Author Topic: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues  (Read 10339 times)

Offline romphill

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Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« on: July 25, 2008, 05:32:04 pm »
My girlfriend and I recently adopted a nearly 3 year old Great Pyrenees.  Since we are both at our respective homes for the summer (both still in college), he is living with me and my parents and sister for the time being.  Despite only being around me for a minimal time though (in the grand scheme of things) he seems to suffer from something similar to separation anxiety when I'm gone.  I'll try to fill in background information in the following paragraph.

I have had him since July 6th.  He was at that time staying at the previous owners' parents house where he had been for around 2 or 3 weeks.  He spent the first night with my girlfriend and I at her parent's house, and had no issues.  He then made the 5 hour car ride (with stops of course) to my house where he has been ever since.  From the moment we picked him up, he does not stop following me (not a bad thing...just filling in the back story).  If I go outside for whatever reason, he typically either waits at the door or watches me through a large window we have in one room of our house.  The problem arises when I am gone for any length of time.  Typically if I'm gone for anything more than 20 minutes, and he has free reign of the house, I come back to find a mess either upstairs or in our basement.

To my knowledge he has not had any issues when I am around, and only 1 (of several) has been on the main floor of our house.  All the rest are typically upstairs or in the basement as I said.  Another kicker is that if he is kept in my room while I am gone, he does not have issues...gener ally just lays/sleeps on my bed or at the foot of my bed.

Things that could cause it(?):
He was/is on a diet of Old Roy Lamb and Rice Meal.  My girlfriend and I tried to change it to Purina Lamb and Rice, but upon doing this, his stools became more runny and had a green tint.  When we were trying to swap him over, we spent about 10-12 days gradually adding more Purina and less Old Roy.  I didn't realize his stools were affected until day 7 or so, and didn't attribute it to the food until a few days after that.  He has since gone back to all Old Roy.  Side question...any thoughts on Old Roy?  I've heard arguments both for and against cheaper dog food.
Shots.  When we got him we thought he was up to date on all his shots.  I called the veterinarian to double check though, and they said that they had not seen him since his shots as a puppy (March of 2006 I believe).  This should all be resolved by the upcoming Wednesday.
Food again...My family has another dog, a 8 year old Golden Retriever who eats Purina of one kind or another (not sure which type).  While my Great Pyr does not normally go for my family's Golden's food, there are opportunities when he could get into it without anyone knowing.

Any [more] ideas on what could be causing the problem, or do you have anything to recommend to break him of this habit?  My girlfriend and I go back to school in a month, and I'm not looking forward to replacing all the carpet in my apartment when I move out next year.

Thanks
« Last Edit: July 25, 2008, 05:37:15 pm by romphill »
Harley, Great Pyrenees, 2.5 years old

Offline maxsmom

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2008, 06:25:28 pm »
This dog has suffered through many changes in a very short period of time.  Unfortunately, any rescued dog can suffer from separation anxiety.  However, if the dog is calm and not soiling in the house when he is in your room, is there a problem with him staying in your room when you are gone?  Our Jake had severe separation anxiety and literally destroyed my dining room a few times in the first month or so that we had him.  Now he is okay, as long as he can't get into the dining room.  You can try medications, but I would try to let him settle in, in your room, when you are gone and let it be for now.  When you go back to school and your apartment, see if he is still okay in the bedroom where you sleep.  This is going to be another major change for him.  If he is okay there, give him time to settle in before trying to make any changes.  The biggest thing you can do for him, is to be patient, do not scold him for what he is doing, since he can't really help it.  This is a psychological/emotional thing, not sulking or revenge for leaving him.  He has to work through it.  Some dogs never are able to completely overcome it, but most can get to a manageable point.  Good luck and bless you for adopting your new dog.
Kathy 
Max  2 Irish Wolfhound
Jake  2 Great Pyrenees
Cody   3 Tibetan Mastiff
ChiChi 1.5 Caucasian Ovcharka
John and Nicki Maine Coon cats

Offline GoldenPyrs

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2008, 06:33:45 pm »
Hi & welcome.  I'm Marie, mom to a Golden mix and two Pyrs that you'll see listed below.  Both Cass & Sammy came to us as adults and they both are very, very attached to us also.  I think that seperation anxiety issues are common in re-homed pets.  I have to think that in their shoes (paws?) that I'd feel the same way.  For Sam & Cass we've just made a point to keep them as close to us as is possible anyway to allow them time to adjust & feel more secure.  Also, obedience work with lots of treats & positive reinforcement as well as trips out to socialize help, too.

Regarding the "accidents" in the house.  I would do a few things.  First, you may want to have a stool sample analysed by the vet for coccidia or other parasites that might be causing him trouble.  Then if all is clear, I'd slowly switch him over to a really good quality food like Innova or Wellness (you'll find more info here on the food forum).  They eat less of these foods so they poop a lot (seriously, a LOT!) less than they do on the foods that have so many fillers like wheat, corn, etc.  Then he won't have to go as often or as much and he'll have healthier stools, too.  The main thing though that I'd start soon is to crate him when you're going out for a little while.  Dogs don't like to "go" in their den, so that should help him learn or re-learn his housetraining quickly and hopefully avoid him getting entrenched in the habit of pooping in the house.  I'd start him in the crate though at first when you're home so that you can see how he handles it.  When we first adopted Cass & Sam we crated them at night (or tried to  ;)) until we could see if they were housetrained or not.  Cass was fine with it, loved her peanut butter stuffed Kong treat and went straight to sleep.  Sammy though became frantic and immediately started to pull the fur off of his leg with his teeth.  That was the end of crating for Sammy, but he's housetrained and fine at home alone so it worked out.  Anyway, that's why I'd suggest that you try the crate with your boy while you're around just in case he gets too anxious like Sam did. 

Congratulation s on your new addition and thank you for adopting him.  I'm sure that he'll be a wonderful buddy for you & your girlfriend for years to come.  Oh & I'm glad that you found BPO.   ;D
Marie

And my pups:
Daisy a 9 y/o Golden/Lab mix
Sammy a 6-7(?) y/o Great Pyrenees adopted 3/07
Cassie a 3 y/o Pyr/Mystery Snuggle Bunny mix adopted 2/07

My angel girls waiting at the Bridge:
Cara 1989-2001 Great Pyrenees
Sally ? - 1993 Dobie(rescued '92)
Halley 2002-2006 Great Pyrenees

Offline romphill

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2008, 07:57:49 pm »
To the first post, coincidentally enough my name is Max...not very common for people I know, but seems to be a popular pet name these days.

Thanks to both of your for your quick replies, and I'll definitely look into the foods that were recommended.  As far as keeping him in my room goes, I'm completely fine with it, and he usually is too.  Occasionally though he wants to get out, and there's not much that can stop him when he wants to.  One of the two doors in my room doesn't latch shut due to an unaligned door frame, so the solution I had was to put dumb bells on the other side.  Harley, my Great Pyr, managed to climb over a clothes basket and push open a door with at least 25 pounds on the other side!  I spoke with the original owner about putting him in a cage/kennel when we're gone, but they said that when he was a puppy he had issues with kenneling and being in any confined space.

From what I've heard from them it seems like they gave him all of their downstairs to run around in, so he's used to having a fairly good sized open space at all times.  This is starting to worry me about once I get back to school since my apartment is not that large, and it's shared with 1 room mate who is fine with me having a dog, but I'm not sure if he'll be wanting to watch over him at all times to make sure he's not pooping or peeing on our furniture.

Thanks again; I'll definitely look into the foods and everything else.
Harley, Great Pyrenees, 2.5 years old

Offline kathryn

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2008, 08:16:01 pm »
I don't have a pyr but wanted to welcome you to the board and congrats on your new addition.  Is there anyway that you can go back to your apartment a week or so before school starts so that he could get adjusted to the apartment and the sounds of the complex?  That way you will be there to help with his adjustment before you have to go to class.  Can you use a child gate in your bedroom door to let him see the rest of the apartment but kind of keep him confined?  I will second Marie's suggestion on the Innova.  It's an awesome food and my two having been doing great since I put them on it.  That's all I can come up with right now.
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Offline pyr4me

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2008, 07:43:20 am »
Hi there and welcome! I adopted my Pyr from rescue as an adult also last fall and she is definitely my "velcro" dog. She follows me wherever I go, likes to lay so that she can see me at all times, and will often howl when I leave the house. Initially, she also left me "presents" in the house, but that did stop as she became more adjusted and secure in living with us. She loves her routine as well, so if you are able to have a pretty regular routine that might help--we walk at the same time, eat at the same time, etc.

I would also second switching gradually to a higher quality food, my dogs eat Wellness Core and do great on it--it's grain-free, so smaller poops. Tipper also was on Innova for years and it is also a great food--it is high calorie though, so to avoid your dog putting on extra weight, you'll want to be aware of the amount he's eating.

In terms of living in a smaller space, I think that as long as you exercise your Pyr that it would be ok, once he gets used to it. My Pyr is pretty laid back in the house, lots of just laying around. But I make sure that she gets 1-2 hours of walks a day and I think that helps.

I have found BPO to be a wonderful place to get advice, hear ideas, and get support--glad you found us!  :)
Jennifer

Tipper (8 1/2 yrs) Golden Retriever/Sheltie mix
Jenny (4 yrs) Great Pyrenees
Gabriel (14 yrs) Sealpoint Himalayan cat
Melanie (11 yrs) Domestic medium hair cat

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."
~Robert Lewis Steven

Offline romphill

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2008, 09:59:10 am »
How much food should I be feeding Harley?  I haven't had him to the vet yet so I'm not positive on size, but I believe it to be around 135-145 pounds, and he will be 3 at the beginning of November.  Also, how much food would I be feeding him if he was on something like the Innova dry dog food (is that what everyone is talking about or are you feeding your dogs the canned food?).

Just curious because I'm trying to see how much more expensive it actually is.

Currently he is getting approximately 3-4 cups of Old Roy a day, plus whatever Purina One he scrounges from Moses's (the golden retriever) bowl.
Harley, Great Pyrenees, 2.5 years old

marypyrs

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2008, 10:47:26 am »
Hi! And Welcome! I'm Jane. 'Mom' to Rainbow and Whisper. Pyrs have been a major part of my life for over 30 years & could never imagine ever being without them.

High quality food is of utmost importance no matter what breed you caretake. Old Roy AND Purina are so low on the scale to me that they're not even on the chart. The higher cost of quality food will be more than made up for in the overall health of your Pup. Right down to lower Vet costs, actually.

Pyrs are usually estimated to be heaver than they actually are, due to their lovely coat and such. This is why it's so important to have an accurate weight when giving even such things as flea & tick preventative to heartworm medication. Get him in for a wellness exame asap & heartworm testing, etc.

I fed Solid Gold for a long, long, time but now feed EVO to my 5 1/2 yr old and Innova to my now 2 yr old. No canned food, but home made topper of organics and still add the Solid Gold Seameal. Pyrs eat very little for their size. But exactly how much is an individual matter. You'll know by living with your Babe and observing his condition.

Thank you for adopting Harley! I'm looking forward hearing more and posting of pics. :) Your sweet fellow is really going through an adjustment period. Pyrs like stability & structure and I'm sure once he feels moreso, he'll do you proud. As you will to him.

Again, welcome Max & Harley! :)

Offline pyr4me

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2008, 12:36:23 pm »
I agree with Marypyrs, how much your dog eat varies with individual dogs, but for example, Jenny, my Pyr is 98 lbs and she eats 2.5 cups of Wellness Core a day. I also put salmon oil on her food and I give her some canned food as a topper on her food 1-2 times a week.

« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 12:36:47 pm by pyr4me »
Jennifer

Tipper (8 1/2 yrs) Golden Retriever/Sheltie mix
Jenny (4 yrs) Great Pyrenees
Gabriel (14 yrs) Sealpoint Himalayan cat
Melanie (11 yrs) Domestic medium hair cat

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."
~Robert Lewis Steven

Offline maxsmom

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2008, 03:02:00 pm »
I feed all of my dogs raw.  Jake, my pyr, weighs 105 lbs and eats about 2 pounds of meat/bones/organs per day.  He had recurrent severe ear infections before I changed him from EVO to raw and hasn't had one since.  When he was on EVO, I was still trying to get weight on him.  He ate 3 or 4 cups per day of EVO mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt for breakfast and EVO mixed with pureed chicken and brown rice for supper.
Kathy
Max  2 Irish Wolfhound
Jake  2 Great Pyrenees
Cody   3 Tibetan Mastiff
ChiChi 1.5 Caucasian Ovcharka
John and Nicki Maine Coon cats

Offline romphill

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2008, 08:40:42 pm »
In everyone's opinion, what is the best food option for owners who are on a budget?  As college students I'm not sure my girlfriend and I will be able to afford some of the more expensive lines of food.
Harley, Great Pyrenees, 2.5 years old

Offline pyr4me

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Re: Great Pyr "Accident" Issues
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2008, 06:06:03 am »
Love the picture of your Pyr! So handsome.  :)

What you might want to do is look at www.dogfoodana lysis.com and then price shop to see what you can afford and what food you will feel good giving your dog. You could maybe find a food that is more affordable and then supplement with toppers for extra protein.

I find better prices at my local feed store and the Pet Supplies Plus near me has a program where if you buy 12 bags, you get one free. Every bit helps! Good luck in your search.
Jennifer

Tipper (8 1/2 yrs) Golden Retriever/Sheltie mix
Jenny (4 yrs) Great Pyrenees
Gabriel (14 yrs) Sealpoint Himalayan cat
Melanie (11 yrs) Domestic medium hair cat

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."
~Robert Lewis Steven