Pyr depressed?

Our Pyr is a 4 yr old rescue. He won't come downstairs even to eat or go outside without many attempts to coax him. When we can coax him down and outside he won't come back in the house and has to be carried. He doesn't resist when we carry him back inside but he goes immediately back upstairs. He tries to eat grass when outside but barely eats any food - dog or human - inside.

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Dec 23, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		restoring confidence
by: Anonymous

What do you know of this dog's previous living conditions? Has he suffered abuse? Was he an outside dog who is now indoors? Did he have a canine companion in his previous home he was bonded to? Was he previously in a loving home and bonded to his previous human companion? Have you had him thoroughly checked by a vet to rule out any underlying health issues?
Reading this post is heartbreaking, as this dog's spirit has clearly been disturbed. Pyr's are very, very sensitive creatures...but we overlook this aspect sometimes because they are so large and strong. If his physical health checks out OK, then it seems to me you must work to gain this dog's trust, and love is the key.
Hard to say how long this will take. All family members must work on this, in a consistent and gentle way. To avoid force, arrange a space in your home where he can feel secure, but not isolated from the main family living space. Your calm presence is required at all times; so soft voice sounds, kind hands, a steady and confident human to dog companionship. Remember that he has no clue what you are saying, so tonal inflection becomes crucial. Be normal. You may have to hand feed him for a time. Above all, do not pity him; be his strength until he can, once more, reconnect to his own. Do not have a time-line as this will take however long it takes.
Good luck with this. Don't give up on him. You will have your reward for the compassion and love you are giving him now.
Dec 23, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Behaviour Issue
by: Donna

How long have you had the dog? Do you know any of this dog's history?

Sometimes dogs have very traumatic pasts, poor genetic breeding that can make them this fearful or they have been moved around so much they cannot deal effectively with life.

If you have just gotten him, it may be that he is just scared. Very scared.

He needs a lot of time to settle into your house. At least three weeks, maybe longer. Make sure he has a safe place to call his own, such as a crate where he can be alone. Just have him do his business in your fenced yard. No walks until he feels more confident in his new situation.

He'll come around when he is ready. Sit with him, talk to him, feed him liver treats, his own food (preferably raw diet) etc. by hand. Maybe he'll take it this way for now.

I advise you to take him to the vet for a checkup to make sure he is not having any health issues.

Eating grass is fine. That is part of a dog's diet.
Dec 23, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		Non eating Pyr
by: Anonymous

We rescued a Pyr (Bear), you can see our post "When a Door closes a Window opens" He had issue as well with eating when we got him. Couldn't find anything that seemed to make him want to eat! We had bloodwork done and found his thyroid numbers very low. Since that has been corrected with medication ( thyroid medication is inexpensive) he is a happy healthy dog again.

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