Frequently Asked Remus Questions

A couple of weeks ago I brought Remus to “Pints and Paws” in Sanford, Florida. It was a charity fundraiser event for local pet rescue organizations.

I knew that by deciding to take him I was giving up any chance at having a peaceful evening. He draws extra attention wherever I take him and this was going to be a crowded event.

I must admit, however, that I was not entirely prepared for what followed. I felt like I was the spokesperson for a movie star. If we stopped moving for too long we were soon surrounded by curious people hurling questions at us at an alarming rate: What is he? Does he shed a lot? Isn't he hot here in Florida? etc..

Allow me to take a moment to answer a few of the most frequently asked Remus questions.

What is he?: A Great Pyrenees

Does he shed a lot? Yes and no. I brush him nearly everyday, so most of that fur that would otherwise end up as giant white fur balls racing across the floor is gathered up in a brush and put safely in the trash.

How much does he weight? 130 pounds give or take.

Is he hot in Florida? Aren't you? Yes, it's hot in Florida. No, I don't shave him. Why, you ask? Because his fur works like an insulator (rather like the stuff in the walls of your house) and helps to keep him cool and warm as well as to keep his pink skin from getting a sunburn. Also, Remus has in and out rights. He can be outside for as long as he likes and he comes inside when it's too hot for him.

Despite being overwhelmed by the constant flow of repetitive questions, it was a good night. Remus brought smiles to a lot of faces and he enjoyed the attention from both the people and other dogs. One of the servers at the Willow Tree Cafe fell in love with him, bringing him is own water bowl and showing him off to the other employees and patrons. We also met one other Great Pyrenees and I was glad to hear them being asked the same questions.

I've no doubt that his picture is now plastered all over the social media pages of hundreds of complete strangers. Guess that's doggie fame for you.

P.S. A Belated St. Patty's Day picture. 

The Importance of Training

I cannot emphasis enough the importance of training your dog.

Without fail, whenever Remus meets new people someone will comment on how he is so well behaved. I tell them that it's because I took him to training and that this behavior doesn't just happen. Many people think "Why do I need to pay for a trainer? I can do this myself." Many people can train their dogs themselves. Many more cannot. If nothing else going to classes that you've paid for will force you to do the training. Because lets face it. Most of us are procrastinators. If I wasn't this blog would get updated far more often. But when you've paid out $100+ in training lessons, you're more likely to actually DO the training instead of saying, "I'll do it this weekend". Three years later your dog still jumps up on guest, never comes when you call him and steals food off the counter.

In addition to the wonders of a well behaved dog there is a strong and unique bond that is created between dog and owner while training. Tonight, I came home much later than usual. I went into my bedroom to put my bag away and Remus followed me. When I sat on the bed to take my shoes off he jumped up and plopped himself on my lap (or as much of him as could fit in my lap). He promptly put his head down and fell asleep while I scratched his legs. (He loves foot rubs.) As much as Remus loves everyone else in the house, he shows a definite preference for my company. Naturally, this does wonders for my ego, but it also shows the effects of the time I've spent training him. He spends more time with my mother than he does with me and she is often the one who feeds him. Yet it is me he runs to first. It's me he listens to when he decides to ignore everyone else in the house. He acts up if I go away for the weekend, most often taking his frustration out on my Star Wars collection.  

Thankfully this tendency to eat my things when I'm gone has diminished, but I still put away shoes and collectibles when I leave for a trip.

I started writing this post with pen and paper while sitting on my bed. Remus slept next to me the entire time snoring happily and loudly. He doesn't do this with anyone else. My neighbors are jealous when they learn that he cuddles in the bed with me, especially during one of Florida's rare cold snaps.

Training is important regardless of the size of your dog. There seems to be a popular opinion that small dogs don't need training with some owners even skipping over house training. Here's the thing. That's not true. Every dog is a dog, no matter how large or small, and needs to be treated as such. The only dogs I have ever bitten me were small dogs, toy poodles and chihuahua's being the biggest culprits. (In all fairness this is likely due in part to the popularity of these breeds in groom shops) The trouble is that that type of aggressive behavior is not typical of the breed any more than it is typical of other breeds like the Staffordshire Terrier. It's a behavior developed from irresponsible handling and training of the dog and is not acceptable in any dog of any size. You may think that your tiny Pomeranian can't possibly do that much damage, but a dog bite from even a small dog can do serious damage to a human hand. Additionally, if your small dog runs up to a larger dog in an aggressive manner that larger (and more powerful) dog is likely to respond in kind and will do serious harm to your dear pet.

My point? Train your dog. Treat it like a dog. A well loved, cared for, and cherished dog, but a dog never the less. Your dog needs you to be in charge. Show your dog you love them by being their leader.