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March 01, 2012

I recently adopted a dog and have started trying to establish pack structure and it's been an uncomfortable experience. Is this establishing method appropriate for my dog?

Full Question:

Hi Mr. Frawley,

A week ago I adopted a 2 - 2 1/2 year old female Great Pyrenees. It's been an interesting week but the fact that I was online search for more help yesterday says it's not been ideal. I came across your website when searching for information on dogs being aggressive -- to other dogs and to people. I ordered your DVD on demand for establishing pack structure with the family pet and began putting her in the crate last night and it's been an uncomfortable experience.

Is this establishing method appropriate for a Great Pyrenees? They are classed as "independent thinkers" and she certainly is dominant. The way she's reacting in the crate is distressing -- she's obviously distressed. She whines and howls loudly; I tried feeding her in her crate and she knocked over her food dish and went into a frenzy trying to bury it with the crate pillow. She did settle down after a while when I was out of the room but the moment she hears that I'm close by the howling begins again.

I'm just concerned that I'm doing her damage at this point and seeing me now as inconsistent -- she wasn't in the crate for the first week that I had her but enjoying a nice dog bed. She wasn't destructive in the house when I left her, it looked like she just slept.

Your council on this is very much hoped for. I want to do the right thing for this dog and I'm doubting what I've now done.

Thank you in advance,
MC

Cindy's Answer:

This work is not breed specific and your dog is basically throwing the equivalent of a 'dog tantrum'. If you give in to her, feel sorry for her or let her out then you are actually going to make things much more difficult for her (and you) in the long run.

If you were looking for info on aggression then I'm guessing the dog has some issues and the best steps you can take to establishing clear rules for her is to continue with the crate training.

If she doesn't want to eat in the crate, let her skip a few meals. Don't respond in any way to the howling, either positively or negatively. Don't try to comfort her or feel apologetic. You simply need to ignore it and she'll eventually understand that the crate is a place of calm & quiet.

Realize that sometimes is gets worse, before it gets better (in scientific terms it's referred to as an extinction burst). Animals (or people) give it one last big really energetic HURRAH with the old behavior (in this case, howling and carrying on) before they give up on that particular activity.

Good luck, you are doing the right thing.

Cindy Rhodes

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