Memphis - We're learning together....

by Marg
(Marmora)

Just thought I would share our experience so far, with our 6 month old part bred Great Pyrenees puppy, Memphis. Although he is part bred, after seeing the descriptions and photos on your website, there doesn't seem to be anything else in him. Even your descriptions of temperament, habit, and intelligence fit
to a T.

He came to us at about 4 months of age from our son, who had adopted him for his family. Unfortunately, circumstances made it impossible for Memphis to stay with them, and he came to our Ranch out in the wilds north of Marmora. As over 60's, my husband and I have been retired for a while, have three fat Shih Tzu's a couple of house cats, and share our home with our daughter, her family, their part bred Great Pyrenees, and another Shih Tzu, their fat cat, and several sheep and one old geriatric horse. Well, you can see that Memphis has come to a (formerly) quiet, interesting home, but we didn't realize how 'interesting' he might be!

Scenario... excited family, cute pup, all gangly legs, beautiful eyes, build and colour. Immediately purchase VERY LARGE dog crate for inside house, till he's somewhat trained and familiar with our routine. Nice fluffy white dog bed inside crate, LARGE bag of special dog food (recommended by son), a VERY LARGE LEATHER COLLAR, a new expandable lead, 2 VERY LARGE metal dog dishes for food and water, several bags of VERY LARGE rawhide bones for those emerging puppy teeth... well, you get the picture. The Shih Tzu's wondered if the Shah of something had moved in!

Before long, we learned that Memphis is directly descended from Houdini. I taped all edges of the crate so he could no longer squeeze out through any of those... next, he magically appeared outside of the crate again, he'd somehow undone the latch to the door (there are two) from the inside, and squeezed out the corner thus loosened. Remember, this boy was already past 40 pounds at that stage. Next, I secured the top and bottom of the door to the crate with LARGE METAL CLIPS we normally would use on a horse lead. Again, Memphis appeared magically outside of the cage! OK now a LARGE METAL CLIP was attached to each of the latches.

You can imagine the time involved in doing these all up, and then undoing them again to let him out for a walk, or just to roam around the house... All those precautions, and yes, you guessed it... well, we just gave up, moved the crate out to the front verandah, in case he ever decides he'd like to use it as an outside bed, and leave the door open. I know that he has not entered it to date.

I have my kitchen back, the chair is back where it should be, and we have gone through the painful (for my furniture) process of getting him used to not eating furniture (almost there!!!), or demolishing various lovely ornaments, shoes, boots, or the smallest Shih Tzu, although I must admit, he's mauling and slobbering all over her in loving glee as a little sister. She, on the other hand, all 10 pounds of her, bosses him around with no uncertain manner. No dog bone is safe with her around!

At any rate, I had had enough. He'd destroyed the lovely fine wooden tables we had received from my mother in law, he has delighted in chewing chunks out of the delicate upholstered living room chairs that had also graced her penthouse in Toronto, and he has eaten or disfigured an innumerable quantity of ceramics and wooden decorations; so we decided to advertise him on KiJiJi, but almost immediately realized what a terrible thing that would be.

Here, even at his worst, he is disciplined with kindness, even though my teeth are perhaps clenched a little tighter than normal, I tend to growl at him, rather than shout, and I have a terrific glare perfected over the years of raising our three teenagers to adulthood. What kind of situation might this gentle, loving, giant of a puppy find himself in, if he had to re-establish himself all over again?

No, the ad has been pulled, Memphis is staying, and we'll probably get old, or at least older together. And, believe it or not, not a tooth mark or claw mark have appeared on any further pieces of furniture. Now, if only I can find a way to keep him out of my flower beds, stop him from uprooting the little bulbs as they sprout up, and maintain some semblance of lawn... ah well, perhaps we can pass it all off as a moonscape this year.

Just one look from those wonderful brown eyes, or a nudge from that coal black nose, and all is forgotten and forgiven. Oh yes, I don't think I mentioned, he's very well house trained. Not once has he made a mess on the carpets or anywhere else, although of course, I suppose I should be a little upset about the missing fringe on the sculpted wool area rug that he seems to like.

Thanks, whoever the Great Pyrenees owner is, who had provided the background for our boy, we just can't help loving him, and I think he kind of likes us too.

Just thought you might like to hear about a part bred almost success story.....(In just the two months we have had him, he is now upward of 60 pounds)