My sweet Leroy stands out in the rain and snow and barks and does not seek shelter

by Kathy
(Salt Spring Island, B.C. Canada)

We adopted an 8 year old boy Leroy 9 months ago now. He is 150 pounds. He was severely neglected but is a lovely boy and gives and gets much love now. He prefers to sleep outside and rarely comes in. He has a dog house, two covered areas with a raised platform and blankets. He is quite scared of a lot of things but we have noticed lately that whenever it rains or snows he starts barking and stands out in either getting completely wet. When the weather is nice he is under cover or in one of his holes. He seems quite distressed about the weather but he did grow up on the West coast of BC where he lives now so not sure why he is doing this. We are wondering why he will not seek cover and barks each time. The other night he even tried to escape. We have a fenced and gated yard. He gets 2 to 3 long walks per day as well as play time when he wants to play (and he does let us know when that is :)). Any ideas re: this behaviour and what to do to help him?

Comments for My sweet Leroy stands out in the rain and snow and barks and does not seek shelter

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Jan 10, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Shelter
by: Donna

It's not unusual for Pyrs to want to go wandering so endeavour to 'escape'. That's why they must have secure fencing.

Man bred them to be independent thinkers who could withstand the elements and wander with and watch over their livestock without human intervention.

Without knowing his background, it's hard to say why he does what he does with the weather. Pyrs have double coats and, therefore, can endure rain and snow. They are tough and some just don't want cover. I wouldn't worry about it. He has the option of taking cover if he decides to.

He may be barking because he hears things when the rain and snow fall. Pyrs do bark. That is one of the tools of the trade to keep away predators. It's also a common reason for city dwellers to give them up.

I hope this helps. Perhaps someone else has some ideas.
Jan 10, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Vet might help
by: Anonymous

I think pyrs are sensitive souls. The slightest change affects them. I couldn't figure out why our rescue wouldn't eat of his new dog dish. Someone suggested a glass or ceramic and now he eats. Our vet suggested Prozac and it worked miracles . I think moving to new home is very stressful for pyrs. The stuff is cheap at Walgreens pet plan. Takes a while to kick in but the anxious behavior is much better. One day, I hope to take him off it but he is on very low dose.
Oct 22, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		Weather elements
by: Anonymous

Someone dumped Rona at our little farmL.... starved and terrified. We fed her. She has here for about seven months. She will not go into shelter when the weather is bad .. I worry about her but she is still very hesitant about going into our shed where she had her puppies. I have given all shots and had her spayed. She loves to be brushed and loved on but refuses to go inside.
Dec 16, 2020
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starstarstarstarstar 		My dog Gigi does the same
by: India

My German Shepherd does this as well and it makes me so sad. She has a dog house that’s well insulated and dry to keep her warm but she always chooses to stand in the snowy rain. No matter how cold it gets she would rather be outside eating snow and being alert than inside her house where it’s safer.

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