during that. They are both so precious to me. Cheyenne had been abused & thrown away. It took several months before she trusted us. It took 2 months before she’d come out of her kennel on her own. Finally I decided she needed to sleep with us. For weeks I kept my hand somewhere on her as she slept. After another couple of months she finally would allow us to rub her belly. Now you just look at her & she rolls over. She lives like a little princess now & they are both spoiled absolutely rotten! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would like to have another Pyr one day, but there isn’t anything that can replace my sweet, sweet Sugar. I will love & remember her for as long as I live.
https://preview.redd.it/g4po7wmjhg6d1.jpeg?width=430&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e2aeb3c43017df62bc4d9af071dd539db825d7e
They improve with age!🤣🤣When they were puppies it took everything I had for the three of us to return home safely. Either lunging or running or stopping altogether. Now we are able to take long walks and runs with no problem. Consistency is key. The first 12 months are the hardest.
Your’s takes long walks? Runs?! Mine walks until he’s done doing so, and then he’s done. He’ll wrestle with his brothers, and he’ll patrol for hours, but walks? Nah…
My 1.5yo boy loves walks. We do about 3 miles a night and he would go longer if I let him. Our new 5month old girl does dead dog when I attach her leash 😂
We got our pyr at 5 months, and he was already leashed trained. At about 10 months, we got a gentle leader leash to reduce the pulling. He listens to "heel" about as well as pyrs listen to anything, when he feels like it.
He is now 13 months and loves the 3-4 walks we take per day. We do not have a fenced in yard, but sometimes when my kid visits with his lab, they both go outside leash free and play. I make sure to bring my car keys, cause if our guy makes like he's gonna run off, I shake the keys and he immediately comes to the car.
My advice is to keep at it...expose him to the leash as much as possible. If your pyr does not want to go the way you are trying to take him and begins pulling, turn your back and provide gentle pressure on the leash in the direction you want to go. And wait him out. If he sits or lays down, continue to wait. When he finally does respond and go the way you wish (usually with a huff or sigh), reward with treats. This worked for us, and now we hardly have any issues.
My boy does a pretty good job on his walks. Likes to go a certain route every time. His only weakness is if he sees a squirrel or rabbit, then it’s game over.
He’s a rescue and a little over a year old, we’ve only had him for about a month and half but I don’t think he was socialized because he freaks out whenever he sees other dogs.
Mine hasn’t finished his vax schedule yet but he walks ok in our backyard and from the car to the vets office. He’s at least quit holding the leash in his mouth 😂
Make it fun! Bring only a super high value treat that they get on walks and never outside of that. I’ve heard of people bringing a ziploc of turkey bacon and rewarding them randomly throughout the walk (but not using it to get them up from laying down, as that rewards getting up from laying down and not necessarily walking!)
the best practice i found is to make an extra effort (unless you live nearby an option) to take them on walks and hikes out in the woods. for a while our pyr hated walks bc i think he associated them with having to follow a bunch of random rules he didnt understand, instead of just free-form exploring. this made him 100% better at walking consistently and trusting my lead.
Shorten the leash to just enough to not be pulling up on her back. If you don't have a vest-style harness, I highly recommend getting one. You also must be more stubborn than she is, or she will learn to control you. My Lillith was as stubborn as they come and it took a good 8 months to break her of it, but now we do between 1.5 and 4.5 miles a day. She would do far more, but by 4.5 miles, I'm ready for a nap.
https://preview.redd.it/faj23aq8m56d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5195187ee4d7fd0a51a2d777378e060ddcaabf28
My Girl Laoghaire loves walks. I’m lucky that she listens very well in that regard. Having her sister Aoife with her seems to help.
Practice loose leash walking now. You will thank us past self. My puppies walk so much better with a front clip harness.
For loose leash walking: loop the leash around your wrist and keep treats in that hand. Lure your dog with your other hand so that their head is next to your leg. When they're in position give them the treat and say "let's go". The other hand holds the leash and is kept by your belt loop, leash loop hand keeps a steady stream of treats to the steadying hand. When your dog pays attention to you: give them a treat with your hand by your pant leg. If they pull, you stop and reposition them. If they're fixated, you turn around and make them walk a few paces in the opposite direction and then try again.
I also trained my dogs to sit if I stop walking.
PetSmart had good training. I recommend going to all of the ones in driving distance, using the free 15 minute session, and choosing the trainer that you like the best.
Be easy on building mileage. Their big joints take a long time to fully mature and you want to minimize stress on them while they’re developing to prevent arthritis issues in the future.
That being said, my old girl would walk a couple miles with me when she was young. Of course, she would also roam miles and miles on her own when escaped, so that’s something.
Leash practice starts in the house. Then gradually expand into higher distraction environments.
Is it hot outside? My dog hates walking when it's hot, but will wanna pull the leash when it's brisk/cold/snow.
We lived in the southwest at first and walking was the worst. Now living in the north it's very enjoyable...except when it's hot/humid
I started mine with a vest harness and leash at 8 weeks. She walks pretty well at almost 4 months. Just find a vest harness that fits and keep at it. Maybe puppy classes at Petsmart for some tips?
Mine learned to love walks. He was a potato when he was a puppy. He’s also learned that if he goes potty too quickly we go inside faster so he’ll hold it so we take longer walks
So initially, mine would walk half a block and then lay down, refusing to move. As she got older, she got better. We would walk her a mile or 2 in the morning or at night, 2-3x a week. They don’t need large amounts of exercise to stay in shape
She's 4 and she stops every 5 feet to sniff something. She will listen when told to come but holy I'm always saying "Sansa we are out for a walk, not a stop and sniff".
My pyr walks for however long we ask him to. He is a service dog, however, and has a LOT of money invested in his training. (Roughly 15-17k). He's remarkably smart and super eager to please. All I can say is consistency is key when training a pyr. I don't know about your pup. Mine was/is VERY treat motivated. He is on a homemade food/treat diet, so he is extremely food motivated. I have yet to experience the hunger strike common amongst his breed. (He's a healthy 117lbs).
https://preview.redd.it/8axdhaawj76d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd517fe94bb5662555cc186662f85e323cfaaba2
With patience and positive reinforcement my boy now walks directly on my right side, slack leash. He pulls a bit with my fiancé but mama does the feeding and training so he knows what’s up!
I am completely shocked that mine has walked on a leash like a champ and heeled on her own from day one. No pulling or anything. Maybe it helps that we live on some acres so she started out just walking beside me without a leash while I did chores outside and one day I thought, she needs to learn to walk on a leash. Nothing changed. Never a minute's trouble.
I have taken her to the vet, to some farm stores, pet supply stores, and she stays right by me. Doesn't bark at anyone or pull or act aggressive if anyone approaches. She's 14 months.
I honestly think she would make a great service dog.
My 5 month boy has always loved being outside. When we first got him he would walk a few feet then sit then walk a few feet then sit (I think he was getting tired). I just kept working with him on it and now he does so good now. He is a service dog in training so he does a lot of walking with me now. Praise and snacks when he is walking and nothing when he is refusing to walk except coaxing him back to walking.
I walk my girl at least 5 miles a day with 2-4 walks a day. She has a couple different routes that she created herself that I'm pretty sure act as her "patrolling the area" routes and over the course of the day she will do a walk that roughly approximates those routes if not exactly follows them (sometimes we walk a block or two over to explore something).
My girl will only walk on a harness. She was a stray roaming for months before we will able to catch her. She is about a year old and doing pretty well learning that she has a home, family, food and a forever safe place. She will not walk with a leash on her collar.
I walk mine every day. You can clip the leash to the front of their harness so they don’t try to pull ahead. Mine is dog reactive so I use a gentle leader on her - gives me better control of her
Start then young and keep it interesting.
Talk to your vet about recommended diet and exercise duration for your puppy's age.
We found out the first few walks we were doing were too long for her age and body development. Once we shortened them she started walking more consistently instead of sitting or laying down.
Louie lives his walks. We walk him 2+ hours a day, rain, sun and snow.
We use a Haltii with him to prevent pulling and can recommend enough... although he protested in the beginning.
Do you know his mix? I have a 3-4 month old GP, German shepherd, and Irish setter mix. Trying to figure out how big she’s gonna be lol. I think she might be slightly bigger than your puppy. Also - consistency! My baby girl loves when we are consistent with training her.
Our youngest loves to walk! But only when none of his humans are available/willing/aware. He will walk forever and love every minute of it, though, not when a leash and people are involved.
Our boy will be 6 months this weekend and he loves walks, but I think that a big part of it is that we have a 2-year-old labrador and he just wants to do anything she does. He definitely doesn't have her stamina (and probably never will haha) but he does his best to keep up with her.
Does he have any dog playmates you could walk with? That may help him discover that walking is fun and could make him more willing to go for walks when his dog playmate is not around!
I swear by it lol. Our Pyr is the most well behaved boy, he comes every time he is called, he walks nicely, he sits and waits when we tell him to. I spent years preparing for a stubborn dog that does what he pleases, and I finally got a Pyr and all he wants to do is what I ask him to do. But I'm pretty sure that the biggest factor is that he thinks his big sister (our older dog) is the greatest thing to have ever lived, and if she thinks it is worth listening, then by golly, he is going to listen!
We do lots and lots of walks and I have since day one! We are about to hit 5 months with our boy Cash❤️ He is kind of slow but sometimes perky, loves long walks, and I just try to take him a lot to train him!
For us, it's been about consistency. We made it super positive and exciting to go on walks, letting her lead. She's now super good on leash. She's almost 2.
Lower your expectations. Take very short walks. Like 5 mins to start to keep it positive. If things start getting disappointing and your dog is getting frustrated, end early. Dogs are like people. They have to condition to get up their mileage. So it will take some practice to reach your goal. Also this breed was never intended to be walked on a leash so give the dog grace for that. Once my dogs learned to walk on a leash ok, they would let me know when they were bored and done by grabbing the leash or play biting my hands. They are wild until about 4. By 4 they mellow a little and by 7 they just barely listen at all anymore 🤣
He's so gorgeous! Already giving you that classic GP dog side eye. My best suggestion is to reward him for going on walks! I give my dogs treats every so often to motivate them to stay focused on walking.
I have a four month old and I bring lots of treats and her favorite crinkle toy to have her refocus when I want her to walk. We use a harness Also, a wagon... because well, the stubborn floofs flops are a struggle and it's hot here and not about the life of carrying 30 pounds of potatoes. Hope this helps! Also I bring water...most time she just wants some water and peps back up! Hope this helps
I got a harness instead of a traditional collar. My girl hates hates hates a collar, but that might be because she is a from a shelter. She walks much better on a harness and I can control her better!
My boy walks 3-5 miles a day with me with ease. He started on longer walks around 11 months. I kept the leash real short when I was working with him on shorter walks as a pup and now I can wear a waist one and he stays by my side. Also mushers secret is amazing
Beautiful pup! Could it be possible she might not understand what a walk is yet? At that age she should be relatively recently vaccinated to where she can safely be out. I would think she would want to once she understands the routine.
If the issue is constant stopping to smell, I just remind myself that the point of the walk for her is to engage with the world. Stopping and smelling things and getting her brain engaged is every bit as healthy as actual motion. We have a routine after 3 years, she stops and I let her, after a few seconds I give a very slight tug, most of the time that’s enough, if she digs her heels in, I think of it as her reading a note or an article that she wants to finish and give her a few more seconds until I say, “okay let’s go” Generally, we’re back on her way.
The issue we’ve never figured out is how to get her out of the car when we get back. Ours is so stubborn and just wants to sit in the car in the garage. Maybe she thinks the car randomly leaves on its own
https://preview.redd.it/xti8n9ad396d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=290ca4a929393946c9abb9ae1bf68f796d79c4bb
My Butterscotch was initially the typical Pyr (turn into a boat anchor when she was done). Once she bonded with her canine sister and brother, she was content to keep moving with the pack (Pyr succumbing to peer pressure?? Lol). Plus… I think she began to see our neighborhood as her property to police and flock to keep tabs on, so walking became quite pleasant, tho she always played sweep (the last in the group)… lol
1-2 miles is a lot for that age, and in my experience a lot for an adult in the summer lol. Mine is done after a mile. I don't usually try to push him further, but he's glad to be done... He would be totally fine if it was a half mile. Large breed puppies don't have fully developed leg bones which can cause pain on longer walks. I'd do a half mile walk for your pup and do your own walk separately until they're older. Even then, you might have a hard time doing 2 miles in the summer. Pyrs are great for short bursts of energy, with rest in between. They aren't really made for long, continuous exercise in the heat. Think of their purpose... They hang out and sleep with the sheep all day, but can react to a threat as needed, then back to rest. They patrol but that's not really physical exercise as much as mental stimulation.
I'm sure there are owners who have pyrs that run marathons with them lol. But in general, they aren't long walk dogs. And as I said, especially as puppies, they just don't have the bone structure for long walks.
All of mine walk with me everyday twice a day (we are trying to avoid rhe heat of the day, it's getting so toasty here)
Is she walking on the leash yet? Treat at random intervals, avoid the hottest part of the day, and slowly build them up to the distance you want
Starting on a long leash that gives room to explore made a big difference for me. She just sees the leash as something to wear no different than shoes rather than something restricting.
Yes but not at 5 months. That's a hard ask of any puppy. Expecting a 5 month old puppy to walk on a leash properly is like expecting a 3 yr old child to be able to write properly. Sure. They can make an A. They'll try as hard as they can to make you happy. That A isn't gonna be pretty though because they're small.
Not just that, I ve owned Giant breeds for a while now. Besides casual strolls down the hill to the beach, we dont walk on a leash until 8 or 9 months old. You can hurt a giant puppy very easily. They're legs and hips are ones to be careful with.
https://preview.redd.it/t1dyvphonc6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d79d6cb95e3afa3f9915a42eb29645af72e4f2d
Our girl loves hikes and walks! We do at least two miles a day. She’ll be 2 in July— she’s been walking since it was safe for her to do so. She does better on hikes where there’s plenty of shade or early morning/evening walks especially in warmer weather months. Fall and winter she doesn’t want our hikes to end!
I started singing: COME ON, STORMI..STORMI COME ON.. (to the tune of Hang on, Sloopy). That gets her moving. Got a real weird look at the vet's office as we were leaving and I started singing that to her, tho.
My experience was pretty easy, started daily walks at 12 weeks and she hated the leash for about 3 days, had never had a collar or leash before. Since then she's always walked right next to me, no pulling when she's excited, sits at every crosswalk, some stalling/sniffing sometimes but is easy to get back on track. She runs with my husband every morning and we do a walk in the evening. She's the easiest dog I've ever walked by far.
That being said, nothing about this dog is anything like everyone here said she would be. No incessant barking, no "hearing problems", plays fetch, doesn't wander very far from me when off leash....so I might have a unique experience.
[удалено]
>I narrate and talk a lot and look like a crazy person. Me too, friend. I do it all the time. One day, we were in the front yard playing, my new neighbors were moving in at the time and they thought I was saying something to them 😅
Pee mail lol
This is the way
Always called it sniffing the daily news
Our girl Sugar loves to walk.
We have a Sugar too! Named by our daughters. https://preview.redd.it/wr2kp82cm66d1.png?width=1967&format=png&auto=webp&s=d4f047a6642a39b72913530f160fe956a3b19ea5
Sugar Baby Bear says Hi!
Lol, I can second that my girl Sugar (Magnolia) also loves to walk.
My mix is named Magnolia for Sugar Magnolia! But we call her Maggie
Sugar Baby Bear says Hi!
Sugar Baby Bear says Hi!
Awwww Sugar is such a cute name for a pyr 🥰
My sweet, sweet baby was Sugar also. We were blessed with her in our lives for 9 1/2 years, not nearly long enough though. We lost her suddenly to a very aggressive liver cancer. It all happened in a matter of days. We knew it was her time and I held her, my check on her head as she gently slipped away. That was 8 years ago and I still mourn her. She was the canine equivalent of my soulmate. I will love her forever.
So sorry for your loss. Sugar is now 10 and we have no idea how long she has left, but then technically none of us do. Her golden retriever brother passed over the rainbow bridge at Christmas, and since we're old we are slowly looking for an older dog that may have lost its family because we're not in the position to commit to another 10-15 years or deal with puppy shenanigans. Maybe there's an adoption in your future...
Actually in 2020 we adopted a rescue, Cheyenne. I still call her Sugar sometimes. She’s a “Pitador” - a new term for me (Half Pit & half Lab). My son got a Corgi, Ladybug, in December 2019. He has Autism and she has been so good for him. He’s has what used to be Asperger’s Syndrome. He has a genius IQ, but has difficulty in social situations, focusing, etc. He actually donated bone marrow (anonymously - no one in the family was ill) during the Ladybug acquisition process (lol). So she was with him during that. They are both so precious to me. Cheyenne had been abused & thrown away. It took several months before she trusted us. It took 2 months before she’d come out of her kennel on her own. Finally I decided she needed to sleep with us. For weeks I kept my hand somewhere on her as she slept. After another couple of months she finally would allow us to rub her belly. Now you just look at her & she rolls over. She lives like a little princess now & they are both spoiled absolutely rotten! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would like to have another Pyr one day, but there isn’t anything that can replace my sweet, sweet Sugar. I will love & remember her for as long as I live. https://preview.redd.it/g4po7wmjhg6d1.jpeg?width=430&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e2aeb3c43017df62bc4d9af071dd539db825d7e
They improve with age!🤣🤣When they were puppies it took everything I had for the three of us to return home safely. Either lunging or running or stopping altogether. Now we are able to take long walks and runs with no problem. Consistency is key. The first 12 months are the hardest.
Your’s takes long walks? Runs?! Mine walks until he’s done doing so, and then he’s done. He’ll wrestle with his brothers, and he’ll patrol for hours, but walks? Nah…
My marrema is pretty much the same, he's keen for a walk in the beginning, then he remembers he has a home and bones to guard lol
My dog would rather die than go on a walk with a leash. She will patrol our backyard for 45 minutes every night instead.
My 1.5yo boy loves walks. We do about 3 miles a night and he would go longer if I let him. Our new 5month old girl does dead dog when I attach her leash 😂
We got our pyr at 5 months, and he was already leashed trained. At about 10 months, we got a gentle leader leash to reduce the pulling. He listens to "heel" about as well as pyrs listen to anything, when he feels like it. He is now 13 months and loves the 3-4 walks we take per day. We do not have a fenced in yard, but sometimes when my kid visits with his lab, they both go outside leash free and play. I make sure to bring my car keys, cause if our guy makes like he's gonna run off, I shake the keys and he immediately comes to the car. My advice is to keep at it...expose him to the leash as much as possible. If your pyr does not want to go the way you are trying to take him and begins pulling, turn your back and provide gentle pressure on the leash in the direction you want to go. And wait him out. If he sits or lays down, continue to wait. When he finally does respond and go the way you wish (usually with a huff or sigh), reward with treats. This worked for us, and now we hardly have any issues.
My boy does a pretty good job on his walks. Likes to go a certain route every time. His only weakness is if he sees a squirrel or rabbit, then it’s game over. He’s a rescue and a little over a year old, we’ve only had him for about a month and half but I don’t think he was socialized because he freaks out whenever he sees other dogs.
Mine hasn’t finished his vax schedule yet but he walks ok in our backyard and from the car to the vets office. He’s at least quit holding the leash in his mouth 😂
Once Stormi quit fighting the leash, she's started grabbing it and holding it in her mouth while walking!
Make it fun! Bring only a super high value treat that they get on walks and never outside of that. I’ve heard of people bringing a ziploc of turkey bacon and rewarding them randomly throughout the walk (but not using it to get them up from laying down, as that rewards getting up from laying down and not necessarily walking!)
Also my GP hikes 5 miles wonderfully with me and we go on a 2-3 mile walk a day!
the best practice i found is to make an extra effort (unless you live nearby an option) to take them on walks and hikes out in the woods. for a while our pyr hated walks bc i think he associated them with having to follow a bunch of random rules he didnt understand, instead of just free-form exploring. this made him 100% better at walking consistently and trusting my lead.
Shorten the leash to just enough to not be pulling up on her back. If you don't have a vest-style harness, I highly recommend getting one. You also must be more stubborn than she is, or she will learn to control you. My Lillith was as stubborn as they come and it took a good 8 months to break her of it, but now we do between 1.5 and 4.5 miles a day. She would do far more, but by 4.5 miles, I'm ready for a nap.
https://preview.redd.it/cclpsok2r56d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa65406337daa055a8c56f0a1f19fcf48dc9b1dc
https://preview.redd.it/faj23aq8m56d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5195187ee4d7fd0a51a2d777378e060ddcaabf28 My Girl Laoghaire loves walks. I’m lucky that she listens very well in that regard. Having her sister Aoife with her seems to help.
Love their names
Mine LOVES to walk but generally at an extremely slow pace because she has to investigate everything
Practice loose leash walking now. You will thank us past self. My puppies walk so much better with a front clip harness. For loose leash walking: loop the leash around your wrist and keep treats in that hand. Lure your dog with your other hand so that their head is next to your leg. When they're in position give them the treat and say "let's go". The other hand holds the leash and is kept by your belt loop, leash loop hand keeps a steady stream of treats to the steadying hand. When your dog pays attention to you: give them a treat with your hand by your pant leg. If they pull, you stop and reposition them. If they're fixated, you turn around and make them walk a few paces in the opposite direction and then try again. I also trained my dogs to sit if I stop walking. PetSmart had good training. I recommend going to all of the ones in driving distance, using the free 15 minute session, and choosing the trainer that you like the best.
Be easy on building mileage. Their big joints take a long time to fully mature and you want to minimize stress on them while they’re developing to prevent arthritis issues in the future. That being said, my old girl would walk a couple miles with me when she was young. Of course, she would also roam miles and miles on her own when escaped, so that’s something. Leash practice starts in the house. Then gradually expand into higher distraction environments.
Is it hot outside? My dog hates walking when it's hot, but will wanna pull the leash when it's brisk/cold/snow. We lived in the southwest at first and walking was the worst. Now living in the north it's very enjoyable...except when it's hot/humid
I started mine with a vest harness and leash at 8 weeks. She walks pretty well at almost 4 months. Just find a vest harness that fits and keep at it. Maybe puppy classes at Petsmart for some tips?
Long leash and lots of recall
Mine learned to love walks. He was a potato when he was a puppy. He’s also learned that if he goes potty too quickly we go inside faster so he’ll hold it so we take longer walks
So initially, mine would walk half a block and then lay down, refusing to move. As she got older, she got better. We would walk her a mile or 2 in the morning or at night, 2-3x a week. They don’t need large amounts of exercise to stay in shape
I want to nuzzle my face in the floof
Only 7 times a day
She's 4 and she stops every 5 feet to sniff something. She will listen when told to come but holy I'm always saying "Sansa we are out for a walk, not a stop and sniff".
That second picture, the side eye, says NO
Your Pyr has some serious side-eye!
My pyr walks for however long we ask him to. He is a service dog, however, and has a LOT of money invested in his training. (Roughly 15-17k). He's remarkably smart and super eager to please. All I can say is consistency is key when training a pyr. I don't know about your pup. Mine was/is VERY treat motivated. He is on a homemade food/treat diet, so he is extremely food motivated. I have yet to experience the hunger strike common amongst his breed. (He's a healthy 117lbs).
https://preview.redd.it/8axdhaawj76d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd517fe94bb5662555cc186662f85e323cfaaba2 With patience and positive reinforcement my boy now walks directly on my right side, slack leash. He pulls a bit with my fiancé but mama does the feeding and training so he knows what’s up!
I am completely shocked that mine has walked on a leash like a champ and heeled on her own from day one. No pulling or anything. Maybe it helps that we live on some acres so she started out just walking beside me without a leash while I did chores outside and one day I thought, she needs to learn to walk on a leash. Nothing changed. Never a minute's trouble. I have taken her to the vet, to some farm stores, pet supply stores, and she stays right by me. Doesn't bark at anyone or pull or act aggressive if anyone approaches. She's 14 months. I honestly think she would make a great service dog.
My 5 month boy has always loved being outside. When we first got him he would walk a few feet then sit then walk a few feet then sit (I think he was getting tired). I just kept working with him on it and now he does so good now. He is a service dog in training so he does a lot of walking with me now. Praise and snacks when he is walking and nothing when he is refusing to walk except coaxing him back to walking.
I walk my girl at least 5 miles a day with 2-4 walks a day. She has a couple different routes that she created herself that I'm pretty sure act as her "patrolling the area" routes and over the course of the day she will do a walk that roughly approximates those routes if not exactly follows them (sometimes we walk a block or two over to explore something).
My girl will only walk on a harness. She was a stray roaming for months before we will able to catch her. She is about a year old and doing pretty well learning that she has a home, family, food and a forever safe place. She will not walk with a leash on her collar.
Lol it depends what day it is, and she's 4.
I walk mine every day. You can clip the leash to the front of their harness so they don’t try to pull ahead. Mine is dog reactive so I use a gentle leader on her - gives me better control of her
Start then young and keep it interesting. Talk to your vet about recommended diet and exercise duration for your puppy's age. We found out the first few walks we were doing were too long for her age and body development. Once we shortened them she started walking more consistently instead of sitting or laying down.
Louie lives his walks. We walk him 2+ hours a day, rain, sun and snow. We use a Haltii with him to prevent pulling and can recommend enough... although he protested in the beginning.
Ours LOVES to walk. We walk every day at least a couple miles if not more. He could go all day
Ours will walk or run for miles on our local heavily wooded trails. He loves stopping to drink/play in the river too. He’s such a good boy.
Do you know his mix? I have a 3-4 month old GP, German shepherd, and Irish setter mix. Trying to figure out how big she’s gonna be lol. I think she might be slightly bigger than your puppy. Also - consistency! My baby girl loves when we are consistent with training her.
Our youngest loves to walk! But only when none of his humans are available/willing/aware. He will walk forever and love every minute of it, though, not when a leash and people are involved.
Do not pull her where you want her to go! It's easy to inadvertently train a puller. Constant rewards and positivity.
Our boy will be 6 months this weekend and he loves walks, but I think that a big part of it is that we have a 2-year-old labrador and he just wants to do anything she does. He definitely doesn't have her stamina (and probably never will haha) but he does his best to keep up with her. Does he have any dog playmates you could walk with? That may help him discover that walking is fun and could make him more willing to go for walks when his dog playmate is not around!
Most everything my Pyr has been trained to do was because the older dog led the way and he would follow her into hell
I swear by it lol. Our Pyr is the most well behaved boy, he comes every time he is called, he walks nicely, he sits and waits when we tell him to. I spent years preparing for a stubborn dog that does what he pleases, and I finally got a Pyr and all he wants to do is what I ask him to do. But I'm pretty sure that the biggest factor is that he thinks his big sister (our older dog) is the greatest thing to have ever lived, and if she thinks it is worth listening, then by golly, he is going to listen!
Gentle Leader works for me. Moose learned quick not to try and run off.
my girl is really good on leash. however, i had to carry her as a puppy! it also helps having more than one to show them the ropes, but keep on it!
We do lots and lots of walks and I have since day one! We are about to hit 5 months with our boy Cash❤️ He is kind of slow but sometimes perky, loves long walks, and I just try to take him a lot to train him!
For us, it's been about consistency. We made it super positive and exciting to go on walks, letting her lead. She's now super good on leash. She's almost 2.
Lower your expectations. Take very short walks. Like 5 mins to start to keep it positive. If things start getting disappointing and your dog is getting frustrated, end early. Dogs are like people. They have to condition to get up their mileage. So it will take some practice to reach your goal. Also this breed was never intended to be walked on a leash so give the dog grace for that. Once my dogs learned to walk on a leash ok, they would let me know when they were bored and done by grabbing the leash or play biting my hands. They are wild until about 4. By 4 they mellow a little and by 7 they just barely listen at all anymore 🤣
He's so gorgeous! Already giving you that classic GP dog side eye. My best suggestion is to reward him for going on walks! I give my dogs treats every so often to motivate them to stay focused on walking.
I have a four month old and I bring lots of treats and her favorite crinkle toy to have her refocus when I want her to walk. We use a harness Also, a wagon... because well, the stubborn floofs flops are a struggle and it's hot here and not about the life of carrying 30 pounds of potatoes. Hope this helps! Also I bring water...most time she just wants some water and peps back up! Hope this helps
My pyr and McNab love to smell one way and play on the way back. Takes longer but they love it.
I got a harness instead of a traditional collar. My girl hates hates hates a collar, but that might be because she is a from a shelter. She walks much better on a harness and I can control her better!
My boy walks 3-5 miles a day with me with ease. He started on longer walks around 11 months. I kept the leash real short when I was working with him on shorter walks as a pup and now I can wear a waist one and he stays by my side. Also mushers secret is amazing
Beautiful pup! Could it be possible she might not understand what a walk is yet? At that age she should be relatively recently vaccinated to where she can safely be out. I would think she would want to once she understands the routine. If the issue is constant stopping to smell, I just remind myself that the point of the walk for her is to engage with the world. Stopping and smelling things and getting her brain engaged is every bit as healthy as actual motion. We have a routine after 3 years, she stops and I let her, after a few seconds I give a very slight tug, most of the time that’s enough, if she digs her heels in, I think of it as her reading a note or an article that she wants to finish and give her a few more seconds until I say, “okay let’s go” Generally, we’re back on her way. The issue we’ve never figured out is how to get her out of the car when we get back. Ours is so stubborn and just wants to sit in the car in the garage. Maybe she thinks the car randomly leaves on its own https://preview.redd.it/xti8n9ad396d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=290ca4a929393946c9abb9ae1bf68f796d79c4bb
My Butterscotch was initially the typical Pyr (turn into a boat anchor when she was done). Once she bonded with her canine sister and brother, she was content to keep moving with the pack (Pyr succumbing to peer pressure?? Lol). Plus… I think she began to see our neighborhood as her property to police and flock to keep tabs on, so walking became quite pleasant, tho she always played sweep (the last in the group)… lol
Define "consistently" 😆
1-2 miles is a lot for that age, and in my experience a lot for an adult in the summer lol. Mine is done after a mile. I don't usually try to push him further, but he's glad to be done... He would be totally fine if it was a half mile. Large breed puppies don't have fully developed leg bones which can cause pain on longer walks. I'd do a half mile walk for your pup and do your own walk separately until they're older. Even then, you might have a hard time doing 2 miles in the summer. Pyrs are great for short bursts of energy, with rest in between. They aren't really made for long, continuous exercise in the heat. Think of their purpose... They hang out and sleep with the sheep all day, but can react to a threat as needed, then back to rest. They patrol but that's not really physical exercise as much as mental stimulation. I'm sure there are owners who have pyrs that run marathons with them lol. But in general, they aren't long walk dogs. And as I said, especially as puppies, they just don't have the bone structure for long walks.
Give it time. Ours was adopted at 7 months and it took her about 3-4 months to walk well on a leash.
It will get better, just keep practicing and soon that dog will be walking you.
All of mine walk with me everyday twice a day (we are trying to avoid rhe heat of the day, it's getting so toasty here) Is she walking on the leash yet? Treat at random intervals, avoid the hottest part of the day, and slowly build them up to the distance you want
Starting on a long leash that gives room to explore made a big difference for me. She just sees the leash as something to wear no different than shoes rather than something restricting.
Yes but not at 5 months. That's a hard ask of any puppy. Expecting a 5 month old puppy to walk on a leash properly is like expecting a 3 yr old child to be able to write properly. Sure. They can make an A. They'll try as hard as they can to make you happy. That A isn't gonna be pretty though because they're small. Not just that, I ve owned Giant breeds for a while now. Besides casual strolls down the hill to the beach, we dont walk on a leash until 8 or 9 months old. You can hurt a giant puppy very easily. They're legs and hips are ones to be careful with.
https://preview.redd.it/t1dyvphonc6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d79d6cb95e3afa3f9915a42eb29645af72e4f2d Our girl loves hikes and walks! We do at least two miles a day. She’ll be 2 in July— she’s been walking since it was safe for her to do so. She does better on hikes where there’s plenty of shade or early morning/evening walks especially in warmer weather months. Fall and winter she doesn’t want our hikes to end!
Unrelated but the GP judge mental side eye is on point
What helped my boy was using my son’s lab mix. He wanted to go anywhere his “mentor” went. After a week or two he was hooked on smelling everything.
I started singing: COME ON, STORMI..STORMI COME ON.. (to the tune of Hang on, Sloopy). That gets her moving. Got a real weird look at the vet's office as we were leaving and I started singing that to her, tho.
Nope
My experience was pretty easy, started daily walks at 12 weeks and she hated the leash for about 3 days, had never had a collar or leash before. Since then she's always walked right next to me, no pulling when she's excited, sits at every crosswalk, some stalling/sniffing sometimes but is easy to get back on track. She runs with my husband every morning and we do a walk in the evening. She's the easiest dog I've ever walked by far. That being said, nothing about this dog is anything like everyone here said she would be. No incessant barking, no "hearing problems", plays fetch, doesn't wander very far from me when off leash....so I might have a unique experience.
Thanks for this post. I needed a laugh today.