Re: [pyrnet] Joe- Now I'm confused!

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/23/01 8:44:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, rene1@sprint.ca 
writes:


> He has shown that. After the bite, he was segregated to his run till the 
> kids went to bed. Till he could go to the trainers. He seemed to go into a 
> separation depression, not for me, but for them. Once let in he would 
> immediately run up the stairs to their rooms where they were sleeping, and 
> would have to be called down several times each night, because he was going 
> from room to room. Before this he would never go upstairs without me.


It is apparent you are hurting mightily over this dog.  What you described is 
very Pyrenean, but that makes it even more tragic.  The last thing this dog 
would like to do is hurt his children of the household, yet he did.  You are 
correct in teaching your children respect and proper behavior around animals 
and your Pyrs, but your three year old is not to blame for being bit.  
Pathologically Zeus was not able to help himself.  Whatever it is, will 
likely increase.  It is like a mental illness in my mind and the dog must 
suffer mightily as this goes against its very fabric as a Pyr.  We see this 
rarely, but when we do, it can develop into a very serious problem in time.  
It may be very serious even now.  This can grow into a sort of rage reaction 
and I am not sure it is not a form of rage. 

<<This is why I, and many others believe that Zeus just thinks of them as 
litter mates, that when he nipped her he didn't mean to harm her, in his way 
he was saying, "back off sister that hurts!">>

I know that is what you want, but it is not what happened.  Not with a Pyr.  
A Pyr would have just moved away from the Child and never laid his teeth on a 
three year old.  How bad could she have been hurting him anyway?

<<Do they ever mature? Geez!>>

You may one day soon wish you could keep him as that puppy i.e. pre attack.  
The pattern is that this will increase with age. 

I know I am not making you very happy.  I could lie to you about what I 
think, but that might not help you, the dog, and certainly the children.  You 
have to understand that the dog is likely suffering through this.  His Pyr 
instincts are being violated and it has to cause major problems for him in 
his mind.  If it is a rage type reaction, he may not even be aware he did 
these things.  Some people speculate that rage is similar to epilepsy 
neurochemically.  My hope and I am sure your hope is that I am totally wrong. 
 If I am, I will celebrate with you, but be guarded and realistic about 
calling in your successes lest something really bad happens at your home.  

Joe